Fertility & Conception

Being unable to conceive is one of the saddest things that can happen to a couple and can be quite devastating when you’ve had your heart set on a family and have spent a long time trying. But what is "infertility" and can you do anything about it?

Medically, infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected and properly timed intercourse. It is not simply a female problem, as many seem to assume, but can be attributed to the woman in 35% of cases, male factors in 35% and combined or unknown factors in the remaining 30%. Many a time have I seen a woman go through incredible stress and a multitude of tests, only to be told there seems to be nothing wrong and her partner has never had a sperm analysis!

Couples certainly want to find the cause and this is one area where people are highly motivated to do just about anything. I believe it is initially important to have some basic tests done by a GP to make sure everything is as it should be, at least physically and mechanically! Testing I would suggest includes:

• Full blood count for both parents.

• Blood tests for ALL hormones in the woman, including thyroid. Progesterone is important and should be done on about day 21 of the cycle as it increases to certain levels after ovulation and this can be a good indicator that ovulation is taking place, but more on that later.

• A complete semen analysis for the male which will include count, antibodies, morphology (are they deformed?), motility (are they swimming in the right direction and how fast?) and agglutination (are they sticking together)?

Other testing that may be recommended includes:
• X-ray to check if the fallopian tubes are blocked

• Endometrial biopsy to check the uterine lining

• Laparospcopy which is minor day surgery to check out any pelvic/ovarian scarring or endometriosis.

• Abdominal ultrasound which can identify fibroids or poly-cystic ovaries.

If the male has poor sperm parameters, I find simple detoxification and good nutrition can be very helpful and supplemental suggestions follow later. Men who smoke or take recreational drugs should stop and cut down dramatically on alcohol or give up altogether.

You see it is not just about having a baby but having the best baby you can! Both parents nutrition makes healthy eggs and sperm to start with and then the mothers nutrition after conception is vital for a healthy, well-developed, bright child. Infertility is a wide area and often does require professional assistance but, certain conditions aside, you can make sure eggs and sperm are healthy, and time intercourse for the best potential outcome.

Some conditions that affect fertility and do require professional advice and treatment are:
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome

• Endometriosis

• Uterine fibroids

• Thyroid disease

• Hormonal imbalance – very long or very short cycles, heavy bleeding and ovulatory dysfunction

• Anatomical disorders of the fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus or cervix.

• Any history of abnormal Pap smears or Sexually Transmitted Diseases

• Prostate disorders, cystic fibrosis, hormone dysfunction or undescended testes in the male

Are you ovulating?
The normal female cycle is 28-29 days long, starting on the first day of the period, with ovulation on about day 14. There are three simple ways to check if you are ovulating and I have mentioned the blood test for progesterone already. The other two ways are to check your Basal Body Temperature and your cervical mucous (known as the Billings Method). To check your temperature, use a Basal Thermometre available from the Chemist, and hold it under the tongue or armpit or insert in the vagina for 5 minutes each morning before rising. The temperature does a small dip, then increases by 0.3 to 0.5?C just after ovulation. The cervical mucous is fertile when it can be stretched between the fingertips like egg white. Infertile mucous is thick, sticky and white. As healthy sperm can live for several days, a woman is considered fertile for a couple of days before and after ovulation. It is ideal to try to have intercourse every 2 days around the time you ovulate and not every day, as the sperm may be insufficient.

A woman is born with all her eggs and her fertility peaks around the mid 20’s and starts to decline in the mid 30’s. There is much said about older eggs and increased risks of miscarriage and Downs Syndrome etc in older women but most of us know someone who has not had her first child until 40ish and the child is quite healthy. I believe, and there is some current research that suggests that, birth defects are no more likely in older woman than younger women and in my opinion a healthy woman with healthy eggs and a healthy man with healthy sperm can have a perfect child!

Once you have established that there is no obvious or physical reason why you should not be able to have a child, it’s time to get you body ready. Think of it as lovingly tending a garden and preparing the earth so the crop is big and healthy!

Most practitioners in this area, recommend a proper detoxification program for 3 months (it takes up to 90 days for sperm to mature), so seek professional advice on this one and be patient. It is a good way to set you up for healthy eating and exercise patterns throughout your pregnancy too. All practitioners will have slightly different ways of implementing detox and along with diet, it may involve herbs and nutrients to improve bowel and liver function. It is an excellent idea to have a Hair Mineral Analysis done to see if there is any heavy metal burden in the body and then this can be managed appropriately.

Toxicity, understandably, creates free radicals which damage DNA in the chromosomes. Toxicity may come from environmental toxins such as pesticides, radiation, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, alcoholism, smoking and some pharmaceutical drugs including the oral contraceptive pill.

Some tips:
• Get daily exercise, fresh air and sunlight.

• Drink 2 litres of pure filtered water.

• Go organic and eat hormone free meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products; as well as produce grown without pesticides and artificial fertilisers.

• Keep to a very simple clean diet, avoiding overly packaged foods and artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners (Aspartame) and preservatives.

• Avoid toxins and electromagnetic radiation – electric blankets, clock radios, microwaves, high powered powerlines or powerstations and too much time in front of computers!.

• Give up smoking and recreational drugs and avoid excessive amounts of coffee and alcohol – there is evidence of as little as 1 cup of coffee a day decreasing fertility and alcohol is a poison for which there is no safe level in pregnancy.

• Keep the sperm cool – wear loose underwear and let it all hang out whenever you can boys!

• Get exercise and sunlight – the eyes need to be exposed to sunlight daily to stimulate the pineal and pituitary glands which govern all the other glands in the body including the ovaries and testes.

• The basic supplementation for good fertility is a good full spectrum Multi-vitamin and mineral, Zinc, Vitamin C and Fish Oils for both parents.

• Women should take Folic acid at around 800mcg a day to help prevent neural tube defects in the child and to aid cervical health.

• Tribulus terrestris is a great herb for both male and female as it can have both oestrogenic and testosterone effects, improving hormonal health.

• Vitex agnus-castus is the herb of choice for women until they become pregnant to balance female hormones and assist progesterone production.

• A woman should be checked for Iron and supplement if low. Iron is not recommended in pregnancy (other than in a multi vitamin) unless there is a proven need.

If there were issues with the male partners sperm:
• Zinc is concentrated in sperm and is the most important mineral for the male, helping all parameters.

• Vitamin C at 1-2 grams a day assists morphology and agglutination.

• Co Enzyme Q10, Arginine and Carnitine help them swim faster and

• Tribulus and Korean Ginseng help overall sperm production and fertility.

Both parents can also take other antioxidants like Selenium, Vitamins A and E, along with Zinc and Vitamin C, to protect their eggs and sperm from free radicals.

So, as you can see, this is an area where you can do a lot to prepare and empower yourself but it is worth consulting a Naturopath who is a qualified Natural Fertility Management Consultant if you are not conceiving. Look for this in their advertising. They can work alongside of any conventional treatments you may need.

Some good books have been written by Francesca Naish on these topics and I find these the most comprehensive:
Natural Fertility
The Natural Way to Better Babies
The Natural Way to a Better Pregnancy
The Natural Way to Better Birth and Bonding
The Natural Way to Better Breastfeeding

Written by Sara Hopkins ND, BHSc.

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