Is it taking longer than you’d hoped for that pregnancy test to show up positive? Even though it’s considered normal for it to take up to one year (for women under 35 years old), it is likely that you will start feeling some concerns creeping in as the months go by…

Unfortunately, it’s all too common for the woman to to feel responsible when a couple is having trouble conceiving. Well meaning acquaintances suggest that women try to ‘stress less’ and holiday more, eat more pineapple, put their legs up the wall after sex, and are told to lose weight… But, it’s important to remember that it takes two to make a baby… and male factors contribute to up to half of all cases of infertility…

Whilst the reason for male infertility has often remained a mystery, scientists have been delving into the microbiome of semen and the impact that this could have on successful conception. They have recognised that different semen microbiome compositions predict different fertility outcomes, and that the presence of certain species predicts pregnancy outcomes.

For example, semen that is Prevotella-dominant is around 8.5 times more likely to contain more than two clinical abnormalities! (In short, Prevotella-dominant semen is lower quality….)

On the other hand, Lactobacillus-dominant semen is associated with higher quality semen and can also help reduce the negative affects of the presence of less beneficial bacteria (like Prevotella).

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Whilst it’s still early days, and there isn’t enough data to draw strong conclusions, the research is exciting and will hopefully lead to some microbiome-targeted therapies for fertility. There is a lot of research going on in this arena… Probiotics are showing potential, and, as always, a healthy diet and lifestyle can help too!

If you’d like to learn more about the impact that you and your partner’s microbiome can have on fertility, sign up to our online course ‘Healthy Gut, Healthier Baby’, which is currently free! 

Simply enter the code ‘HEALTHYBUB’ when you check out, and you will gain free access to the entire ten modules, normally priced at $376!

—