Well, that chill in the air is finally going, the days are getting longer and it’s a perfect time of year for couples trying for a baby to start planning, planning, planning! I always say that preparation pays when it comes to conceiving, so here are my top five tips for getting pregnant this year:

1. Sex, sex and more sex! It’s the year of the Olympics after all, and couples up and down the country should be doing their bit to take part in the most exciting sport of them all! Also, men need passion – testosterone is the hormone of desire, so when sex becomes mechanical and demanding it can decrease a man’s libido. Passionate sex is going to make you both feel great. Go easy on the oral sex though – saliva contains digestive enzymes that have a very damaging effect on sperm.

2. Many women focus too much on the egg and how long it lasts – don’t get too caught up on this and remember that if you are having sex 3 times a week and your partner’s sperm is good, it will last 3-5 days inside of you. This way you are ensuring there is a constant flow of sperm in the fallopian tubes ready for when you ovulate.

3. Plan a holiday: This really is the perfect way to make a baby – a break away from it all somewhere sunny will boost your chances significantly. Vitamin D is so important for fertility and we get most of it from sunshine – soak it up! A stress-relieving holiday can only be good news, especially when you consider that stress hormones in the body can interfere with reproductive hormones. Quality time with your partner can help bring you closer too, which is not always easy at home.

4. Lifestyle – Both partners need keep their work/life balance in check. Cut out the cigarettes and alcohol, and protect against toxins by building up your stores of antioxidants. The sun is shining, the birds are singing… get out and get some exercise! Even a brisk 20m walk three times a week will do you the world of good. And guys, don’t spend too much time in the sauna or jacuzzi – this can overheat your sperm and cause damage.

5. Make sure you’re taking the right supplements – your baby will thrive and grow on stores of nutrients rather than what you’re eating on any given day during pregnancy, and it takes about three months to build up adequate amounts of the right vitamins and minerals, namely folic acid, omega 3 and Vitamin D.

Boost your reserves by taking our unique formulation of supplements, including Vitafem and Vitamen (£21.50 each) , and the Vitafem/Vitamen Boost antioxidant range (£25 each).

 At the Zita West Clinic we know how important the Mind-Body connection is to fertility.  Getting pregnant or going through IVF is not just about having sex at the ‘right’ time or going through the motions of IVF; the mind can have a very powerful influence on the whole process of conception. Negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors can lead to increased anxiety and depression, and sabotage your goals of conception.

 Emotional and psychological blocks can get in the way of conception. Your relationship with your partner really holds the key.  If you are feeling anger and resentment towards your partner, not enjoying sex and not really ‘connecting’ with your partner, but simply existing alongside in a vacuum, this passion-starved existence is hardly conducive to making a baby together.

 Negative messages from figures of authority can really feed every cell in your body.  If as a young woman a doctor tells you: ‘You are likely to have problems conceiving when you get older,’ this can have a devastating affect, subconsciously crushing your hopes for motherhood; or if a man has had a very authoritarian father, it may affect his sexuality and his belief about his ability to father a child. Negative feelings can lead to anxiety about sex and the belief that it’s not really worth having sex.

Similarly, any traumatic events from the past, such as an abortion (often from years back), repeated failed attempts at IVF or recurrent miscarriage can create feelings of negativity and despair.

Can you identify with any of these statements?

I need help to stay positive.

I feel out of control.

I am getting over-anxious.

I have never failed at anything until now.

I need help to manage my stress.

I know I am a perfectionist by nature.

Maybe I don’t deserve to have a child.

I don’t want to have any regrets.

We need help to make the right decision.

The clock is ticking.

 The Manage Your Mind Programme will help you to change your mind-set and learn to let go.  The programme incorporates a variety of techniques and treatments depending on the individual and couple needs.  This may include CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), hypnotherapy, positive visualization, art therapy, or guided relaxation.  The emphasis on the programme is to use techniques to challenge your negative beliefs and to come up with strategies to help you cope positively with the rigors of fertility investigations and treatment and to maximize your fertility potential.  A single session may be invaluable.  Other times a series of 3-6 sessions may be more appropriate.  More specific fertility/relationship counseling is available at the clinic as needed.

 The more we do in this area, the more we believe that so much to do with getting pregnant is down to a woman’s mind-set. Emotional and psychological blocks really can get in the way of conception.  In addition, the relationship between the couple holds the key and attitudes to sex are also an important factor.  Sex can often be used as a subconscious currency and if both partners are not enjoying sex it can affect their fertility.

 So many of the couples we see find it easy to mange the challenges of every other aspect of their home, work and financial life but are often unable to mange their minds when they are full of negative feelings. With this programme, we want couples to learn how to change their mind-set and just let go.

For more information please get in contact with the Zita West clinic for a consultation book with Jane knight or Maureen Kylie.