How to boost your fertility

One in seven couples in the UK will have a problem getting pregnant, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Before panicking and turning to fertility treatments there are plenty of things to do to maximise your chances of conceiving.

One of the most common causes of infertility is classed as "unexplained", which means there’s no indentifiable reason. This is where simple things may just make a difference.

Stop smoking

By now we all know that it’s bad to smoke when you are actually pregnant, but smoking while you are trying for a baby can have an effect too. The NHS says not only is a woman’s fertility rate lowered by smoking, but men who smoke can have a reduced sperm count, and the sperm they do have are less mobile.

In a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, sperm counts averaged 17% lower in smokers, while a more recent Polish study found smoking disrupted the health of sperm.

Cut the alcohol

Alcohol affects both of you. Government guidelines say its best to avoid drinking alcohol completely if you are planning a pregnancy. If you are trying to conceive you may not know you are pregnant until a few weeks into the pregnancy so you should stop drinking alcohol before any damage can be done. Binge drinking in early pregnancy may be particularly harmful. It’s associated with premature birth.

One study found that women who drank less than five units a week were twice as likely to get pregnant within six months as those who drank more. The research, published in the BMJ, examined the habits of more than 400 Danish couples trying to conceive for the first time.

For the man, as with smoking, drinking causes a decrease in sperm count, an increase in abnormal sperm and less mobile sperm. Alcohol also inhibits the body’s absorption of zinc, which is one of the most important minerals for male fertility. Fertility nutritionist, Helen Heap, says alcohol “knocks out the zinc in our bodies”. She says” It’s especially important for men as, during the initial fertilisation of the egg, the top of the sperm depends on zinc to get it to where it needs to be.”

Healthy diet

A healthy body needs a healthy diet. Basically, a well balanced diet is what’s recommended across the board. Get your five-a-day of fruit and vegetables and cut down on unhealthy fats, processed foods, salt and sugar. Drink at least six glasses of water a day too.

The NHS does say avoid fish high in mercury such as swordfish and shark and don’t eat more than four medium-sized tins of tuna a week; also avoid liver and liver pate which contain vitamin A which could harm your baby if you do fall pregnant.