Beli Prenatals are HSA/FSA eligible!

The Fertility Health of Dads is Important. Get Checked.

No matter where you are on your path to fatherhood, we recommend getting your fertility health checked by a medical professional. This checklist will help you get ready for your visit.

You’re ready to be a dad, and you’re going to be much more than just the guy that drives his wife to the hospital. That’s great news for your future family, because research confirms that a father’s dedicated involvement during preconception and pregnancy paves the way for the happiest and healthiest life possible for his partner and child.

“The amount and quality of time as well as level of involvement during pregnancy predicts how well equipped and involved the father will be after birth,” writes M. Jermane Bond, PhD, in his overview of the link between paternal involvement in preconception and pregnancy, and family health outcomes

Unfortunately, men are often excluded from preconception healthcare due to a bias toward women’s fertility concerns, time constraints, perceived high cost, and a lack of clarity about the role of a dad-to-be. Male factors are also often overlooked by healthcare providers when couples seek care for infertility, despite the stats showing that up to half of all infertility cases involve male factors

It doesn’t have to be this way. Men’s healthcare, Bond writes, can routinely “include the basic components of preconception health, [such as] risk assessment, health promotion, clinical and psychosocial interventions.” Healthcare during preconception has a measurably positive effect on a man’s relationship with his partner, his approach to fathering, his self-esteem and continued good health

Men can, and should, seek fertility healthcare during the preconception period, the two to three months after they’ve decided to conceive a child before officially beginning to try. That’s about the length of time it takes for sperm to reach maturity. Sperm maturation is a crucial period during which epigenetic information about a father’s current well-being gets transmitted to his offspring, influencing how his child develops. This two to three month window is the perfect time for future fathers to invest in self-care to communicate the strongest legacy possible.

Preventative fertility care can also help men spot and address fertility issues before they cause more trouble. And couples experiencing infertility (defined as trying to conceive without success for a year or more) should proactively ask for testing that investigates potential male infertility factors, even if their primary healthcare provider doesn’t bring it up.

We consulted recommendations from the CDC and American Pregnancy Association to create this checklist to help you prepare for your fertility checkup, whether you’ve just started thinking about trying for a baby or are seeking answers about infertility.

Fertility Healthcare Visit Checklist for Men

Make the most of your fertility healthcare visit with this list from Beli Men’s Fertility Support Multivitamin 

1.  Schedule a fertility wellness exam with a urologist. Explain that you are planning to try to conceive and would like a preconception wellness exam. If you’ve already been trying to conceive for a while but have not been successful, be sure to ask for your visit to include a sperm analysis,as well as any other tests your urologist recommend.

2.  Before your visit, write down notes about your:
  • Past surgeries 
  • Health conditions 
  • History of health conditions in family members
  • Medications you take
  • Lifestyle, including diet, exercise, and stress
  • Vices, including smoking and drinking alcohol
  • Sex life
  • Work environment
  • How long you’ve been trying to get pregnant, if applicable
  • Your previous history of parenthood, if any
  • Your questions about men’s fertility, support for pregnancy, or anything else you wonder about. 

By coming prepared with the information above, you’ll get the most out of your visit.

What to Expect at Your Appointment

The doctor will give you a physical examination and talk with you about your fertility health. If you’ve been trying to conceive for a year or more without success, ask the urologist to check your sperm. Below are some of the tests urologists use to check different aspects of male fertility. If you’re questioning something regarding your fertility, it’s always OK to ask for the test to learn more information. Good testing gives you and your doctor a thorough picture of your fertility and helps inform decisions about treatment.

Physical Exam

This is the first-line test where your urologist will examine your body to check for physical fertility issues, such as varicocele (an enlarged vein that can block your sperm from ejaculation) and suspected hormonal issues. 

Sperm and Semen Analysis

Your fresh semen sample is analyzed to determine sperm count, morphology (sperm shape), and motility (how well they move). Because sperm count can fluctuate, sometimes doctors request a few collections over time to look at your overall fertility health.

Hormone Evaluation

Hormones are chemical signals that control your biological processes. Your doctor may recommend blood work to check your levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T), as these affect your sperm production, your sex drive, and your ability to have sex. If it is indicated based on your symptoms, some doctors also check for luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and prolactin.

Genetic Testing

Genetic tests are a deep-dive where researchers look for chromosomal issues and DNA fragmentation in sperm.

Testicular Biopsy

This biopsy involves a testicular sample taken with a needle or through incision. It can show whether healthy sperm is being made in the testes. 

If indicated by these screenings, your doctor may order additional tests and imaging, or recommend a course of treatment to support your fertility health.

Additional Resources

PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility in women, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant. Supplementing with ingredients proven to support women with PCOS can help increase your chances, and so can speaking with your doctor and dietician.

Read More

There’s an essential connection between our minds and our bodies, and when we neglect one, it inevitably catches up with us through the other. For women becoming mothers especially, the body-mind connection is worth paying close attention to. Here's how prenatal vitamins can help.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

You think you know, but when it comes to male fertility and sperm health specifically, you probably have no idea. Here at Beli, we’ve had an education-first approach to male fertility since day one and today we’re breaking down fact from fiction, sperm edition. Let’s see how you do!

