Women Who Work Too Hard Or Lift Weights Tend To Have Delayed Pregnancy

Study shows that women who put in more than 40 hours a week or tend to lift heavy loads take more time to get pregnant compared to women who don't, a US study suggests., according to gmanetwork.

Scientists from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston examined 1,739 nurses, who were attempting to get pregnant between 2010 and 2014. About 16 percent of them did not manage it within 12 months, while 5 percent had not conceived following a couple of years.

Those who worked for more than 40 hours a week took about 20 percent longer to get pregnant, compared to those who put in between 21 to 40 hours.

It was also linked to moving or lifting at least 25 pounds many times a day, and lengthened the time to conceive by almost 50 percent.

"Our results show that heavy work, both in terms of physical strain and long hours, appears to have a detrimental impact on female nurses' ability to get pregnant," lead study author Audrey Gaskins from Harvard said.

Healthy couples are able to get babies in three to six months, though the process could take more time for those who are older, or whose fertility is hampered due to some medical conditions, or smoking or drinking.

While half the women were about 33 years old, some 44 percent were too obese and 22 percent were "current or former smokers".

Most of them worked exclusively days or nights, even though 16 percent had "rotating shifts" at different times. One-third of the women were constantly on their feet for about eight hours a day, even as 40 percent said they lifted heavy loads up to five times everyday.

"Frequency of night shifts or the duration of rotating or non-rotating evening work wasn't linked to the time it took women to conceive," the study found.

Another simple explanation for the delay in pregnancy is probably less intercourse, said Courtney Lynch, a specialist in reproductive health at Ohio State University in Columbus.

"If this effect is real, it is likely due to the fact that these women are having less frequent intercourse due to their work demands," Lynch, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.

Women who want to have children should have sex at least twice a week, not only on weekends, she said. They should also maintain good health, weight, exercise and avoid smoking and stress.