Advice after your nerve block for surgery
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Before your clinic appointment
Your GP has requested that you are seen in the Fertility Clinic. It is best to attend this appointment with your partner, unless you are single. If your partner is unable to attend the first appointment for some reason, the investigations can be initiated.
Please make sure you attend the follow up appointment with your partner. It would also be useful if you can fill the enclosed questionnaire requiring details of gynaecological and medical history for you and your partner and bring it along to your clinic appointment.
Previous Investigations
At the first appointment, you are seen either by a Doctor or Specialist Nurse, who takes a detailed history and arranges the relevant blood tests and ultrasound scans, as required.
If you have had any fertility investigations in the past, either with your GP or another hospital, it will be very helpful if you bring along a copy of your results and any letters from your previous hospital appointments. It helps us identify the tests you need and avoid duplication.
Sometimes, couples find that there is a lot of information to consider at the first appointment and can feel confused. We have tried to summarise some basic information and recommendations based on National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) guidance for couples who are trying to conceive. Please feel free to ask any questions at your clinic appointment.
Age
Female fertility declines with age, but the effect of age on male fertility is less clear. With regular unprotected intercourse, 94% of fertile women aged 35 years or less, and 77% of those aged 38 years, will conceive after 3 years of trying. Although it may be appropriate to start fertility investigations, treatment will be discussed on an individual basis, as you may have a good chance of getting pregnant naturally.
Frequency of sexual Intercourse
Regular sexual intercourse every 2 to 3 days optimises the overall chance of pregnancy. Use of ovulation kits to time intercourse to coincide with ovulation is likely to cause emotional stress and is not generally recommended in most couples.
Smoking
Stopping smoking is probably the most important single thing that you and your partner can do. Smoking reduces fertility in both men and women. Men who smoke tend to have lower sperm counts and a higher numbers of abnormal sperm.
In addition, if you smoke, you are more at risk of having a miscarriage or going in to premature labour. Smoking during pregnancy is the number one preventable cause of low birth weight babies. When you have had your baby, it is important not to start smoking again. Babies whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from chest infections, asthma and are more at risk of cot death. There are no positive effects for you or your baby if you smoke.
Alcohol
Alcohol can have a detrimental affect on your chances of conceiving. According to Department of Health guidelines, women trying to conceive should avoid drinking more than one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week. Avoiding episodes of intoxication reduces the risk of harming a
developing fetus. Although excessive alcohol intake is detrimental to semen quality, consuming up to 1 to 2 units per week for men is unlikely to affect their fertility.
Diet and weight
Achieving the correct weight for your height is important, both for general health and fertility. Both men and women who are obese (Body Mass Index 30 or more) are likely to have reduced fertility and take longer to conceive. Obesity increases the chances of miscarriage and complications during pregnancy for both mother (eg. diabetes, raised blood pressure, hemorrhage) and baby (stillbirth and neonatal death).
In addition, being overweight makes it very difficult to monitor the growth of your baby.
If you are having problems with ovulation (releasing eggs) and are overweight, losing weight may correct this and increase your chance of conceiving.
Women who have a BMI of less than 19 and irregular menstruation should try to put on some weight as it is likely to improve their chance of conception.
The general advice for healthy eating is to eat a well balanced diet, low in salt and saturated fats, high in fibre, fresh fruit and vegetables.
One simple tip that we believe to be helpful is to avoid snacking in between meals or use healthy, low sugar snacks. It is also better to have more white meat and fish than red meat and dairy products in moderation. It is best to eliminate processed foods as much as possible.
Folic Acid
Taking folic acid supplement reduces the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects. The daily dosage is 0.4 mg (or 400 micrograms) per day, which you can buy from any Pharmacy over the counter. It should be started before conception and continue up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
A higher daily dose of 5 mg (requires doctor’s prescription) is recommended for women with BMI over 30, diabetes, anti-epileptic medication and history of neural tube defects in a previous pregnancy.
Exercise
Regular exercise of around 30 minutes a day helps to maximise your fitness and keep your weight in check. It also boosts levels of endorphins, the body’s own ‘happy hormones’, which may help to reduce stress. The more active and fit you are, the easier it will be for you to cope comfortably with a pregnancy.
Susceptibility to rubella
Most women are immune to Rubella, as a result of vaccination or mild infection during childhood. However, contracting Rubella in early pregnancy by susceptible women can cause damage to the baby. Checking for immunity to Rubella is a routine part of fertility investigations. If you are not immune, you will require 2 does of MMR vaccination and you should avoid getting pregnant during the course of Vaccination up to one month after vaccination. Vaccination should be arranged through your GP surgery.
Cervical cancer screening
You should be up to date with your cervical smear tests to avoid any delay in fertility treatment. If you have had abnormal smears in the past and are not sure about fertility treatment, please discuss this at your appointment.
Tight underwear for men
Men should avoid wearing tight underwear for prolonged periods, as there is an association between elevated scrotal temperature and reduced semen quality.
Contact Number
Gynaecology Clinic: FPH : 03006 13 4127
WPH : 0300615 3750
Mon-Fri from 0830 to 1800
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Gynaecology service.
About this information
Service:
Gynaecology
Reference:
L/131
Approval date:
11 May 2026
Review date:
1 May 2029
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.