Fertility & Conception

General Advice for Preconception and Pregnancy

81-83% success rate for conception when improving dietary and lifestyle patterns. University of Surrey pioneered a study that examines the fundamentals of health including diet, pollutants, lifestyle and environmental factors over a three year trial.  37% of couples in the study were infertile, 38% had experienced between one and five miscarriages (not including others with history of low birth weight, stillbirths and birth defects). After following a program that included dietary changes, strict elimination of toxic elements, lifestyle counseling, and basic supplemental support, 81% of the previously infertile couples conceived, and 83% of the women who miscarried had a healthy within the three years after the trial without miscarrying again.

Coffee decreases fertility. A study of 1,909 women in Connecticut found the risk of not conceiving for 12 months (the usual definition of infertility), was 55% higher for women drinking 1 cup of coffee per day – 100% higher for women drinking 1 and one-half to 3 cups and 176% higher for women drinking more than 3 cups of coffee per day. 

Alcohol affects conception and miscarriage. Drinking any alcohol may reduce your chances of conceiving by half.  Women who drink every day have a much higher risk (2.5 times more) of miscarriage than non-drinkers. 

CRT computer screens directly affect miscarriage. Women who spent more than 20 hours in front of a CRT screen had twice as many miscarriages as women working on a non-CRT screen. 

Proper body weight has a direct influence on hormone function A woman should have at least 22% body weight to maintain ovulation.  Extremely low or high body weight is believed to be the cause of 12% of infertility cases.

Refined sugar keeps the endocrine system in turmoil. Women who greatly reduce all forms of refined sugar, including concentrated sweeteners, report pain-free periods, years of PMS disappearing and hormone levels balancing. Following a low glycemic diet will greatly increase your chances of conceiving.

The Science of Stress  According to Rahul Sachdev, M.D., a specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, incorporating the health-enhancing benefits of yoga with traditional and innovative medical intervention can relieve the stress associated with infertility, thus vastly increasing the chances for conception. “Women who are infertile, especially in the long term, are extremely stressed out,” explains Sachdev. “One study has shown that the stress levels of an infertile woman are actually similar to those of someone just told they have HIV.” Dr. Sachdev says he has no doubt that stress can lead to infertility. “What is controversial,” he adds, “is the question of whether or not stress relief creates fertility.” The answer to that question seems to be a resounding “yes” for couples who took part in a program supervised by Sachdev at St. Peter’s Medical Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey, which was based on the ongoing programs at the Mind-Body Institute at Harvard University created by Herbert Benson, M.D., researcher and author of The Relaxation Response (Wholecare, 2000). The program incorporated stress reduction practices like yoga and meditation, emotional support such as group discussions and sharing, and changes in diet, including cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, fats, and sugar. The results were remarkable: Couples had a 50 percent fertility rate within one year of finishing the program. What made the results even more astounding is that regardless of the cause of the woman’s inability to conceive, whether it was unexplained infertility or low sperm counts, participants were helped in encouragingly high numbers.