Read More

Between responsibilities at home and at work, commitments that just keep piling up, and a mile-long to-do list, sex may be on your mind, but only in a vague, wouldn’t-that-be-nice kind of way. It's normal! But men hoping to become fathers might be stressing that a waning sex drive is signaling a problem with their fertility (spoiler: not necessarily). Still, it’s true that a man’s fertility and his libido are linked, so let’s hop into all the details, including 4 ways to rev up that sex drive.

Read More

Medical science tells it like it is–a man’s health and his fertility are undeniably linked. But what role do genetics play in the fertility factor? It's a good question! In today's post, we're taking a deep dive into exactly how genetics affect male fertility.

Read More

Time and time again, men are an afterthought in the fertility conversation, and it’s setting couples up to fail. In light of recent research confirming–again–that sperm counts around the world are indeed declining, Beli wants to lead the charge. Join us, and let’s make March men’s fertility awareness month.

Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Somewhere between the “let’s have a baby!” conversation and seeing those two pink lines, you’re going to end up researching prenatal vitamins. And trust us when we say you’re going to have a ton of options to wade through. Consider this your handy guide to the best prenatal vitamins for men and women in 2023.

Read More

Beli for Women has all the current nutrient recommendations for prenatal vitamins, including choline, vitamin D, folate, magnesium, and iodine. All the right ingredients, in all the right amounts. But it does beg the question, how exactly does Beli fit everything into just three capsules?

Read More

Getting your ducks in a row at least three months before you hope to conceive can help nourish your fertility in preparation of everything to come. That’s where a high-quality prenatal vitamin for you both comes in. Our guide walks you through all the behind-the-scenes benefits during your first three months on Beli.

Read More

The second you start looking into fertility testing, the acronyms are everywhere. Chief among them is AMH, or anti-müllerian hormone. Here’s what to understand about your AMH level and what it means for your chances of becoming pregnant.

Read More

Dr. Taylor Wallace calls choline the “under-consumed and under-appreciated essential nutrient.” He’s right–in spite of its importance, choline is worryingly absent in so many mainstream prenatal vitamin formulas. We sat down with Dr. Wallace for a rundown on choline and why it’s so critical for pregnant and nursing moms, plus how to be sure you and your baby are getting enough.

Read More

Fun fact – chemical-based preferences that steer women toward specific men appear to play out between the human egg and sperm, with the egg “choosing” which sperm will be the lucky winner in the race to fertilization. Spoiler – the higher quality the sperm, the better the odds of a successful journey and conception.

Read More

Research shows that the overall health of both biological parents during the preconception window plays a huge role in everything from conception to pregnancy health to the lifetime health of their baby. Luckily, there are simple steps you can both take to improve your health together.

Read More

Supplementing with key nutrients in the right amounts not only improves sperm health — think sperm count and sperm motility — it also means optimal fertility health for men in general. And that means the best chance of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby. 

Read More

It’s resolution-making time, and a lot of folks have babies on the brain. We got you! We double checked with the experts for the best ways to support and promote fertility for the very best chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and bouncing baby.

Read More

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach. Here, she shares five ways to boost fertility naturally.

Read More

Most births occur between June and early November. Count back nine months, and you’ll see that places most conceptions in the fall and winter. So what’s the deal? Is it the cold weather. all the festivities, or something else driving us between the sheets? That ugly sweater is pretty cute, but you can chalk this up to reproductive seasonality. Here’s what that means, why it matters, and what to do to use it to your advantage.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

You think you know, but when it comes to male fertility and sperm health specifically, you probably have no idea. Here at Beli, we’ve had an education-first approach to male fertility since day one and today we’re breaking down fact from fiction, sperm edition. Let’s see how you do!

Read More

Between responsibilities at home and at work, commitments that just keep piling up, and a mile-long to-do list, sex may be on your mind, but only in a vague, wouldn’t-that-be-nice kind of way. It's normal! But men hoping to become fathers might be stressing that a waning sex drive is signaling a problem with their fertility (spoiler: not necessarily). Still, it’s true that a man’s fertility and his libido are linked, so let’s hop into all the details, including 4 ways to rev up that sex drive.

Read More

Medical science tells it like it is–a man’s health and his fertility are undeniably linked. But what role do genetics play in the fertility factor? It's a good question! In today's post, we're taking a deep dive into exactly how genetics affect male fertility.

Read More

Time and time again, men are an afterthought in the fertility conversation, and it’s setting couples up to fail. In light of recent research confirming–again–that sperm counts around the world are indeed declining, Beli wants to lead the charge. Join us, and let’s make March men’s fertility awareness month.

Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Research shows that the overall health of both biological parents during the preconception window plays a huge role in everything from conception to pregnancy health to the lifetime health of their baby. Luckily, there are simple steps you can both take to improve your health together.

Read More

Supplementing with key nutrients in the right amounts not only improves sperm health — think sperm count and sperm motility — it also means optimal fertility health for men in general. And that means the best chance of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby. 

Read More

It’s resolution-making time, and a lot of folks have babies on the brain. We got you! We double checked with the experts for the best ways to support and promote fertility for the very best chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and bouncing baby.

Read More

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach. Here, she shares five ways to boost fertility naturally.

Read More
li