How to Stay Positive When Trying to Conceive

If you are wondering about how to stay positive when trying to conceive, read our tips and advice.

Deciding to try for a baby is an exciting step in your relationship. However, it can be overwhelming, especially if becoming pregnant is taking longer than expected, or if your fertility journey is trickier than you’d initially anticipated. It can be easy to feel disheartened.

When trying to conceive, it's essential to focus on both your physical health as well as maintaining a positive mindset. Staying positive and focusing on self-care can make a difference to your emotional well-being. If you are taking your trying to conceive vitamins (including zinc which contributes to normal fertility and reproduction) eating a balanced and healthy diet, and made positive life changes too (e.g stop smoking) and do remember to take care of your mood and mental health too.

To help you enjoy trying to conceive, we have easy and practical suggestions to boost your mood and take steps to improve your overall wellbeing and happiness during this time.

Your Lifestyle And Healthy Diet When Trying to Conceive

When you are trying for a baby, it may feel like many elements are out of your control. To help you feel more empowered, focus on parts of your life that you can control, including your healthy diet and lifestyle when trying to conceive.

It is always important to eat a healthy, nutritious diet, but it becomes even more key when you’re trying to conceive. This isn’t just to prepare your body for pregnancy and support conception, but also to ensure that if you do fall pregnant, your body can provide all the right nutrients for you and the growing fetus. This includes supplemental folic acid, which intake increases maternal folate status and contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy. Low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing fetus

Think about the positive lifestyle steps you can take. Try to cut down on alcohol, stop smoking and make sure you eat your five a day, and more.

Read more about the types of food you should eat and avoid in our post on the best foods to eat when trying to conceive.

Exercise When Trying To Conceive

A simple way to stay positive when trying to conceive is exercise. Regular moderate exercise has many benefits, including:

• Keeping your body active and healthy
• Helping you maintain a healthy weight
• Relieving stress
• Boosting your mood

As well as helping your physical health, exercise can also help your mental health. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better, which is helpful if stress or worries keep you awake at night.

What type of exercise is good when trying to conceive? The UK government recommends that adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities.

Any moderate exercise can be helpful when you are trying for a baby, be it going to the gym, running or group sports activities. You could try a solo activity like going to the gym, or a smore sociable activity, for example playing netball, taking a Pilates class or taking part in a weekly Parkrun 5k runs. Even going for a daily walk can be helpful and is a good way of getting some fresh air and clearing your mind. Try to find an activity you like doing and one you’ll stick to.

Find out more about exercise during pregnancy in our guest post from the Active Pregnancy Foundation.

Can You Do Yoga When Trying To Conceive?

Yes, you can do yoga when trying to conceive. Exercise like Yoga or Pilates are ideal workouts as they are low impact and will lead to improved flexibility, strength, and body awareness. They will focus your mind and may also help relieve stress and anxiety. If you don’t want to take part in a group yoga class, you can follow tutorials on YouTube at home for no cost.

Self-Care When Trying to Conceive

Self-care is an important way of staying positive when trying to conceive, as taking time out to take care of yourself can boost the way you are feeling.

Self care looks different for everyone. For some people it might be a pamper session, for others it might be a long run, or for others it might be going to bed early. Try and find time for relaxation and look for healthy ways you can manage anxieties.

Beauty Products To Avoid When Trying To Conceive

If taking care of your beauty routine is a way of self care, it is advised to avoid beauty products containing retinol, which is vitamin A, when trying to conceive. This is because when you are pregnant, vitamin A can potentially harm your unborn baby.

Mindfulness When Trying To Conceive

A useful way to focus your mood when you are trying to conceive is with mindfulness, which involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside yourself, moment by moment. Mindfulness can help you be more present and focus on the here and now, and help you avoid getting caught up in negative thoughts.

Read NHS tips on practicing mindfulness, with guidance around the three Cs of mindfulness: curiosity, compassion, and calm centre. There are also tips on simple breathwork to help relax you here.

