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Fertility Books for Men 

Fertility Books For Men
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Looking for fertility books for men? We’ve got you covered. 

Whether you want advice on boosting your sperm health, support for your assisted fertility treatment or simply want to read a fertility story you can relate to, books can be incredibly helpful on your road to fatherhood. 

We’ve rounded up our favourite fertility reads – that put men centre stage – so you can add them straight to your Amazon basket, and your bookshelf. 

Fueling Male Fertility: Nutrition and lifestyle guidance for men trying to conceive 

By Lauren Manaker MS, RD 

Fueling Male Fertility - Nutrition and lifestyle guidance for men trying to conceive

People say size doesn’t matter, and when it comes to this book, that’s definitely true. This tiny tome is bursting with information and advice for all things male fertility. Straight to the point and evidence-based, it explains all about the holy trinity of sperm performance – count, motility and morphology. 

Written by a registered nutritionist, diet and supplements feature heavily, but it also dives into the various factors that could be impacting sperm health – from laptops near your balls to a lack of sleep. Whether you are struggling to conceive or just want to turbocharge your sperm ahead of trying to conceive, this book should be top of your reading list. 

Ripping Up the Script: One couple’s journey through infertility, a man’s perspective

By Charlie Druce

Ripping Up the Script - One couple’s journey through infertility, a man’s perspective

As this list proves, the number of books written by men, for men about the experience of infertility is pretty low. But luckily, we have this incredible read by Charlie Druce to add to our bookshelf. Charlie and his wife went through multiple IVF attempts and a miscarriage before ultimately becoming parents through adoption. 

The book covers everything from grief to the strain a fertility journey can put on a relationship – and somehow manages to do it with razor-sharp wit and humour. The book is full of anecdotes that would feel just as at home in the pub as they would in a fertility clinic – which is one of the reasons we love it! 

 

Get A Life: His & Hers Survival Guide to IVF

By Richard Mackeny and Rosie Bray 

Get A Life - His & Hers Survival Guide to IVF

Whilst IVF definitely takes its physical toll on women, it’s not an easy process for male partners to go through either. You’re trying to be a strong, supportive partner whilst also dealing with your own emotions surrounding fertility – and that’s even before you factor in all the medical jargon and masturbate into a cup on demand. 

This book is a brilliant, down to earth account of the IVF process from real-life couple Richard and Rosie. Full of tips, advice and relatable anecdotes, it can help you see things from your partner’s side and feel supported on your journey too.  

 

Mommy Man: How I Went from Mild-Mannered Geek to Gay Superdad

By Jerry Mahoney

Mommy Man - How I Went from Mild-Mannered Geek to Gay Superdad

This book has us laughing through every chapter – which might not be something you expect from a story about surrogacy. But then again, author Jerry Mahoney is a comedy writer – so maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised. 

This memoir is a must-read for any man considering becoming a father through surrogacy – but particularly for same-sex couples. From having to raise serious cash for the treatment, to having everyone obsessed with the quality of your sperm, Jerry details every hurdle he and his boyfriend faced on the road to parenthood – and the overwhelming joy they felt when they finally made it there. 

 

Donor Child: a child of love

By Emma Groenbaek

Donor child - a child of love

If you are going down the road of donor conception, you might be wondering how it could impact your children later in life? Well, Emma Groenback aka Donor Child has some idea – and shares it with you in this book. 

Emma’s story starts when her parents, facing infertility, decide to use an anonymous sperm donor to conceive her – and the central theme of the book is how happy and healthy their family is. This is a must-read for anyone considering or going through donor conception – it will inspire and uplift you, ease some of your fears and remind you that when it comes to family, love is always more important than genetics. 

What Makes a Baby

By Cory Silverberg 

What Makes a Baby

Part of breaking down the stigma of infertility is education. ‘What Makes A Baby’ is great if you are trying to have age-appropriate conversations with your kids about your fertility journey. It explains in simple terms exactly how babies are made and how they come into the world (which, in our experience, some adults aren’t even sure of!)

Seriously inclusive, this bright and joyful book is perfect for every type of family set up and can make kids and grown-ups alike feel seen and supported – whatever fertility route they took. 

 

Count Down

By Dr Shanna H. Swan

Count Down

This book – full title “Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race” might not be the lightest read, but wow – is it interesting! Dr Shanna Swan has been spearheading the conversation around the ‘ modern sperm health crisis’ and Count Down brings together all the research in a (surprisingly digestible) book.

We totally believe that knowledge is power when it comes to fertility, so if you want to take a scientific deep dive into the decline in sperm health – and how the environment could impact your chances of conceiving, then this is the book for you. 

 

IVF WTF?!: An Adult Coloring and Stress Relief Book

by MeMoments Creative 

IVF WTF - An Adult Coloring and Stress Relief Book

Ok, so this book might not technically be one you can read, but we’re still putting it on the list. IVF – or any difficult fertility journey for that matter – is stressful. If you’re trying to get pregnant then it’s likely you’re trying to cut down on your coping mechanisms/vices – like drinking or smoking. But guess what’s a great stress reliever that won’t harm your swimmers? Colouring.

You may not have picked up a crayon since primary school, but trust us when we say that this book helps you get into a chilled-out state and focus on your mind when feeling overwhelmed. More fun than meditation and less sweaty than hot yoga – it’s a win in our eyes.  

