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Infertility
Fertility
Female Fertility
Male Fertility
Your Pregnancy
Who could benefit from a Natural Nutrition fertility and pregnancy plan?
Parents-to-be wanting to optimise the health of mum and baby Parents-to-be having fertility problems Parents-to-be undergoing assisted conceptionGood nutrition and a balanced lifestyle is the foundation to the Natural Nutrition approach to pre-conceptual and pregnancy care. You need the right kinds of carbohydrates, proteins and fats as well as vitamins, minerals and plant nutrients for your body to work at its best and to maximise your chances of becoming pregnant as well as to ensure that you have a problem free pregnancy, birth and a healthy baby.
“I was amazed by how effective my dietary programme was. When I got pregnant, I expected all sorts of challenging symptoms like heartburn, indigestion and constipation. In the end I didn’t get any, and am convinced that that your advice helped me to have an easy pregnancy. What’s more, I now have a beautiful baby girl.” (LF, Putney)
If you visit your GP for advice to help you conceive you’re most likely to be told to avoid alcohol and smoking (which is extremely sound advice), keep trying and come back if you are not successful (especially if you have been trying for less than a year). The next step is likely to be IVF or a similar assisted conception technique.
Natural Nutrition
It is well proven that alcohol and smoking have a detrimental effect on fertility, but there are many other nutritional steps you can take to improve your chances of conception and much research to prove it. Just one example is a study at the University of Surrey consisting of several hundred would-be parents with a history of fertility problems. They were put on tailor-made holistic pre-conceptual care programmes focussing principally on diet, vitamin and mineral supplementation and avoidance of environmental toxins. A stunning 81% of those who took part went on to produce healthy babies.
Assisted Conception
Assisted conception does not fare so well as the below figures taken from the London Fertility Centre who claim to consistently have the highest UK success rates demonstrate
- IUI - average 14.8% (9.7% – 24%)
- IVF - average 35% (14% - 52% depending on age)
- ICSI – average 40.4 % (24% - 52% depending on age)
- IVF - average 35% (14% - 52% depending on age)
So, what does the programme involve?
Step 1 – Your questionnaire
You receive a 5-page health history questionnaire to complete and return me:
Adult Questionnaire Step 2 – Your one-to-one consultation
You will have an initial 1 ½ hour consultation with me, followed by regular follow-up sessions.
What you will get from the consultation process:
- A tailormade nutrition programme, including information on the best nutrients and foods for fertility health, meal ideas and suggestions
- A personal strategy for health based on your consultation
- Supplement recommendations if appropriate
- Recommendations for biochemical testing if appropriate to establish why you may be unable to conceive or to rule out any problems. These tests will be discussed with you at your first and subsequent appointments. Tests recommended may include a Hair Mineral test, a Vitamin and Mineral Profile, a Female or Male hormone profile
- If you need complementary support you may be referred to another therapist such as a medical herbalist, fitness consultant, reflexologist or acupuncturist
- A personal strategy for health based on your consultation
The length of your programme will depend on the underlying cause(s) of your infertility or miscarriages, and whether I see you alone or whether your partner comes for an initial assessment too (not many couples know that in 25% of cases male problems contribute to a couple’s inability to conceive). There are other ways in which you can maximise your chances of conceiving and we can discuss these as well during our sessions. Consequently, the Natural Nutrition and lifestyle programme is likely to take at least 3 months as this is the length of time your body needs to make good quality eggs and sperm. It is also best not to try to conceive within that time as everything needs to be working at optimum level before you do so, both to prevent a miscarriage, and to give you the best possible chance of having a healthy baby.
Step 4 – Your pregnancy plan
Once pregnant we would be happy to continue to support you and your baby’s health during your pregnancy.
Costs
- A 1 hour consultation costs £60 to £95 depending on the clinic you see me at (I work in Putney and the City). You can just have one consultation but it is recommended that clients have at least one follow up consultation four weeks after their initial consultation.
- Supplements, biochemical testing and any other therapies such as acupuncture are at an additional cost (I will refer to another therapist).
Contact details For more information about the Natural Nutrition approach to fertility and pregnancy care, please carry on reading.
Infertility
Am I infertile? You may be surprised to know that nearly one in five couples (i.e. 17%) require referral for investigation and treatment for infertility. Infertility generally means an inability to conceive. There are many reasons why you may not be able to become pregnant and many of these are temporary. The good news is that a diagnosis of infertility does not necessarily mean that you will always be infertile. In many cases you may be what is called ‘subfertile’ and with the right nutritional and lifestyle advice to boost your fertility, the chances are you may become pregnant. This is especially important for couples over 30 when the natural decline in fertility begins to accelerate.
Consequently, in addition to the age factor, from a medical point of view, infertility is believed to be caused by the following factors:
| Problem | % of Cases |
| 20 |
| 15 |
| 5 |
| 26 |
| 30 |
About 15% of couples will have more than one cause for their infertility (and this accounts for the above numbers not adding up to 100%), such as irregular periods on the one hand and low sperm count on the other. This means that both you and your partner may have a problem. It is a common misperception that it is only the female partner who is having the problem.
