How can men and women enhance their fertility when tests show that there's nothing wrong

asks Jayne b-t:

A. For some time, experts have been putting falling fertility rates down to everything from tight underwear, sedentary jobs and high stress levels to chemicals in plastics, exhaust fumes, pesticides and detergents. But you can't avoid everything.

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Q. So what should we do
A. Generally speaking, the better your health, the more likely you are to conceive. If you smoke, for example, you should stop. Chemicals in cigarette smoke damage sperm and lower testosterone levels. In women, smoking increases the risk of miscarriage.

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Q. OK, what else
A. Cut right down on alcohol. In men, it reduces sperm production. About 40% of male fertility problems have been linked to alcohol.

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Q. Does what we eat matter
A. Yes, to an extent. If you are very deficient in vital vitamins and minerals, that could cause problems conceiving. This is the view of Foresight, the Association for Pre-Conceptual Care. It's a charity which promotes good health and diet before conception, and it's had some success with couples who have unexplained infertility. There is a pre-conception programme you can follow - see the website for more details.

It's also important that both of you take folic acid before conception. It's widely known that women should take 400mcg daily to prevent spina bifida, but research has shown that a deficiency in men can cause a 90% reduction in sperm count.

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Q. Are there are other supplements that might help
A. Studies show that zinc and selenium are particularly important for sperm production. The selenium levels in the UK are about half of what they should be, and some experts believe that taking a selenium supplement should be part of the treatment for childless couples. The normal daily intake is 60-70mcg, but a daily intake of 130mcg per day is needed for optimal improvement in sperm quality.

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Q. Anything else we can do
A. Yes, think positively! There was a report in the British Medical Journal about a group of women who were having difficulty conceiving. They were taught to replace negative talk about their chances of getting pregnant with a positive belief that they would. As a result, half became pregnant, compared to only 20% of the control group.

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I'm smiling already...
And finally, relax. De-stressing will help both of you. Have a holiday, lie in the sun all day and lie in bed all morning - the sort of thing you won't be able to do when a baby arrives!

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Do you have a tip for unexplained infertility Post it here

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By Sheena Miller

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