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Your Life: THE GOOD FERTILITY GUIDE

Posted on: Friday, 24 June 2005, 06:00 CDT

BRITAIN'S fertility time-bomb is ticking loud and clear as couples put off having children until later. According to fertility expert Prof Bill Ledger this week, the number of people having problems conceiving will double in the next decade. By 2015 one in three couples will turn to IVF in a desperate attempt to have a baby.

While a woman's ability to get pregnant declines after 35, this is far from the only factor. A new study suggests men are overtaking women when it comes to fertility problems. Obesity, STIs, smoking and drinking all play a part. Follow our guide to maximise your chances.

FOR HER..

AS well as making sure they have sex at the right time of the month, there's lots more women can do to improve their chances of getting pregnant.

Lose the latte

JUST one coffee a day could halve your likelihood of conceiving, suggests research. "For the best chances, you should cut out all caffeine for at least three months before you try to conceive," says nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville. "That includes cola and other caffeine-containing soft drinks, chocolate, black tea and coffee."

Cut down on the booze

HARSH news if you like a tipple: the more you drink, the less likely you are to conceive. A study in the British Medical Journal found women who drank fewer than five units a week (five small glasses of wine or five single measures of spirits) were twice as likely to get pregnant as those who drank more.

"So avoid alcohol around ovulation and enjoy it in moderation the rest of the time," suggests fertility expert Zita West.

But there's no compromising on cigarettes. Smoking slashes your fertility, so it's essential to stub it out.

Get orgasmic

YES, really. Evidence shows frequent sex boosts fertility, while research from Cardiff University has suggested climaxing could improve a woman's chances.

Zita says: "It's not clear why, but keeping passion and spontaneity in your relationship is definitely important. And don't leap out of bed the minute you've had sex. There's no evidence sticking your legs in the air makes a difference, but it makes sense to stay lying flat for 20 minutes."

Chill out

CONSTANTLY stressed? It could affect your chances by playing havoc with your hormones. If you can't cut tension out of your life, find ways to relax every day. "Acupuncture and hypnotherapy are both great for de-stressing you, and acupuncture also helps improve blood flow to the pelvis, boosting your fertility," says Zita.

Get your vits

EVEN if you think you have a healthy diet, supplements can up your chances of conceiving, claims Zita. "A busy life can often mean missed or hurried meals, and an over-reliance on convenience foods. Plus stress and pollution can leach nutrients out of our bodies," she points out.

Folic acid and other B vitamins, especially B6, can all boost fertility and are crucial for a healthy pregnancy. Vitamins C and E and the minerals zinc and selenium have also been shown to raise fertility levels in both sexes. Look for a pre-conception supplement that contains all these essentials - you could try Zita West Vitafem (pounds 18.50 from www.zitawestproducts. com or call 0870 1668899).

Be herbal happy

MARYLIN Glenville says: "The herb agnus castus stimulates the brain's pituitary gland, which controls hormones, so it can help regulate ovulation." Try Viridian Agnus Castus Berry (pounds 7 for 30 caps, from health food stores). Herbal teas make a good alternative to coffee, supplying essential nutrients and helping you chill out. Sip camomile, nettle and dandelion teas.

Veg out

A HEALTHY diet is crucial. Include plenty of fruit and veg, complex carbs (wholemeal bread and brown rice) and protein - tofu, beans and pulses - are great.

Marilyn says: "Go organic as far as possible, as chemicals from pesticides can cause an imbalance of hormones, affecting your fertility."

It can be pricey, so if you're on a budget, at least go for organic bread, oats and rice, as grains absorb more pesticides than other foods.

DID YOU KNOW?

DAY 14 of your cycle is when you're theoretically at your most fertile, but days 10 to 17 are the usual "window" of fertility.

LACK of sleep, stress and illness can temporarily lower your fertility.

THE latest fertility research suggests that avoiding soya products may boost a woman's chance of falling pregnant.

FOR HIM..

