We now know that up to 50% of all cases of fertility issues are associated with a male factor and that the male partner has a crucial role to play at conception in providing the healthiest sperm he can for the future health of the child. Our Vitamen supplement is specially formulated to help support male fertility and to help prepare a man’s body for conception. Combining vitamins and minerals that are most important for sperm health, including antioxidants that help protect DNA inside the sperm from damage:
Folate – vitally important for the normal functioning of the immune system and for normal cell division.
Selenium – important for normal sperm production. Also helps protect DNA, and sperm membranes from oxidative damage, as well as supporting male thyroid function, which is very important for fertility.
Vitamin B12 – helps to maintain the normal production and metabolism of men’s reproductive hormones.
Vitamins C and E – helps to protect sperm DNA from damage. Particularly important if the diet is low in fresh fruit and vegetables.
Zinc – very important for male fertility. Needed to make the outer layer and tail of the sperm. Zinc is lost in the semen, so needs to be replenished regularly.
Did you know…
That a single ejaculation will usually contain around 40 million sperm
The sperm cell consists of the head (containing genetic material), mid-piece (the energy powerhouse) and the tail (propels the sperm forward)
Sperm needs an enormous amount of energy. Passing along a woman’s reproductive tract to get to the egg is like a human swimming the Pacific Ocean
Despite the millions of sperm entering a woman’s body, only around 200 will reach the fallopian tube
Having reached the fallopian tube first, the winning sperm has to drill into the egg to download its most precious genetic material
Increasingly, research shows that specific dietary changes can increase the chances of producing healthy sperm
When it comes to fertility and fertility planning, women need to understand their options. The new Plan Ahead programme from Zita West isn’t just a fertility test kit; it takes a comprehensive look at an individual fertility status to help them better understand how to optimise their chances of getting pregnant and how best to prepare. It can also be used by those who are looking ahead to their options when it comes to fertility preservation.
Who is it for?
Preparation has always been the philosophy behind the Zita West approach. Plan Ahead is ideal for:
Women who want to prepare for getting pregnant
For those who want a better idea of their fertility status
Women who have been considering freezing their eggs
“Increasingly, I sit in my clinic and see women who have no fertility awareness at all, and having spent their early 20s trying not to get pregnant, they suddenly have to change their mind-set completely,” said Zita. “Lots of women rely totally on apps, which are not a bad thing if they tune into their bodies, but many have lost the connection to their natural cycles and have little idea of their fertile times and panic around the so-called biological clock. This then leads to stress around ovulation and sometimes performance-anxiety for men when it comes to sex at ovulation time. I also see many women who increasingly want to know about their fertility status and are looking to have fertility assessments. All these tests do have a role but it’s important to take a broad look at your individual circumstances and to understand the implications if a test result comes back and it is not what you are expecting.”
Plan Ahead works by checking a woman’s egg reserves via an Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) blood test in an at-home pin-prick test. AMH is produced by cells within the ovaries and the test helps to assess a woman’s ovarian reserve and provides an indication of their fertility potential.
Combined with the consultation that follows, Plan Ahead has been designed to help the woman get a better understanding of where they are now and the next steps they should take. Based on their answers to a detailed questionnaire the consultation will cover the factors most important to their individual status, as well as helping them to better understand cycles and ovulation and how to think strategically about their fertility. It will also cover any additional tests and investigations which may help.
Next steps will be touched on briefly and a separate in-depth nutrition and lifestyle assessment may be suggested as well. This covers weight, stress, mental and emotional well-being as well as nutrition and diet, and enables women to take a proactive approach to these important, but often overlooked, influences on their fertility.
“Plan Ahead” costs £149.00 including a 30-minute consultation
How to book your “Plan Ahead”
Step 1: Phone 01280 707401 to order and pay for your AMH home-test kit and Plan Ahead consultation or buy online here.
Step 2: Complete the questionnaire you are sent with the kit and return the sample. Instructions are included for taking the sample, returning it and the questionnaire as well as how to book your follow-up consultation.
Consultations will be with Zita West or one of the consultant midwives or fertility nurses at the Zita West Fertility Clinic and will be conducted by phone.
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The Zita West Clinic in Marylebone, London, specialises in natural fertility and IVF and is the UK’s largest integrated IVF clinic. As part of your preparation for IVF, we develop an individualised four to six-week plan, which includes a variety of different elements designed to help support you not just medically, but physically, nutritionally, emotionally and psychologically.
