My name is Dr Emma Gray, and I'm the Lead Clinical Psychologist at the British CBT & Counselling
Service.
And this is the fourth video in the YouTube fertility series: How to Get Pregnant Fast.
This video is about using supplements to boost your fertility, and I'm going to give you
the key facts in this video, but if you'd like more information, you can purchase the
book that accompanies this series, 'How to Get Pregnant Fast'—I've put the link in
the description.
Okay, so, the best way to get vitamins and minerals into your body is through your diet
because food contains thousands of phytochemicals and fibre which work together to improve good
health, and you can't replicate this in a pill.
However, even the best diets don't contain all the nutrients, so if you want to maximise
your chances of conceiving, there's lots of good evidence that suggests you can use supplements
to do this.
Okay, but, a word of warning, you can unbalance your system with supplements.
So, for the first six months of trying to conceive, try and optimise the nutrients and
vitamins in your body, through your diet.
Then, if you haven't conceived and all your fertility tests are coming back as normal,
have a go then, but please don't self-prescribe.
If you can't find a practitioner to individually tailor a programme of supplements for you,
try hair analysis; this is a really good way of identifying any deficiencies in your body—and
I've put a link, so you can find out more about this, in the description.
And then finally, once you are pregnant, stop all of your supplements, and only take a supplement
that is specifically formulated for the prenatal period—and again, I've put a link to a good
one in the description below.
Now, in the book that I've written to accompany this series, I give a wide range of supplements
with all the evidence that supports them.
I'll also look at supplements specifically for polycystic ovaries, for a short luteal
phase, and also if you're trying to conceive over 35.
But right now, I'm going to give you just some general recommendations for things you
might want to consider.
Okay, the first thing is aspirin of a dose of 35 to 80 mg a day, and this is sometimes
called baby aspirin.
So, this low dose of aspirin is good because it increases the blood flow to your ovaries
and to your uterus.
It also improves the egg quality and the health of your uterine lining, which is really important
for implantation—especially if you're over 35.
The general advice though is, once you are pregnant, to stop taking aspirin after the
first trimester because it can start to interfere with the baby's blood flow.
Okay, a B complex vitamin is a good idea.
This family of vitamins is necessary for the genetic material—DNA and RNA—in the egg
and sperm, so this is particularly important in the preconception period.
Something else to consider is vitamin C—a dose of 750 mg per day.
Vitamin C has been shown to improve hormone levels and improve fertility and sperm quality.
The other thing I want to talk to you about is something called DHA, and it's thought
that this could actually become as important in conception and pregnancy as folic acid—which
I'll talk about in a minute.
This is an omega-3 fatty acid, and it's very important for neurological health, central
nervous system and optical development, and a really good source is cod liver oil.
And finally, folic acid.
So, a dose of about 400 mg a day is recommended; and this prevents spina bifida, and together
with the vitamin B12, it works to ensure that the genetic codes of the baby are intact.
Okay, so, that's the end of this video.
If it was helpful, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends.
And good luck with your fertility journey.
I'll see you soon.