YOUR man's health plays an equally important part in your baby- making programme. If he's a boozer and smoker, you might have trouble conceiving. Here's how he can boost his chances of becoming a father.

Bin the beers

LIKE you, he should try to keep his alcohol intake low. Keep him down to one and a half pints of lager a day - his sperm will thank him for it.

Think zinc

IT'S especially vital for men as it makes the outer layer and tail of the sperm. If he increases his intake, his sperm will become stronger, more numerous and more mobile.

It takes a surprisingly long time - three months - to produce a sperm and zinc is needed throughout. When he takes zinc and folic acid supplements, your man produces more sperm.

He can also up his intake by eating poultry, fish, shellfish, egg yolk, wholegrain cereals, sesame and pumpkin seeds.

Stub out the fags

SMOKING'S the single biggest cause of male infertility, as it lowers sperm count between 13 and 17 per cent and has a damaging effect on the ones that are produced.

Nicotine prevents the absorption of crucial zinc - and long-term smoking means he's less likely to be able to get it up in the first place because of its impact on blood circulation. So make him quit now, he'll enjoy that cigar all the more when the baby arrives.

Guard the family jewels

GET him to lose those too-tight Y-fronts. It's good for his fertility as well as his fashion cred.

One of the most common causes of ineffective sperm is heat. So coolness in the crotch is needed and his testicles should hang loose as nature intended. This means boxers are better than briefs as they give some freedom of movement. Sedentary jobs in hot environments are also likely to damage sperm, so taking cool showers might help if this is the case.

If he's a keen cyclist, it could be wreaking havoc on his scrotum. Knocks and vibrations in the saddle mean that he's at risk of getting cysts and damaged veins in the sac protecting the fragile testes.

So make sure he wears padded cycling shorts and rides a bike with good suspension.

Healthy nuts

OBESITY is a huge factor in infertility, with excess fat making men's testosterone production go into freefall as well as dampening their libido.

Following a sensible diet and taking plenty of exercise is the solution. Sperm is rich in substances called prostaglandins, found in essential fatty acids. So he should forget the burgers, fries and mayonnaise, and swap them for nuts, seeds and oily fish.

Get your Es

RESEARCH has shown that increasing levels of vitamin E can boost the ability of sperm to fertilise an egg in a test tube. And, in one study, men who were given vitamin E supplements for three months produced sperm that was two and a half times more potent than it had been previously. So stock up on vitamin E-rich foods such as almonds, sunflower seeds and olives. Or take a supplement - it's even more effective when taken with vitamin C.

Do a DIY sperm test

GET the man's sperm tested - but if he's shy about going to a clinic, he might want to try an at-home test first.

FertilitySCORE measures the amount of motile sperm in a sample - that's sperm which are able to move effectively. It's 93 per cent accurate, costs pounds 19.99 and is available from www.homechec.co.uk or by calling 0871 871 0691.

DID YOU KNOW?

A man's at his most fertile at age 25.

Sperm levels are boosted by vitamin C.

The antioxidant selenium helps sperm become good swimmers. Brazil nuts are a great source.

If he's sensitive about the issue, he can log on to www.infertilitynet workuk.com

KEEP SEX SAFE

STIs are a major cause of infertility in couples, with chlamydia at the top of the list. The often symptomless infection is the number one cause of preventable infertility in women, and rates are soaring. There was an eight per cent rise in diagnosed cases at genito-urinary medicine clinics - a leap of 10 per cent in men and seven per cent in women, between 2002 and 2003.

WHY DOES IT CAUSE INFERTILITY? It can cause serious pelvic infection, which can then lead to infertility.

HOW'S IT TREATED? Easily, with antibiotics. But it's also avoidable so use condoms, particularly if you have more than one partner. If you notice bleeding between periods, difficulty passing urine and dull abdominal pain, see a doctor.

For more info, call Marie Stopes International on 0845 300 8090

Source: Daily Mirror

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