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If you’re trying to conceive and facing fertility challenges, your weight might be playing a bigger role than you realize.
Carrying extra pounds can throw off your body’s natural balance, making it harder to get pregnant. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, obesity is behind fertility issues in about 6% of women who haven’t yet had a pregnancy.
But there is hope if you’re overweight and having trouble conceiving. Even modest weight loss can improve your chances of getting pregnant naturally or with fertility treatments.
At Yorktown Health in Lombard, Lisle, and Vernon Hills, Illinois, our team is committed to helping you achieve the best health possible at all stages of life, including during preconception and pregnancy.
Read on to learn how weight affects fertility, what losing even a small amount can do for your reproductive health, and how medically supported weight loss might help.
Carrying excess weight can disrupt your hormonal balance, making it harder to ovulate regularly. For some women, this shows up as irregular periods or no periods at all, a condition known as anovulation.
Others may develop insulin resistance or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), both of which are linked to weight gain and difficulty conceiving.
Extra fat tissue also increases levels of estrogen in the body, which may interfere with ovulation and embryo implantation. And know that being significantly underweight can impact fertility too.
You don’t need to lose a lot of weight to see positive changes in your fertility. Studies show that even a 5-10% reduction in body weight can restore regular menstrual cycles, improve insulin sensitivity, and increase the chances of natural conception.
Weight loss can also improve outcomes if you're undergoing treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI) for infertility. Reaching a healthy weight is often part of care prior to undergoing assisted reproductive technology.
At Yorktown Health, we offer compassionate, medically guided weight loss support, including advanced options like semaglutide and tirzepatide. These once-weekly injectable medications mimic natural hormones that regulate blood sugar and appetite.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide help you feel fuller longer, reduce cravings, and improve insulin function. These effects not only support steady weight loss but may also help regulate reproductive hormones and menstrual cycles.
These medications can be part of a comprehensive preconception approach that includes nutrition counseling, physical activity, and ongoing medical support.
The safety of taking weight loss medications during pregnancy hasn’t been firmly established, as there isn’t enough data yet to know how they might affect a developing fetus. Once you’re ready to actively start trying to conceive, you stop taking the medications, as it’s not advisable to continue them during pregnancy.
At Yorktown Health, our pregnancy specialists are here to support you in growing your family. If you’re considering weight loss as a step toward improving your chances of conception, we’re here to help.
Reach out to Yorktown Health by phone or use our online tool to book an appointment.