Interestingly, in about 30% of couples no definite cause will be found, even after complete investigation. These couples are said to have ‘unexplained’ infertility, which means that following thorough medical investigations, doctors can not find any specific or identifiable medical problem to explain why you are having problems conceiving.
Many pregnancies (1 in 4) also result in a miscarriage, so while you may not have problems conceiving, you are unable to carry your baby to term. This will be very distressing if it happens or has happened to you. Again the right nutritional and lifestyle advice can help minimise this from happening.
If you decide to undergo assisted conception, adopting the Natural Nutrition nutritional and lifestyle programme can also help maximise your chances of this treatment being successful.
Fertility
People rarely think that what they eat may be contributing to their infertility, but it is the nutrients in our food that is key to promoting optimum health, optimum fertility, and the future health of our children.
Our ability to conceive relies on a balance of nutrients that promotes the optimal balance of hormones in our bodies as well as the sperm and eggs in men and women. Healthy parents usually have healthy babies. Once conception has happened you can’t change the quality of your sperm and egg. Consequently, it is advisable that you pay close attention to your diet prior to conception to give your children the best start in life and every advantage for future good health.
We normally think of conception as the beginning of life when the sperm and egg combine, but it takes your bodies 3 months to prepare the egg and sperm. As a result of this, the health of your baby is dependent upon your diet for at least 3 months before conception – as that is how long it takes the testes to make healthy sperm, and the ovary to make a healthy egg.
The quality of the foods we eat can make all the difference to how our reproductive system functions. By eating fresh, unprocessed foods, you will give your body the nutrients it needs to keep itself healthy. These include the macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils) and the micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) plus the compounds known as plant chemicals.
The healthy choice should be the easy choice, but in our world of fast food and convenience meals, the healthy choice may be the hardest to make. It takes time and effort to eat well, as well as conscious thought. However, once established, healthy eating is like riding a bike – a skill you will never lose and surprisingly easy!
Female fertility
If you are thinking about nutritional therapy to increase your likelihood of having a baby, the chances are you have been trying to conceive for some time or have had several miscarriages, and you have decided to try the Natural Nutrition programme as a last resort. The good news is that proper nutrition and lifestyle advice can significantly enhance the chances of a successful natural pregnancy and can stimulate your reproductive system if you decide to undertake assisted conception.
Ovulation and fallopian tubes
From a medical perspective, the two most common identifiable problems for women are:
- Problems with ovulation (such as irregular periods)
- Damage to fallopian tubes (e.g from an infection)
Subclinical nutritional deficiences
Problems with fertility may be down to a lack of certain vitamins, minerals and essential fats due to poor digestion or a diet that is not as good as it could be. This is because essential nutrients aid the working of the endocrine glands responsible for fertility and responsible to regulate ovulation and normalise periods. Essential nutrients can also help ensure that the fallopian tubes are in good working order.
Too much alcohol, cigarettes or drugs, working with harmful chemicals, eating too many processed foods and insufficient fruit and vegetables in your diet may lead to unexplained infertility or problems with ovulation or your fallopian tubes.
With the Natural Nutrition nutritional and lifestyle programme we will look at your nutritional requirements and provide you with advice that can help improve your fertility and chances of having a healthy baby.
It takes 12 months to make a baby
We think of a 9 month gestation as the “period” for baby production. But, both sperm and ova need to be healthy before any pregnancy can take place. Women are born with a supply of ova tightly packed into their ovaries; with up to 2 million at birth. This means that the health of your mother during her pregnancy will influence your health and ability to conceive as well as the health of your baby! Interestingly, the number of ova decreases quite rapidly: by puberty around 40,000 are left and only about 400 will mature and ovulate during a woman’s reproductive lifetime.
Eating well for 3 months before conception will ensure that adequate nutrients are available to the developing baby as the placenta is built from this nutrient rich source. A healthy placenta will lead to a healthy baby as it gathers the maternal hormones and nutrients to feed the embryo via its blood stream. If the mother’s nutrition stores are inadequate, then the baby will have poor nourishment and may not develop properly or may have a birth defect or problem later on (such as learning difficulties).
Male Fertility
Sperm Quality
The most common problem for men relates to sperm quantity and quality and there are several aspects to this:
- quantity of the sperm (oligospermia);
- the percentage of moving sperm;
- the motility of the sperm (how well they move or swim);
- the sperm formation (they can be malformed e.g. two tails, no tail); and
- the volume of semen.
- the percentage of moving sperm;
These include chemicals found in pesticides and detergents, paints and many industrial pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), which accumulate in fatty tissue in the body.
Subclinical Nutritional Deficiences
Subclinical deficiencies of various nutrients can affect sperm formation. Vitamin C protects sperm against free radical damage and the level in seminal fluid is much higher than in other body fluids. Zinc is critical in male reproduction and low zinc status may contribute to infertility. Vitamin A deficiency can also cause sperm shape abnormality.