We understand that everyone’s situation is different, but if you are struggling to get pregnant, have been trying for over 18-months, have had failed IVF cycles or are in you’re in your 30s or 40, it can be important to try something different. Here is what makes us different…
Step 1 – Detailed Questionnaire
This is a questionnaire that is sent out before you come to the clinic and what is different about this is that it covers everything. It not only looks at the medical side – the tests you have had done and the tests you haven’t had done – but it also looks at other key areas, including your nutrition, diet and exercise, emotional health, wellbeing and your lifestyle. There is also a three-page food diary to help give us a better understanding of what you are, or are not, eating.
Step 2 – Initial Consultation
We are very lucky to have some of the leading experts in the field of IVF working at the clinic, including our medical director Dr George Ndukwe, our medical consultant Dr Simone Rofena, midwife fertility specialist Anita O’Neill, lead fertility nurse Terri Morgan-Collins and of course me. Our aim is that you leave a consultation feeling listened to, have had all of your questions answered and you have an appropriate plan of action within a clear timeframe.
Step 3 – Nutrition Consultation
The nutrition and lifestyle consultation forms part of the IVF package and is absolutely key for us at the clinic as we believe it helps to lay down the foundations for healthy eggs and sperm. What happens at the consultation is the nutritionist will go through everything you have included within the questionnaire and food diary and will develop a tailored plan specifically for you.
Step 4 – Nurse Consultation
What’s great about the nurse consultation is that it allows us to explore any fears you might have, answer your questions and touch base on the holistic programme to discuss whether you would benefit from either acupuncture or hypnotherapy.
Step 5 – Acupuncture
A lot of the women who come to the clinic will have acupuncture in the lead up to IVF as part of their preparation, on the day of stimulation and transfer. We believe that it helps release endorphins, which, in turn, reduces stress, as well as improve the blood flow to the pelvic area. Importantly, I believe that women feel very supported by the acupuncturist and it can give them a greater sense of wellbeing during what can be a stressful time.
Step 6 – Hypnotherapy
Mindset is really important to us and we use hypnotherapy a lot here at the clinic. What women find useful is that it helps them understand how they are feeling and provides self-help techniques that can be put into practice while at home.
Step 7 – Second Nurse Consultation
The second nurse consultation usually takes place one or two weeks before treatment begins and is designed to be more of a practical session. We will go through your consent forms, as well as your protocols step-by-step to make sure you are happy with what you will be doing. We also do a full injection teach during the session, to ensure you are comfortable administering all of your medication. It is not unusual to feel nervous in the lead up to IVF, so we find the second nurse consultation is a good opportunity to dispel these nerves and make sure you are feeling as happy and prepared as possible.
BOOK NOW
The IVF Programme at the Zita West Fertility Clinic is a unique, premium service with exceptionally high pregnancy and birth rates. To book your consultation, please call 0808 196 4060 or email clinics@zitawest.com
NATIONAL NETWORK OF AFFILIATED ACUPUNCTURISTS
As well as our team at the clinic we have developed a national network of affiliated though independent acupuncturists who specialise in all aspects of female and male reproductive health.
All our affiliates have received training in Zita’s unique holistic approach to achieving optimum reproductive health as well as the diagnostic processes and treatment protocols followed at our London clinic.
Increasingly women are becoming vegan for a lifestyle choice, but my concern here is for fertility. You need to manage your diet really carefully to get the right amount of protein as it’s not only your hormones and the neurotransmitters in your brain that need protein – eggs and sperm need it, too. High-quality protein, such as from lean meat and poultry, as well as fish, eggs and soya beans, contains all eight essential amino acids. These are biological catalysts that enable protein to break down and become what the body needs – be that muscle or other tissue, egg, sperm, neurotransmitter or hormone. Your body can’t manufacture these amino acids for itself (which is why they are essential), so they must come from your diet. Include one portion (about the size of your fist) of protein in every meal. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you’ll need a full range of plant proteins to ensure that you get all the essential amino acids.
Beans, leafy greens, pulses, nuts and seeds are all good sources, and I’d also encourage you to use protein powders – including hemp, pea and sprouted-seed-based powders. Finally, be aware that you may be more prone to other nutritional deficiencies that can affect fertility – including low levels of iodine, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Supplement with a multivitamin and -mineral formula to make sure that you keep all your vitamin and mineral levels up, and you may also need to take a specific vitamin B12 supplement, too.
