Having a baby is such an amazing experience and one of the happiest times of a couple's life. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to fall pregnant straight away and having problems falling pregnant can be very devastating.

Infertility is when a couple or person is unable to conceive a baby. For fertility to occur a man must produce healthy and strong sperm and the woman must produce healthy eggs. Fertility treatments can be very expensive so it could be beneficial for couples having difficulty conceiving a baby to look at natural ways to improve their fertility. Good health, diet and exercise can all play an important part in fertility.

One of the most important steps in improving fertility is to know when you are most fertile. A woman is only fertile while she is ovulating, so there is only a period of a few days in which she can fall pregnant. A woman can monitor her body core temperature to find out if she is ovulating as your temperature increases when your body is about to release an egg. To increase your chances of conception it is important to have sexual intercourse just before the egg is released.

Your diet can also play an important part in your body's fertility. A balanced diet helps to nourish the reproductive system and regulate hormones. It also helps to maintain a healthy weight; women who are underweight or overweight may have a harder time becoming pregnant.

Vitamin C and antioxidants are very important to have in your diet especially when you are trying to conceive, they help to reduce stress on eggs and the reproductive system as well as boost sperm motility and help prevent sperm defects.

Calcium and Vitamin D and Zinc are also very useful to help boost male fertility.

There are also some foods that should be cut back or preferably avoided altogether when trying to conceive and these are as follows:

Caffeine - can reduce both male and female fertility.
Alcohol - can reduce fertility by 50%

It is also important to exercise combined with a nutritious diet to maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight can throw the female fertility cycle out of balance. Low impact exercise is preferable such as walking or swimming.

Herbs have been used to promote fertility for many, many years. Don't undertake herbal therapy on your own; be sure to consult a qualified naturopath.

Dong Quai - is a Chinese fertility herb, it helps to balance estrogen levels and improve chances of implantation.

Chasteberry - helps increase fertility by balancing the sex hormones. It does this by stimulating the pituitary gland, which is the gland responsible for producing estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating, even some prescription medications can all be harmful not only to a baby but can also reduce chances of fertility. Smoking of Cannabis can also greatly reduce the amount of sperm a male produces, by up to 50%.

The creation of another life is truly a miracle, especially when you see how difficult it can be to conceive one.