Women, laptops, fertility, and TTC...oh my!

[Laila619]

Hi all!

I am curious about whether you women who conceived very easily were frequent heavy laptop users with the laptop resting on your lap (as opposed to a desk or table)? For women who had a long road TTC, same question: were/are you a frequent laptop user?

Apparently, laptops can cause infertility even in women because of the amount of radiation that is emitted near the ovaries and reproductive organs. There is no conclusive study yet, but experts have their suspicions.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-girl-blocks-laptop-radiation.html#

DH and I have unexplained infertility. We are young, fit, and every single one of our tests has always come back stellar, so the doctor is baffled. It recently dawned on me that my infertility could be caused by being a very heavy laptop user...I work from home and have the laptop resting on my lap for sometimes 8-12 hours per day!

Yikes! That's a lot of radiation. Obviously, it's an individual thing because no one can say for sure that a laptop causes infertility and everyone's experience is different. I'm just curious about your experiences and if I am alone in being such a heavy laptop user. I need to buy a lap desk STAT!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

laila-I''ve wondered about this too! Can''t wait to see the responses...

I''m 31, use the laoptop on my lap for 1-2 hours/day max, sometimes none. We''ve been TTC since October, though we we sick for two cycles, and DH just got a sinus infection so this cycle might not work either, so it really hadn''t been that long. I''ll keep you posted...

 

[Laila619]

Date: 1/29/2010 12:57:08 PM
Author: Bella_mezzo
laila-I''ve wondered about this too! Can''t wait to see the responses...

I''m 31, use the laoptop on my lap for 1-2 hours/day max, sometimes none. We''ve been TTC since October, though we we sick for two cycles, and DH just got a sinus infection so this cycle might not work either, so it really hadn''t been that long. I''ll keep you posted...

Hi Bella! That''s not bad at all! If only I could cut down my use to that amount.

Sorry DH is sick.

 

[noelwr]

I don't know if I count...

we conceived 2nd month of trying (after 10 years on BC), but it ended in a miscarriage.

I've usually got my laptop on my lap 1-2 hours when I come home, and then longer on the weekends. I do put it on a lap tray holder thing (like you use for eating). don't know if that helps stop the radiation.

I'm really sorry about your unexplained infertility. that would drive me crazy. but I personally don't believe it would come from laptop use.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

It could also be from your husband using on on his lap, riding a bicycle, motorcycle, sitting in a hot tub, wearing tighty whities, etc. I''m not trying to belittle your post, I''m just pointing out that there are many many old wives tales or "reasons" for infertility, etc and few of them are successfully proven. It''s certainly something to consider I suppose, but I''d be concerned about getting fixated on reasons or causes of infertility versus just relaxing and letting nature take its course. I know you''re probably rolling your eyes at me because I''m pregnant, but I have several friends and family members with unexplained infertility and each and every one of them was able to get pregnant without intervention once they relaxed and let go of their time line and expectations.

 

[oobiecoo]

We tried a little over a year to get pregnant but I did have PCOS. I constantly have my laptop on my lap for schoolwork... many hours a day so maybe that contributed in some way as well? Interesting.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

When I worked from home, I spent hours on the sofa with my laptop. When I worked in the office, I used my laptop at night for ps and social stuff. I got pregnant at 33, first attempt.

One anecdote isn''t going to give you real reassurance though - if it worries you, maybe talk to your Dr and don''t use your laptop unless you''re sitting at a table, if you''res still worried.

 

[Laila619]

Date: 1/29/2010 1:10:04 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
When I worked from home, I spent hours on the sofa with my laptop. When I worked in the office, I used my laptop at night for ps and social stuff. I got pregnant at 33, first attempt.

One anecdote isn''t going to give you real reassurance though - if it worries you, maybe talk to your Dr and don''t use your laptop unless you''re sitting at a table, if you''res still worried.

Yep, my doctor told me sternly to CUT IT OUT and that I use my laptop way too much. It''s not healthy to be exposed to all that radiation. But I need to use it for work, so I''ll have to start using it at a desk or buy a table.

