A very helpful way to get to know your body and to learn the best time to conceive a baby is by charting your cycle.

Charting your cycle involves a three steps, the main one is taking your temperature every morning, followed by observing cervical mucus and other cervical changes. To start with, you have to understand why you are taking your temperature.

Over the course of your cycle your basal body temperature changes according to what hormones are in your system. Your temperature starts off low, rises after ovulation and will then either go down to signal your period starting or remain high to signal a possible pregnancy. If you are charting your cycle, you can see graphically where your temperature is and what part of your cycle you are at.

Taking Your Basal Body Temperature

To check your basal body temperature it must be done first thing in the morning before you rise from bed and even before you speak. Set your alarm to wake at the same time each morning & before doing anything else after it goes off, still your thermometer in your mouth (or under your arm or you can even check your temperature vaginally if you choose). Any sort of thermometer will work, but the best type has two decimal places as they are the most accurate in showing any subtle temperature changes.

Record your temperature either on a piece of graph paper or on charting software or websites, such as Fertility Friend.

As the month goes on, you will see that your temperature changes with ovulation and becomes biphasic, which means there are two phases, a lower temperature phase prior to ovulation and a higher temperature phase after ovulation.

It might take a few months to get used to how your temperatures work, but you will start to see patterns emerging about when you will ovulate and how long your luteal phase (the time between ovulation and the end of your cycle) lasts.

The important thing to note is that once the temperature rise has occurred, ovulation has occurred and it is more than likely too late to conceive a baby. You need to be having intercourse prior to the temperature rise, so it is important to chart other ovulation indicators when charting your cycle.

Checking for Cervical Mucus

The next step to helping you understand your cycle is charting your cervical mucus changes.

Like with your temperature, your cervical mucus changes depending on what hormones are dominating at a certain time. Your mucus will change from sticky, to creamy, to water and finally, the mucus at ovulation is named egg white cervical mucus due to it’s consistency being much like that of an egg white.

The best way to check your cervical mucus is to simply look on the toilet tissue when you wipe and then note on your chart, the quality and consistency. At first it may be a bit hard to distinguish between the different types of mucus, but after a little while it becomes second nature.

When recording your cervical mucus on your cycle charting page or software, always record the most fertile mucus that you note for the day. For example you may have creamy mucus in the morning, but then watery mucus in the evening. It’s best to record the watery mucus as your body might be gearing up that night to ovulate.

Observing Cervical Changes

A third way to add to your chart is to observe the changes in your cervix. Some people are uncomfortable about checking this fertility sign, so rest assured that it is a secondary sign, the main two are your temperature and cervical mucus. However if you would like to check your cervix, following are the details on how to do so.

To check your cervix you will need to insert a very clean finger into your vaigna. You will feel a small round object (your cervix) that will have a small hole in it. Notice how it feels.

Prior to ovulation you should be able to feel your cervix quite easily as it starts out quite low in your vagina. Your cervix will feel hard, a little like the tip of your nose and the cervix opening will be closed when you are not in your fertile period. As you come closer to ovulation it will move up higher in your vagina and be quite hard to reach, now it should feel very soft, a lot like your lips. The opening will also be quite noticeable, as your cervix opens up at ovulation to allow the sperm to make their way through. After ovulation the opening will close again and your cervix will go back to being hard like your nose. In pregnancy the cervix stays very high and will become out of reach fairly quickly after ovulation, if conception hasn’t taken place your cervix will move down again ready for your next period to start.

Record your cervical observations on your chart as well.

After charting your cycle for a little while you will start to see some patterns emerging. Perhaps you don’t ovulate on the standard, day 14, maybe it’s earlier or maybe it’s a few days later. No two women are exactly alike and you will see that by browsing through a few different charts.

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When you’re trying to conceive a child there may be the wish in the back of your mind for a certain gender. Of course everyone wants to have a healthy and happy baby, but sometimes we desire a specific gender and there are actually ways to go about swaying your chances of conceiving either a boy or girl.

The main option for gender swaying is through the Shettles method and while it’s users sometimes claim up to a 90% success rate it’s not a guarantee that you will get the gender that you so desperately want. Like all things in life, at the end of the day the gender of your baby really is up to chance, but there’s no harm in trying right?

