Our autonomic nervous system controls involuntary processes in our body – in other words – process that are automatic. Our autonomic balance matters as it impacts our fertility. Things like breathing, our heart rate and digestion are regulated by our autonomic nervous system. Even our microbiome is impacted by our autonomic nervous system! We can divide our autonomic nervous system into our “fight or flight” / sympathetic division and our “rest and digest” parasympathetic division. Our parasympathetic nervous system will tend to decrease our heart rate while our sympathetic nervous that dom ..read more

You might be thinking about growing your family, already trying to conceive or frustrated that you have been trying without success. Whether you are trying to get pregnant naturally or preparing for assisted reproductive treatments like IUI (intrauterine insemination) or IVF (in vitro fertilisation), nurturing the key ingredients will provide a foundation for the best chance of pregnancy success. What are they key ingredients? Quality eggs, healthy sperm, and a receptive uterus! ​ Here are 5 tips to optimise your fertility for conception. Confirm you are Ovulating If you are t ..read more

A few days ago, my friend came to me with a question about corn. They had been told it was nutritionally redundant and were advised to drop it from their dietary repertoire. My friend wanted to know my thoughts on corn. I began by gently asking how they might feel about a life without barbecued corn cob, corn chips and guacamole, nachos, popcorn, and cornbread, not to mention the whimsical delight that is baby corn in stir fry. I think when we hear nutritional rhetoric that advocates the removal of any foods, let alone whole food groups, it is worth pausing to reflect how this will impact ou ..read more

​Omega-3 fatty acids are a subgroup of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, one of the "good" fats. Some fatty acids can be made by the body and others cannot - these must be obtained from the diet. These are known as essential fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of essential fatty acid that have been found to have many positive roles in our bodies, including a strong relationship with fertility.   Just as trans fatty acids found in many processed foods are related to lower fertility, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are related to better fertility and higher live birth rates in assist ..read more

High levels of insulin impact our reproductive health, and the success of fertility treatment. With high insulin levels, there may be reductions in implantation and pregnancy continuation. Read on to find out why insulin levels may be high, how this reduces pregnancy success, and strategies to improve regulation of insulin. What is Insulin? Insulin is a hormone made by our pancreas that helps us transport sugars (glucose) from food into our cells for energy. Without enough insulin circulating, blood glucose levels can rise and this poses a health risk. While our pancreas might work well to m ..read more

In your quest for conception you have most likely come across the word ‘inflammation’, so what is it? Inflammation is an essential process in the body. It helps us repair damaged tissues and is important for immune protection. In response to stress, which may take the form of injury, illness, an unhealthy diet, sleep deprivation, or other physiological stress or emotional stress, the body’s immune system responds by releasing various chemical regulators to restore the normal environment, or ‘homeostasis’. These chemical regulators may be released from the white blood cells of the body which c ..read more

Guest blog by Kristen Jones ​an APACE accredited Embryologist and Founder of “I Like My Eggs Fertilised“. We are excited to collaborate with the fabulous Kristen from @ilikemyeggsfertilised. Kristen is an Accredited embryologist and has teamed up with our Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Accredited Dietitian to discuss what DNA fragmentation is and steps you can take to reduce it for better quality sperm! What is Sperm DNA Fragmentation DNA is essentially the genetic instruction book for how we grow and function that is contained in every living cell. Breaks, or fragmentation, of the ..read more

​There is no doubt that our gut microbiota, the populations of mainly bacteria, have an impact upon our ability to get and stay pregnant. We talk so much about our gut microbiota, but now it is time to find out more about another important ecosystem in our body: our reproductive tract microbiota. The Vaginal and Uterine Microbiota A healthy vaginal microbiome is associated with an increased chance of conceiving and successful pregnancy. So what does a healthy vaginal microbiome look like? The microbiota of a healthy, non-pregnant woman contains a variety of Lactobacillus species. These bacte ..read more

Fertility Week is wrapping up for 2020! This year's theme is age. If you are a female heading north of 35 years you no doubt have heard that age is a factor that impacts fertility. As we age the production of high quality eggs (oocytes) reduces. While we can’t do much about our chronological age, let’s take a look at what underlying mechanisms impact egg quality with age and an effective strategy that may reduce the impact of ageing on fertility.  Age and Oocyte Quality As our oocytes divide, the chromosomes inside segregate but with age there are more errors in this process. An oocyte w ..read more

Welcome to Mental Health Week! There is a close connection between our mental wellbeing and our physical health. Acute stress can be beneficial for us physically, heightening our brain function, boosting our immune system and helping us to build resilience. On the other hand, chronic stress may have negative consequences for our health and wellbeing, and this includes our fertility. ​ The stress that comes with infertility and undergoing assisted reproductive treatment can be equivalent to that of someone dealing with cancer or heart disease (Domar et al, 1993). Yep - infertility takes a rea ..read more