10 household items that are preventing you from conceiving

Hormone Disruptors: 10 Household products that could prevent you from conceiving

Lim Han

15 Mar 2017

updated the 20 March 2017 à 11:29

1/10
Canned food
Convenient as they are, they could be the reason why you’re not getting pregnant. Commonly lined with BPA, a chemical that will likely engender a miscarriage, canned food is a major no-no when it comes to conceiving. So, it’s time to throw out those cans and stock up on those fresh fruits and vegetables.
2/10
Cosmetic products
You’ve got infertility written all over makeup, with most of these products containing chemicals that you should stop slathering on if you're planning on conceiving. From artificial colourings and phthalates to coal tar and mercury, cosmetics are a major concern in the realm of reproduction. If you’re having trouble conceiving, it’s probably time for a makeup bag spring cleaning.
3/10
Soap
Although a lifestyle necessity, these cleansing agents could be bearing some foul news for your uterus. Anti-bacterial soaps may contain triclosan, a chemical linked to hormone level disturbances and reproductive problems. That’s not all. Most soaps house parabens, a bacteria-killing preservative, which will also kill your chances of having a baby by interfering with hormone production. Switch your soaps for paraben-free ones if you want to be miscarriage-free.
4/10
Nail pollish
Ladies, don’t we just love adorning our nails, be it a dainty hue or a vampy shade? We’re sorry to be a wet blanket but it’s time to bid farewell to the mani-pedi life. Nail varnishes and removers often contain acetone which has enduring consequences on fertility with long exposure. If elegant fingers and pretty toes are a must, be sure to opt for acetone-free nail products.
5/10
Paint
These colourful vibrant liquids aren’t all fun and games when it comes to your fertility. Oil-based paints and thinners tend to contain the fertility-disrupting ethylene glycol ethers. This chemical will disrupt your menstrual cycle and make you more prone to a miscarriage. That doesn’t mean you have to walk rigidly around your house, just make sure you get external help if you want to spruce up your walls.
6/10
Laundry detergent
Detergents and fabric softeners produce fragrant soft clothes but diminish the likelihood of baby clothes showing up in your laundry. The same old villain of glycol ethers make yet another appearance in the washing machine, making it vital that you use vegetable-based and fragrance-free cleaning products.
7/10
Non-stick pots and pans
Although they’re a dream to cook with, they’re a nightmare for your womb. Lined with a coating that contains perfluorooctanoic acid, which has been linked to reproduction problems, these pots and pans should be off your stoves for the time-being.
8/10
Perfume
Who doesn’t love a sweet scent? But if your desire to conceive outweighs your longing to smell good, it’s time to trash your perfumes. Synthetic fragrances contain phthalates and other chemicals which can mess up your hormone levels and disrupt fertility. Although not every single scent is plagued with these chemicals, perfumes rarely boast a comprehensive list of their ingredients, making your safest bet a fragrance-free lifestyle.
9/10
Carpet
Trapping high amounts of pesticide that could have been dragged with your shoes, along with perflurochemicals contained in the padding of some, your carpet is more deadly than you think. These chemicals could have a toxic effect on your developmental and reproductive organs, making the carpet a potential obstructive veil between you and your pregnancy.
10/10
Anti-aging cream
Anti-aging cream effectively reduces fine lines and wrinkles, but also reduces the chances of a healthy growing embryo. This cream contains a high level of retinoids which can harm the foetus in the early embryonic stages. The trade-off between beauty and reproduction is a tough one, but, needless to say, worth every wrinkle.

Future mothers, meet your fertility foes.

Are you and your partner ready for some multiplication and expansion? That’s great, but truth be told, that’s just the beginning. Longing for a baby and being able to have one are two disparate issues. If you’re entangled in a pregnancy struggle, maybe it’s time to take a step back and look at the big picture – and by that, we mean the landscape of your household. Discreetly tucked into the nooks and crannies of your lifestyle are inconspicuous products that are actually severe obstructions along your road to pregnancy.

From laundry detergents to cosmetic products, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten household products you need to re-look at and possibly trash if you’re trying to conceive. So, get out your glasses and garbage bags, it’s time for some productive spring cleaning.

Lim Han

Photos: Getty Images

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