The Shettles method is based on timing intercourse and using certain sexual positions for conceiving either gender. There are other methods that you can use, including diet changes, that will aid in conceiving either a boy or girl. Below I will describe some techniques for you to try and sway your chances toward conceiving either gender.

To Conceive a Boy.

According to Shettles, you need to have sex as close to ovulation as possible to conceive a boy. The sperm that carry the Y-Chromosome (and make boy babies) are much faster than the X-Chromosome sperm so the closer to ovulation that they are released the better. They are also more vulnerable & weak, which means that even though they are fast, if the “boy sperm” arrive at the correct place too soon, they are likely to die off before the egg is ready.

Shettles theory also says that deeper penetration is useful for conceiving a boy as this allows the faster Y-Chromosome sperm to arrive at the egg first and also gives the weaker sperm a shorter overall journey. In addition, the area closest to the cervix (the opening of the uterus) is less acidic, which is the sort of environment that “boy sperm” prefer.

The mother’s diet can also impact on the environment within the vagina, which will favour either gender. A diet high in potassium and sodium creates an alkaline environment which is best for boy conception. Dried apricots, any types of beans & legumes as well as potatoes are great high potassium foods. Whereas brown bread, omlettes, canned fish and camembert cheese are high in sodium.

As well as trying the Shettles Method and diet changes, there are two things you can do at the time of intercourse to help conceive a boy. Female orgasm makes the vagina more alkaline, so give this a go if you want to conceive a boy. Dad can also help by having a caffeinated drink prior to intercourse which makes the Y-Chromosome sperm more active.

To Conceive a Girl.

According to Shettles, to conceive a girl you need to have sex two and a half to three days prior to ovulation. The sperm that carry the X-Chromosome (and make girl babies) are slower than the Y-Chromosome sperm but are more resilient. “Girl sperm” last a lot longer so while they take a while to arrive in the right place, generally later than the “boy sperm” they are strong enough to last a few days inside the woman’s body to wait for the release of the egg.

Shettles says that shallow penetration favours conceiving girls as the area closest to the entrance of the vagina is more acidic. The acidic environment is more likely to inhibit the Y-Chromosome sperm & is therefore more likely to aid in the X-Chromosome sperm getting to where it needs to go with less Y-Chromosome sperm getting in the way so to speak.

Diet changes also make a difference in swaying towards a girl conception. Diets high in calcium and magnesium make the vagina more acidic, which is more conducive to a girl conception. Mum should eat foods like yoghurt, cheese, rhubarb and drink plenty of milk to increase her calcium intake, while artichokes, pine nuts, almonds and spinach are great sources of magnesium.

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There’s a lot to be said for men taking certain vitamin and mineral supplements while they are trying to conceive.

Generally, with most couples, the female partner will start taking some form of prenatal multivitamin formula (like Elevit or Blackmores Pregnancy & Breastfeeding etc) or at the least a folate supplement (like Fabfol), as soon as the couple decides to try for a baby.

More often than not the male partner continues on as before trying to conceive with little regard for changing their lifestyle or increasing their intake of certain vitamins and minerals.

These days however, there are a few options for men in the way of multivitamin supplements that claim to assist with the production of better sperm and overall general health for conception.

The first men’s fertility health supplement to be released was Menevit (in 2008), made by the same people that do the very popular Elevit for women. The key ingredients in Menevit are vitamin C, zinc, vitamin E and folic acid, along with some other vitamins that make it a good well rounded multivitamin as well as a sperm health supplement.

The alternative is SpermMax (released in 2010) which also contains folic acid and zinc, but instead of being a multivitamin it is more aimed at sexual function and decreasing stress.

As you would guess from the ingredients of both of the men’s sperm supplements above, the main ingredient is zinc. Zinc is essential making sperm and the regulation of sperm motility (how the sperm move). The recommended daily intake of zinc is 20-60mg and with so few foods that are high in zinc (oysters, veal liver, sesame seeds & low fat roast beef are the highest) it’s no wonder that men’s fertility rates have been declining in the past few years.

The other common ingredient between the two is folic acid, or folate, which is well known as a supplement for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects, but it is also beneficial for men’s sperm health as well. Research has shown that men who increase their folic acid intake have fewer abnormal sperm cells. The recommended daily intake for me is 200mg and it can be found naturally in lentils, kidney beans, broccoli and brussel sprouts, but these days there are quite a few different products that are labeled as having added folate.

