by Nicole Selley

Created on: September 13, 2009   Last Updated: July 13, 2011

Trying to have a baby should be a wonderful time for any couple, but all too often expectation and hope turn into frustration and fear. The bad news is that today 1 in 7 couples have difficulties conceiving a baby. But the good news is that there are natural ways to increase your own fertility naturally without having to resort to drugs and infertility treatment. Here are 27 tips to give you the best possible chance.

Tip 1: Stop smoking

There is plenty of evidence that smoking has an adverse effect on your fertility. It can negatively affect sperm production in men leading to an increased morphology - meaning abnormally formed sperm. Smoking also has been linked to increased risks of miscarriage and earlier reaching of the menopause. It is a well known fact that a woman can put the health of its unborn baby at risk when smoking throughout pregnancy and stopping when you are starting to try to conceive can improve your chances.

Tip 2: Reduce alcohol intake

Heavy drinking can have a detrimental effect on a couple's fertility. Most women stop drinking as soon as they are pregnant, but few couples consider that large quantities of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of miscarriage, can result in irregular menstrual cycles and affect the quality of the sperm a man produces. It is also important to consider that you may already be 2 weeks pregnant when you get your positive pregnancy test and limiting the alcohol you drink during this time is recommended. It is not a problem for couples trying to conceive to have the occasional glass of wine. After all you can't take your whole life on stop if it takes longer than expected to get pregnant, but reducing the amount and staying within the recommended units per week can improve your fertility.

Tip 3: Control your weight

Both being overweight or underweight can have a negative impact on your chances to become pregnant. In general it is recommended that both partners should have a body mass index of between 19 and 28 for ideal fertility. For men it can affect sperm production if they weight too much or too little whilst it can affect ovulation and regularity of the menstrual cycle as well as the ability to sustain an early pregnancy in women. Controlling your weight can therefore be a good way not only to increase your general health and well-being, but also your fertility.

Tip 4: Improve your diet

Infertility or reduced fertility is often linked to our less-than-healthy lifestyle and nutrition. The human body

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