"We knew we might not get pregnant straight away because it can take more time as you get older. But we did after only a few months of trying. Sadly that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 10 weeks, which was pretty devastating. We tried again and fell pregnant a few months later. Again we miscarried. A third pregnancy also resulted in a miscarriage.

"I was starting to despair and thought it may never happen. Both George and I got checked out medically and the doctors couldn't find anything wrong. I wasn't prepared to give up and started to look into alternative ways to make it work.

"My mother had heard about how making changes to your diet can improve your chances of conception. So we made an appointment at a well-known natural fertility clinic in Sydney. They gave us a strict food regime, which was mainly organic, as well as lots of pills, vitamins and potions.

"But I didn't really like their approach - it was too rigid and we found them overly dismissive of conventional medicine. It was also very expensive. So we formulated our own version and took what we believed would work with our lifestyle.

"Essentially, our approach was any food or product that went into our bodies or went onto our skin had to be organic.

"Embarking on our new regime wasn't without challenges. I own a PR company which means lots of evenings wining and dining clients. And it didn't help that we started this in December - the height of the party season at work. But when you really want something, you'll do anything.

"We decided to eat more at home, and never had takeaway. We went off alcohol, which felt like a big deal at the time, but we got used to it quickly. I also switched to decaf coffee and cut down to one cup a day.

"The other challenge was shopping. Our grocery bill went through the roof. Luckily we have a big organic food store near us. If we didn't, it would have been difficult."

"Three months after starting our baby-making diet, I fell pregnant again, and this one stuck. I recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Gemma."

"I continued the organic regime throughout my pregnancy (which was trouble free) and now I'm breastfeeding. I want to maintain it for as long as I can. I don't even use commercial baby wipes and wash Gemma's clothes with organic washing detergent."

"I certainly think it makes sense to prepare your body to conceive and carry a baby, no matter how old or young you are."

*Names have been changed. The information in this story is of a general and personal nature only. If you are experiencing fertility problems, please visit your GP, who can advise on the next best step.

 

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