What is BMI? In what way does it affect my chances of conception?

Question

How successful is sperm donation in conception? what are the factors majorly influencing it?

Answer 1

Body Mass Index is the weight of an individual with respect to his height to determine the health conditions. It is calculated using the formula:
BMI = Weight (Kgs) / Height (m^2)

Following is the information on the BMI and it’s relation to weight/fat content in the individual.

Less than 18.5 --> Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 --> Normal
25 – 29.9 --> Overweight
Greater than 30 --> Obese

BMI affects the chances of getting pregnant to a great extent:

-- When underweight, a woman might undergo a condition called amenorrhea, which is total absence of menstrual cycles. This in turn affects the ovulation and pregnancy.

-- When overweight or obese, ovulation gets inhibited and thus the chances of conception reduce greatly. If in case conception happens, further impediments include – gestational diabetes, high blood pressure followed by organ dysfunction, labor problems, C-section, pregnancy loss and infections. The fetus could also be adversely affected exhibiting birth defects and chronic conditions.

Answer 2

BMI is known as the body mass index, which is categorized on the basis of a number or chart. Anything less than 18.5 means that you are underweight and anything over 25 signifies that you are overweight. And on the whole, this number is a determining factor in fertility and your baby's health.

You will often come across women who had to undergo IVF because their BMI was too low or too high. In both cases, there is a higher risk of not conceiving. Border line cases are an exception because they are closer to being obese or too thin. But remember that during pregnancy women tend to gain at least 25-35 pounds. So if you are on the obese end, it means health issues during pregnancy.

High or low BMI conception risks-

• If your overall BMI or weight and body fat are on the higher or very lower side of the scale, hormones like estrogen and progesterone go down. This reduces chances of conception.

• Being obese or on the higher side of the BMI indicates that you have a risk of insulin resilience. This leads to free androgens and estrogen in the body, which impacts ovulation and embryo implantation.

• Very low BMI puts you at the risk of anovulatory menstrual cycle. What happens here is that even though you are having your periods on a regular basis, you are not really ovulating.

• Furthermore, very low BMI takes a toll on your low progesterone levels. This in turn has an impact on the luteal phase, which means you may have regular ovulation and fertilization does occur. But the egg is unable to attach itself or implant properly in the uterus, increasing risks of early miscarriage.