10 fertility books to help you on your journey to parenthood

Finding good books about fertility is not an easy task. It’s true, there are thousands of books talking about topics surrounding fertility. However, a lot of them include books that offer promises, 2-month programmes and miracles to “cure” your infertility and promising that you will get pregnant fast. At Adia, we believe it’s important not […]

Fertility diet plan

A fertility diet plan is a helpful element of preconception care. Understanding the impact certain foods have on fertility will help you create a plan that will improve your chances of natural conception and a healthy pregnancy. Why is a fertility diet plan important? Nutrition is an important part of preconception care. Having a fertility […]

Fertility and stress

There are many theories regarding the link between fertility and stress. At Parla, we believe that physical and mental health are intrinsically linked. Even if stress isn’t the central cause of your fertility struggles, it’s helpful to learn how to look after your mental well being. Self care and mental health are always important – […]

Akiko’s journey dealing with secondary infertility

Many couples who conceive easily with their first child assume it will be the same the next time. But secondary infertility means this isn’t always the case. We recently wrote about the causes and treatment secondary infertility, a topic that is often not discussed enough. In this blog Akiko Ganivet writes about her experience of […]

Self care tips

Today we wanted to share with you some of our best self care tips. Self care is having a real moment, but what exactly is it? We discuss the origins, importance and impact of self care and give practical tips on how to bring it in to your life. Before we talk about self care […]

What is a healthy lifestyle?

We’ve heard it many times before, but do we really know what a healthy lifestyle means? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” which implies that this concept goes beyond the existence or lack of existence […]

Preconception care and preparing for parenthood

Preconception care refers to the ways in which we can prepare ourselves for parenthood – and do so healthily. This includes medical, behavioural and healthy lifestyle choices that reduce the risks involved in pregnancy and infant health. Ultimately, the aim of preconception care is to improve both the short and long term health of mother […]

Female hormones and fertility

We know that hormones and female fertility can be confusing.  1 in 7 couples face infertility and the vast majority of women in the UK use hormonal contraception. So, it’s something we should feel more knowledgeable and confident about. We believe knowledge is power. That’s why we think women should understand fertility before they get […]

How motherhood affects our body image

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week was themed around body image. Wherever you are on your road to motherhood, every stage comes laced with complexities surrounding our relationship with our bodies, but you aren’t alone. Infertility, fertility treatments, and body image When we think about body image and mental health, we often immediately think about […]

What is folic acid good for?

When you think of preconception planning and vitamins for fertility, you’re bound to think of folic acid. But what are its benefits, how much should you take and when should you start taking it? We’ve got all your folate related questions covered. What is the difference between folic acid and folate? Folate is the naturally […]

Does the pill affect fertility?

In this blog Coni Longden-Jefferson asks: Does the pill affect fertility? When looking at preconception planning, understanding your cycle is important. But what if hormonal contraception means you don’t have an organic cycle? Coni Longden-Jefferson talks about missing her period after a decade without it, and speaks to leading Gynaecologist Dr Jess Farren to get […]

My egg freezing journey – Emily’s story

Mourning for Emily Hartridge Emily Hartridge, 34, has many a string to her bow – personal trainer, fitness model and presenter to name but a few. She is also a bonafide social media titan, with over 300,000 subscribers to her Youtube channel and closing in on 40,000 followers on Instagram. EDIT: Wednesday 17, July 2019 […]

Best women’s health books

The Parla team are huge bookworms and wanted to share the best women’s health books to read in 2019. When we’re not talking about female wellness and health and wellness – we’re reading about it! We’ve written a bit about some of the great books out there such as “XX” by Angela Chadwick here and […]

My journey to motherhood

This week we profile one woman’s journey to motherhood and her experience of being a new mom. Profile submitted anonymously.  We’re dedicated to shining a light on fertility and modern pregnancy experiences. For too long these issues have remained shrouded in taboo. On our fertility blog you can read a whole range of personal stories from […]

My IVF journey

When my husband and I first started to think about having a family I was doing my Masters and an IVF journey never crossed my mind… I had it all planned out. I would come off the pill in the summer. Then by the time I graduated I would have a child in-between my Masters […]

Next generation fertility

In 1978, Louise Brown became the first baby to be born thanks to IVF, marking a medical milestone and coining the futuristic phrase ‘Test Tube Babies’. 40 years later and the advancements in fertility treatments are continuing rapidly. As technology has improved so have the chances of conceiving for millions of families worldwide, and the […]