How can I improve my chances of conceiving?  

Your chances of becoming pregnant (conceiving) are affected by your health, and by your partner's health. It's important that couples are as healthy as possible before trying for a baby. And if you're fit and healthy to start with, you can improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy and labour. If you want to try for a baby, take a look at your diet and lifestyle. You might be able to make some improvements, to give your baby a good start. Your diet A healthy, varied and balanced diet is always important, but especially when you're planning to try for a baby. Being overweight or underweight can affect your chances of getting pregnant. Too much or too little body fat can make your periods irregular or stop them completely, which can make conceiving difficult. Eat healthily every day to maintain your weight and keep your body's hormone levels normal. Have as much fresh food as possible, and remember to include plenty of fruit and vegetables - at least five portions a day. Foods rich in iron, calcium and folate are recommended. Folate is the natural form of folic acid. Good sources include: iron - red meat, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, and pulses such as lentils and beans, calcium - dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt, broccoli and wholegrain cereals, and folate - breakfast cereals, bread, oranges and green leafy vegetables. When you do start trying for a baby, it's recommended that you take a folic acid supplement of 0.4 mg a day. You should also continue with this supplement for the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. Avoid foods high in fat and sugar, like cakes and biscuits, as well as highly salted and over-processed foods. Exercise Keep your body healthy with regular moderate exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling, unless you've been advised by your GP not to exercise. If you're active and fit before and during your pregnancy, you may find it easier to cope as your shape changes and you gain weight. It can also help you get back into shape after your baby is born. Lifestyle If you drink alcohol regularly, it can make you less fertile. The Department of Health recommends that women who are trying for a baby should avoid drinking alcohol. Caffeine can also have a negative effect, so cut back on drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea and colas, or switch to de-caffeinated drinks. Quitting smoking can also help your chances of conceiving. If you need help to quit, call the NHS Stop Smoking helpline on 0800 022 4 332. It's also advised that your partner cuts down on drinking alcohol and smoking. This can increase the quality of his sperm and improve your chances of conceiving. The best time to have sex You're at your most fertile during the days that you're ovulating. (You ovulate when an egg is released from your ovaries into your fallopian tube.) An egg lives for about 12-24 hours after it's released from your ovaries. For you to conceive, the egg must be fertilised within this time. Sperm can live for several days inside your body, so having regular sex around the time you're ovulating will increase your chances of conceiving. Work out when you're most fertile (see the 'further information' section) and have regular unprotected sex with your partner during that time. Preconception care Although some pregnancies are unplanned, many couples make plans to try for a baby. Once you're pregnant, antenatal care provides support for you and your unborn baby, which is fully formed and growing by 12 weeks into your pregnancy. Preconception care can give you support before you're pregnant. It's an opportunity to improve your health before you try to conceive. It involves assessing your health, fitness and lifestyle, to identify areas for improvement. Preconception care may help if: you want to find out how a condition such as diabetes or epilepsy can affect pregnancy, or you're having trouble conceiving. It can also help if you just want to give your baby a good start. You should allow plenty of time for preconception planning and care before you start to try for a baby. It takes around 100 days for your eggs and your partner's sperm to mature. So, ideally, make any changes to your lifestyle within this timescale so you can improve your chances of conceiving. If you want advice about preconception care before you try for a baby, your GP or midwife will be able to help. Preconception care is also provided by some practice nurses, health visitors, family planning clinics and well-woman clinics. Complications and getting help Statistically, six out of ten couples conceive within six months of stopping contraception. Most of the remaining couples find it takes a little longer to conceive, but this is quite normal. One couple in ten will go on to seek medical help. Some couples who need help will have conceived before. There are many different factors which can make it difficult for couples to conceive - this is called subfertility. These can include: hormonal (endocrine) disorders, such as problems with the thyroid or pituitary glands, physical disorders, such as obesity, anorexia nervosa or excessive exercise, and disorders of the reproductive system, such as infections, endometriosis, or low sperm count. Some of these factors affect women, causing 40% of cases of subfertility, and some affect men, causing 30% of cases. For around one third of couples, the causes affect both partners. The most common causes are ovulation failure (which in itself can have many causes) and sperm disorders. In the remaining one third of couples, the cause of subfertility cannot be explained. Some couples are unable to conceive (infertility), for example, where the woman does not ovulate or the man has no sperm; these cases are rare. If you've been trying for a baby for 1-2 years without success, see your GP for advice.