It is likely that a major cause of irregular cycles is hormonal imbalances. As there is a strong link between diet and hormones the right nutrition at the right time of the month can make a big difference when it comes to getting your cycle into a healthier pattern.

I have come up with an ‘Eat Yourself Pregnant Diet Plan’ that encourages you to eat the right foods to balance your hormones so stabilising your cycle and making conception that little bit more likely.  Whilst concentrating on the foods that are good for your cycle it is important that you look at your diet as a whole, not just focussing on the requirements of your cycle.  So, whilst this plan provides a guide to specific nutrients for supporting regular ovulation, you should ensure that you have a broad spectrum of nutrients in your diet as a whole.

Eating Right for Your cycle

There are 4 phases to your cycle and each of these have important nutritional requirements to maintain stability.

Phase 1 of your cycle

Many women feel the hormonal shift on the very first day of their period – pent up tension falls away and a sense of relief and calm ensues. However, you could also feel a little lethargic. Try to enjoy some quiet time when this happens and avoid exercising, treating yourself to an early night or two if possible.
This is the time for warm, nourishing foods. Choose foods rich in iron and vitamin C as these will help to replenish the iron that you lose with your period. Vitamin B rich foods will help you to regain some energy.

Good sources of Vitamin C
• Fruits and vegetables

Good sources of iron
• Lean red meat
• Pumpkin seeds
• Beans and pulses
• Dreid apricots and raisins
• Shellfish
• Dark green leafy vegetables

Good sources of B-vitamins
• Whole grains
• Lamb, beef, poultry
• Shellfish
• Eggs and dairy
• Leafy Green vegetables
• Yeast extract

Phase 2 of your cycle

This phase can vary in length from month to month. Oestrogen is on the rise as your body prepares for ovulation and during this time many women feel great – attractive, flirty, full of libido and energy.

During this phase, stock up on your B-Vitamins which are important for hormonal balance and healthy cell division (a crucial part of baby making).

Lecithin will help to keep your cell membranes healthy. Keep eating Vitamin C rich foods as this is thought to increase the amount of water in your cervical mucus, making it more plentiful. Also eat foods rich in capsaicin, isoflavones and L-arginine which all help the body make nitric acid which dilates your blood vessels easing blood flow through your whole system – good news for your reproductive organs.

Important at this stage is to support your immune system as it needs be in optimum condition for a healthy implantation to occur. So ensure you are getting enough Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, eating salmon and sardines or shitake mushrooms or top up with a vitamin D supplement.

Good sources of Lecithin
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Green leafy vegetables
• Legumes
• Seafood

Good sources of Capsaicin
• Hot peppers

Good sources of Isoflavones
• Soy beans and soy flour
• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Miso

Good sources of L-arginine
• Meats
• Fish
• Seafood
• Eggs and dairy
• Nuts, seeds, wheat-germ

Phase 3 of your cycle

This is the luteal phase of your cycle and betacarotene-rich foods are the important ingredient to include in your diet during this time. The corpus luteum (the ruptured ovarian follicle that produces progesterone to thicken the womb lining, close the cervix and maintain a pregnancy) contains a high level of betacarotene. This nutrient is a powerful anti-oxidant that helps protect your cells from damage.

Good sources of betacarotene
• Butternut squash
• Carrots
• Collards
• Kale
• Spinach
• Sweet Potato
• Mustard Greens

Phase 4 of your cycle

If no fertilization has occurred your hormone levels begin to fall and you may begin to feel lethargic again. Many women crave sweet foods at this time. Allow yourself the odd treat – An effective diet comes down to the 80:20 rule – allow yourself some leeway to enjoy treats up to 20% of the time. The important thing to remember in order to keep your hormones steady is to keep your blood sugar balance stable, so don’t go overboard on refined carbohydrates. Instead, stick to slow release carbohydrates

Good sources of Slow Release Carbohydrates
• Beans and pulses
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Berries and citrus fruits

The best option to maintain your blood sugar balance is to combine these with good protein sources along with good fats – polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats.

