Fertility Nurse Talk

Both my partner and I found the presentation by Helen Graham, Fertility Nurse at the Royal Surrey Hospital very useful. She talked about hormone levels during your cycle and when ovulation happens, she said that its best to have sex three days before ovulation then every three days during your fertile time to try and catch the egg.

I obviously knew to have a varied diet full of different colours to get all of the nutrients possible. To keep saturated fats to a minimum i.e. cakes and bakery items and to keep within your BMI for your height and weight and to include exercise. The advice was also to keep alcohol to the recommended safe limit and stop smoking but I was surprised to find out that caffeine effects fertility! Not a problem for me, more for my other half and his new cafetiere! My down fall is having a sweet tooth but I intend to drop 7 pounds or so and stay off the sweet stuff, or at least try and make my own cake if I do eat it.

Helen also mentioned to watch out for too much vitamin A as this can cause birth defects. Taking folic acid is needed when trying to conceive and vitamin C and zinc was also important. She said it is useful to check if you are ovulating by using a test. I did this over two days in the middle of my cycle, the first day it came back negative, the following day it said I was ovulating.

However, I had a blood test done at the hospital on day 24 of my cycle to see if I had ovulated and the results said I didn’t ovulate! I was surprised and confused at this after taking the test. The doctor said that the ovulating kits on the high street aren’t very sensitive so may not always be correct. She went onto say that this may not be the case every month for ovulating, it could just be this or some months that I don’t. We now have an appointment at the hospital to talk through our options.

I did speak to Helen regarding taking painkillers and using very hot water bottles regularly. They would normally prefer you to not be taking any painkillers. Although in my case I need them so I am trying to take less of them during the month if I can, whilst trying to keep a balance in pain. I have decided to take a pregnancy test before I take my really heavy drugs each month. The advice for the water bottles was too keep them to a minimum and not too hot. She said plenty of warms baths were a good idea and very relaxing. Obviously if I have a period then I wouldn't be pregnant and can have hot water bottles and all my painkillers.


I was hoping to go with the flow and not get to hung up on trying for a baby but it seems it won't be quiet that simple. I am keeping in my mind that I have come far in this journey as now I can use all of the dilators and have some sex so that is some great progress!