Every month feels like a test. You track your cycle, you do everything you’ve read about, and you’re still waiting.

Here’s what I believe: if your body isn’t ready, it isn’t ready. Conception is your body’s way of saying it feels safe and well-resourced enough to grow a baby. So rather than forcing it, we prepare it.

That means building high-quality eggs, optimising your progesterone, improving your metabolic health, calming your nervous system, and improving sperm quality and motility. Fertility is a 50/50 effort, so I work with both of you.

I support couples who are:

• Trying to conceive naturally and it hasn’t happened yet
• Experiencing irregular cycles, short luteal phases or unclear ovulation
• Living with PCOS, endometriosis or thyroid issues
• Recovering from miscarriage and wanting to understand why
• Planning a pregnancy and wanting to prepare properly, ideally at least three to four months ahead
• Concerned about sperm count, quality or motility

1. Egg quality. Eggs take around three months to mature. Nutrients, antioxidants, blood sugar and methylation all shape the quality of the egg you ovulate.
2. Progesterone. Healthy ovulation and good progesterone support a strong second half of your cycle and a welcoming environment for implantation.
3. Metabolic health. Balanced blood sugar and insulin are central to regular ovulation and hormone balance, especially with PCOS.
4. Your nervous system. Chronic stress tells your body it isn’t a safe time to conceive. Calming it is not optional; it is part of the plan.
5. Sperm quality and motility. Sperm take around ten weeks to develop, and they respond quickly to nutrition, antioxidants, heat, alcohol and lifestyle changes.

Because half of the genetic material comes from each partner, both of you preparing gives your future baby the best possible start.

For couples preparing to conceive, I usually combine three tests. Together they show what your hormones are doing right now, how they shift through the day and your cycle, and how you are wired to make, use and clear them.

1. DUTCH comprehensive hormone testing

Your oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, how you clear them, and your cortisol rhythm across the day, from simple urine samples collected at home.

2. Comprehensive blood hormone testing

A detailed blood panel covering reproductive hormones, thyroid, blood sugar, iron and key nutrients, read against functional ranges rather than just normal ones.

3. DNA hormones and methylation testing

Your genetic blueprint for making and clearing hormones, and for using folate, B12 and the nutrients that matter most for egg and sperm quality.

• Low progesterone, oestrogen dominance or high androgens
• Blood sugar swings and insulin resistance
• Thyroid function that looks normal on standard tests but isn’t optimal
• Nutrient gaps in folate, B12, iron, vitamin D, zinc, selenium and omega-3
• Methylation differences that affect egg and sperm quality
• Gut and vaginal microbiome imbalances and inflammation
• Stress, poor sleep and burnout

We start with a full picture of both of your health histories.

1. Investigate. Cycle history, symptoms, previous results and lifestyle, for both partners.
2. Test where it helps. My holy trinity of DUTCH hormone testing, comprehensive blood hormone testing and DNA hormone and methylation testing, plus semen analysis for your partner.
3. Plan. Nutrition, targeted supplements and lifestyle changes for egg quality, progesterone, metabolic health, stress and sperm.
4. Support. We track your cycle and adjust as your body responds.

Related tests and pages: DNA Methylation test · Hormones DNA test · Functional blood analysis · PCOS · Hormonal imbalances