Following these recommendations should help in removing the uncertainty over when your ovulation occurs and also help mood and energy levels throughout your cycle by balancing your blood sugar levels and hormones. For more on ovulation, Fertility Nurse and Midwife at the Clinic, Jane Knight answers your questions on Ovulation in this blog post – Ovulation Facts.

My book Eat Yourself Pregnant contains many more hints and tips on getting your body baby ready and includes 80 delicious recipes to help provide you and your partner with the nutrients you need when you are trying to conceive.

Our Clinic offers nutritional consultations for couples looking to prepare for conception.  These can either be in person at our London Fertility Clinic or by video conference from the comfort of your own home. Find out more by visiting www.zitawest.com/nutrition_consulatations

The post The Diet Plan for Your Monthly Cycle appeared first on Zita West Blog.

The chemistry of baby making is controlled by hormones. Women especially are ruled by moods, foods and hormones but to get the chemistry right, the desire and libido is essential. The love hormone oxytocin is produced in times of passion, but to produce healthy eggs, sperm, successful fertilisation and a healthy pregnancy, you need vital ingredients from food.

Food has always played a role in fertility throughout history, but did you know…

• Figs were sacred to the Romans and were so linked to fertility that they banned export of these precious fruits
• Artichokes were a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt
• Romans showered newlyweds with almonds for fertility – which is why we still see sugared versions at weddings today!
• Legend has it that Cupid dipped his bow in honey to send arrows to unsuspecting couples
• The Aztecs associated chocolate with the goddess of fertility
• Cleopatra used cinnamon to entice Anthony

So with that in mind, I have chosen two of my tastiest recipes from my book ‘Eat Yourself Pregnant’ to get you in the mood and boost your fertility this Valentine’s Day.

Fertility pizza – Who says you can’t have pizza when you’re trying to Eat Yourself Pregnant? This version is packed with an array of fertility-boosting foods on a delicious spelt base – perfect for when you want a carbohydrate fix. Spelt is an ancient grain with a deep nutty flavour. It is rich in soluble fibre, manganese and magnesium, and protein, making it an ideal energizing grain.

Courgette chocolate brownies – These grain-free brownies are packed with protein and healthy fats thanks to the addition of nut butter and almonds. No one would ever know they also contain courgettes. Low in sugar, this is a rich and indulgent treat. Pecan nuts are little nuggets of nutrition – they are rich in many phytochemicals and antioxidants which can help protect the body’s cells and DNA from damage as well as support immune health.

Tips to getting your body baby ready

1. Fertility is a whole body event, but starts in the gut. Gut health is crucial for producing hormones; you need nutrients in your system and a healthy immune system before anything happens.
2. Eat at the right times and in the right way. We all know the saying “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper” but did you know it came from an ancient Chinese philosophy? Stick with this as often as you can to maintain a healthy weight and keep your digestive system running smoothly.
3. Chew chew chew your food! So many of us eat on the run and don’t chew properly. Not only does this put more pressure on the digestive system, but you don’t get the benefit of the important nutrients in the food.
4. Stop the blood sugar rollercoaster. Blood sugar balance is key to reproductive hormones and is the enemy of most women! The right diet can control the balance and stop the 4pm chocolate craving!
5. Good acid/alkaline balance. Too many acid foods makes the body more acidic; alkaline foods are more baby friendly.
6. Plan your plate! Make sure you have the right amount on your plate, and never eat until you’re overfull. Weight plays a huge role in fertility so being over or underweight needs to be managed.
7. Build up your nutrient reserves. The vitamins and minerals needed for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are crucial to laying down the foundation of your baby’s development. Ensuring these nutrients are in place before conception means a healthy pregnancy from day one.
8. You can make healthy eggs and sperm through food. Ensuring you both eat foods rich in proteins , good fats with plenty of green veg and fruit means that even before conception, you are starting in the healthiest way possible. Take a multivitamin and mineral that contains folic acid, take omega 3 and make sure you check your Vitamin D levels are ok.
9. Lifestyle, stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, poor diet. All of these factors rob the body of vital nutrients needed for fertility, make sure you address any problems as soon as you can.
10. Variety is the spice of life. Don’t limit yourself or set unmanageable goals, tweaking aspects of your lifestyle is, very often, all that is needed.