Of course having a varied diet containing zinc and folate rich foods is the best way to go about things, but we all know with today’s busy lifestyle sometimes we don’t eat as well as we know we should. Sperm supplements such as Menevit and SpermMax are a great way to get the recommended daily intake when your diet is lacking in these essential sperm health vitamins & minerals. They are both simple to take, one tablet once per day, as with female prenatal vitamins they are recommended to be taken for at least a month prior to conception.

While the use of supplements for sperm health can be beneficial, they are not a guarantee to increase your sperm count or improve the health of your sperm. If you have any concerns about the health of your sperm, please see your health professional.

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If you have been lucky enough to get any advice out of your mates on what to expect from fatherhood, it probably has been that “things will change”. Instead of going in with this vague idea of doom, here is more detail on the top five things that are going to change and how to deal with them.

1. You’ll get less attention from her

As your partner grapples with being a new mum her focus will be almost entirely elsewhere. Don’t wait to be asked what to do to help, get in there and find out what she wants your role to be.

2. You might get worried about money

Going from a comfortable double income down to perhaps only surviving on your pay is something you can plan for well in advance. Waiting until you are both tired to figure out a budget will probably result in a fight. Try to sit down and agree how your household budget is going to be run.

Do your research now into if you qualify for the Baby Bonus or Paid Parental Leave using the online estimator (click here) and submit your application in advance.

3. You will be sleep-deprived

Working together on looking after your baby in the night will help you both get some sleep and hopefully result in a happier household. Many fathers send mum to bed early and do a night feed with a bottle, say approx 10pm, before hitting the sack.

4. You might be worried you are not ready to be a dad

This is a pretty natural concern and it should cheer you up to know that the instinct will kick in, at some point. Allow yourself time to feel comfortable and confident in being a dad; don’t expect it all to happen at once.

5. You won’t be able to go out with your mates as much

Remind yourself that this is temporary. As you all settle into family life plenty of opportunities to go out with your mates will reappear. Then again, and you might not believe this, but you may not want to do the things you used to.

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When getting ready for baby it can be hard to see a good buy amongst the huge range of products on the market. Not everything is essential, but some things can be very handy and can pay off if you sell them after you have finished with them.
Judging by current prices for new products and the popularity and prices being paid on www.ebay.com.au the following are four baby items that hold their value well. When you go to sell these, in good conditions, you can expect to get half to two thirds of your money back:

1. An electric breast pump: If you are breastfeeding an electric breast pump, especially a double one, will greatly speed up the process over a manual pump. These are more expensive but considering they hold their value well it is worth looking into to save you precious moments of time to hopefully give yourself a break.

2. Bumbo®: The Bumbo is a very popular specialised baby chair designed to support baby’s posture. It can be used over a long time, being much better value than items baby will grow out of or tire of quickly (e.g. a baby swing). You can use it from when baby had good head control, around three months, which is much earlier than when you can safely use most high chairs. It is light-weight and small, so it is convenient for when you wean onto solids as you can place it anywhere.

3. Grobag®: The Gro Company makes the original and still the best baby sleeping bags designed for safety, comfort and a good night sleep. They are carefully designed to reduce the chance of SIDS and to keep baby covered at night rather than kicking off her blankets. Even Grobags in not the best condition sell well second-hand.

4. Stokke Tripp Trapp®: There is a real shortage of these second-hand, probably because you will use it for years. The Tripp Trapp is a beautifully designed chair for baby that will grow with him into adulthood. It has a foot rest that moves as he needs it to and a back rest which supports him into the right position. The Tripp Trapp is quite expensive, but the long-ranging benefits you can experience with it plus the high resale value and rarity of second-hand chairs means your investment will pay off.

We've found 00.com.au to have a wonderful selection of baby products.
Click here for OO.com.au baby products

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Planning a pregnancy? Here are a few things you may like to consider:

Parenting

If you have a partner, this is the time to discuss your ideas on parenting and to work out together what you value in your relationship and what kind of world you wish to create for your child.

• Do you have differing views on parental roles?
• Do you have differing views on discipline?
• Is there a conflict of religious background?
• Are you prepared to progress from your roles as two people and become two parents? Are you ready to put another person first?
• Could you provide your baby with the loving and stable environment it needs?
• Have you spent a full day from dawn until bedtime in a house with children?
• Have you spent time with other people’s children?
• Are you familiar with the workload?

