HAVE SEX AT THE RIGHT TIME

    Women are most fertile at day 10-16, with day one being the first day of their period. Sperm stay alive in the female reproductive tract for up to three days, says Bill Ledger, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield, so having intercourse at least every other day during this fertile time will be enough to make a baby.

    WHEN TO GET HELP

    Women's fertility drops rapidly after the age of 35. If you are in your early thirties and have been trying for a baby for a year without success, talk to your GP. If you are over 35, go after six months.

    WATCH YOUR DIET

    Both men and women should avoid being underweight or overweight, as weight problems can affect the hormones that control fertility. The Times nutritionist Amanda Ursell says that zinc-rich foods such as red meat and wholegrain cereal may improve sperm quality.

    GO EASY ON THE BOOZE

    It may loosen your sexual inhibitions, but alcohol isn't always good news for fertility. One study suggests that five drinks a week can affect women's fertility. Although you don't need to abstain from the sauce, it's a good idea to moderate your intake.

    STUB IT OUT

    Smoking harms the fertility of men and women. The damage is reversible in men, as they produce new sperm every 70 days. However, according to the British Medical Association, smoking reduces a woman's chances of conceiving by 40 per cent.

    HAPPY SEX

    Although there is only a six-day window of peak fertility in a woman's monthly cycle, it's important to have sex at other times, says Professor Ledger. Fertility problems strain relationships, so it's important to think of sex as fun, not simply a biological baby-making act.

    BE ROMANTIC

    Intense stress such as that caused by bereavement, divorce or redundancy, may disrupt ovulation for three or four months. However, every- day stress, such as that caused by your job, will not affect ovulation. The only way it affects fertility is by making people grumpy, and less likely to have sex. Counteract this drop in libido by planning a romantic meal, or a cosy weekend break.

    DITCH THE OLD WIVES' TALES

    Forget the myths about raising your bottom after intercourse, or not moving for 30 minutes. Sperm are chemically attracted to cervical mucus; within seconds of ejaculation they are safely on their journey. Anything that escapes doesn't contain any viable sperm.

    And, unfortunately, there are no positions that guarantee conception says Professor Ledger.

    KEEP THEM COOL

    Sitting at a desk all day can be bad news for sperm. Heat causes sperm damage, and testes should be one or two degrees cooler than the rest of the body. Professor Ledger recommends taking a five to ten-minute walk every hour to cool off your crown jewels.

    SEXUAL HEALTH

    Sexually transmitted infections （STIs）, such as chlamydia, can harm fertility. If you think there is a possibility that you may have caught something, it's well worth a visit to your GP or sexual health clinic.

    1. 在正確的時間做愛。 女性在經期結束后的10到16日，是她們的受孕期。“精子可以在女性的生殖道中存活三日，” 謝菲爾德大學的產科學與婦科學教授比爾·勒杰是這樣說的，”因此在受孕期至少每隔一日發生性行為，就足以讓女性懷孕。” 

    2. 適時尋求幫助。 女性的受孕能力在35歲之后就會急劇下降。如果你三十出頭，一直嘗試懷孕卻不能成功，就應該去咨詢你的醫生。如果你已經超過35歲，嘗試半年后再去。

    3. 注意飲食。 男性和女性都應該注意避免體重過輕或過重，因為體重問題常常會影響控制受孕的荷爾蒙的分泌。泰晤士報的營養學家阿曼達·厄塞爾說，富含鋅的食物，例如牛羊肉和全谷物麥片，可以提高精子質量。

     4. 控制飲酒 飲酒或許可以讓你“性”致勃勃，但酒精對與并不是對受孕絕對有益。某研究顯示，每周飲酒五杯會影響女性的受孕能力。盡管你不用徹底戒酒，但適當控制飲酒還是應該的。 

    5. 掐滅你的煙頭。 吸煙有害男性和女性的生育能力。吸煙對男性生育能力的損害是可逆的，因為男性每70天就產生新的精子。但是，根據英國醫學會的研究發現，吸煙會將女性的受孕幾率降低40%。 

    6. 快樂性生活。 雖然在女性的生理周期中，每個月只有六天的受孕高峰期，但在其余時間的性生活也是很重要的，勒杰教授如是說。不孕問題壓迫兩性關系，因此把性愛作為樂趣而非單純生理上的“造人”行為，是非常重要的。 

    7. 講求浪漫。 極端的壓力，例如由喪親、離婚或裁員而引起的壓力，會使排卵受阻三到四個月。但是日常的壓力，例如來自工作上的壓力，不會對排卵產生影響。日常會影響生育的唯一方式是使人們脾氣暴躁，于是提不起”性“致。所以策劃一個浪漫晚餐，或者溫馨的周末度假，可以提高下挫的里比多。

    8. 擯棄那些無稽之談。 忘掉那些舊時迷信，例如在性交之后抬起臀部，或者保持不動30分鐘。子宮粘液對精子有化學性吸引力；射精的那幾秒鐘里精子們就已經安全地踏上了旅程。任何漏網之物不含有具活性的精子。 并且不幸的是，勒杰教授說，沒有任何一種體位可以保證受孕。 

    9. 讓小家伙們保持涼爽 在書桌前久坐一天對于精子們來說可不是好消息。熱度會造成精子受損，并且睪丸溫度理應保持比人體其他部位低一兩度。勒杰教授建議，男性可以每小時起身散步五分鐘，讓寶石散散熱。

    10. 性生活健康 性傳染病，例如衣原體，會損害生育能力。如果你覺得你有可能得了什么病，絕對值得去看你的醫生或者到性病診所求醫。