Being in a state of optimal health is essential for increasing your fertility and improving your chance of conceiving naturally.
If you are ready to start or grow your family, there are some simple measures that you can put into place to be more ready and become 'fertility fit"!
Did you know lifestyle factors such as weight, diet, smoking, alcohol, exercise and sleep are key considerations for fertility and a healthy pregnancy?
Preparation is key to optimising your chance of natural conception. Use the following eight tips to prepare for, and optimise your chance of falling pregnant naturally
1. Make an appointment to see your doctor for a prenatal check-up
Your doctor will take your medical history , review any medications that you are taking and refer you for some standard antenatal tests to evaluate your overall health. A routine blood test is used to screen for thyroid issues, your immunity against common viruses such as chicken pox and to check your blood type.
2. Start taking a prenatal multivitamin
Good nutrition is key to healthy conception. Following a healthy and balanced diet, rich in vitamins and antioxidants and taking a pre-pregnancy multivitamin supplement, is important when trying to fall pregnant.
The conceiveplease™ Pre-Conception and Pregnancy Vitamins are based on scientific evidence and carefully formulated for women. They contain essential vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iodine, to help optimise fertility and nurture an ongoing pregnancy. Iodine is important for thyroid function and for foetal brain development during pregnancy. An iodine deficiency can lead to an underactive thyroid in a pregnant woman. A diet with insufficient salt intake can contribute to an iodine deficiency, which has become increasingly more common.
Obstetricians now recommend iodine supplementation of 220 micrograms per day.
For men, a vitamin supplement to support sperm health is also recommended. The conceivepleasee™ SpermPlus For Men Only Vitamin have been specifically formulated to help sperm health.
3. Achieve an optimal BMI
The ideal Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 20 and 24. Studies have shown it is much harder to conceive when your BMI is greater than 25. Additional studies have demonstrated that losing five to 10 per cent of your body weight will improve your chance of ovulation and subsequent pregnancy.
| Weight Classification | BMI range |
| Underweight | < 18.5 |
| Ideal Weight | 18.5 - 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25 – 29.9 |
| Obese | >30 |
4. Understand your menstrual and ovulation cycles
To optimise your chance of conceiving naturally, it’s crucial to understand your menstrual cycle, your ovulation cycle and your most fertile window. Studies reveal that many couples predict their fertile window incorrectly, in the absence of accurate indicators. Monitoring your basal body temperature and the LH hormone surge in your urine takes the guesswork out of tracking your ovulation cycle.
The conceiveplease™ Fertility Kit has the following tools to help you predict your ovulation:
- Step-by-step instructions to monitor your menstrual cycle
- The conceiveplease™ Fertility Calendar is used to plot your most fertile time
- The conceiveplease™ digital high speed thermometer accurately measures your basal body temperature
- The conceiveplease™ One Step Urine LH ovulation predictor testing sticks measure the LH surge just prior to your ovulation, to indicate the ideal time for sexual intercourse.
5. Have regular and timed sexual intercourse
Engaging in regular intercourse improves sperm health. Ensuring that you have intercourse to coincide with your most fertile window, increases your chance of falling pregnant.
6. Smoking cessation
There is over 1000 article providing strong evidence to support the negative side effects of smoking on fertility. The chance of a smoker not falling pregnant is twice that of a non-smoker. Smoking has a detrimental effect on reproduction, compromises eggs and sperm quality, increases the incidence of birth malformations, and increases the likelihood of experiencing obstetric complications such as pre-term birth and intrauterine growth restrictions.
7. Monitor and moderate your alcohol intake
Studies suggest alcohol causes direct damage to egg and sperm quality and can harm the foetus during early pregnancy through oxidative stress, which leads to the formation of molecules called free oxygen radicals, ultimately impacting cellular health.
8. Get plenty of rest
It’s important for your body to get plenty of rest and sufficient shut-eye to optimise cellular function.