Is Fertility An Issue?

It seems we’re waiting longer to have kids than ever before and as a result lowered fertility and IVF have become the new normal. In fact, the other day I heard an IVF clinic advertising that if you’re even thinking of getting pregnant then you should attend one of their information seminars… That surprised me as I would never have thought to involve an IVF clinic at the beginning of my pregnancy journey.

I always thought of IVF as something we do when we’ve been trying naturally for awhile and it hasn’t been happening, I certainly didn’t expect to hear them advertising on commercial radio for couples to attend information sessions on how it all works but I guess the world s changing.

So if you’re wanting to have children what’s some things you can do?

Firstly look inside, both you and your partner need to have a health overhaul, look at your diet, gut health, weight, stress levels and the jobs you both do. I’ve worked with a number of patients over the years when they’ve wanted to fall pregnant and unfortunately quite often it’s the woman who comes to the appointments with the men not realising the important role they also play..  as they say it takes two to tango.

It really isn’t the sole responsibility of the woman to look at her overall health as without a healthy partner with healthy sperm the woman can do everything right and still not fall pregnant.

Some of the things to consider when looking at your health is considering healthy fats such as cold pressed Olive Oil, Avocados, Nuts, Seeds, Sardines, Salmon (preferably wild caught not farmed), Mackerel, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils, fermented foods, good quality protein and the right supplements.

It’s also important to ensure that you’re buying organic wherever possible to avoid toxic sprays, antibiotics or hormones that may be added to our foods.

Additionally quit smoking and drinking, reduce inflammation in the body, get rid of the sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods.

The other thing, which some people find harder than actually changing the diet is finding ways to reduce your stress. Try som Yoga (it respects the body’s energy flow and the mind-body connection), emotional and mental health is just as important as physical health when you want to fall pregnant. Acupuncture is highly recommended by many practitioners and IVF clinics to improve your chances of conceiving.

For the men in your life, keep the boys cool by avoiding tight fitting underwear, don’t work at night with the laptop on your lap, reduce stress, change your diet to match your partners and even do some yoga together and attend a few acupuncture sessions as a couple.

These are just some of the things you can do for yourself to promote good health and fertility. Of course even doing all of this you may still need a little more help but at the end of the day, the most important thing to do is give your body the best possible chance to fall pregnant that you can.

Thank you for joining me here at Mumma’s Own. I look forward to being a part of your personal healing journey.