 

[meresal]

I've been using a laptop at least an hour or two a day since leaving for college in 2002.

DH has been using one for home and for work, for almost 4 years now.

We didn't have any problems that I am aware of.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 1/29/2010 1:03:19 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
It could also be from your husband using on on his lap, riding a bicycle, motorcycle, sitting in a hot tub, wearing tighty whities, etc. I'm not trying to belittle your post, I'm just pointing out that there are many many old wives tales or 'reasons' for infertility, etc and few of them are successfully proven. It's certainly something to consider I suppose, but I'd be concerned about getting fixated on reasons or causes of infertility versus just relaxing and letting nature take its course. I know you're probably rolling your eyes at me because I'm pregnant, but I have several friends and family members with unexplained infertility and each and every one of them was able to get pregnant without intervention once they relaxed and let go of their time line and expectations.

1. Her husband does not have an issue. Laila indicated above that their tests have come back with no problems, which is why the infertility is characterized as undiagnosed.

2. As to your reference to your friends and family with undiagnosed infertility who just had to relax. Really?

Really?

I think that about sums it up for me right now. I'll see if I'm feeling more articulate later.

 

[NovemberBride]

Date: 1/29/2010 1:03:19 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
It could also be from your husband using on on his lap, riding a bicycle, motorcycle, sitting in a hot tub, wearing tighty whities, etc. I''m not trying to belittle your post, I''m just pointing out that there are many many old wives tales or ''reasons'' for infertility, etc and few of them are successfully proven. It''s certainly something to consider I suppose, but I''d be concerned about getting fixated on reasons or causes of infertility versus just relaxing and letting nature take its course. I know you''re probably rolling your eyes at me because I''m pregnant, but I have several friends and family members with unexplained infertility and each and every one of them was able to get pregnant without intervention once they relaxed and let go of their time line and expectations.

Hudson,

Respectfully, it is insensitive and inaccurate to tell someone who is suffering from infertility to relax and they will get pregnant. Although you state that it has not been proven that some of these things cause infertility, that''s not quite right. It has been shown that heat (hot tub, laptop, etc) can affect sperm. However, to the contrary, there is absolutely no scientific evidence that relaxing helps one get pregnant. As someone who suffered from unexplained infertility (and conceived using fertility drugs) it is very upsetting to hear that - it''s basically saying that you are causing your infertility by stressing out. I hope that you never have to experience the pain of having difficulty conceiving, but I can tell you first hand that if you did, being told to relax and it will happen (especially by someone who is pregnant) is very upsetting.

 

[Laila619]

^ LOL, thanks for that LV. Hugs!

Thanks everyone for your replies so far! Sounds like I'm the only one who uses for more than a couple hours.

Hi my name is Laila and I am a laptop ADDICT!

By the way, my husband does not use a laptop, just me. Sorry for theTMI, but his sperm count is quite excellent.

 

[Bliss]

Laila, I think you're right on the money. DH used his laptop a TON without even realizing it - right on top of his stuff! He didn't even realize how much he did it until I started pointing it out. For men, it raises the temp of their testicles and can definitely cause problems with their sperm. I mean, there's a reason why their testicles are on the outside and can move away from body heat.

The temp issue with laptops isn't so much a concern for us and our fertility but I bet the radiation is. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that they definitively found a link between cell phone radiation and brain cancer. Laptops with internet access act in the same way and right near our very delicate reproductive systems. Sure, I'd be worried. I think it's a healthy and proactive thing to eliminate any factors that pose a risk to your fertility.

I am with you ladies in that it is HARD to hear advice on how to get pregnant. When we were TTC, people told me to relax and let it happen. I found their advice to be true, but gosh, I *hated* hearing it because it would have the opposite effect! Of course we want to relax! We just can't! It's kind of like the same advice they give single people. Stop looking for love because once you stop, it will find you. Once I let go and said, "OK, God! Up to You, now!" It was a huge relief and we did get pregnant. Though it was not meant to be, I still remember the relief of finally letting go because at a certain point, it was taking over my life.

