Conception Basics

It would be remiss of us if we didn't cover the very basics of conception and fertility.

For the majority of women there will be times when you are more fertile than others. Knowing when this time is will help you conceive.

The first stage that perhaps many could overcome problems in becoming pregnant would be to work out when these fertile periods and have intercourse then.

Here are some of the requirements for you to get pregnant:

1. You must be ovulating or just about to - take an ovulation test kit;
2. The man must be fertile and ejaculate sufficient sperm - use a male fertility test;
3. The area of the opening to the womb must not be hostile to sperm
4. The egg must be fertilised and then implant itself in the womb. When you believe this to have happened then take a pregnancy test.

Male Fertility Testing Kit

In addition to carrying out the Fertility Score Male Fertility Test below there is plenty you can do to help you and your partner have a better chance of conceiving. Give yourself a health check because aspects of your current lifestyle may be affecting your fertility...

• Smoking: can significantly lower your sperm count and damage the sperm that is produced. Try and cut down or give up altogether.
  
• Alcohol: the maximum number of units per week for a man is 21, but it is advisable to drink less if possible as alcohol is known to kill off the sperm-generating cells in the testes.
  
• Diet and Fitness: increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and reduce your intake of salt and fatty foods. Recommended minerals and vitamins to help with male fertility are: Zinc which is vital for viable sperm count, motility and a high percentage of live sperm in the semen. (Remember that Zinc is lost through ejaculation so include this in your daily diet.) Vitamin C also helps increase sperm motility; Vitamin E boosts general fertility; Omega-3 found in fish oil or flaxseed oil encourages healthy sperm and reproductive tissue. Vitamin B12 is essential for the process of cell division.
  
• STDs: such as Chlamydia can effect the production of sperm. You may have become infected some years ago from a previous partner without suffering any noticeable symptoms so it is worth checking at this stage that you are free from any infection that might prevent or impede conception...

Find out your Fertility Test:

FertilityScore is an easy to use screening test, offering affordable, highly accurate home sperm testing.

Clinical Studies using FertilityScore have indicated a 93% positive predictive power for semen samples containing 20 million or more motile sperm per ml. A 90% negative predictive power was found for samples containing 10 million motile sperm or less per ml. Thus FertilityScore is a highly effective screening test for male fertility potential.

Buy the Male Fertility Test Kit from:
Express Chemist - £23.99

Implementation Of NICE Fertility Guidance,

Infertility Network UK (I N UK) has been asked by the Department of Health to work with Primary Care Trusts in England to encourage implementation of the NICE guideline on the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems.

The National Infertility Awareness Campaign (NIAC) is an umbrella body formed in 1993 with support, which it continues to enjoy, from a wide range of organisations involved in the field of infertility, including infertility charities, patient support groups, healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry. NIAC campaigns for fair and equal access for those with an established clinical need to a full range of services for the investigation and treatment of infertility on the NHS.

Read more

Cut-price Fertility Treatment when Donating Eggs

Lyndsay Moss of the Scotsman reports that women are to be offered cut-price fertility treatment if they donate eggs for stem cell research.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has granted permission for researchers in Durham and Newcastle to offer IVF treatment at half price in exchange for half of their eggs.
Read the full article.