Preconception Care

The moment of fertilisation determines your future child’s entire genetic coding including it’s underlying constitutional strength. Healthy parents make healthy babies.

• What are your views of pre-conception and pregnancy care?
• Are you prepared to stop smoking? Limit alcohol intake? Quit the recreational drugs?
• Are you doing enough exercise?

Nutrition

Many cases of difficulty conceiving and infertility come down to nutritional deficiencies.

• Are you eating the freshest, highest quality foods possible?
• Are your zinc levels adequate? Long periods on oral contraception can decrease your levels of zinc, a micromineral essential for successful conception and foetal development.
• Are you taking folic acid? This B-group vitamin is essential for your baby’s development in the first three months of pregnancy and should be taken as a supplement three to six months before conception.

Contraception

Often women need six months or more for their menstrual cycles to regulate. If you’re someone who has been on the pill for 10 years, see your doctor about stopping contraception to allow your hormones time to recover.

Is there a risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease while trying to get pregnant?

Bill of Health

• Check that you have been vaccinated against Rubella or German measles. If you haven’t been immunised and you need a shot, wait until three months after the shot before conceiving.
• Do you or your partner have a family history of hereditary health problems? For example, is there a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease (especially valve replacement), epilepsy, kidney disease, tuberculosis, syphilis, active herpes, cerebral palsy or Aids/HIV positive? Are there certain precautions you need to take in the interest of your own health?
• Do you need to adjust your medication? Is there a need for genetic counselling? See your doctor.
• Would your pregnancy be considered high risk?
• Is there a history of difficulty conceiving or assisted conception, repeated miscarriage in first trimester, miscarriage/premature birth in second trimester, severe vomiting in early pregnancy, stillbirth, abnormal baby, two or more caesarean sections, severe bleeding at any stage during pregnancy, rhesus incompatibility, postnatal depression? If these are relevant to either of you, see your doctor.
• Do you have chronic back problems? It’s a good idea to see and osteopath before you conceive. Once you are pregnant, many osteopaths are reluctant to work thoroughly for fear of miscarriage occurring. If you combine an osteopathic visit with massage, many back problems can be alleviated and prepare you for a more comfortable and healthy pregnancy.

Dental Health

Have you had a dental check-up recently? It’s a good idea to see your dentist now as your gums will soften during pregnancy and become vulnerable to infection. Gum disease has been linked to premature birth. Should you need dental x-rays, it’s best to have them before you are pregnant as radiation can cause miscarriage.

Insurance

• Do you need to take out private health insurance? Some insurance policies have waiting periods, usually twelve months, before you can claim for certain pregnancy-related costs.
• Does your choice of birth require extra insurance cover? If you want a home birth, some general policies will not cover the birth. If you want private obstetric and hospital care, you may need to revise your insurance policy.

Natural Therapy

• Natural therapies can boost your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. Have you considered the following? Acupuncture? Herbal medicine? Homeopathy? Reflexology? Australian Bush Flower essences? Nutritional therapy? All these therapies are worthwhile pursuing in preparation for pregnancy.
• Did you know that many therapies are not advised during the first trimester? This is because some women are sensitive and could miscarry in response to treatment. It is thought that one in every five pregnancies end in miscarriage and three in every four of these occur within the first ten weeks, sometimes before the woman is even conscious of being pregnant. These early miscarriages could manifest as little more than a painful and heavy period. Better to be safe in the early phases.
• Will you choose a natural therapy to help you through your pregnancy? Make sure the therapy you choose is considered safe during pregnancy and that your therapist is qualified and experienced in prenatal care.

Work

• Do you plan to work throughout your pregnancy? If so, are there any factors within your working environment that may be harmful to your developing baby?
• Do you have high stress levels? How would you consider addressing these? Stress can affect your chances of conception and your developing foetus.
• If you do decide to give up work, could you survive on the one income? Are you eligible for maternity leave? Check out your entitlement to parental leave.
  Would your partner consider parental leave? If so, when? Most women say the week following the birth is when partner’s help is most useful and appreciated.

Home

• Do you need to adjust your living environment? Do you need to move? Or move in together?
• If you plan to renovate, arrange to have any jobs that may be harmful to the developing baby such as stripping paint, painting, sanding or sealing, completed before the pregnancy. Alternatively, organise to be elsewhere when this is done.