 

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Wearing tight pants and underwear

Studies show that men who wear looser underwear have higher sperm concentration and total sperm count compared to men who wear tighter underwear. So, lose the tight clothes and wear something loose to give your testicles some air.

CONCLUSION: learn more about how heat can affect sperm quality here.

Stress

Besides higher mortality rate and various diseases, stress is associated with low sperm quality. Stress is known to be associated with lower testosterone levels and oxidative stress with both playing an essential role in producing and maintaining healthy sperm cells.

CONCLUSION: If you feel stressed, we recommend you get some help so you can have a balanced mental health. For a stress management guide, download the ExSeed app for free and start your personalized action plan today.

Physical activity

Scientific studies show that men who are physically active have better semen parameters than men who are inactive. Fertility specialists also state that regular physical activity has beneficial impact on sperm fertility parameters and such a lifestyle can enhance the fertility status of men.

Prioritizing exercise can help improve your overall health and result in healthy, fast swimming sperm cells that have good chances of fertilizing an egg.

CONCLUSION: Try incorporating exercise in your weekly schedule to you ensure exercising at least twice weekly. We recommend a combination of cardio training and strength exercise. Read more about exercise and male fertility on our blog.

Nutrition

Fast Food
Processed foods damage the health of sperm-producing cells and cause oxidative stress, which lead to poorer sperm quality. Heavy consumption of junk food (every week) can increase the likelihood of infertility since men who consume vast amounts of unhealthy food are at risk of having poor sperm quality. Besides harming your fertility, junk food enlarges your waistline, harms your cardiovascular system, kidneys, and more.

Vegetables
Eating more fruit and vegetables can increase your sperm concentration and motility. It’s important that you consume a healthy diet filled with antioxidants and that you eat vegetables every day. Foods such as apricots and red bell peppers are high in vitamin A, which improves male fertility by nurturing healthier sperm. Men who are deficient in this vitamin tend to have slow and sluggish sperm.

Sugary snacks/beverages: several times a week Excessive consumption of high sugar items can lead to oxidative stress, which negatively impacts testosterone levels and sperm motility. Sugary snacks and beverages are also highly associated with obesity and low fertility.
CONCLUSION: To boost sperm quality, stay away from fast food, processed food, and sugary snacks or beverages. You need to implement a healthy prudent diet filled with necessary superfoods needed for good sperm production. Check out our guide to Male Fertility Superfoods. For personalized guidance and support on how you can start improving your sperm health, check out the Bootcamp.

Heat

Direct heat can inhibit optimal sperm production and cause Sperm DNA damage. Sperm cells like environments that are a couple of degrees lower than body temperature. Avoid overheating from warm blankets, seat warmers, heat from your laptop, hot showers, and saunas.

Cigarette smoking

The exposure to tobacco smoke has significant negative effects on semen quality. The damage of cigarettes and nicotine of course depends on how many cigarettes you smoke per day and for how long, but even low usage (up to 10 cigarettes / day) can inhibit healthy sperm production.  

CONCLUSION: Stay as far away from cigarette smoking as possible if you care about your general health and your fertility. Read more here.

Cell phone

When you have your cell phone in your front pocket, your testicles are exposed to electromagnetic radiation, which studies have shown to damage the sperm cells. Put your phone in the back pocket of your pants or in your jacket pocket.

BMI

There is a clear association between obesity and reduced sperm quality. At least part of the reason for this is that obese men may have abnormal reproductive hormonal profiles, which can impair sperm production and lead to infertility. 

A BMI higher than 30 can lead to several processes in the body (overheating, increase in oxidative stress in the testes, sperm DNA damage, erectile dysfunction) that can have a negative impact on male fertility. This can result in problems when trying to conceive.  

CONCLUSION: BMI is one of the risk factors that influence semen quality and, for example, sperm motility.  

Alcohol

A beer or glass of wine now and then do not really harm sperm quality. But excess alcohol drinking (more than 20 units per week) can reduce the production of normally formed sperm needed for a successful pregnancy.

CONCLUSION: If you want to stay safe, stay under 14 units of alcohol per week. For more information on how alcohol can affect male fertility, take a look at our blog: “Alcohol and Sperm Quality”.

Age

Studies show that women younger than 35 and men younger than 40 have a better chance of getting pregnant. Men can produce sperm cells almost through their entire life, but the sperm cell DNA is more fragile and prone to damage after the age of 40.

As men age, their testes tend to get smaller and softer resulting in a decline in sperm quality and production. These changes are partly because of an age-related decrease in testosterone level, which plays a very important role in sperm

production. Higher male age (>40 years) is not only associated with a decline in sperm production but also with increased sperm DNA fragmentation and worsened morphology (shape) and motility (movement). These negative effects make the sperm cells less qualified for egg fertilization.

CONCLUSION: with an age under 40, you shouldn’t have to worry much about age as a factor in itself. However, studies have shown a slow decline after the age of 30-35 years

and if you are above 40 years of age, your sperm quality can be affected due to increased sperm DNA damage resulting in a decrease of sperm motility and concentration. Remember that you cannot evaluate the quality of a sperm sample by just looking at it – this requires a sperm analysis.