We know how difficult it is, on every level, when you are trying for a baby and it isn’t happening.
The first thing to say is, don’t panic. It’s natural for couples to assume they will get pregnant soon after they start trying, but it often doesn’t work out that way, for lots of reasons. Sometimes it is as simple as unreasonable expectations as to how long these things take, or how long it can take for your fertility to return after contraception,
miscarriage or
birth.
These days an estimated 1 in 6 couples have problems conceiving. But the majority should still be able to go on to have a baby through natural means. Particularly if they take the time and effort to understand the various factors that could be adversely affecting their fertility. The
Zita West team can help you to take a calm, step-by-step approach to putting things right.
Your First Step?
We usually recommend that clients who find themselves in this situation start with a
Zita West "Fertility Health Check
." Based on your answers to a detailed pre-appointment questionnaire, one of our consultant midwives, or our fertility nurse, will review every important aspect of you and your partners’ reproductive health and fertility history in order to help identify what may be going wrong and suggest ways in which to help put it right.
This may reveal the need for further medical examinations and tests to investigate possible physical problems. Or, more likely, it may suggest some areas of possible weakness in your reproductive status which can be addressed by improving such things as your
nutrition, modifying certain aspects of your lifestyle, stimulating your reproductive system, dealing with long-standing complaints such as
food intolerances or adrenal or thyroid deficiencies, or relieving
anxiety and
stress.
Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional therapy, in particular, is central to our approach to boosting the levels of fertility for both partners and we will usually recommend that both of you have separate consultations with one of our specialist nutritional therapists as an early step. Unless you have had this done already elsewhere, and you are travelling to your "Fertility Health Check" from outside London, you might like to book these at the same time to follow the "Healthcheck" to save you an additional journey.
Hopefully, you'll be very pleasantly surprised by the experience. Contrary to what you might expect, you won't be joining some kind of nutritional boot-camp! Our goal is to find a planned approach that suits YOU, and that fits in with your likes, your dislikes and your lifestyle. We won't dictate to you, nor will we make you give up everything you enjoy. We don't advocate faddy diets, the removal of whole food groups or calorie counting. And, as you would expect, we always provide the rationale behind any advice we give. Which tends to make it easier to understand and, just as importantly, easier to follow.
One of our receptionists will be happy to arrange an appointment for you.
Sperm Testing and Improvement
We may recommend a detailed sperm test too. Normal NHS tests provide only the most basic of information about the quantity and quality of sperm. But there are more sophisticated tests available, some of which we run as standard here at the Clinic. This can usually be arranged at short notice on the day of your "Healthcheck" at a laboratory nearby, though you will usually also need a further appointment to go through the results with our embryologist and
male fertility specialist, at a later date. It is sensible to leave sufficient time for the test in your planning for your initial "Health Check" (an hour should be more than enough).
Emotional And Psychological Factors
The human body is a remarkable organism. It is also extremely complex and sensitive, especially when it comes to anything to do with reproduction. Small deficiencies or imbalances in areas such as nutritional or hormonal status, diet, weight, fitness,
stress levels, or just our general levels of energy (often fuelled by inappropriate elements of our lifestyle), can all conspire to adversely affect our chances of conceiving. All the more so, the older we are.
Emotional, psychological and relationship issues can play their part too. As can problems with the quantity and quality of the male partner’s sperm (over 40% of cases of
unexplained infertility and sub-fertility are thought to be attributable to male factors).
Most Problems Can Be Fixed Without Recourse to IVF
However, with a sensible, planned, and individualised approach, plus some persistence, all of these things are usually fixable, without recourse to
IVF. Even if this proves necessary in the end, you'll at least feel that you have ticked every box in pursuing a natural alternative first. In our experience, far too many couples jump into
IVF before taking a supervised, step by step approach to conceiving naturally first.
Further Advice?
Your consultant
midwife or fertility nurse will be able to recommend the numerous things we can do to help. Details of most of these services can be found by using the menu bar on the left hand side of this page.
Information on our fees can also be found towards the bottom of this menu.
Want to Book a "Health Check" or Any Other Treatment?
If you'd like to book a "Fertility Health Check" or any of our other consultations or treatments, or if you'd just like more information, please click on "How to Contact Us" from the menu bar on the left hand side of this page for details of how to get in touch, or just click on "Contact Us", immediately below.
LIVE FAR FROM LONDON?
If you live a long way from London, you might like to know that we can now offer all our fertility problem-solving, preconception planning and IVF support consultations, plus our wonderful nutritional healthchecks, on the telephone too. Click here for brief details. 