Car

• Can you drive? If not is it worth getting your driver’s licence before the birth? Do you have a car? Will you be relying upon it for transport during labour? Is it reliable?
• Does it have the necessary anchor point for a baby safety restraint needed for the journey home from the hospital?

Antenatal Testing

• Would you consent to an invasive test?
• Would you consider ultrasound scanning as part of your prenatal care?
• What would you do if you found that your baby had a severe abnormality or disabling condition?
• How would you cope with a child with special needs?
• Or how would you cope with the idea of terminating a progressed pregnancy?

Pregnancy Dangers

• Several over-the-counter medicines can be harmful to your unborn baby?
• Did you know that several foods carry the risk of affecting your baby’s development?

Birthplan

• How would you prefer to give birth?
• Where would you have your baby?
• Would you choose a hospital birth? A home birth? A birthing centre? A waterbirth?
• Who would be at the birth?
• What pain relief would you prefer?
• Would you consent to an assisted birth?

Father Role

• Will the father play a role in deciding how and where the baby is born?
• Will he attend the birth?
• Will he help prepare a birth plan?

Help

• Do you intend having help or childcare following the birth? What is practical? What is affordable?
• Do you have a network of family or friends to call upon?
• There are several support networks and organisations in Australia offering help and advice. Whatever your query or problem, there is always someone to talk to, however trivial your worry may seem.

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1. Considerations
2. Other Considerations

The following is a guide of products and foods thought to affect conception, pregnancy and lactation.

Gourmet Cheese

Consumption of cheeses including blue vein, camembert, danish blue, stilton and all unpasteurised cheeses increases the risk of contracting listeria. Listeria is a bacterium linked to miscarriage, birth defects, and stillbirth.

Pate

Consumption of any style of pate increases the risk of contracting listeria. Liver and liver-based products contain Vitamin A that can cause birth defects particularly in the first trimester.

Upastereurised Goat or Sheep Products

These products carry the risk of toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by parasites.

Undercooked Meat

Consuming meat that has been cooked rare or medium rare increases the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis, salmonella and escheichia coli (E coli).

Raw or Uncooked Eggs

Eating raw eggs and raw egg products, including homemade mayonnaise, increases the risk of contracting salmonella.

Shellfish

Eating shellfish, particularly raw shellfish such as oysters, increases the risk of listerosis.

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2. Infections
3. Other Risks to Avoid

"Elderly Prima Gravidas" is the medical term given to a woman over 30 or 35 (depending on the doctor) giving birth for the first time. It literally translates to "old first-time mum". However, it is a term that is quickly dating as more women are choosing to delay motherhood until later in life.

In the last quarter of a century, the median age of first time mothers has increased from 24 years in 1975 to 29 in 2000. Australia Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) projections assume the median age of mothers will reach 31.2 years by 2008.

So why are so many women choosing to have children later in life? There are thought to be many influencing factors. Many women may be:

• Choosing to spend more time developing relationships before settling down with a partner in their mid 30s
• Choosing to achieve financial independence and security before having their first child
• Enjoying the freedom that a family life may potentially compromise choosing instead to travel, study or establish a successful career.

It’s a universal conundrum that for mothers in their 20s, the best years for having children from a medical perspective coincides with the best years for establishing a career.

There is also the thought that the widespread availability and long-term use of contraception has led to both less unplanned pregnancies and obligatory marriages. Also to be considered is the increasing number of pregnancies that are voluntarily terminated.

Many women may choose to delay parenthood in the belief that emotional and psychological maturity better equips them for dealing with the roles that parenthood presents. Some women find it necessary to live a varied and fulfilling life in both a personal and professional sense before embarking on motherhood. Establishing a sense of self is as important to many in today’s progressive society.

The April edition of Time magazine this year ran a cover photograph of a baby on top of an overflowing "pending" filing tray titled: "Babies vs Career - Which should come first for women who want both? The harsh facts about fertility". The article sought to highlight the potential medical obstacles women may face as older women wishing to start a family.

Medical Fraternity

In the medical fraternity it is broadly acknowledged that female fecundity (the ability to conceive) decreases with age. Delaying pregnancy and parenthood raises the likelihood of complications such as:

Difficulty Conceiving

Approximately one in seven couples experience infertility problems if the female is aged between 30-34 years, one in five when she is aged between 35-40 years and one in four for women aged between 40-44 years.

