Preconception Advice at a Private Fertility Clinic in London
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Embark on your Natural Conception journey with confidence
IVF Matters is known for supporting all paths to parenthood and we're equally passionate about helping couples trying to conceive naturally. If you're looking for expert, personalised advice to improve your chances of natural conception, you're in the right place.
Dr Irfana Koita is proud to introduce the Prep4Pregnancy Programme — a 1:1, three-month fertility coaching service designed to guide you through this important phase with clarity and confidence.
Your fast-track programme to achieving pregnancy naturally
Many couples aren’t told how much timing, hormone balance, nutrition, and lifestyle habits can affect their ability to conceive. Preconception education is often overlooked — and that’s exactly what the Prep4Pregnancy programme is here to change.
Dr Irfana Koita’s all-new 1:1 fertility coaching service is designed to give you the expert guidance and personalised support you need to take control of your natural fertility journey. In fact, 12.5% of IVF Matters patients conceive naturally — without the need for IVF, simply by taking the right steps at the right time.
Meet Dr Irfana Koita
Our Medical Director Dr Irfana Koita takes the time to get to know her patients and their specific needs.
Dr Koita is a fellow of the prestigious Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG), has done a Masters in Healthcare Leadership, from Cornell University, USA and trained in Assisted Conception at Kings College Hospital, London. She has over 18 years of clinical experience and is recognised nationally as an expert in her field.
Personalised Support at IVF Matters
The Prep4Pregnancy programme is designed for couples at the very start of their fertility journey — those who want to give themselves the best possible chance of conceiving naturally. You’ll receive expert guidance on coming off contraception, understanding your cycle, and preparing your body and mind for pregnancy, all tailored to your individual
needs.
A Couple's Guide to Optimising Fertility for a Healthy Pregnancy
Nutrition and Diet:
Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Reduce processed foods and sugars.
Moderate Exercise:
Regular, moderate exercise can improve fertility. Activities like walking, swimming, or yoga are beneficial without being overly strenuous.
Limiting Alcohol and Caffeine:
Couples should reduce their intake of alcohol and caffeine, as both can negatively impact fertility.
Stress Management:
Chronic stress can affect fertility. Consider stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness, meditation, or counseling.
Adequate Sleep:
Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night, as sleep quality can influence fertility.
Avoid Tobacco and Recreational Drugs:
Avoid the use of tobacco and recreational drugs, as both can significantly impair fertility.
Healthy Weight Management:
Maintain a healthy weight, as both underweight and overweight can affect fertility.
Regular Intercourse:
Have sex three to four times a week to enhance your chances of natural conception.
FAQ
The female menstrual cycle (also known as the fertility cycle) consists of 2 phases. The first phase is the pre ovulatory phase or the follicular phase. During this phase the egg sac (also known as the follicle) develops and matures. Subsequently the egg is released. The second phase is the post ovulatory phase or the secretory phase.
For a woman to conceive, intercourse must take place around the time when an egg is released from the ovary. The systems that produce eggs and sperm have to be working at optimum levels. The fallopian tubes must be open and healthy.
The egg lives for 24 hours after being released and the sperm can stay alive and active in the body for 48 hours after ejaculation, so you don’t have to have intercourse at the exact moment of ovulation to get pregnant.
It just takes one sperm to fertilise the egg for a woman to become pregnant. Although millions of sperm are released upon ejaculation, only a few survive the journey through the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes.
About 5 to 6 days post fertilisation the embryo implants onto the uterine cavity. This would result in a positive pregnancy test.
If fertilisation does not take place, or if the fertilised egg does not attach itself to the endometrium lining of the uterus, the endometrium breaks down and is shed resulting in a period.
All women trying for a baby should take 400 mcg of folic acid a day to help prevent neurological problems in the baby.
20% of women in the UK in the reproductive age group are deficient in Vitamin D. A low Vitamin D level is linked to infertility. Hence, you should also take 10 mcg of Vitamin D daily. Ideally you need to check your blood levels so that you can take the appropriate dose.
Rubella infection in pregnancy can have serious consequences on the baby's development. Hence, confirm you are immune to Rubella by doing a blood test.
If you are not immune you will need to stop tying to conceive and take the Rubella jabs.
Yes, caffeine intake can affect both male and female fertility as well as increase the risk of miscarriage.
The risk appears to be dose-dependent, with higher doses leading to a greater risk.
High caffeine intake may have a negative effect on male reproductive function by damaging sperm DNA and quality.
To reduce risks, experts generally recommend limiting caffeine intake to 200 mg/day (around 2 cups of coffee) or less for both males and females trying to conceive or during pregnancy
The consensus among health experts is that the safest approach is to abstain from alcohol entirely when trying to conceive and throughout the entire duration of pregnancy to eliminate any risk to the developing fetus.
The research indicates that even light or moderate drinking before pregnancy can have detrimental effects on fetal development and growth. Alcohol consumption prior to pregnancy has been linked to increased risks of miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm birth, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Hence, both women and men should abstain from any alcohol consumption when planning a pregnancy, to safeguard the health of the developing fetus from potential alcohol-related harms.
No, it is not safe for men or women to smoke during the preconception period or pregnancy. Smoking before and during pregnancy can have serious negative impacts on fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and the health of the baby.
There is a dose-response relationship, with higher paternal smoking levels leading to greater risk. Smoking can also cause male impotence, conception delay, and infertility.
For women, smoking before pregnancy reduces fertility, increases egg damage, miscarriage, and difficulty conceiving.
During pregnancy, maternal smoking increases the risks of spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), premature birth, and other fetal and maternal complications.
Even secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy is linked to higher risks of stillbirth, miscarriage, preterm delivery, and impaired fetal growth.
The preconception period provides an important opportunity to quit smoking for both parents to avoid these risks and improve pregnancy and child health outcomes.
Get in Touch
Our Location
Dr Koita consults at Harley Street in London.
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