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With the lovely news from Harry and Meghan, we thought we’d share with you some tips for getting through the first few months. Early pregnancy, especially the first time around, is a very exciting time but it is also easy for anxiety to creep in and many women can feel overwhelmed. The first few weeks of pregnancy can be exhausting on so many levels; emotionally, physically and mentally. No matter who you are you, Duchess or not, your emotions at this time will be the same and this is something I see on a daily basis. If you have never been pregnant before it’s a steep learning curve, and as a midwife there are many common questions I am asked in early pregnancy:
How do I know I’m still pregnant?
This can be a really emotional time, not just because of the hormones but all of the worries about whether it will be ok with the pregnancy, especially if you are older. Before you start showing in these early days it can be so hard to actually ‘feel’ pregnant. One day you experience nausea, the next day you don’t, and new hormones are kicking in that you have never experienced before making you emotionally fragile. The exhaustion you’ll feel in your first 12 weeks, especially having to work and adapt to the pregnancy without telling anybody can really take its toll. Even if Meghan doesn’t suffer as much as her sister-in-law, nausea affects 70% of women which can sap energy further.
I’m not eating as well as I should… Eating a good diet can be hard in the beginning as you are getting used to what your body needs with when and what to eat. Sometimes it is not always the healthiest of choices with many women craving carbs where they have tried to avoid these foods before. Plus with nausea kicking in it can mean eating what you are able to to get through the first few weeks which is fine. This is why it’s so important to build up a good store of nutrients before you get pregnant.
I feel worried all of the time, can stress affect my baby? While Meghan is no different biologically to any other pregnant woman, she does have the added pressure of getting through engagements and having the world watching her. Constant stress on a daily basis may affect your baby, so learning to manage stress in early pregnancy is key.
Tips for getting through first trimester
Look at what’s going on in your life and what you can cut back on. If you work long hours, try to cut down here, and limit yourself to lots of commitments that can exhaust you.
Make sure you have early nights where possible to build your reserves and get you through the next day.
Accept that this this will only be for a couple of months and you’ll soon be feeling much better, give in to it where you can.
Don’t have any alcohol or coffee in the first trimester.
Eat little and often to keep your blood sugar balanced. In early pregnancy you need to tune in to what your body requires. Nausea and tiredness can be a vicious cycle: you feel sick so you don’t want to eat, but if you don’t eat then your blood sugar drops and nausea sets in. When it gets to this point it is hard to quell, so have snacks at hand throughout the day and I also encourage women to have something to eat just before bed to balance the blood sugar through the night. It’s a long time from dinner until breakfast which is why many women wake in the morning with nausea.
You need carbohydrates for energy and the developing baby, but for so many women I see they have been used to cutting carbs out and are nervous about how they crave them in pregnancy.
Deal with your stress early on. Chronic stress can be detrimental so make sure you manage this. The best way is to practice visualisation or meditation for 20 per day, but if your issues are greater then make sure you seek help through counselling.
Take a multivitamin and mineral continuing folate, as well as omega 3. Many women worry in early pregnancy that they are not eating as well as they should, so top your nutrients up with supplements.
Nurture yourself. In my experience this is the one time that women really feel they can pamper and nurture themselves. Rest whenever you feel you need to, get as much sleep as you can, and look after yourself from within.
Don’t listen to any labour horror stories – concentrate on the positive and if anyone starts to tell you their story, ask if it’s positive, and if not, then continue that conversation post birth!
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This week Dr Simone Rofena, our medical consultant in Reproductive Medicine talks to us about male infertility and the role sperm plays in IVF.
50% of the reasons for a couple’s infertility is down to male infertility which is very important in the couple’s diagnostic. There are three parameters we assess when considering the capability of a sperm to fertilise an egg.
Sperm count
The sperm total account must be over 15 million to be considered normal.
Motility
Motility of the sperm is also important and we would be happy with 40% of sperm having progressive motility.
Morphology
When we analyse sperm, we look at the head, neck and tail. Morphology can affect any of these three parts, so for a sperm to be considered normal they must be normally shaped.
There are several things that can be done to contribute to improving sperm count, motility and morphology. For example:
Good Lifestyle
Good Nutrition
Supplements
Often when men get poor results on a seamen analysis they worry they might not be able to conceive a baby but try not to worry too much as it only takes one good sperm to create a pregnancy.
For weekly tips, advice and wisdom on natural fertility and IVF, subscribe to our Fertility Show on YouTube.
Book now
Consultations are available at out Clinic in London or via Video Conferencing from the comfort of your own home.
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