The difficult topic of infertility as addressed in the Bluey Onesies episode – could diet help?
The Bluey Onesies episode raises the traumatic and terribly sad issue of being unable to conceive. We know that 20% of couples resort to going down the route of IVF which is often not widely, openly talked about in society. So, it’s great that this episode of Bluey brings it up.
In this episode Bluey asks her Mum about her Aunty, "Why can't she have the thing that she wants?", and her Mum responds, "Because it's not meant to be."
But did you know that there’s actually a lot that can be helped by diet and lifestyle to improve your chances? One study showed a 69% improvement in rates of pregnancy!
I’m a Certified Fertility Dietitian which means that I’ve studied the facts and the evidence in depth for years now (and I coach other dietitians worldwide on this topic), and there is a great amount of evidence to demonstrate that these high rates of infertility are often caused by poor dietary and lifestyle choices.
To explain a little further, many aren’t aware that conception is much more than about sex. The process of conception is a complex interplay between a range of hormones, processes and growth. However, in simplistic terms, there are 5 key processes that need to occur for healthy conception:
1. We need healthy sperm
2. We need a healthy egg
3. We need ovulation (when the egg is released from the ovary) to occur (preferably in a timely manner)
4. The egg and the sperm need to join together to create an embryo
5. The embryo needs to implant into the uterus.
You can see there’s many things that can go wrong in this process, and the good news is that nutrition can make a massive difference to all five of them.
If you or someone you know is going through this, I may be able to help so call me for a chat to see what we can do to help your journey to starting a healthy family. I really want to help to minimise this trauma of not being able to start a family like Bluey’s Aunty suffered.
With heartfelt dedication, Sally
Accredited Practising Dietitian and Certified Fertility Dietitian, Sally Marchini of Marchini Nutrition, has type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease herself and is passionate about supporting others with these and other chronic conditions. You can follow her on her Instagram account @Marchini.Nutrition, Facebook page Marchini Nutrition, and in her closed support group Be Well Gluten Free.
