Mind:

Fertility journeys are individual and, for many, extremely personal and private. Some people are open to discussing, and others are not so. I find when working with couples, some individuals may not have shared their fears, stresses, hopes with anyone, not even each other. I encourage all clients to keep a daily journal. Waking up each morning and placing the pen on good old fashioned paper is not only cathartic, but often things come up on the page that we may have been unaware of and with anything that is not serving us; “its better out than in”. A “morning page” routine is a safe and inexpensive place for you to work things out.

Often there can be a spotlight on what is not working regards fertility, and there can be a negative bias in the pendulum. Balance it out with fertility medication; there are many to be found on YouTube, Bret Larkin does excellent ones.

Body: 

There are so many fertility supplements out there, and it can be a mind field of what to take and what’s the best, so let me guide you a little around the maze.

Supplements:

Many leading brands spend money on celebrity endorsements and then cut corners the ingredients filling out with bulking agents such as maltodextrin.

Maltodextrin has a much higher Gi index than table sugar. In fact, the GI index of this bulking agent is more than often double. It has a detremental effect on the integrity of the gut microbiome. With fertility, you want to keep the GI food lower to keep the hormones in balance, and we are all now well versed in the importance of a good gut microbiome. Having gut dysbiosis affects fertility. Research shows that imbalances in the gut are linked to PCOS, endometriosis and low testosterone in men. So skip this additive when looking for your supplement support. It is also found in many unsweetened products, supplements and vegetarian meat substitutes.

Keep warm: 

Keep the blood flowing to the uterus and keep the uterus warm; use practises such as dry body brushing and acupuncture.

Dry Body brushing:

Dry body brushing is an inexpensive daily way to stimulate the blood flow in the body. Do daily toward the heart pre bathing or shower. You can get many handheld dry body brushes for under £10.

Acupuncture: 

It is best to find a local acupuncturist specialising in infertility. You will want to rest after the treatment for an hour. Try not to slot it in between meetings or on your lunch break. The acupuncturist will see if you have any blockages, bring your cycle into balance and keep that blood flow to the uterus and ovaries.

Acupuncture is not just for natural fertility but very beneficial for supporting IVF and alleviating stress.

Get the men on board:

With male infertility on the rise, it’s just as important to look into how the areas of sperm can be assisted to improve and create balance within the female body.

Progressive motility

You want the sperm to be moving, but moving “progressively” in the right direction towards the egg, not simply vibrating or simply moving side to side and not advancing. You want the strongest and those that swim fast in a straight line.

Ashwagandha:

Ashwagandha is an Indian Ayurvedic adaptogen with ample scientific evidence that increases sperm motility. One study found that the ashwagandha group experienced a whopping 167% increase in the amount of sperm when compared to the control group. It was also found that the ashwagandha group experienced a 53% increase in sperm volume and a 57% increase in motility.

Ashwagandha can be found in capsules and powder. Always buy from a branded Ayurvedic company such as Essentially Ayurveda: https://www.essentialayurveda.co.uk or Triveda: https://triveda.co.uk. When adding anything to your diet, such as herbs, adaptogens do so after discussing with your health team as you don’t want it to compromise existing health conditions or prescribed medications.

Shatavari:

This herb is well known for its aphrodisiac properties, which are an asset when under stressful times with pressure to have intercourse on demand. Not only is it a highly regarded herb for anti-stress and anti-anxiety, research shows it can increase not only sperm motility but sperm count too. 

Remember, it takes just over two months for a man’s sperm to renew, so wait around three months before retesting after any dietary or lifestyle changes.

Manifest:

Bring forth the parent you want to be NOW.

All my clients get up an hour earlier than usual; this is their time to get “their armour” on for the day. It’s the time to be the parent to their inner child and start becoming the parent they want to be in the near future.

Journal

Gratitude list

Movement (I don’t like to call it exercise), be it the gym, a home HIT, a brisk walk, a swim, Zumba in the kitchen, have fun with it.

Start filling your “WELL” now so round the corner your child can nourish themselves from it.

Nature:

Think of yourself as a magnificent garden where you want to harvest the best crops.

Feed it the best:

Unprocessed foods, simply as nature intended, cook at home as much as possible, limit your amount of inflammatory foods and refined sugars.

Give it sunshine:

Get daylight as early as possible in the day, around 20 mins and fresh air; keep those Vitamin D levels stocked with a vitamin D spray from the likes of Better You, https://betteryou.com.

Water, hydration is not just in a glass, think of hydrating through foods also, as water this way is more bioavailable to the body, think celery, cucumber, radish, watermelon, pomegranate.

Last but most certainly not least, don’t forget to have fun with your fertility. Having sex on-demand at a specific time every month can be very unfulfilling as well as pressurising for both involved, so try to make it fun. Try different positions, another room bar the bedroom, switch up the times of day, many after all many of us are still working from home. Plus, don’t just have sex at ovulation time; remember you are a couple who once had sex for many other reasons; you are still that couple.