Fertility

Fertility is the human capability to conceive children. Unfortunately, fertility does not come so easily to everyone and about 11% of couples do face infertility, which is the inability to produce a child after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. Although often thought of as only a female issue, both men and women can experience fertility problems. Sometimes a couple can comprise of a very fertile woman but an infertile man. Both men and women can take steps to improve their own fertility.

Most commonly, someone will earn of their fertility issues after trying to conceive with their partner. Many causes for fertility aren't known and do have symptoms. The following signs can be a signal to call your doctor to discuss your fertility:

• If you are over 35 years old and have been trying for over 6 months
• If you're younger than 35 and have been having unprotected sexual intercourse for over a year, and so far have not become pregnant
• You have had 2+ pregnancy losses

There are some symptoms of fertility issues which are clear to spot:

• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Unusually light or heavy bleeding
• Unusually heavy bleeding
• Pelvic pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction
• A low libido

If you and your partner have made the decision that you're ready to grow your family, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of conceiving.

1. Avoid douching

Not only can vaginal douching wash away very important cervical mucus you need to become pregnant, but it can wash away non-harmful bacteria which protects your vagina from infections.

     2. Choose the right lubricant

Many personal and popular lubricants are actually harmful to sperm. There are many sperm-friendly lubricants, including the Babystart Fertilsafe Plus Lubricant which is safe for all couples trying to conceive. Unlike many lubricants, it is free from parabens and glycol meaning it will not harm any sperm.

     3. Increase your sex frequency

If you have sex every other day or every two days, you're likely to have sex at least once or twice during your most fertile time. It is a common misconception that having sex everyday is helpful for trying to conceive, however sperm can take up to 48 hours to mature, meaning that the sperm may be immature and inable to fertilise any eggs.

4. Be smart about when you have sexual intercourse

Ideally, you want to be having sex during your most fertile window. This typically lasts between 5 and 8 days, just before ovulation. However, it is important to know that your day of ovulation is different in woman to woman. It's vital that you track your own ovulation to know your body's own schedule.

Research has shown that by introducing healthy habits to your life, you can increase your levels of fertility. Although you should absolutely consider medical intervention, the impact of lifestyle changes cannot be ignored. Here are some changes you can make to your everyday lifestyle:

• Avoiding emotional eating
• Avoid binge eating
• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables rich with antioxidants
• Implement healthy fats into your diet such as olive oil and nuts
• Increasing your physical activity
• Getting enough sleep during the night
• Avoiding high stress levels

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