More delicious recipes and tips on getting your body baby ready are in ‘Eat Yourself Pregnant’ available at www.zitawest.com/books

To book a nutrition consultation at the Zita West Clinic contact us here

The post The Chemistry of Baby Making appeared first on Zita West Blog.

Making lifestyle changes in order to get pregnant can be among the hardest hurdles to overcome for couples. However, I am a big believer, and speak from experience, that lifestyle changes need only be small to make a significant impact.

Alcohol and your fertility

Studies show that if neither you nor your partner drinks at all you will typically get pregnant more quickly than couples who drink regularly.

Impact on Female – alcohol may contribute to irregular periods, irregular ovulation and luteal phase defects, reducing chances of conception.

Impact on Male – alcohol can affect sperm morphology and motility, and cause free-radical damage to the DNA sperm carries.

However, I’m a realist – if alcohol forms part of your normal life, as long as you drink at the lower limits of what is recommended for your age and gender, I think you are doing okay. Try to drink fewer than six units of alcohol per week (a pint of beer is two units; a large 250ml/9fl oz glass of wine is three)

Guidelines:

1. Both of you should try to abstain from alcohol altogether around the time of ovulation.
2. Try to make sure that three or four nights a week are dry.
3. When you do drink alcohol, drink plenty of water, too – two glasses of water for every unit of alcohol is ideal, but try at least to match each unit with a glass of water.
4. Be aware of your own character traits – if you are an all-or-nothing person, and you know you won’t be able to moderate, it may in the end be better to cut out alcohol altogether.

Caffeine and your fertility

Some studies show links between miscarriage and caffeine consumption in women who consume five or more caffeinated drinks a day. However, researchers don’t yet know for certain how caffeine levels relate to conception itself.

Male impact – caffeine can cause sperm to become hyperactive, affecting their motility

Female and Male impact – caffeine can put stress on the adrenals and cause blood sugar to rollercoaster with high peaks and low troughs which also affects energy levels, mood and irritability – not always conducive to intimacy!

Coffee, tea, over-the-counter medications, chocolate and fizzy drinks all contain caffeine – and don’t forget that your latte or flat white might well contain more than one espresso-size shot.

Guidelines

1. Try to cut back on caffeine-containing foods and drinks during the week, treating yourself at weekends.
2. If you do need a shot of caffeine, take it from tea, which has much lower caffeine levels than coffee.

Smoking and your fertility

Although I want to make the fertility plan manageable, smoking is a no-no. Smoking is hugely detrimental to fertility – to eggs and to sperm – not to mention the future health of the unborn child. In particular, smoking seriously depletes your body of vitamin C, which is essential to all your body’s processes, and especially during pregnancy.

Weight and your fertility

Being underweight or overweight affects fertility in both women and men. The most-used measure of whether or not your weight is healthy is your BMI – Body Mass Index. A female BMI of below 18.5 is underweight; 18.5–24.9 is normal; 25–29.9 is overweight; and 30 and over is obese. The ideal range for conception is 20 to 25. (There are lots of online calculators that will save you from doing the maths yourself!).

Women – underweight

Without body fat and mass, the cascade of pituitary hormones turns off, stopping your periods. Your body needs fat to produce oestrogen – even if you have a period, low oestrogen levels reduce your chances of ovulation. Finally, if your body perceives that you’re not getting enough nutrients, it diverts its reserves to your vital organs, reducing the supply of nutrients to your reproductive organs.

Women – overweight

Fat is virtually an organ in itself, producing hormones and chemical messengers. While you need a certain amount of it in order to produce oestrogen, too much raises oestrogen levels too high, causing irregular menstrual cycles and hampering ovulation. Studies show that if an overweight woman experiencing problems conceiving can lose between 5 and 10 per cent of her weight, her fertility is likely to return.

Men – overweight and underweight

Overweight and obesity – and the associated high insulin levels suppress the action of LH in the testes, which can significantly reduce circulating testosterone levels, affecting sperm production.

