Getting Pregnant Naturally (32 page)

X-rays and nuclear devices use ionizing radiation, a type of energy powerful enough to knock electrons off their cellular orbits (which is what can cause genetic mutations and cancer). Non-ionizing radiation, on the other hand, is much weaker, though evidence suggests that it, too, can cause a range of health problems, including infertility.

The effects on the body of exposure to EMFs is very complex, in part because the subject involves a number of variables (including the frequency, wavelength, intensity, and duration of exposure; a person’s size, shape, and position relative to the radiation source; and the part of the body that is being exposed, to name a few). Still, more than a thousand studies worldwide have looked at EMFs, and many have found adverse reproductive effects in both humans and animals.

Some studies date back to the 1940s when researchers found reduced sperm counts in radar operators aboard navy ships. Several more recent studies have found increases in miscarriages in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) operators. Other studies have found as much as a 50 percent increase in miscarriages among women who slept under electric blankets and in electrically
heated water beds, compared with women who slept on a conventional mattress and boxspring.

When you are trying to get pregnant, it makes sense to practice what scientists call “prudent avoidance”—in other words, keep your exposure to a minimum. If you’re addicted to your electric blanket, turn it on to heat up the bed before your climb in, then unplug it before snoozing (a current runs through the wires whether it’s on or off). Distance yourself from your computer screen, printers, copy machines, fax machines, and other office equipment. (As with computers, most of the radiation comes from the back of the machine.) Likewise, try to keep all electric appliances (such as microwaves, stoves, refrigerators, alarm clocks, televisions) at least an arm’s length away. The EMFs fall off rapidly with distance, so just a few feet can make all the difference.

FERTILITY CHECKLIST

HERS

• Lose weight gradually, or gain weight if necessary.
  

• Exercise in moderation.
  

• Avoid caffeine.
  

• Be wary of antibiotics.
  

• Give up breastfeeding.