Are you finding it difficult to become pregnant? If so you can do many simple things to improve your chances of conception, the way we live can have a big effect on the reproductive system of both men and women and most people prefer natural ways to increase fertility. You may both have to change your life-style to incorporate healthy influences, and eliminate things you enjoy that reduce your fertility.

Increasing or improving your fertility is something you can both do. You can make sure your weight is within the range that is helpful for conceiving. You can make sure you incorporate a regular gentle exercise programme into your daily life such as walking; cycling or swimming, being fit and active is beneficial for fertility. You can make sure you and your partner are eating healthily, and eliminate habits that may lower your chances of conceiving.

Alcohol Reduction

Alcohol can put pregnancy at risk. According to some studies, the risk of miscarriage appears to increase with moderate drinking during the first three months of pregnancy, particularly in the first weeks.

Reducing Stress

Stress can have a big effect on fertility. In women under stress, the reproductive hormone prolactin is over-produced and this can interfere with ovulation. The hypothalamus stops secreting gonadotrophin hormone, which in turn will affect the release of both the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. As these hormones stimulate ovulation - fertility is affected.

Self help for stress is regular exercise, deep breathing techniques, hypnotherapy and visualization - a combined approach can include the following:

• Acupuncture

• Nutrition

• Hypnotherapy

Fertility is a whole-body event, not something that happens just in our reproductive organs - that is why a holistic approach often works well. There may be a need for more fertility awareness and lifestyle changes to improve the chances of starting the pregnancy, or there may be a need for nutritional supplements, relaxation and de-stressing techniques, acupuncture, and massage.

Nutritional Improvement

You should not overlook nutrition in fertility treatment – it is important to have a good level of nourishment that will allow your body to function well, and it is of course a very natural way to increase fertility! Bad eating habits can lower the reserves of nutrients that are necessary for reproductive hormone systems to work properly.

Your hormonal balance and fertility are affected by what you eat, your nutrient levels and how well your digestion works. If you are short of essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin B6, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants, then your hormone production may be blocked - resulting in an imbalance that makes conception less likely.

Acupuncture

Have you ever wondered about the treatment of infertility with traditional medicine and acupuncture? Good candidates for trying medical acupuncture are people who have unexplained infertility - acupuncture is effective for balancing the body's energies and raising the receptiveness of the body for conception. Men and women with a physical problem, such as damaged fallopian tubes, or a low sperm count, would be encouraged to try acupuncture in addition to their medical treatment.

When skilfully applied, acupuncture is effective in correcting many of the imbalances that underlie the complex physical and hormonal disorders that lead to a reduction in fertility.

Smoking Cessation

Women who smoke are more likely to take longer to conceive, they have an increased risk of miscarriage, and lower oestrogen and progesterone levels. Men who smoke are likely to have decreased sperm density, less motile sperm, reduced testosterone, and an increase in abnormal sperm. These risks for both men and women increase with the number of cigarettes smoked.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is exceptionally beneficial and natural way to increase fertility. Hypnotherapists are already using Hypnotherapy to help women give birth peacefully, and teaching them that a normal birth should be a calm and natural process. Learning simple but specialised relaxation, and breathing, and other techniques, make the whole birth easier and more comfortable.

With unexplained infertility, hypnotherapists teach you to let go of the stress you have been holding on to, using specialised relaxation, and breathing techniques. It teaches you to let go of any emotional blocks or worries you may have that can create infertility issues – Hypnotherapy can help you identify and process emotional issues that might be interfering with conception.

In addition to dealing with deep-seated fears, hypnotherapy is effective in stress reduction, and this in turn allows for hormonal rebalancing. This has been seen in cases where there is too much prolactin being produced which can inhibit ovulation. In a relaxed environment at a clinic, you can work together to bring about positive attitudes and beliefs.

You can give your unconscious mind free rein here and allow yourself to be creative, free, and prepared to follow your heart's wishes.

So there you have it - a range of natural ways to increase fertility. Choose as many as befits your lifestyle and make things easier for yourself and your baby.