Increased belly fat has been linked with increased levels of an enzyme called aromatase which converts testosterone to oestrogen, affecting sperm production. In a vicious cycle, low testosterone levels result in increased abdominal fat, leading to increased aromatase activity, pushing up levels of oestrogen again and further suppressing testosterone.

Finally, an overweight man has more fat over the genital area, causing heat – which hampers the functioning of the testicles.

Exercise and your fertility

Regular exercise ensures that endorphins – feel-good hormones – circulate your body and improves general circulation. Better circulation means that more nutrients can reach your ovaries (in a woman) or testes (in a man); and will improve your blood-sugar balance.

Guidance:

Try to do 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily, but bear in mind that this needn’t all be formal exercise. Take the stairs rather than the elevator to your floor at work; get off the bus two stops early and walk the rest of the way; walk to your local store and carry back your shopping rather than taking the car.

These small changes, along with two or three dedicated exercise sessions each week, are far more manageable than feeling you need to get into Lycra every day. Your exercise timetable needs to be sustainable and make your targets realistic.

Stress and your fertility

Stress depletes you of nutrients – it is one of the biggest negative factors I come across. If you want to have a baby, learning techniques to help you cope with managing stress is essential.

Medical studies on levels of stress hormone and related rates of fertility are inconclusive, but I am convinced that when trying for a baby your mindset plays a huge part in creating the nurturing environment you need to conceive. It stands to reason that if your brain perceives that you are in danger – which it does when you have raised levels of adrenaline and cortisol, preparing you for fight and flight – it also perceives that now would not be a good time to bring a baby into the world!

Guidance:

A programme of stress management techniques and therapies – including hypnotherapy, acupuncture, massage and meditation – can be very effective. However, relieving stress does not necessarily require formal techniques. Find times for walks together and meeting friends, organise dates with each other and if you are on your own for a while get into a really good book.

Again I want to emphasise that little changes in lifestyle can have a significant impact on your chances of having a baby so make a plan and follow as much of the guidance above as you can. If you need any further guidance or support contact us at clinics@zitawest.com or call us on 0207 224 0017. We have specialists in nutrition, acupuncture, counselling and hypnotherapy as well as a team of experienced, qualified midwives and doctors to provide medical consultations.

The post 5 Top Tips For Getting Your Body ‘Baby Ready’ appeared first on Zita West Blog.

It is difficult but here are my 4 top suggestions:

1. Set some time aside each day during Christmas to really build up your reserves mentally and emotionally. Include in this time things that give you pleasure. Listen to music, take a walk in nature, meditate but also begin to use positive affirmations using the present tense.

2. Managing your mind set can also be helped through visualisation. This can be a powerful form of positive affirmation and can help build up a sense of hope and belief.

3. Write a journal. Not only does this allow you an outlet for your frustrations but can be a great building block to becoming clear and positive.  Include in it what is certain in your life like your partner, family and friends to counter those things that you feel uncertain about.

4. Above all begin to make an action plan around having a baby. This can help you take back control over things you feel you have no control over.  Is your body baby ready? Are you having enough sex? Do you need to make a step to discuss IVF options?

I have seen how despair is easier to feel than hope but have also seen so often hope return once women and couples begin to take back control through planning, making time for themselves daily to enjoy things they like doing, visualising and using positive affirmations.

I do hope these suggestions help and hope you do have a wonderful Christmas.

The post Coping with the challenges Christmas brings appeared first on Zita West Blog.

Serves: 2 • Preparation time: 10 minutes • Cooking time: 2 minutes

60g/2¼oz/heaped ⅓ cup cashew nuts
150g/5½oz mangetout
2 large handfuls of rocket leaves
½ cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and sliced
10 lychees, peeled, halved and pitted
1 handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and diced
½ red onion, diced
225g/8oz hot-smoked trout

Sweet Lime Dressing
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp xylitol
1–2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
1. Lightly toast the cashews in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring.
2. Blanch the mangetout in a saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh under cold water.
3. Put the mangetout in a serving bowl with the rocket, cucumber, lychees, herbs, chilli and onion and toss together. Break up the trout and scatter over the top of the salad, then sprinkle with the toasted cashews.
4. To make the dressing, mix together the lime juice, xylitol and fish sauce in a non-reactive bowl. Drizzle over the salad and serve.

