Some women spend their 20s trying to avoid an accidental pregnancy, only to find that when they’re ready for motherhood, getting pregnant is a struggle. If you’re in this camp, consider these remedies and advice for improving your odds of getting pregnant.
Herbalist and naturopath Stacey Roberts from Sharkeys Healing Centre on the Gold Coast has been dubbed “The Baby Maker” thanks to her proven techniques for boosting fertility. She has worked with thousands of couples to help them improve their chances of getting pregnant over the years, and her services remain in demand. According to Roberts, infertility affects one in every six couples in Australia.
“Danish research has shown that since the Second World War, the average sperm count in men has dropped by 50 per cent worldwide, and women are suffering endometriosis at a level never before experienced, along with other hormonal imbalances,” Roberts explains.
While she confirms that “the causes are many and affect both men and women,” she also has her opinion on the primary culprit for increasing fertility issues.
“I am positive many of the causes of conception difficulties can be traced back to the usage of chemicals and synthetic hormones,” she says, adding, “It cannot be stressed enough how big a role emotional distress, along with physical imbalances, play in preventing us from conceiving like a natural woman.”
So, rule number one if you’re trying to conceive: Reduce your stress levels! Whether that means cutting back at work, reducing your level of at-home/at-work responsibilities or simply learning to say “no” more frequently, find a way to declutter your schedule so you’re not constantly run off your feet.
You can also try the following:
Monitor cervical mucous
It’s not glamorous (not many parts of conceiving, pregnancy and childbirth are!), but monitoring your cervical mucous can help you pinpoint your ovulation dates. You’ll need to check your underwear for secretions for a few months until you notice a pattern — oestrogen causes mucous to thin after your period, and rising levels of progesterone make it thicken right after ovulation. Once you pinpoint your thicker “ovulation” days, you can plan to have regular sex in the fertile five days leading up to it.
Chart your basal body temperature
This is useful for figuring out when you ovulate, as your body temperature generally drops by half a degree in the 24 hours before you ovulate. Because basal body temperature can be thrown off by a number of causes, such as fever or illness, it’s not a good move to rely on this alone –- but in combination with monitoring your cervical mucous, you’ll gain a more accurate indication.
Cut back on caffeine
A study by Dr. Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel from the Fertility Clinic of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark revealed that the consumption of five or more cups of coffee per day reduced the clinical pregnancy rate by 50 per cent, and reduced the live birth rate by 40 per cent.
Avoid highly processed foods
Not only are these “foods” low in the nutrients you need to maintain fertility and encourage pregnancy, but some processed foods –- such as fast food, which is high in trans fats –- contain chemicals that could affect your fertility.
Convince your partner to quit smoking
It goes without saying that most mums-to-be will recognise the value of quitting smoking when they’re trying to conceive. But did you know that smoking decreases fertility for both women and men? Convince your man to kick the habit and you’ll improve your chance of conceiving and create a healthy environment for your little one to be born into.
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