So, you’re thinking about trying to conceive, or maybe you’re already trying; but you’re not too keen on trying fertility drugs or assisted reproduction techniques yet? That’s OK, there’s plenty of simple ways to naturally increase fertility. Let’s look at just a few options:

Know when you’re most fertile: Tracking your menstrual cycle can help you to pinpoint your ovulation, and therefore your most fertile times. Ovulation occurs usually around mid-cycle (in a “standard” 28-day cycle). As the fertile egg is released from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube en route to the uterus, that’s when we want it to get friendly with the sperm! Sperm can usually live for a little longer than the unfertilized egg, so having intercourse around or even a day or two before this time can help you conceive.

During ovulation the cervical mucus also becomes more abundant and slippery, assisting the sperm to travel to the egg.

If your cycle is less regular, you can chart it using Basal Body Temperature (BBT)- basically you just need to take your temperature first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Most women’s BBT will jump about half a degree at ovulation helping you to narrow down the best time for intercourse. You can also purchase ovulation kits that help to pinpoint ovulation by measuring a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) that occurs just before ovulation.

Maintain a healthy weight: Having a BMI (Body Mass Index) considered overweight or obese (BMI over 25) increases the average time to conception. It also increases the chances of complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes. The flip side is also true – being in the underweight range (BMI below 19) increases average time to conception, and increases risks of low birth weights.

For men, being overweight significantly reduces sperm counts and also increases average time to conception.

What’s your BMI? It’s your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in metres) squared. A healthy range is usually considered around 19-25.

Stop smoking: Smoking tobacco affects your fertility in many ways, and none of them good. In women smoking increases average times to conception, probably through the damage it causes to the eggs and reproductive organs (like the cervix and fallopian tubes). It also increases the risk of miscarriage if you do fall pregnant, and the baby is more likely to suffer from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

It’s no good for the guys, either – in men smoking reduces sperm counts, sperm motility and morphology – basically, fewer swimmers not swimming as good!

If only one of you is smoking, it’s still not good – all these effects are still noticeable in the partners of smokers through passive smoking, so take it outside.

Besides, smoking’s not cool any more. Quit it.