The very first conversation with an infertile couple needs to be focused on their education with the aim of increasing their chances of getting pregnant. If there are no absolute obstacles for conceiving, the couple is recommended to have sex every 2-3 days, as this helps relieve stress. However, this advice is slightly out-of-date in today’s world of information all around us and the couple needs to be clearly told that their chances of getting pregnant are higher if they frequently have sex during ovulation. We need to find out how long the couple has been trying and find out about a detailed personal and family medical history.

• Infertility and miscarriages history in the immediate family
• Previous health conditions, surgeries and treatments
• Reproductive health and sex frequency

 It is useful to give a few general recommendations regarding general lifestyle and habits in life:

– Woman should not drink more than one or two glasses of wine per week; man should not drink more than three or four;

– Smoking probably reduces your chances of getting pregnant and endangers your health in general;

– There is no data about caffeine being good or bad for you;

– Obesity damages a woman’s reproductive function so the BMI should be kept within normal (20-25);

– Men should avoid wearing tight underwear;

– If the couple is exposed to radiation or pesticides at work or where they live, this exposure needs to be neutralized;

– There is no proof that over-the-counter medication help so they are best avoided (so-called complementary drugs or food supplements). Drugs used to treat diseases and patients overall condition may reduce chances of conceiving;

– Woman who wants to get pregnant should take folic acid which reduces the risk of fetal neural tube defects.

 Even though the main causes of infertility are organic, in rare cases severe stress can prevent a woman to ovulate regularly or a man to produce semen. This can lead to difficulties in conceiving, but cases where coping with infertility causes stress are more frequent. Regardless of that, it is useful to apply techniques to reduce stress, should the couple feel under stress. Some of them include:

• Being straightforward with the partner
• Seeking support of family, friends, experts or support groups
• Exercising regularly thus reducing physical and psychological tensions

 Once the initial diagnostics is completed, a couple that needs some method of assisted fertilization needs to be informed in detail about the legislative around those methods and their rights and obligations stemming from their health insurance plan.