Even so, it is so hard to hear! It's like saying, "Stop thinking about the most important thing in your life!" Or... WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T THINK ABOUT A LEMON! DON'T THINK ABOUT A YELLOW LEMON! Of course, your mind is going to immediately think of a lemon! Heehee. I can almost taste one now. MMmmmmm. Lemon bars! Lemon ice cream! Lemon pie! LOL Anyway, I think HH means well. Wrong crowd, perhaps. Maybe it's OK to say to someone who is just starting to TTC but when unexplained infertility comes into play, it's a whole new ballgame. Some have tried everything, including painful and invasive tests, drugs and everything under the sun...I'm sure they have tried to relax but it's difficult to when you're going through such a stressful and heartbreaking journey. It just is.

We TTCers are a little crazed sometimes, that is true. And sometimes well meaning advice can sting. There's just no way to really navigate these choppy waters sometimes. But at the heart of it all are good hearts and good intentions.

ETA:
NovemberBride +1! You always know just what to say and are a truly gifted writer. Thank you for putting your thoughts into words so eloquently and with great compassion, too. I have to add, however, that there have been quite a few studies showing the link between stress and fertility. It really does help (though is not The Answer) to use relaxation and meditation techniques while TTC and especially during IVF from the studies I have read.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I got preggo during the first month we TTC and I use my laptop on my lap for hours a day. I used to work at home as graphic designer so I guess I have trouble believing this theory.

 

[Mara]

well i was 34, and we had not been TTC at all. we just decided to try during an anni vacation. i use my laptop at work all day and i sit with it for a period of ~2-3 hours on the couch right on my belly at night almost every night.

i was worried about it affecting the preg, but pretty much most of what i read said it was fine and i wasn't going to go 10 months sitting in a chair when the couch is where i rest etc. kid is still baking in there but it never seemed to bother him re: activity either.

i know that TTC can be quite scientific nowadays, but to add onto HH's post re: 'there could be so many reasons'...after we got preg, a surprising amt of people who have gotten pregnant on vacations told me their stories. both people TTC for a long time AND those who just were trying. def don't completely underestimate the power of the mind. i have heard some crazy stories, but who knows why our bodies do things. best of luck.

 

[fieryred33143]

I had a surprise baby (first time unprotected sex) and my laptop *used* to live on my lap. It doesn''t anymore because I''ve learned to leave my work at work and just enjoy being home.

 

[meresal]

LV- HH was just trying to explain that there are many of these types of stories out there. Though it probably wasn't worded the best that it could be, she was just saying that getting wrapped up in believing one of these many reasons (like the laptop situation, or riding bikes, or being hit too many times in the junk, etc.), may just lead to more dissapointment.

I know it must be extremely hard to "not know" why. My sister, after 12 years of NEVER being able to get pregnant (regular way or IVF), was able to get pregnant at the age of 38. She lost the first one last Spring, and is now pregnant for the second time (both naturally, who knew?!?) and is due in 3 months. The doctors have no idea why, but she spent years and years worrying about why it couldn't happen, and now she realizes that this is just how it was supposed to be.

I understand it doesn't help, but I really do believe that HH was coming from a good place.

 

[Octavia]

I''m not TTC yet, but I never really thought about the fact that laptops *could* have an effect on me. DH, of course, but somehow my mind never went further than that. I do use my laptop for a huge part of most days, but fortunately it''s usually on a desk when I''m at school. When I''m at home, I sit on the couch but my computer is often on the couch beside me (I sprawl) or on the coffee table, less often on my lap. From now on, I will probably be more careful about where it''s positioned, just on the off chance it could have an effect. It won''t be an odious burden for me -- sort of like avoiding canned tomatoes when possible to reduce exposure to BPH. I put it in the category of "may not help, but certainly can''t hurt."

Laila, I wish you all the best of luck! I hope you get good news very soon.

 

[Bliss]

I''m guessing that for most people, the laptop wouldn''t have any effect on their fertility.