Chromosomal Anomalies

Chromosomal anomalies, including Down’s Syndrome. For a woman aged 20, the risk of Down’s Syndrome is one in 1000; by the age of 30 this increases to one in 600; at the age of 35, it is one in 225 and by 40 years, it is one in 62.

Aging Oocytes

Research indicates that age influences the quality of a woman’s oocytes (eggs) raising the risk of chromosomal anomalies and consequently the incidence of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Pregnancy Complications

The incidence of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes increases with age.

Foetal Deformities

The increasing incidence of foetal problems caused by nutritional deficiencies, such as folic acid, may lead to foetal deformities including neural tube defects and spina bifida.

Fertility Treatment

The effectiveness of fertility treatment, including IVF, is reduced. In 1997 about 9% of mothers assisted by artificial conception were aged 40 years and over, comprising 2% of all mothers.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

The incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease is increased.

Most health professionals, however, agree that with careful preconception and pregnancy planning, monitoring these problems can be managed, and to some extent, reduced.

Youth is certainly no guarantee of a clean bill of health. There’s genetics to consider, dietary choices, stress levels, along with the fact that many young women today consume far greater quantities of alcohol, recreational drugs and alcohol than women 20 year’s their senior. All these factors will have a bearing on fertility, pregnancy and labour.

Celebrated author and medical professional Christiane Northrup believes that whether or not a woman in her 30s is more at risk of fertility problems or a difficult pregnancy must be completely individualised.
A certified obstetrician and gynaecologist with vast experience in women’s health, Northrup writes in her book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom:
"I’d much rather take care of a 40-year-old in excellent health who had planned her pregnancy than a 25 year old who smokes two packs and quaffs a gallon of Diet Coke per day. Too often the medical profession "hexes" women who become pregnant in their 30s and 40s by lumping them into a statistically high-risk categories that are not necessarily applicable."
She also says that age is not an absolute measure of the intensity or duration of labour.
"Chronological age (age in years) and biological age (age of one’s tissues) aren’t necessarily related," writes Northrup.

Emotional Ramifications

Having a child later in life will always stir the emotional balance for a couple. When two people have spent a long time establishing themselves as individuals and as a couple living a full life, it can be an unexpectedly difficult transition to life as a family. The sudden responsibility of being parents can threaten a relationship and in some cases, it may not survive.
But one can always argue that a baby will alter any relationship, whatever age the couples and however long they have been together. As Nora Ephron once said:
"A baby is a hand grenade thrown into a marriage".

Bypassing Parenthood

If current rates of birth continue in Australia, 24% of all Australian women will remain childless at the end of their reproductive lives.
In the United States, recent census data indicates that childlessness has doubled in the past 20 years so that one in five women between 40 and 44 are childless.

Increasing median age of fathers

Meanwhile, the median age of fathers in Australia has increased from 29.4 years in 1980 to 32.3 years in 2000, according to the ABS. The growing proportion of fathers aged 40 years and over has contributed to this rise.
In 1980, 5% of fathers were aged 40 years and over - this figure has increased to 11% in 2000.
While it is thought that some fathers may have deliberately delayed fatherhood, it is also a possibility that many of these fathers could be starting a second family with a different partner.

Motherhood on Ice

In the United Kingdom, a 36-year-old woman has achieved pregnancy using her own previously frozen eggs and her husbands sperm, and gone on to give birth to a baby girl. Realistically this means women can choose to freeze their eggs and delay motherhood.

Related posts:

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2. Giving Birth by Caesarean Section
3. Pregnant Women and Sport

The following is a guide of other risks thought to affect conception, pregnancy and lactation.

Vitamen A

Excessive levels of vitamin A are associated with birth defects including cleft palate and heart malformation. Do not take a vitamin A supplement during pregnancy and if you are taking a multi-vitamin, check that it does not contain vitamin A. Also, avoid cod liver oil supplements as they contain Vitamin A.

Skin Preparations

Avoid anti-ageing creams/acne treatments containing retinol, a form of vitamin A. Excess vitamin A has been linked to birth defects.

Medical Drugs

The following list of drugs and medicines are thought to be high-risk:

• Lithium
• Carbimazole
• Thyroxine
• Warfarin and other anti-coagulants
• Metformin
• Vaccines for measles, rubella and yellow fever
• Phenytoin
• Tetracyclines
• Chloroquin
• Roaccutane, tetracycline, minocycline
• Anti-cancer drugs
• Radiation from x-rays

X-Rays

X-rays should be avoided, including dental x-rays, as they can damage the foetus.