Nutritional information per serving:

Protein 36.6g
Carbohydrate 35.8g, of which sugars
30.5g
Fat 20.1g, of which saturates 4g
Kcals 449

For more information on the role nutrition can plan in fertility and pregnancy visit www.zitawest.com/nutrition

This and more delicious recipes are in Zita’s best selling book Eat Yourself Pregnant.

The post Flaked Trout with Rocket, Lychees & Sweet Lime Dressing appeared first on Zita West Blog.

The most common factors to consider are age and egg reserves. If you are in your forties and IVF isn’t working for you, you are getting very few eggs and your reserves are low (you can test to establish your reserves), there is a point when you need to think about the next steps and that might well be egg donation. Otherwise you could be paying for IVF with little chance of success.

I believe it is so important that a woman does not give up on her own genetic child until she has done everything possible but when she feels she has done everything, it is still such a difficult decision to make to then consider egg donation. However, this does carry a much higher percentage chance of having a family so is an important course of action to consider.

The 4 most common questions we get asked about Egg Donation:

1. When might Egg Donation be an option?

Egg donation may be suggested as an option under the following circumstances:

• egg quality is an issue
• you have suffered premature ovarian failure
• IVF has repeatedly been unsuccessful
• following surgery or chemotherapy
• you are at risk of passing on a genetic disorder

Egg donation is also an option increasingly offered to older women. Remember that whether you feel young, whether you look your age or not, your body knows how old you are and your ovaries too. It is the age of your eggs (your ovarian age) which counts. IVF success rates (and live birth rates) using your own eggs over the age of 45 are extremely low which is why most clinics do not offer women IVF over a certain age. Clinics all have an age cut-off for egg donation too, but some clinics will treat women up to 50.

Remember there is always a transition you have to go through especially in your mid forties to make this decision. You do have time to think about the next steps and opening up your mind about making this decision.

Women do not need to be having regular periods, or to be having periods at all. Provided a woman has a healthy uterus (womb) her body will be able to provide the conditions required for an embryo to develop.

2. What are the success rates?

For a woman using donor eggs, successful live birth is dependent on the age of the eggs, not on the age of the mother. Not only are your chances of pregnancy significantly increased with donor eggs, your chances of miscarrying are greatly reduced. A woman in her early 40s, using her own eggs, has about a 7% to 10% chance of getting pregnant with assisted conception using her own eggs, but if she uses a donor egg, her chance increases to 25% to 60%. This is higher than the average success rate for conventional IVF across all age groups; because donor eggs are from fertile women under 30-35.

3. How can we decide if this treatment is right for us?

The decision to go down the donor egg route is not an easy one. It is strongly recommended that you and your partner (if you have one) talk to an experienced fertility counsellor and possibly to other people who have had egg donation before making your decision to go ahead. All HFEA-licensed clinics are obliged to offer access to implications counselling before you consent to treatment. You, as the egg recipient, will be the biological mother (and the legal mother) although not the genetic mother. Clearly, the whole issue of egg donation is complex and requires specialised counselling to consider all the implications.

4. What is implications counselling?

The aim of implications counselling is to enable you to reflect upon and understand the proposed course of treatment for yourselves, your family, other significant people, and most importantly for any child born as a result of your treatment with donor eggs. At least one session is recommended before consenting to any proposed treatment. Many couples subsequently seek additional support counselling at later stages of treatment.

How can the Zita West Team help?