But I wouldn''t discount that it does for *some* people. Same goes for cell phone / radiation risks. Most people use their cell phones a ton with no problems. But among the general population, there will be a very small group of people who do get brain cancer. It can''t hurt to eliminate any potential roadblocks to something you are trying to achieve. For the people who are affected, it is a big deal and a big risk. To others, not at all. Hugs to you, Laila.

 

[Mara]

mere...i also have a friend who also was trying for 9 years with all types of things including IVF and they were in the middle of adoption process and got pregnant with a healthy little girl. miracle child! you just never know sometimes.

 

[Jas12]

I don''t think anecdotal evidence will help much here. For every relaxed mom that didn''t conceive there will be one that was a basket case (

) and did.
Same goes for other examples. We all know someone that smoked a pack a day and lived to be 90, but someone else that died of lung cancer.
I would look at it like this: how can it really be healthy to have a piece of technology, emitting radiation and heat on your lap for hours a day? It may not be proven yet, but it makes sense to avoid this.
Is it the cause of infertility? Who knows, but it''s worth it to try to change your lifestyle and see what happens. It can''t hurt.


Best of luck with TTC. The great news is you are healthy, so i hope that missing link does become apparent.Looks like you are being very proactive in looking for solutions

 

[fieryred33143]

I have to say that I never TTC (I had DD 5 years before I was even planning on starting to have children), I don''t know the first thing about temps and charts and positions, etc.

But knowing that there are some amazing ladies on the TTC thread that deserve a baby more than anything and are grief stricken every time AF shows up, it bothers me to hear stories of how people just "relaxed" and ended up with a pregnancy. I can''t imagine how that would make someone who has been having difficulties TTC feel.

 

[Laila619]

Date: 1/29/2010 1:58:02 PM
Author: Octavia
I''m not TTC yet, but I never really thought about the fact that laptops *could* have an effect on me. DH, of course, but somehow my mind never went further than that. I do use my laptop for a huge part of most days, but fortunately it''s usually on a desk when I''m at school. When I''m at home, I sit on the couch but my computer is often on the couch beside me (I sprawl) or on the coffee table, less often on my lap. From now on, I will probably be more careful about where it''s positioned, just on the off chance it could have an effect. It won''t be an odious burden for me -- sort of like avoiding canned tomatoes when possible to reduce exposure to BPH. I put it in the category of ''may not help, but certainly can''t hurt.''

Laila, I wish you all the best of luck! I hope you get good news very soon.

I know, right?! I didn''t either! We''ve all heard that it''s bad for a man, but never for a WOMAN! I suppose it makes sense given what we know about radiation and cell phones.

Thanks Octavia.

 

[Laila619]

Date: 1/29/2010 2:01:36 PM
Author: Bliss
I''m guessing that for most people, the laptop wouldn''t have any effect on their fertility.

But I wouldn''t discount that it does for *some* people. Same goes for cell phone / radiation risks. Most people use their cell phones a ton with no problems. But among the general population, there will be a very small group of people who do get brain cancer. It can''t hurt to eliminate any potential roadblocks to something you are trying to achieve. For the people who are affected, it is a big deal and a big risk. To others, not at all. Hugs to you, Laila.

Right Bliss! To me, it''s like someone saying, "I eat junk food all the time and never gain weight. Therefore, eating junk doesn''t cause weight gain." It doesn''t for some people, but it certainly can for others.

Anyway, I truly appreciate everyone''s posts. I think it''s an interesting topic. There''s still a lot we don''t know about radiation in general from the things we use daily.

 

[Bliss]

Sure, Laila! Jas said it much better than I did. So many times, common sense is ahead of the curve. The FDA, CDC and government bodies do their best...but research takes money, red tape and TONS of time and re-testing to get the same results before anything is definitively called a risk. You can't just look at a study and believe its conclusion. You have to look at the methods in the study and how the data was collected, how long the study was and how many subjects were involved. So many things can influence how you interpret a study's findings.

