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Prevention of Infertility

An important step in getting pregnant is making sure you are healthy, which you can do by making some simple lifestyle changes. If you are healthy, the chance of complications during pregnancy is lower, and your baby is more likely to be healthy:

  • Diet:

Make sure you eat a nutritious, balanced diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread and pasta, and lean meat, fish and pulses for protein. Green, leafy vegetables are high in folic acid, which can help to prevent birth defects.

  • Supplements:

Government advice is for women planning to get pregnant to take 440mcg of folic acid a day. This helps to protect the unborn baby from problems such as spina bifida and other conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord.

  • Weight:

Egg production in women is affected if you’re over or under weight, which makes it harder to get pregnant. Weight problems can also make complications in pregnancy more likely. However, it is not a good idea to diet during pregnancy. Eat according to your appetite and keep an eye on your weight gain.

  • Smoking:

It’s very important to quit smoking if you’re planning on getting pregnant. Smoking can cause infertility and an early menopause in women, and sperm problems in men. It’s also linked to premature birth and low birth-weight babies.

  • Exercise:

Taking regular exercise helps you to stay a healthy weight. It can also help you to beat stress, as fertility problems can often put a strain on relationships.

  • Alcohol:

Alcohol affects fertility, and if you don’t drink sensibly, it can take up to twice as long to conceive. Drinking too much also increases the risk of miscarriage and affects the quality of the man’s sperm.

One unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine. Women shouldn’t drink more than one – two units a night, and men shouldn’t have more than three. Make sure you have some alcohol-free days every week.

  • Drugs:

Illegal drugs such as marijuana or cocaine may affect fertility, so don’t use them. You should also avoid some prescription drugs if you’re trying to get pregnant – ask your GP for advice. 

  • Health checks and tests (women):

Make sure you are up-to-date with your cervical smear tests. You need to have one every three – five years depending on your age. You should also ask your GP for a blood test for anaemia, and visit your local sexual health (GUM) clinic to make sure you don’t have any sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Infections such as chlamydia may not have any symptoms, but can cause infertility if left untreated.

To protect the health of your baby, it’s important to be tested for rubella (German measles) before getting pregnant. If there’s a history of genetic conditions in your family such as cystic fibrosis or Down’s syndrome, it’s important to ask your GP about genetic counseling or tests.