Desire for children - folic acid to prepare for pregnancy

Have you decided to have a baby or have you wanted to get pregnant for a while and it's not working out?

In our "Desire to have children" guide, you can find out what effects your lifestyle and diet have on fertility and pregnancy.

And by the way: Did you know that the man's lifestyle also has an influence on the fulfilment of the desire to have children?

Guide desir to have children (Download)

1. Important if you want to have children: healthy lifestyle
2. The influence of folic acid
3. The desire to have children: What the man can do

1. Important if you want to have children: healthy lifestyle

Those who wish to have a child should take a look at their everyday habits. Healthy lifestyle means in the case of wanting a child:

• Drink little or preferably no alcohol
• Refrain from smoking
• Eating a balanced diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, milk and wholemeal products
• Prevent iron deficiency with low-fat meat (chicken, pork, lamb or veal fillet)
• Take vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fatty acids and amino acids, if necessary as food supplements.
• Watch your weight. Being underweight or overweight can reduce fertility.

2. The influence of folic acid

The importance of proper nutrition and nutrient supply during pregnancy is well known. But women who want to become pregnant should also take folic acid to prevent malformations in the child.
Common malformations in the baby that can be caused by folic acid deficiency are neural tube defects, e.g.

• an open back (spina bifida)
• an open skull (anencephaly)

These defects occur at the very beginning of pregnancy, which is why the folic acid store should be replenished before pregnancy.
Taking folic acid also has an effect on male fertility:

• Sperm quality and sperm count increase.
• The sperm have fewer defects in their genetic material.

In other words, folic acid can increase male fertility.

3. The desire to have children: What the man can do

The same applies to men: a healthy lifestyle has a great influence on fertility. A common cause of fertility problems are testicles that are too warm, as this can worsen the quality of the sperm cells.
Therefore, the following applies to men who want to have children:

• Do not sit for too long at a stretch
• No hot baths or saunas
• Turn off the seat heating in the car
• Do not carry a mobile phone in your pocket.

You can find more tips on fertility in men and women, on the influence of folic acid and an interview with gynaecologist Lea Köchli in our free guide "Fertility".

Guide desir to have children (Download)