Question:
I was just wondering if being underweight can hinder the chances of falling pregnant?

Answer:

The human body is breathtakingly clever. Pregnancy is achieved when our health is generally at its optimal level. Essentially it all comes down to "survival of the fittest". Our genes are programmed to reproduce when we are at our healthiest. As such, our weight is an important piece of the puzzle. When we are underweight our body will find it challenging to produce enough of our reproductive hormones to sustain a pregnancy.

For example, the steroid hormones group is comprised of two of the most important reproductive hormones: oestrogen and progesterone. Both of these hormones are essentially derived from chemical pathways that are produced from cholesterol (ie, fat). Without enough dietary fat your body struggles to produce enough of these hormones, which in turn reduces your chance of conception.

Fertility requires sufficient body fat to have a regular menstrual cycle and ovulate each month. Women who are underweight can often find that they experience amenorrhoea (an absence of menstrual periods) or menstruate regularly but don't actually ovulate.

Building a baby requires a healthy body that has sufficient nutrient reserves. If your weight is too low, you should consider reviewing your dietary intake and increase your dietary sources of essential fatty acids — including cold-pressed oils, nuts, seeds, avocado an fish; and small amounts of saturated fats from organic eggs and meat.

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