The multi-disciplinary team at Zita West Clinics can help to provide physical and emotional support at all stages of the IVF / Egg Donation process – from coming to terms with not being able to have your own genetic child, contemplating the egg donation route, to practical support with choosing a clinic, right through to support with complementary therapies to boost your chances of successful treatment, or to deciding that egg donation is not right for you and moving on to adoption or coming to terms with not having a child.
An initial consultation with one of our midwives will help you to plan your next steps and discuss how the clinic team can support you. This may include:

• Nutrition – to help boost energy and prepare your womb lining ready for your embryos.
• Acupuncture – to help reduce stress and boost blood flow to the womb lining.
• Male assessment – to ensure the sperm are healthy and in tip-top condition
• Hypnotherapy / positive visualisation – to help you to focus your mind through the cycle
• Fertility counselling: For both implications and support counselling. If you are travelling abroad for treatment you may not have access to these with those clinics.

Overseas Egg Donation

We work with clinics overseas and are able to help co-ordinate tests and scans. We can do much of the preparation, blood work and scans prior to your cycle and liaise with your chosen clinic.

Further resources:

• ‘What you need to know about donated sperm & eggs HFEA factsheet’ www.hfea.gov.uk.
• Support for potential parents with issues around telling a child: www.dcnetwork.org
• Infertility Network UK: for infertility support www.infertilitynetworkuk.com.
• British Infertility Counselling Association: www.bica.net lists local fertility counsellors.

For more information on how we can help and to contact the clinic visit www.zitawest.com

The post The 4 Most Common Questions About Egg Donation appeared first on Zita West Blog.

Makes: 8 muffins • Preparation time: 10 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes

4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
150g/5½oz/1 cup wholemeal
self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
115g/4oz/scant 1 cup low-sugar muesli
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
75g/2½oz/heaped ⅓ cup xylitol
3 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup semi-skimmed milk or milk alternative
115g/4oz/¾ cup frozen blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line eight holes of a muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and muesli in a large mixing bowl.
3. Put the remaining ingredients, except the blueberries, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour into the flour mixture and beat well to form a thick batter, then gently stir in the blueberries.
4. Spoon the mixture evenly into the paper cases and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown and firm on top. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional information per muffin:
Protein 7.2g
Carbohydrate 31.7g, of which sugars 13.2g
Fat 9.2g, of which saturates 8g Kcals 225

For more information on the role nutrition can plan in fertility and pregnancy visit www.zitawest.com/nutrition

This and more delicious recipes are in Zita’s best selling book Eat Yourself Pregnant.

The post Lemon Blueberry Muesli Muffins appeared first on Zita West Blog.

“The Body has very different nutritional requirements for conception and pregnancy compared to fitness and weight management”

In our experience, most women have a good general understanding of diet, but not a great deal of knowledge about nutrition. Many people find it difficult to access the right dietary information and often place themselves on unhealthy regimes. The body has very different nutritional requirements for conception and pregnancy as compared to fitness and weight management, for example.

Top 7 reasons you should focus on nutrition when trying for a baby:

1. Damage to Eggs and Sperm - Certain types of foods can combat free radicals.  Free radicals can speed up ageing of egg and sperm cells, causing chromosomal damage which can also increase the risk of miscarriage. Free radicals can be found in certain types of food and in the environment so it is important to bring into your diet a range of foods that fight these off such as anti-oxidant rich fruits.

2. Weight Loss/Weight Gain – Being over or underweight can interrupt normal menstrual cycles and disrupt or even stop ovulation altogether. Excessive weight in men can also lead to reduced sperm counts.  So a nutritional regime that supports the normalising of weight can help boost fertility.

3. Inflammation – Many fertility-related issues are linked to higher levels of inflammation in the body including certain chronic conditions like endometriosis and certain auto-immune diseases. One of the reasons obesity is such a factor in infertility is because excess fat releases inflammatory chemicals so again a nutritional plan of action that tackles any weight issues can play an important role in optimising fertility for both men and women.

4. Immune Issues – If your immune system is weak, or even if it is too efficient in fighting off the everyday threat of infection and disease, it may affect fertility. We are seeing more and more evidence now that an abnormal immune response can affect implantation and be a cause of IVF failure.  Your immune system can be supported by the nutrients you absorb from the foods you eat.  Eating the right foods, looking at lifestyle factors such as alcohol intake and smoking, reducing stress factors and checking vitamin D levels can all help your immune system operate more efficiently.

