There are many myths surrounding fertility which can get in the way of achieving healthy conception here are some that I sometimes hear from clients…

1 Most women will fall pregnant immediately and carry to full term first time….

Actually one in 4 women will miscarry and the rate increases if it’s your first pregnancy. These heart breaking figures will affect many of you or your family and friends and it can be utterly devastating for couples. There are ways to reduce the risk of miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage by ensuring you are not deficient in certain vitamins and minerals or predispositioned to have lower levels of certain nutrients.

2. Alcohol doesn’t affect a mans sperm quality or count….

Research proves that even just one beer a day had the potential to reduce a man’s sperm quality and quantity, so not only does alcohol have an effect on a man’s sperm but diet also influences it as well. Research shows that certain dietary food will increase sperm morphology and count. Simple stuff you might think, but its so often missed when couples are having problems conceiving.

3. Diet doesn’t affect a woman’s fertility …..

Diets high in processed carbohydrates sugar and saturated fats have been linked to poorer fertility outcomes in women. Conversely diets high in omega 3’s, fresh vegetables, quality protein and whole foods have been linked with higher rates of fertility. Changing dietary habits can be hard but we have ways of making it so easy.

4. Stress doesn’t affect fertility…..

Everything in our body works in harmony, so if there is stress there will be an obvious flow on effect onto the rest of the bodies systems and functions. Research has linked women’s stress with poorer rates of fertility and one study has even demonstrated better fertility outcomes using mindfulness techniques. There are many ways to help better cope with stress from supplements to herbs to mindfulness techniques which can all help with fertility if stress is a large part of your life.

5.Supplements can’t help fertility

A couple’s fertility is most certainly linked to having adequate vitamins and minerals in their systems to drive all manner of bodily processes, from egg production, correct follicle development to sperm quality and motility. Our busy lifestyles and poor food choices make it very easy to be deficient in nutrients and therefore supplementation is sometimes necessary to “top up” these levels. There are signs and symptoms that naturopaths look for to help us identify these deficiencies which once corrected can make the world of difference to fertility.

Supplementation can be a minefield with so many choices on the market, of which so many are poor quality and some even use substitutes instead of the real thing. So its always advised to see your naturopath to ensure you only spend your money on quality products with real ingredients that are of high standard.