Fertility in a flash
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A STAGGERING one in three couples now has trouble conceiving, with one in seven forced to seek medical help – and at least a quarter of all pregnant women miscarry.
With misleading information all over the internet, GPs varying in their support and understanding and well meaning friends and family full of anecdotal advice, it can be hard to know where to turn.
Thankfully, Dr Marilyn Glenville, president of the Royal Society of Medicine and the UK’s leading expert in women’s health, has put together a simple guide called Getting Pregnant Faster.
“It has been designed for individuals. No two couples are ever alike in terms of what may be preventing them from getting pregnant, which is why it is so important to have all the information that addresses your needs at your fingertips,” she says.
“From many years’ experience of helping couples to become parents it is clear that a well structured plan is needed – one that ticks all the boxes – so that you know what you should be doing and when, in order not to waste time.”
Indeed, with female fertility declining rapidly after an average age of 35, coupled with the growing trend for many women to delay trying for their first baby until their mid-30s, Glenville says that time is of the essence.
“Although we all look and feel much younger these days, our biological clocks are still ticking over at exactly the same rate that our grandmothers’ generation were, and we all have a limited reserve of eggs, so the need to devise an efficient three-month action plan is vital in order to make the most of the time remaining,” she points out.
“My book is designed for any woman who wants to have a baby, from those who are thinking about it for the first time to those who have been trying for months, or even years, without results,” she says, adding that it is also useful for couples undergoing IVF, IUI or ICSI as it can help prepare the body for these infertility treatments and therefore provide the best chance for success.
“Couples who have already had a baby will also find it useful if they are struggling to conceive again, and likewise, it will be beneficial to those who are going for egg or sperm donation and those who have had one or more miscarriage.”
FOOD AND FERTILITY
“If you’re sceptical about the connection between food and fertility, bear in mind that your body uses the nutrients from the food that you eat – and the supplements that you take – to repair cells, produce hormones and ultimately produce healthy eggs and sperm,” advises Glenville.
Indeed, Glenville believes that, in many ways, your fertility depends on what you eat.
“Clean up your diet, take out additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners, and eat as naturally as possible,” she recommends.
“Also try to eat as organically as you can and use natural skincare products in order to avoid xenooestrogens – or ‘gender-bender’ chemicals – which come into the body from the plastics and pesticide industry.
“They could have a negative effect on male fertility and may also increase the incidence of fibroids and endometriosis in women, which also affects fertility.”
A healthy, nutrient-rich, balanced diet in the preconception period will not only boost your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby, it will also keep your blood sugar levels in balance and your weight under control, according to Glenville.
“If your blood sugar is not balanced, or if you are under or overweight, the reproductive hormones which control your fertility will not work properly, severely limiting you chances of conceiving,” she says.
“A healthy, well balanced diet of fresh, whole foods is therefore the cornerstone of my fertility-boosting action plan.”
SUPER SUPPLEMENTS
“For both men and women, zinc is right at the top of my list. Not only does it improve sperm count in men, it also makes the head of the sperm harder and has a direct effect on sex hormones in both sexes,” Glenville says.
“I would also add in some vitamin C because it’s an antioxidant so can help prevent DNA damage which affects chromosomes and could increase the risk of miscarriage or damaged sperm.
“For men specifically, I’d recommend amino acids like arginine for sperm maturity, and co-enzyme Q10, which actually helps to power the sperm along,” she continues.
“I really do believe that supplements are vital when you are trying to conceive because it’s often a struggle to get what we need from the food we eat these days due to a depletion of nutrients in the soil as a result of over-farming, and also the longer distances that food tends to travel today.”
In fact, the National Diet and Nutrition survey in 2003// found that only 15% of women and 13% of men eat their five-a-day of fruit and vegetables.
“Around 84% of women do not get the required amount of folic acid they need, which is why the Government is talking about fortifying flour with it because it’s so important for pregnancy,” Glenville explains.
“Even with the best will in the world, we’re not consuming enough nutrients, so the aim is to add in some really good vitamins and minerals over a three-month period along with the lifestyle and dietary changes.”
To make sure you’re getting the best possible combination of nutrients, Glenville recommends Fertility Plus For Women and Fertility Plus For Men supplements, available from www.naturalhealthpractice.com
DR GLENVILLE’S TOP THREE FERTILITY TIPS
Take fertility-boosting supplements.
Look at the stress in your life and make sure you remove as many worry factors as possible.
Getting Pregnant Faster, by Dr Marilyn Glenville, is published by Kyle Cathie, priced £9.99.
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