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Enhance your fertility, Mon Jan 4th 12-1pm

Join Emma Cannon, author of The Baby-making Bible, for a live webchat about how to enhance your fertility and improve your chances of getting pregnant. Emma is hosting this chat 12-1pm on Monday Jan 4th, 2010.
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  • HI Emma - Happy New Year!
    2010 is hopefully going to be the year I finally have a baby! My husband and I are in our 30's and are now as from the 1st on a healthy lifestyle push. Please can you advise me on what foods I should be giving my husband to give him strong sperm and give us the best possible chance? Is it the same sort of healthy foods I should be eating or should they differ? thanks in advance- FP
  • Welcome today's Fertility Webchat. Emma Cannon will be here from 12pm to answer any questions related to fertility and conception. Post your questions for below now...
  • Hello! Happy New Year! I'm here ready to answer your questions...
  • FOODS TO HELP MALE FERTILITY

    Hi FuzzyPeach

    As a general rule, I work from the basis that we all differ and have individual requirements. However, certain foods have shown to be beneficial for male fertility. These include: selenium and zinc, vitamins C and E. The average British diet contains 30 mcg of selenium per day, whereas 75 mcg is recommended. Zinc is important from wheat, rye, oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, oysters. We've all heard the expression 'are you getting your oats?'. Sesame seeds, avocados, oily fish, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, chicken and fish are all good. Liquorice and ginseng are also helpful.
  • Hello
    We have been trying for a baby for 9 months now and nothing is happening. I have normal periods I am 27 my boyfriend is 30. How long should it take us? I get sad when my period comes every month and my boyfriend is being to find me hard work. How much does IVF cost can I get it free on the NHS? How long does IVF take. Sorry so many questions- thanks
  • Hi Emma Can you tell me if having a miscarriage can affect your fertility, and how long you should wait before trying again pls? Does a miscarriage affect your body in any way, and should you take supplements of any kind before trying again? Thanx Ali
  • hi emma,
    we're hoping to start ttc our second child in feb/march which will make it one yr since i had a c section with ds, i've heard from some people that u don't actually need to wait that long and i know OH wld prefer to try sooner than later, and i wld to but i'm worried about the effects ont eh scar on conceiving and pregnancy. also i've started noticing (never noticd it ever before) that i get ewcm, last month on day 18, and this month day 21....i'm also having 32-35 day cycles now where as i used to have 28 day. does ewcm occur before, during or after ovulation? i'd like to use the signs my body gives me as an indicator for the right time but don't actuaaly know what this means...this is only my 5th cycle since having ds so will they go back to how they were before eventually, or will they stay as they are now?

    thanks in advance

    Si????n and Austin (9 months old) xx
  • Hi Emma

    I was wondering if you could suggest something to help me.
    OH & I have been trying for 20 months & have suffered 2 Miscarriges, both before 8 weeks.
    I have had investigations & am now starting Clomid as i have POCS.
    Ive been advised to take low dose asprin (75mg) & perhaps a higher dose folic acid from doctor but what id like to know is there anything else i could try or eat? Maybe something to help my uterine lining.
    Oh we are also going to use Zestica lubricant as ive heard this is useful for helping OHs little swimmers along!
    Any advice at the moment would be very greatfuly recieved. I know i cannot ultimately prevent another miscarrige but im willing to try anything if it gives us a better chance of a successful pregnancy.

    Thank you very much for your time & hope to hear from you.

    [Modified by: PrincessStar on January 04, 2010 12:13 PM]

  • HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CONCEIVE

    Hi Little_el

    Of 100 couples of all ages trying to conceive naturally, 20% will conceive within one month. Of the remainder, 70% will conceive within 6 months. Of the remainder, 85% will conceive within a year. Of the remainder, 90% will conceive within 18 months. 95% of the original 100 couples will conceive within 2 years. Try not to get too disheartened with the arrival of your period. Try to view it as another month in which to be really healthy and in the best place to conceive your longed-for baby. Stress in a relationship can really cause problems, not least with your sex life so try to remain positive and know that you have options. Before rushing into IVF, take a look at your general health and lifestyle and see if anything could be improved. IVF is available on the National Health - please contact your GP regarding this. Private IVF costs between ??5 and ??10 thousand pounds.
  • MISCARRIAGES