5. Underlying Medical Factors – If you have undertaken tests that reveal medical issues such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), an under or overactive thyroid, anaemia or coeliac disease, for example,  it is even more important to ensure your are in the best possible nutritional health.

6. Stress – Most of us lead extremely busy lives, juggling hectic work schedules, family demands and social lives. Excessively stressful lifestyles can affect the reproductive system, and an increase in stress hormones can interfere with ovulation in women and sperm production in men. Stress often triggers changes in our appetite too, often leading us to feel less hungry or seeking more “comfort food” rather than a nutritionally balanced diet.  Many of our clients find that making just a few small changes to their diet and lifestyle can make a real difference in the way the body responds to stress by replenishing the nutrients that have been depleted as a result.

There are certain foods that have been termed “good mood” foods that can affect our ability to deal with stressful situations – often these are energy giving foods like Omega 3 and 6 fats.  Excessive carbohydrate intake leads to energy spikes and crashes that have a similar impact on our mood and ability to cope with pressure.  “Good” fats on the other hand release energy slowly and over a longer period of time so giving us more sustained energy which positively affects our mood.

7. Supplementation Advice – The nutritional needs of the body for fertility and pregnancy are very different to its everyday needs. It can be extremely difficult to ensure you are getting the right amounts of the most important vitamins and minerals from food alone, which is why we often recommend undertaking an appropriate supplement regime to fill the gaps in any nutrient deficiencies.

Nutrition at the Zita West Clinic

Our nutritionists are experts in the field of fertility and will advise you on exactly what measures you can take to improve your chances of achieving a healthy pregnancy.  We carry out over a thousand fertility-focused nutrition consultations a year, helping clients to prepare in the best way possible for conception. Many find that just a few tweaks to their normal eating and lifestyle habits are what is needed to make that extra difference.

We believe that advising you on realistic changes that you and your partner can make is the only way to help you reach an optimal state of nutritional health at the time of conception and subsequent pregnancy.

We do not advocate faddy diets, the removal of whole food groups or calorie counting.

We do advocate a three month nutritional preparation for both partners ahead of conception.

Whether looking to conceive naturally or via IVF our holistic approach includes a lifestyle and nutritional assessment leading to a personalised plan of action to ensure that you tick all the boxes to give yourself the best chance of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy

To find out more about our Nutritional advice or to book a consultation visit www.zitawest.com/nutrition

The post 7 reasons to focus on nutrition appeared first on Zita West Blog.

First steps in finding out your fertility potential

As a starting point, any woman seeking an indicator of her fertility potential should try and find out what age her mother was when she had her menopause. Generally, fertility stops up to ten years before a woman has her last period. So, subtracting ten from your mother’s menopausal age will give you a rough idea of when your fertility may be seriously compromised.

An AMH test helps to assess your ovarian reserve which gives an indication of a woman’s fertility potential. Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a hormone produced by the antral (resting) follicles in the ovaries which diminishes as a woman ages. We use this test at the clinic as part of our Fertility MOT check. It is a blood test that can be taken at any time of the menstrual cycle and can now even be done at home with one of our Home Test Kits (see below for link to more details). The test however, is only one factor and wont tell you if there are any other underlying factors.

The AMH test gives an indication of your ovarian reserves – it does not tell you about the quality of your eggs. Note: Women who have polycystic ovaries may have a very high reading as the cysts produce an excess of anti-mullerian hormone, so this test is not suitable to assess future fertility. Women taking the pill need to allow at least one cycle after stopping the pill before having a test.

The most significant factor by far is still your age. Older women will have more chromosomally abnormal eggs and therefore an increased risk of miscarriage. A younger woman with a low AMH level is likely to have a much better fertility potential than an older woman with a higher AMH level – the egg quality being the key issue.

Some women find the test useful when they are thinking of having a baby to help determine how long they should try to conceive naturally. Others use it as an indicator to help decide whether to have IVF. If the test results are not such good news you may need support in interpreting the results and planning the way forward. For some women it may be appropriate to consider prioritising planning pregnancy or even moving to a more assisted route sooner rather than later.

