Limit Caffeine Consumption

Several studies have shown reduced fertility for women who consume more than 300 mg of caffeine each day. Fortunately, the threshold is high enough that you can still indulge in that morning cup o’ Joe, since the average 8-ounce cup of coffee only has 100 to 130 mg of caffeine. Don’t forget, though, that black tea, green tea, chocolate, and some sodas also contain caffeine. For women undergoing in vitro fertilization, however, the threshold is much lower: A mere 50 mg of caffeine-the equivalent of one cup of tea—can negatively impact success rates. Alice Domar, an assistant professor at the Harvard Medical School who also counsels women dealing with infertility, suggests that you may want to further restrict your caffeine intake if you’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, even if you’re not doing IVF. Since only limited research has been done on the topic, Domar worries that further research may show that lower amounts of caffeine still impact fertility. “Fertility is a very time-limited period in a woman’s life, so try everything you can now,” Domar recommends. “There’s no downside to further limiting your caffeine intake, and if further research shows that lower caffeine intakes negatively impact even non-IVF women, you’ll know you’ve done everything you could.”