Think of x-rays. They used to x-ray everyone without protecting them with lead aprons (even pregnant women were x-rayed) at the doctor's office. Or all of the things we never knew were killing us - hello, BPA in the plastic. Toxins in the fish we eat due to the contamination of our water. I could go on forever! They even told people CIGARETTES were healthy and a great way to lose weight - never mind the cancer risks.

I just choose to use my common sense and reasoning before waiting for a government study that will tell us 10-20 years later that what we were eating/drinking/doing was killing us or hurting our future children. Ya know? I didn't even know what a trans fat was 10 years ago. I sure ate a lot of it, though - because it was in everything. It's just an interesting thought.

I wouldn't be surprised if in 5 years or so Laila's suspicions proved to be correct.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Good luck Laila!!!! and big hugs, I hope that you and your DH have great news soon! (and think maybe you should listen to your Dr and layoff the laptop

it sounds like you are totally an addict

)

For what it's worth, I don't think Laila was/is trying to get wrapped up in any reasons or hold onto old wives tales, she just put this out there out of curiosity and b/c her Dr. told her to layoff the lap top. it's something I was curious about too since my laptop runs hot and I'm always naging DH about that, I didn't even think about the radiation and my system.

As for the relaxing thing, that really can be a hurtful comment. As someone who just spent a whole 2 week vacation hanging with family, chilling out, relaxing, sleeping until noon, have fun BDing with my DH with everthing seeming great, and plenty on EWCM...and is still very much not pregnant, please think carefully about how to word those types of comments, esp. if you are pregnant. We've only been trying for a few months so I am not that concerned yet, but in another couple months, or years, I would find that really condescending unless it was said in a super sensative way. I have a friend who is 27 and has been trying for 4 years and it not pregnant, despite several very fun and relaxing vacations, yoga, proceedures, treatments...she is deeply hurt by comments like this.

Hugs to everyone, and I can't wait to see the new arrivals!!! but please do be sensative about how you respond to threads like this.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Seems like the whole point of that article was to sell/promote some lap shield. If it would give you piece of mind why don''t you buy one?

 

[anchor31]

DH and I conceived very easily. I use a laptop, but only started using it on my lap recently. Usually it's on my desk. Wishing you the best on your quest to parenthood!

 

[cara]

I''d be a lot more concerned about the HEAT from a laptop than the ''radiation''. This low frequency, low energy radiation is not likely to be harmful. Remember that visible light is also radiation and we bath in it everyday.

But don''t let me stop you from changing your setup. 8-12 hrs/day with a laptop on your lap sounds like ergonomic hell!!! I love me some nighttime surfing slouched on the couch with my laptop, but buy yourself a nice external monitor and keyboard for the workday woman! Your back and neck with thank you for it, one day, says the creaky old lady in her thirties.

 

[Lanie]

Date: 1/29/2010 1:22:39 PM
Author: Loves Vintage

Date: 1/29/2010 1:03:19 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
It could also be from your husband using on on his lap, riding a bicycle, motorcycle, sitting in a hot tub, wearing tighty whities, etc. I''m not trying to belittle your post, I''m just pointing out that there are many many old wives tales or ''reasons'' for infertility, etc and few of them are successfully proven. It''s certainly something to consider I suppose, but I''d be concerned about getting fixated on reasons or causes of infertility versus just relaxing and letting nature take its course. I know you''re probably rolling your eyes at me because I''m pregnant, but I have several friends and family members with unexplained infertility and each and every one of them was able to get pregnant without intervention once they relaxed and let go of their time line and expectations.

1. Her husband does not have an issue. Laila indicated above that their tests have come back with no problems, which is why the infertility is characterized as undiagnosed.

2. As to your reference to your friends and family with undiagnosed infertility who just had to relax. Really?

Really?

I think that about sums it up for me right now. I''ll see if I''m feeling more articulate later.

LV -- you had the b*lls to say what I was thinking. But didn''t want to type it on here.

Laila -- I would have never thought about this myself. Thanks for sharing bc I''m sure many TTCers do the same thing. Sure can''t hurt to stop using it on your lap (as if you hadn''t already made that connection!) I''m rooting for you! Like someone else said, there are always exceptions...