It’s no secret that getting pregnant is not always a walk in the park and a large amount of planning around menstrual cycles is a very real part of many couples’ lives. Considering there is only a 15% chance of becoming pregnant each cycle in two healthy partners, the busy lifestyles of today’s working adults requires the timing to be perfect to give yourself the best chance of becoming pregnant.

For some wishing parents however medical conditions make it even more difficult to become pregnant, and for these individuals a helping hand is needed to start the beautiful process of gestation. In modern society today, whilst there are many options to become a parent including adoption, sperm donors or surrogate’s, couples are desiring an organic natural pregnancy process. An organic pregnancy process often will depend on both adults’ fertility rates, which can be dramatically increased with the right diet and exercise plan. Limitless Health & Fitness trainers work closely to form a personal experience in preparing couple’s for pregnancy and then take them through the pregnancy process and help get back to pre-baby fitness post-partum. Given that pregnancy is one of the most important times in anyone’s lives having a degree qualified health professional there with you from trying to get pregnant, right the way through to post natal makes a big difference in the overall experience.

One of the widest documented procedures for these desiring couples is ‘In Vitro Fertilization’ or IVF as it is more commonly known. For infertile couples this can be an expensive option and can be seen as an invasive route and should not be considered without careful consideration. The basis of the procedure begins with the female taking medication to stimulate her ovaries to produce more eggs than normal, these eggs are then harvested surgically once they have ripened. A male partner then produces a sperm specimen which is combined with the eggs in the lab and grown for around 5 days. Usually the top two most viable embryos are then transferred back into the females’ uterus to which the female then takes a pregnancy test around 10 days later. However, with a success rate of around 50% and the procedure costing around $10,000 in upfront fees it is open to some criticism.

With a lower percentage rate than most people would like, other ways in which you can improve your chances are with a healthy nutrition plan and regular personalized exercise program. Regular exercise increases hormone production which can increase fertility rates. Here at Limitless Health & Fitness we can customize all of our programs to accommodate high hormone release.

Whilst it may seem a large sum of money for a relatively small percentage success rate, for some couples a 50% success rate is a 50% increase in success rate, therefore boosting chances of gestation form 0. In terms of success rate, many IVF clinics will now not allow you to undertake IVF treatment without having your BMI under a figure that is seen to be ‘healthy’. This essentially means if you are overweight by BMI standards it significantly decreases your fertility rates. Here at Limitless we work with IVF clinics across Sydney to personalise diet and exercise plans to reduce your BMI to allow a greater chance of gestation.

It is also a very popular option for couples where the female has blocked fallopian tubes as it increases the chances of becoming pregnant where the odds were almost impossible. Not only that but it offers a less surgical and less invasive way of activating the uterus, therefore avoiding the pain and discomfort of fallopian surgery.

On the reverse side of the argument, it can be the most effective way of encouraging fertilization of a male with a low sperm count. With the controlled conditions of the scientific lab environment the chances of the fertilization process increase tenfold.

Similarly and somewhat amusingly to some, mother nature produces several thousand sperm cells in every male ejaculation due to the complexity of the female fertilization tract. With the IVF process implanting already created embryos eliminates this somewhat tricky expedition for the sperm cell.

Finally, one of the major benefits of IVF is with females who suffer from medical complications which do not allow egg production, but who still want to go through the beautiful journey of pregnancy. A donor egg can be selected and fertilized with the male partners’ sperm and implanted into the female partners’ uterus allowing for the more organic, natural birth.

In summary, whilst IVF is an expensive and complicated procedure with no guarantees attached, it can be said that advancements in scientific research and treatments that 50% figure is ever increasing. For those couples looking to travel through the 40 week journey and witness one of the most beautiful moments in a family’s lifetime, the experience of child birth itself will far outweigh the high costs and potential disappointment along the way.