Lead

Exposure to lead when you are pregnant may cause brain damage or affect the nerve development of your baby. Lead is also thought to affect your baby’s intellectual development and cause behavioural problems and illnesses in children. It is also linked to miscarriage, premature delivery and low birthweight and stillbirth.
Sources of lead include petrol fumes, lead-based paint and busy highways.

Stress

High stress levels have been linked to difficulties conceiving, hormonal imbalance and miscarriage. Stress is also known to stall the progression of labour by inhibiting the release of oxytocin. If left untreated, it can manifest as physical, emotional and mental conditions. It is thought to be the largest cause of illness in western society.

Natural Therapies

Aloe Vera Drinks

Recent studies have found aloe vera drinks may be associated with miscarriage.

Aromatherapy Essential Oils

Some essential oils used in aromatherapy treatment have the ability to bring on menstrual bleeding and therefore are considered unsafe during pregnancy. Research indicates that neroli (orange blossom flower) and mandarin are the two oils most beneficial and safe to use throughout pregnancy. Lavender is considered safe for use after the first trimester.

Hair Products and Other Cosmetics

Hair colourants and cosmetics generally contain chemicals. Naturopaths believe that ideally it is better to avoid applying anything that is synthetic to the body or hair during pregnancy. Medical professionals however generally do not cite these products as being of grave danger. It comes down to a matter of choice.

Antiperspirants and Deodorants

Many women become concerned about the use of antiperspirants and deodorants during pregnancy. Naturopaths believe that while it is important to consider this during pregnancy, it should be something that women become aware of at all times.
Naturopaths believe it is crucial to use aluminium-free deodorants. They also believe that 'antiperspirants' are harmful to the body as they are designed to prevent a natural process of perspiration by chemically blocking pores, as the name suggests.
There is also growing thought that antiperspirant preparations may be a cause of the rising incidence of breast cancer in the western world.
As an alternative, there are many aluminium-free deodorants available that are fragranced naturally.
Many women favour the 'rock crystal' now available in many health shops. The crystal works by neutralising the bacteria that causes body odour and is simply applied by wetting it and applying it to the underarm area. Always read labels first.

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A ground-breaking technique that involves taking eggs from a woman and placing them on ice could revolutionise the way we choose to have children in the future.

A British couple who successfully gave birth to a girl have proved that it is possible to take eggs from a woman’s ovary, place them on ice for six months, before gently thawing them out for test-tube fertilisation.

Lee and Helen Perry gave birth to Emily, who weighed 71b 13 oz, after a straight-forward natural delivery in June. It was the first time in the UK that a woman had achieved pregnancy using her own previously frozen eggs and gone on to give birth to a baby.

Helen Perry (36) had earlier been diagnosed as being at risk of a potentially fatal condition called ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome in which the ovaries become swollen. She was advised that a pregnancy at this stage would endanger her heath.

For religious reasons the couple did not want to store frozen embryos that might later be discarded so instead they allowed the medical team to take some of her unfertilised eggs and keep them on ice until her ovaries had recovered. Six months later these eggs were carefully thawed and an embryo was created using her husband’s sperm.

A first attempt failed but the second was successful.

The fertility specialist, Dr Gillian Lockwood, whose team carried out the procedure using a new technique, says the reason that freezing eggs is a difficult process is because they are essentially fluid-filled bubbles and when frozen, ice crystals tend to form inside them, damaging their internal structure and affecting the chances of fertilisation.

The team used a highly-specialised procedure that involved first removing most of the water from the eggs, then using a chemical solution based on a type of alcohol to protect the eggs. The solution has an anti-freeze effect.

To thaw the eggs the temperature was lowered then gradually raised.

Although a similar procedure has been used in the birth of some 20 babies worldwide, until recently such procedures had been banned in Britain.

For women with diseases requiring medical treatment that might make them sterile, the news brings hope. It means there is a chance that their eggs can be removed and used successfully in later life.

"Egg freezing may come to be seen as the ultimate kind of family planning," said Dr Lockwood.

Although there is nothing to stop women freezing eggs simply to delay motherhood, it remains an uncertain an expensive option.    

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