However, I’m always concerned for women who do not have a partner and take the test to find out what their future fertility is looking like, because if it is discovered that they have a low ovarian reserve, it can often cause stress and angst in a future relationship.

If we do see a woman who has a low AMH level for her age we explore and plan the next steps to optimise her chances of having a baby. These may include the following:

Five things to consider if you have a low ovarian reserve

An ultra-sound scan to check Antral Follicle Count

Antral follicles are small resting follicles on the ovary, about 2-8mm in diameter. Used in combination with an AMH test, an Antral Follicle Count is an even more reliable way of estimating your ovarian reserve. It also provides a useful indication of how well you are likely to respond to IVF treatment.

Hypnotherapy

If a woman receives bad news about her ovarian reserve, her mindset becomes very negative and she tends to spiral down. Shock and devastation takes over and she can be left feeling helpless.  Its easy to fall into a negative mindset and hypnotherapy can provide techniques to help you cope and manage the situation. We still see many women with low AMH scores go on to get pregnant.

Acupuncture

We believe that acupuncture may help improve blood flow to the ovaries, as this reduces significantly with age. It also helps women to relax and experience a greater sense of well-being.

Nutrition

Many women we see know a lot about diets but not enough about nutrition in relation to fertility. I’m aware that a woman is born with all the eggs she is ever going to have, but I do believe you can improve the environment that the existing eggs are growing in by exploring and incorporating ‘anti -ageing’ foods and nutrients into your diet.

Sex

This is probably the first thing to suffer if you get a low AMH result as you can feel its not going to happen but don’t give up on it.

There’s no doubt that if a woman receives a less than great AMH test result it can be very upsetting. So it’s about being proactive, moving forward and making sure that you are doing everything you can to increase your chances of having your own genetic child before, if required, moving onto other means of assisted fertility such as egg donation.

To find out more about our Home Fertility Test which comes with a FREE consultation to help you interpret the results and develop an action plan should you need it visit www.zitawest.com/fertility-test

If you have any questions about the above, post a comment below or book an initial consultation with one of our Fertility Experts on 0207 224 0017 or complete our Contact Form

The post Understanding your fertility potential appeared first on Zita West Blog.

Vitamin B9 (folate)

This helps to prevent miscarriages and birth defects when mothers get adequate amounts in their diet, but the father’s levels may be just as important to the development and health of the baby.

Top Vitamin B9 rich foods include:   Green leafy vegetables – cereals – fruit

Carnitine Rich Foods: Get the Beef in!

Sperm cells have to travel farther than any other single human cell—and they need a tremendous amount of energy in order to make the trek. Carnitine is a natural occurring amino acid that helps your body convert fat into energy– this can give sperm a real energy boost. Carnitine can also help reduce oxidative stress, which may damage sperm too.

Top carnitine rich foods include:   Beef – Pork – Cod – Whole milk – Chicken breast.

Get the Fats In: Omega 3s

Omega 3 fats are essential components of cell membranes including sperm cells. They’re also precursors to eicosanoids that play essential roles in human reproduction. Higher omega-3 levels and ratios between omega 3 and omega 6 fats are directly correlated with improved sperm motility, concentration, and structure.

Top Omega 3 rich foods include:   Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and salmon – Flaxseeds – Chia seeds

Supplements of omega 3 fats containing DHA and EPA fats have been shown to improve total sperm count and concentration. If you’ve been struggling to get pregnant, following an omega 3 rich Mediterranean-style diet may boost your chance of successful pregnancy by 40%.

Vitamin D

Making sure your vitamin D level is optimal is important as this has been linked to sperm motility and normal structure. Normally we get most of our vitamin D from sunlight, but working longer hours and living in a climate where there aren’t as many hours of sunlight a day does mean it’s easy to be deficient.

As there is little of this important nutrient found in food the main option for boosting your levels is through a daily supplement.

Find out more about how nutrition can impact on fertility and pregnancy –  www.zitawest.com/nutrition

View our range of nutritional supplements –  Shop

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