Writing About Your Feelings

Writing can be helpful when you are trying to conceive as it is a simple way of processing emotions. The act of writing can be cathartic, and it can help you analyze your emotions by reading them back.

Find a method of writing that works for you, be it keeping a paper diary, using a diary app or making notes on your phone.

Find Someone To Confide In

Deciding to try for a baby is often a more private decision. However, confiding in friends or family about your emotions can help you stay positive. It is up to you who you tell about your fertility journey, and when, but finding someone with a sympathetic, non-judgmental ear you can discuss concerns and worries with can be helpful.

It can help to speak to people who are going through what you are going through. If you don’t want to tell anyone that you’re trying for a baby in real life, sites like Mumsnet have active communities of people who are trying to conceive.

However, try and stay away from too much online research as it can be all-consuming and make sure you also stick to trusted sources of information.

Give Yourself Things To Look Forward To

To help boost your mood, it can help to plan things you can look forward to. These could be short term – a favourite meal at the end of a busy week – or more long-term events like seeing friends or booking a holiday. Think of what will make you feel happy, however small, and focus on that.

Don’t Put Your Life On Hold

Trying for a baby can feel all-consuming but try not to postpone things or put your life on hold. Make sure you keep to your normal schedule and plan activities such as events or days out. Why not start a new hobby or read the book you’ve been meaning to read? Refocus your thoughts and help yourself stay busy. It can help you to stay positive by thinking of something else, especially during the period when you are waiting to see if you are pregnant.

Multivitamins To Support Trying to Conceive

In addition to eating a healthy diet when trying for a baby, some women also choose to take a daily multivitamin and mineral that is specifically designed for preconception, such as Pregnacare Conception.

It is advised that you take a 400µg folic acid supplement and choose foods rich in folates from before conception until at least the twelfth week of pregnancy. Supplemental folic acid intake increases maternal folate status and contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy. Low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing fetus.

You should also take a daily supplement of 10µg vitamin D, as advised by the UK Department of Health for everyone, including during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Vitamin D helps maintain normal bones and teeth, and consider taking at least 2.5µg vitamin B12, which contributes to normal red blood cell formation.

Avoid taking regular multivitamins as these may contain vitamin A – which can potentially be harmful to your unborn baby - and insufficient folic acid and vitamin D.

Pregnancy-specific supplements such as the Vitabiotics Pregnacare range of pregnancy vitamins contain the recommended level of 400µg folic acid and 10µg vitamin D, plus the vitamins and minerals vital for mother and baby, with specific products to provide nutritional support at different stages: for before pregnancy, when planning a baby (with zinc which contributes to normal fertility and reproduction) , for during the whole of pregnancy (with folic acid which contributes to maternal tissues growth during pregnancy) and whilst breast-feeding (with Omega 3 DHA. Maternal intake of DHA contributes to the normal eye and brain development of the breastfed baby).

How to Support Your Partner When Trying to Conceive

How should partners support each other when trying to conceive? When you’re trying for a baby, it is important to look after the mental health both of you, any try not to let any issues take a toll on your relationship.

Communication is key; regularly check in with each other to see and make sure you know how the other one is feeling. Make sure you take time to properly talk about what you are going through.

Try and make positive lifestyle steps work for both of you – including stopping smoking, cutting down on drinking and eating healthily.

Help And Support Is Available From Fertility Network UK

Going through fertility issues can feel isolating. However, 1 in 6 people in the UK face some kind of fertility challenge, which is over 3.5 million people. If this is you, know that you're not alone.

Fertility Network UK is a patient-focused fertility charity that exists to make sure everyone on a fertility journey has support and information. Whether you're trying to conceive, going through treatment, or living without children, Fertility Network UK can help you with a wide range of information and resources, including a free support line where you can chat to former fertility nurses for advice. Find out more on the Fertility Network UK website, with information, advice and support on the emotional impact of infertility here.

Pregnacare are proud sponsors of Fertility Network UK.

Disclaimer: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional regarding any medical condition. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the blog and to describe best generally accepted current practices we cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of the information given.