Fertility treatments may be starting to resume since the HEFA announced that clinics can apply to reopen from May 11th but where does this leave you?
Has your fertility treatment been delayed or put on hold since the Coronavirus pandemic? Has this left you feeling anxious, worried and angry at the world. It’s feels like the fertility community have been left out, had opportunities taken away from them, especially with everyone talking about a baby boom post Covid-19. How come everyone else is allowed to try and have a baby but the IVF community isn’t?
It sucks, you know what it really sucks. There are no words to describe how frigging unfair the whole thing is. But this way of negative thinking doesn’t help you, however valid your feelings are.
So what can we do whilst we wait? Actually quite a lot!
Did you know that it takes approximately 3 months for a new egg to mature and a fresh batch of sperm to be produced?
We are born with all the eggs we will ever have, that’s true but they are suspended in their development. Each month there is a race to become the mature follicle that pops out an egg at ovulation. It takes each immature follicle 3 months to get to this point, which means everything you do in those 3 months leading to ovulation can positively or negatively affect the health of your eggs. The same can be said for sperm which have to go through their very own process of growth and maturation, there are 6 steps to this.
So as awful as this situation is you have to realise that you have been given the gift of time. Time to really concentrate on your diet, time to go see that Nutritional Therapist or Acupuncturist, time to lose a bit of weight and get healthy, time to work on your mindset and mental wellbeing.
Everything in our food and environment can affect the health of our eggs and sperm. Below are my top tips to getting started.
- Increase your intake of vegetables. This might sound simple but half of your plate at each meal (that includes breakfast) should be vegetables. Eat a rainbow to get a whole host of nutrients. These are going to help improve the health of your eggs and sperm.
- A protein source at each meal, eggs are a fantastic fertility food, meat or beans and lentils. And if possible – go organic! Protein is needed to help build healthy eggs and sperm.
- Reduce alcohol. Alcohol negatively affects egg and sperm health in several ways. 1-2 times a month at most. It doesn’t have to be forever.
- Look at your toxic exposure and try to reduce this. Are you renovating your house, do you use a lot of plastic (to store food, drink water from)? Toxins have a negative affect on egg and sperm health.
- Get off the long list of supplements you’ve started because someone, somewhere got pregnant from taking them. Speak to your local Nutritional Therapist for a tailor-made supplement plan. Not all supplements are created equal! Many contain less potent or absorbable forms of nutrients along with a whole host of excipients and additives!
Rosie is a an expert in fertility nutrition and helps couples on their journey to parenthood. Click on her image at the top of this blog to find out more.