Getting started!
Dr. Toni Belfield, specialist in sexual health information says 'Your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy are better if you're both fit and healthy, if either of you smoke aim to stop. Women who smoke have a greater risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth. Men, who smoke, have less sperm than normal, making conception difficult. Your living and working environment is also important; working with farm animals (lambing), being exposed to chemicals or harmfully substances may affect your chances of becoming pregnant.'
Getting started cont…
'No method of contraception causes problems with getting pregnant, however, if you've been using the injection method-Depo Provera, your menstrual cycle and natural fertility will take a little longer to return to normal. Many women worry about getting pregnant, asking many questions from when to try, will it be easy? The best advice is to relax, and enjoy this time with your partner, have regular intercourse-two to three times a week will ensure there is sperm available to fertilise a released egg when you ovulate. If this doesn't happen straight away, don't panic, this is normal. For every 100 couples trying, around 30 will become pregnant within one month. 75 couples will conceive within six months, and 90 couples will conceive within a year.'
Health checks for pelvic inflammatory diseases-why is this important?
Dr. Marilyn Glenville PhD and author of 'Getting Pregnant Faster' says 'PID is an umbrella term for any inflammation of the organs in the pelvis; caused by infections in any of the reproductive organs from the womb, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and womb lining. The most common organisms are Chlamydia Trachomatis, Neisseria Gonorrhoea, and Chlamydia bacteria lying dormant in your body, it can travel unnoticed from the cervix to womb, and up the fallopian tubes. Left un-treated, it damages tubes, resulting in blockages, and scarring, all of which can lead to infertility, or risk of ectopic pregnancy.'
Watching your weight:
'If your body is overweight or underweight, you may have trouble regulating its natural cycle. Your body needs to be the right weight in-order to produce the appropriate amount of hormones to regulate ovulation and menstruation. More than 12 % of all infertile patients suffer from weight-related infertility, so you really need to be at a healthy weight, as it impacts on your ability to become pregnant.' says Glenville. Belfield adds 'if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is less than 19 or more than 29, you may find it difficult to get pregnant.'
Your diet:
'Many people are unaware of the fact that diet can help to correct hormonal imbalances that may affect your ability to conceive. This means eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grains like brown rice, oats, and wholemeal bread. Eat organic food where possible to reduce levels of xenoestrogens from pesticides (which can effect a woman's hormone balance), and eat oily foods from fish, nuts and seeds.' says Glenville.
Your diet cont...
Glenville adds 'try to avoid additives, preservatives, sugar both on its own and hidden in foods. Certain substances lower fertility; alcohol reduces fertility by half, the more you drink, the less likely you are to conceive. Research shows alcohol causes a decrease in sperm count, increases abnormal sperm and a lower proportion of motile sperm.'
Monitor your caffeine levels:
Glenville says 'Drinking as little as one cup of coffee per day can halve your chances of conceiving, with studies showing that problems with sperm increases with the number of coffees consumed each day.'
Supplements can boost your fertility levels:
'Food supplements can boost your fertility, there's a great deal of scientific knowledge about the use of supplements and their beneficial effects on both male and female fertility, as they are effective in re-balancing your hormones, and improve a person's overall health. Zinc deficiencies can cause chromosome changes in either men or women, leading to reduced fertility and increased risks of miscarriage.'
Supplements can boost your fertility levels cont...
'Selenium is essential to maximise sperm formation, and vitamin E has been shown to increase fertility when given to both men and women. If women over thirty five years of age have been told that their fertility problems are caused by your age, you are likely to benefit from taking both vitamins C and E. These powerful antioxidants have been shown to significantly reduce age-related ovulation decline.' www.marilynglenville.com
Belfield adds 'all women are advised to take folic acid, it's a B vitamin and helps prevent neural tube problems in the baby. Take a daily supplement of 0.4 mg (400 micrograms) of folic acid from the time you stop your contraception, to week twelve of your pregnancy.' See the NHS Choices web site at www.nhs.uk