If you are thinking about joining William and Kate by becoming parents in 2013 or if you have already begun trying to conceive, there a few simple steps you can take to increase your chances of achieving a positive result.
Parenting on Female First
The most popular time of year to give birth is during the months of September and October, meaning that many babies are conceived during the festive period, so if you are trying for an autumn baby, now is a good time to start.
Here, Dr Venkat, Director of the Harley Street Fertility Clinic, shares useful tips on increasing your chances of becoming pregnant.
Relax
Trying to get pregnant can be very stressful, especially if you are having trouble conceiving. This added pressure can in turn hinder your chances of getting pregnant. The holiday surrounding Christmas is a good time to unwind and relax, which is perhaps why this time of year results in so many pregnancies.
Eat well
Over eating is not advised but the Christmas dinner, if cooked right, can be very beneficial. A high protein, high fibre, low fat diet will increase your chances of getting pregnant. Turkey is very high in protein and low in fat, ticking two boxes, and Brussels sprouts are good for your fibre and folic acid intake, which is essential for women trying to conceive.
Dr Venkat, Director of the Harley Street Fertility Clinic says: “Folic acid is really important and should be taken to prevent neural tube defects in the baby. A supplement is a must but you can also complement this with nutrients from vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots and broccoli.”
When cooking the vegetables make sure that you retain as much of the goodness as possible by not over boiling or consider steaming them, and when adding fat to the potatoes and turkey, choose a healthy option such as olive oil; the carbohydrates in potatoes will also give you an energy boost for later on.
Stick to your New Year resolution
If joining a gym is on your to do list, getting your body in optimum shape to increase your fertility is a good incentive. If you are overweight, losing just 10 per cent of your body mass can help enormously. This is especially true if you have any underlying conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
Dr Venkat says: “Losing weight will also improve the chances of conceiving in people receiving fertility treatment as the medication and procedures will work more effectively. By introducing a 30-minute walk into your daily routine, which could be done as part of your commute to work, or by swimming or running at the gym, the functionality of sperm and ovulation in women will vastly improve.”
When should we have sex?
The best time to have sex is when a woman is ovulating. Ovulation kits are widely available from Pharmacists and will help you to work out the day you are most likely to ovulate.
Dr Venkat says: “Around the time of ovulation, couples should ‘get busy’ every day for those three days – the day of the positive surge with ovulation and the following two days.”
Seek advice
If you’ve not been successful with a pregnancy, don’t be despondent. It can sometimes take couples a while to conceive and as many as 1 in 6 couples will struggle with infertility at some point in their lives. Fertility specialists will be able to assess both you and your partner to get to the root of the problem.
For more information, visit www.hsfc.org.uk