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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

What else can I do for fertility - any ideas?

51 replies

Journey2022 · 03/01/2022 22:40

Hello,

New to here and TTC for 2 years. Went and did private fertility tests 5 months ago due to gp issues and long nhs wait to find no issues including doing a HyCoSy scan with no blockages. All good but left confused.

Goals so far for this year -
I was advised to get BMI down (I am a size 18) goal to loose 25ish lbs my aim is to portion control and build up exercise in the gym.

I've been doing the below on and off for a year but regularly doe the last 5 months -

  • lots of vitamins Inc folic acid, omega 3, zinc, vit D B and x
  • seed cycling
  • adding in nuts and macca powder to diet
  • Raspberry lead tea weeks 1 and 2 but not after ovulation
  • removed caffeine and replaced with green and herbal teas
  • reduced sugar consumption
  • testing ovulation with LH strips (irregular cycle of 31-42 days so find this difficult) bbt didn't work for me
  • sex every 2- 3 days across 10 days of ovulation
  • using preseed
  • using cups after sex the last month
  • tried acupuncture last year and have now started reflexology
  • trying to manage stress (due to very stressful year which do not thing helped my fertility!)

So my question is what am I not doing can anyone give me some ideas and add anything to my goal list for 2022?

Maybe we can support each other in our goals?

Thanks all for your help, I don't have many people to discuss this with!

OP posts:
Tarne · 03/01/2022 23:30

British Fertility Society issues new guidelines on the effect ...Obesity has a significant adverse impact on reproductive outcome. It influences not only the chance of conception but also the response to fertility treatment, and increases the risk of miscarriage, congenital anomalies and pregnancy complications in addition to potential adverse effects on long term health of both mother and infant. Women should aim for a normal BMI before starting any form of fertility treatment. Treatment should be deferred until the BMI is less than 35 kg/m2, although in those with more time (e.g., less than 37 years; normal serum FSH concentration) a weight reduction to a BMI of less than 30 kg/m2 is preferable. Clinicians should consider deferring treatment to women outside these guidelines. Women should be provided with assistance to lose weight, including psychological support, dietary advice, exercise classes and where appropriate, weight reducing agents or bariatric surgery. Even a moderate weight loss of 5–10% of body weight can be sufficient to restore fertility and improve metabolic markers.

Taken from the British Fertility organisation. So basically op it would be safer for your future child's health if you are a normal weight before you start fertility treatment not during or after.

All the overweight women I know have experienced miscarriages. That's not to say you will too, but the chances are greater so it really is important to look at the psychological side as to why you are fat and to face the fact that this is having a really negative impact on your chances of a successful pregnancy.

Good luck op Flowers