    Dear Ali

    15% of all pregnancies will end in miscarriage. It is the most common pregnancy complication. It can be caused by genetic, hormonal, blood-clotting disorders, infections or a structural problem with the cervix and uterus. Whatever the cause, I believe that recovery and proper aftercare are important. Give yourself some emotional time out. It is worth mentioning that clinical trials demonstrate that women who receive support and continuity of care following a miscarriage go on to have successful pregnancies. I think it's worth trying acupuncture for example, as preparation and support for a future pregnancy.
  • Hi Emma,

    My partner and i have been trying for a baby now for 8 months after losing our daughter at 38 weeks due to a placenta abruption in february last year. Previous to this we suffered a misscarraige. With both my previous pregnancies we concieved within 3 months. Do you think having the c section has effected things... is there anything you can suggest to help us concieve?... im starting to really stress! thanks x
  • Hi
    My mother suffered 3 misscarriages before I was born and both me and my sister were "stitched in" to stop it from happening again. I'm trying now. Should I tell my doctor this happened to my mum is it likely to be something that could run in the family? What exactly does 'stitched in' mean. I know it is sort of closing the entrance of the womb is this right and do they still do it today? thanks for your help
  • CLOMID FOLLOWING 2 MISCARRIAGES

    Hi PrincessStar

    Clomid can be very successful in treating women who are unable to ovulate. You do not say in your message whether you are ovulating. My recommendation for Clomid is that you include foods that help protect and nourish the blood. Since Clomid can have a 'drying and heating' effect on the body I would not recommend taking it for more than 3 months. So introduce foods such as chicken soup made from boiling the bones of chicken in the old-fashioned manner, leafy green vegetables, small black foods or beans, and eliminate alcohol and coffee. I don't know about the lubricant you are trying, however, I recommend that my patients eat egg white omelets in order to improve secretions.
  • HI Emma

    Thankyou so much for your advice.
    I have been given clomid as i rarely ovulate, maybe twice- 3 times a year, there was 14 months between pregnancies.
  • LOSS OF PREGNANCY AT 38 WEEKS

    Hi Ceilidh

    In Chinese medicine, we would say that it would take the body at least the duration of a pregnancy in order to recover fully from such a trauma. I do hope you and your husband are healing emotionally and physically. Age allowing, I think preparing and being in the best possible health in body and mind, is the best thing you could do to help you achieve and carry a full term pregnancy. The fact that you've already conceived twice is reassuring and so I feel the reason for the possible delay this time is more due to the trauma than the C section. I know it's hard but try to view this time in terms of recovery and preparation. Good luck!
  • 'STITCHING-IN'/CERVICAL SUTRA (stitch)

    Hi Star Gazer

    Yes they do still do it today - it's called a Cervical Sutra (stitch) and it is used in cases of incompetent cervix to prevent the cervix from opening prematurely, usually in the second trimester. This condition is due to a congenital abnormality of the muscle of the cervix. It is quite rare, and as far as I know not hereditary although you may still want to mention your mother's history to your GP.
  • CONCEPTION AFTER C SECTION

    Hi Siany

    Age allowing, I would personally suggest waiting longer in order to be in the best possible health. It's not unusual for your periods to be slightly thrown out following child birth. Acupuncture is an excellent way to get your body and menstrual cycle back on track. It also improves pelvic blood flow and may improve the healing of scar tissue following c section. For a local acupuncturist visit www.acupuncture.org.uk.
  • Hi Emma, Just an enquiry for me really. When buying pregnancy tests I'm seeing a lot of these ovulation test sticks. Are they worth buying? I'm not sure if it will just make me even more obsessed and start me off testing for everything all the time! Is it better to just go with the flow and see what happens or should I know exactly when the right time is? - thanks from Mrs cynicalimage
  • OVULATION STICKS

    Hi Binky-Boo

    Ovulation sticks measure the LH surge in the urine. When there is a surge, the egg is about to be released, however, it is better to have started having sex before this, so as not to miss the fertile window. THis is because sperm lives for up to five days, whereas women's fertile time is around 24 hours. Pros: helpful if you have an irregular cycle and don't know when you ovulate. Also helpful if you spend time apart and cannot guarantee regular sex throughout the cycle. My personal view is they can really add to the tension which is counter-productive when it comes to having regular loving sex. I also think that you become more reliant on tests and less instinctive about your body and when you actually feel like having sex.
  • Good luck all! I hope this will be the year you conceive. All this advice and more is available in The Baby-Making Bible (Rodale) or there is plenty of information on my website www.emmacannon.co.uk.
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