More women are having fertility problems
than ever before – we’ve got the latest advice on how you can boost your
chances of conceiving
Women are leaving it later than ever before
to start a family – the number of new mothers in their late 30s and 40s is
soaring. But while leaving pregnancy until you feel ready brings with it the
freedom to develop your career and find the right partner – it can also bring
concerns about whether you’re still fertile.
With infertility rates at an all-time high,
many women are finding that getting pregnant isn’t quite as easy as they’d
expected. Meanwhile, modern lifestyles, with unprecedented amounts of junk
food, toxins and alcohol, may also be taking their toll.
Alcohol, junk food and toxins take their
toll
“A healthy couple at prime reproductive age
has a 25 per cent chance of conceiving each month – but this declines
dramatically after 35,” says Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of Getting Pregnant
Faster (Kyle Cathie, $15). “It’s estimated that one in six couples are
struggling to conceive and one in four women will miscarry”
Data presented at the latest American
Society of Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting shows many of us underestimate
the degree to which fertility declines with age. Celebrity mums such as Salma
Hayek (daughter at 41), Marcia Cross (twins at 44) and Mariah Carey (twins at
41) suggest giving birth after 40 is easy, but the reality is somewhat
different. By the age of 40, the chance of conceiving drops to just five per
cent per month – women in the study wrongly assumed it remained at 60 per cent.
But whether you’re trying to conceive now –
or putting it off until you feel ready – fertility experts say that making
lifestyle and diet changes now will give you the best possible chance of
conceiving.
“A study conducted by the University of
Surrey showed that couples with a history of infertility who made changes in
their lifestyle and diet and took supplements had an 80 per cent success rate,”
says Glenville. “So start making positive changes as soon as you can.” She
recommends a fertility-boosting diet and lifestyle plan for three months before
trying for a baby. Considering what you need to change now, such as quitting
smoking, will also help boost your long-term fertility. Try these
research-backed tips to start protecting your fertility.
Swap your supplements
You probably already know you should take
folic acid if you’re trying to conceive, but it might be time to add a
multivitamin to your shopping list. A study at University College London found
that 60 per cent of women taking micronutrient supplements with folic acid
while undergoing IVF became pregnant, compared to just a quarter who didn’t
take them. The study used Vitabiotics Pregnacare Conception ($16 for 30 tabs,
vitabiotics.com). Of the women taking just folic acid, 25 per cent got
pregnant. “Supplements are necessary for couples trying to conceive because,
even with the best intentions, it isn’t easy to get sufficient nutrients from
the diet,” says Glenville. She recommends:
Folic acid:
This crucial pre-conceptual nutrient for women can boost fertility and reduce
the risk of genetic defects in your baby, especially spina bifida.
Zinc: This
mineral boosts fertility in both sexes. A deficiency can cause chromosome
changes in men and women.
Selenium:
This antioxidant helps protect your body from free radicals that can trigger
chromosome damage and infertility in men and women.
Essential fatty acids: Crucial for healthy hormone balance in women and healthy sperm in
men. In men it helps sperm production: sperm is rich in prostaglandins, which
are formed from these fats.
Vitamin E:
This powerful antioxidant can increase fertility in both sexes. It reduces
age-related ovulation decline.
Vitamin C:
This antioxidant improves sperm quality and can help boost ovulation.
L-Arginine:
This amino acid is essential for sperm production.
L-Carnitine:
This elevates men’s sperm count.
Take a sunshine break
It’s time to book that babymoon. Taking a
holiday in a sunny climate may help increase your chances of falling pregnant.
A study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology found that sunlight
can boost fertility in both sexes by increasing levels of vitamin D. It’s
thought that this helps to explain why colder northern European countries have
lower rates of conception in the winter. Vitamin D may regulate your menstrual
cycle and help balance hormones in women, boosting progesterone by 13 per cent
and oestrogen by 21 per cent. It can also increase sperm production,
testosterone levels and libido. A sunshine break may also improve your
fertility in other ways – by reducing anti-fertility stress levels. If you
can’t escape to the sun, take a multivitamin supplement that contains vitamin
D.
A holiday in the sun may help you get pregnant
Floss your teeth
Brushing and flossing may help your chances
of getting pregnant. Women with gum disease can take up to seven months to
conceive compared to the usual five, reveals a study of 3,500 women by the
University of Western Australia. It is suggested that inflammation in the mouth
may set off a reaction that disturbs fertility. In the study, blood tests
showed higher levels of inflammation in the women with gum disease. People with
gum disease are also more likely to have heart problems, type 2 diabetes and
miscarriage. It has also been linked to poorer sperm quality in men.
Balance your blood sugar
Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar-laden
products for at least three months before trying for a baby. Opt instead for
wholemeal versions of pasta, bread and rice as well as carbs with the lowest
glycaemic index. Ensure your diet is packed with fruit, veg, whole grains and
healthy protein such as pulses, fish and lean meat. A Harvard Medical School
study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the link between
carbohydrates and infertility. It found that women eating diets that triggered
the highest levels of blood sugar were 92 per cent more likely to suffer from
infertility. It is thought that refined carbs can hamper fertility by
unbalancing hormones – as well as leaving less room in the diet for fertility
boosters like fruit and veg.
Sleep well
Hit the sack early if you want to get
pregnant. Insomnia and late nights can make conceiving more difficult. More
research is needed to prove a link, but a lack of sleep can disrupt your body
clock, which regulates your hormones and body temperature. It may also increase
stress, disturb your menstrual cycle and lead to weight gain. A Harvard
University study found that women who slept six hours or less a night were more
likely to be overweight – which reduces the chances of conception. In his book
Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant
(Three Rivers Press, $17), Robert Greene, a reproductive endocrinologist,
points out that research shows that 80-90 per cent of ovulation occurs between
midnight and 4am – insomnia may upset ovulation and conception.
