Take your vitamins! 

The Australian National Health & Medical Research Council suggests women take 0.5mg of folic acid supplements daily for at least 3 months before pregnancy & 3 months into the pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Other key vitamins that you should consider taking (after consultation with your GP or specialist, of course) 

 ·       Iron

·       Vitamin D

·       Calcium

·       Vitamin B12

·       Vitamin A

Break a sweat

Doing moderate exercise a few times a week is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Obviously during COVID times, it’s not possible to get into the gym, but that shouldn’t stop you from breaking a sweat. Try low impact exercise to get your heart rate up and muscles moving. Working out also has many health benefits, but some studies suggest that frequent high intensity workouts can negatively affect your fertility & ovulation. 

Some low impact workouts to try: 

-Online LIIS workout

-Pilates 

-Yoga 

Quit smoking & alcohol 

It is not currently known just how alcohol impacts a woman’s reproductive system, but we do know that high alcohol consumption is known to have a negative effect on a man’s sperm production. It may be a good idea to reduce your alcohol consumption whilst trying to conceive, freeze your eggs or even cycle tracking. By now, everyone knows it’s a bad idea to smoke during pregnancy; but many people don’t realise that there is strong evidence to suggest that children born to a male smoker are 4 times more likely to develop cancer in childhood. 

Eat right & reduce your caffeine intake

No, we are not here to tell you can’t have your morning coffee! However, high levels of caffeine intake have been linked with female infertility in some research studies. If you currently drink more than 2 cups of coffee per day, it might be a good idea to start slowly reducing your intake to avoid negative withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and irritation. 

 Now is also a good time to start reevaluating what you are putting into your body. Eating healthy isn’t necessarily about what you SHOULDN’T be consuming, it’s also putting consideration into what you SHOULD be trying to consume leafy greens, fruits and a wide range of vegetables is a great place to start –focus on eating a wide variety of colors in order to get as wide a variety of nutrients as possible. 

Get enough sleep 

Getting 8 hours of good quality, uninterrupted sleep is invaluable in maintaining your health and overall wellbeing. During treatment you may find the hormone changes could interfere with your sleep, or you may get racing thoughts about the future – take this time to treat yourself to some good quality sleep. 

Focus on reducing your stress levels 

Taking time to unwind, relax and lower your cortisol levels is a valuable way to spend your day. Try taking half an hour out of your day to do something just for you, like read a book with your favorite candle burning.  Going through infertility treatment can be a difficult and often isolating journey – remember to check in with yourself and acknowledge your feelings and talk about them with people you trust or a counselor.