Behaviors

Be aware of testicle size and report changes or abnormalities; average testicle is about walnut-sized, roughly 16 to 20 cc or about 4 to 4.5 cm in longest axis. If you feel anything abnormal, especially a firm painless mass, bring it to medical attention.

Get lipid profiles checked as part of assessing male reproductive and overall health.

Ask a primary care physician or urologist about insurance-covered infertility testing and evaluation, including semen analysis and related workup.

Especially important with children; applies to products used regularly on and around the body to reduce lifetime exposure to endocrine-disrupting scents and fragrances.

Specifically avoid rubbing lavender oil on babies' feet for sleep because of concern about endocrine-disrupting effects.

When possible, choose diapers marketed as having fewer toxins to reduce child toxin exposure.

A healthy cycle should generally be less than 35 days apart and predictable within a couple of days by calendar tracking; irregularly regular cycles are a red flag.

If cycles used to be 28–30 days and become about 24 days, treat that as a red flag for possible low ovarian reserve or other hormonal issues rather than dismissing it.

If AMH is low while on birth control pills, stop the pill for some months, use alternative contraception if pregnancy is not desired, then repeat AMH to determine whether suppression was pill-related.

If anyone in the family has had deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, get worked up for clotting disorders before or in relation to oral contraceptive use.

If testing shows factor V Leiden or another clotting disorder, avoid the birth control pill specifically because oral metabolism increases clotting risk.

Ultrasound-based measurement of follicles outside the vault; useful alongside AMH for ovarian reserve assessment.

Recommended because life circumstances can change and vasectomy reversal is not always successful, especially after longer intervals.

Being very underweight and calorie restricting can shut down ovulation because the brain senses the body cannot support pregnancy.

Both sperm and eggs are described as especially susceptible to lifestyle factors in the roughly 90-day window before conception, IVF, or egg freezing.

Typically from about day 5 of stimulation until the next period after retrieval, roughly a 3-week period, to avoid infection and unintended high-order pregnancy risk.

Avoiding toxins where possible is recommended as one of the best ways to try to naturally prolong time to menopause.

If diagnosed with low ovarian reserve and later entering menopause early, seek medical care rather than ignoring symptoms.

Use learning and playing an instrument as a non-pharmacologic way to support neuroplasticity. Children ideally should play an instrument with others, as this may improve their ability to learn many things throughout life.

After each writing bout, allow 5–15 minutes to settle down before returning to normal activities. Build this recovery time into your schedule; use it to regain composure, let breathing return to normal, optionally wash your face with cool water, and reorient yourself to the rest of the day.

After the fourth session, do not review what you wrote for at least one week.

Avoid doing this writing exercise immediately before sleep, especially if the material is highly stressful or traumatic.

Before beginning, ask whether you are prepared to handle the emotional state that may come with accurately recalling the event 4 times. If needed, start with a less severe stressor, rank candidate events by stressfulness, and stop the protocol if it creates significant psychological or physical stress or impairs daily life.

After a setback, shift attention to something unrelated that consumes your focus.

After a setback, reinterpret the experience by focusing on learning, progress, or broader goals; examples include asking yourself whether you made yourself better today or made someone else better today.

Maintain physical distance from people who are sneezing or coughing, and ask sick people to keep their distance or isolate if necessary; anyone actively sneezing or coughing should be treated as contagious, and closer proximity increases likelihood of contracting a cold or flu.

Keep the air you breathe sufficiently humidified, especially at night while sleeping; may also be beneficial during the day in office or home environments to support nasal passages and respiratory defenses.

Avoid sleep deprivation when fighting illness; poor sleep can worsen symptoms and likely reduce ability to ward off infection.

Ask people who wipe their nose to wash their hands afterward to reduce transmission risk.

If you are sneezing or coughing and do not have a tissue, use your elbow rather than your hand to reduce spread via surfaces and touch.