Too much alcohol, cigarettes or drugs, working with harmful chemicals, eating too many processed foods and insufficient fruit and vegetables in your diet may lead to unexplained infertility or problems with your sperm.
A low sperm count may be due to environmental factors, such as oestrogenic pesticides, but a poor diet will also lead to weakened or deformed sperm.
With the Natural Nutrition nutritional and lifestyle programme we will look at your nutritional requirements and provide you with advice that can help improve your fertility and chances of having a healthy baby.
Positive steps for a healthy baby
Depending on the reasons why you can not conceive or have experienced a number of miscarriages, the following factors will be discussed and if relevant incorporated into your treatment programme.
Natural Nutrition and lifestyle progamme
Good nutrition and a balanced lifestyle is the foundation to my approach to preconceptual care. You need the right kinds of carbohydrates, proteins and fats as well as vitamins, minerals and plant nutrients for your body to work at its best and to ensure that is able to conceive. For example, if you have irregular periods, changes to your diet may help normalise your cycle. Lack of antioxidants in your diet may impact on the health and quality of your sperm.
Many people believe that they have a well-balanced diet. But what is right for one person may not necessarily be the best diet for another person.
Furthermore, I will also look at other factors that may impact negatively on your nutritional status, such as excess stress (are you working around the clock?), caffeine and alcohol.
Together we will make a tailormade nutrition and lifestyle programme for you, which will be assessed on a regular basis.
I would also be happy to write to your doctor outlining our dietary and lifestyle programme. This is especially important if you are undergoing fertility treatment at the same time.
Digestive problems and allergies
Digestive disorders (such as IBS), parasitic infestations such as giardia lamblia or food allergies or conditions such as asthma, eczema or migraine may impact on your ability to absorb vital nutrients needed to produce good quality ova and sperm. With dietary manipulation and/or antibiotic treatments before conception, a lot of medication that is contraindicated in pregnancy may be avoided. Where parasites are eliminated, the absorption of essential nutrients will be much improved.
Genito-urinary Infections
A common condition that you may have heard of is called Chlamydia. Chlamydia, which is often asymptomatic (in other words you don’t have any noticeable symptoms), can cause infertility. Untreated, Chlamydia and other genitor-urinary infections can lead to infertility, a series of miscarriages, or to premature babies. Other conditions which may impact on your nutritional status include thrush and cystitis. Many genito-urinary conditions can be cleared up with nutritional therapy.
Weight
Being over or underweight may contribute to infertility. This is because your body requires the right kinds and amount of fats (among other nutrients) to produce the hormones necessary for conception. We would aim to correct your diet and to help you reach your optimum weight.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle
Often too much stress in your life and too little or too much exercise can affect how well your hormones function and your general health status. Together, we can look at ways you may be able to counterbalance or reduce the amount of stress you are experiencing.
Environmental Factors
Exposure to chemicals (e.g. dioxins), X-rays, or heavy metals (e.g. aluminium) from work or from a hobby are assessed as these are known to contribute to infertility. Above are just some of the main reasons why you may be finding it difficult to conceive. Where your history reveals a chronic problem likely to be incompatible with a healthy pregnancy, specialist help will be recommended.
Supplement programme
I will also recommend a tailormade supplement programme for you. As you will see, these supplements can be very effective in rebalancing hormones, as well as improving you and your partner’s overall health, which is essential for successful conception. If you are experiencing problems conceiving then it is unlikely you are receiving all the nutrients you need through diet alone
Hair mineral analysis
Hair is a reliable way to check for the status of essential minerals as well as heavy metal levels. An imbalance in these may affect your ability to conceive. Consequently, it is likely that I will recommend you undertake this straightforward analysis which simply requires a sample of your hair.
Biochemical testing
It may be useful to carry out biochemical testing to establish why you may be unable to conceive or to rule out any problems. These tests will be discussed with you at your first and subsequent appointments.
How long will the Natural Nutrition fertility programme take?
The length of your programme will depend on the underlying cause(s) of your infertility or miscarriages, and whether I see you alone or whether your partner comes for an initial assessment too (not many couples know that in 25% of cases male problems contribute to a couple’s inability to conceive). There are other ways in which you can maximise your chances of conceiving and we can discuss these as well during our sessions. Consequently, the Natural Nutrition nutrition and lifestyle programme is likely to take at least 3 months as this is the length of time your body needs to make good quality eggs and sperm. It is also best not to try to conceive within that time as everything needs to be working at optimum level before you do so, both to prevent a miscarriage, and to give you the best possible chance of having a healthy baby. Your progress will be monitored through monthly follow-up sessions where we will assess your progress.
How much will the Natural Nutrition fertility programme cost?
This depends on the reasons why you are having problems conceiving and how quickly you respond to the Natural Nutrition programme. It is recommended however that you and your partner come for at least 3 sessions each to maximise your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. Please note that we will minimise costs where possible, such as referring you to your GP to find out what biochemical tests may be carried out by the NHS or by asking you to check whether your health care insurance (if you or your partner has this) will pay for the tests.
