Many of you will have seen or heard Zita West, known as the ‘baby dream-maker’ on the television or radio in the past couple of years. Zita West is an acupuncturist, nutritionist and midwife with her own Harley Street fertility practice. She has developed her own Zita West products, and her clients include Cate Blanchett, Davina McCall, Ulrika Jonson and Kate Winslet. Zita has been a midwifery expert on GMTV, Open House and This Morning and currently writes a weekly column in Prima Baby magazine. I have trained with her and she is a straightforward, non-judgemental practitioner who strongly acts as an advocate for women trying to conceive.

Zita published 'Zita West's Guide to Getting Pregnant' in late 2005, adding to her previous success of ‘Fertility and Conception’. The book takes the reader through the basics of understanding male and female fertility and conception, preparing your body for pregnancy and identifying fertility problems and solutions. There are also sections on miscarriage and assisted conception. It is presented in a more condense format than her previous books, and lacks the ‘magazine’ style colour photos of Fertility and Conception. But it is packed with nutritional advice for various conditions such as polycystic ovaries, or being underweight and generally to prepare your body for optimal fertility and pregnancy. It also has lots of tips of what to avoid if trying to conceive, how to manage the stress and strain that can arise in trying to get pregnant and lots of factual information about the fertility process e.g. what tests to expect etc.

One of the things I particularly like about the book is her chapter on sperm and male fertility issues, which are often overlooked, and the clear information she gives, for instance, on which supplements may be helpful to take for both sexes.

Anyone thinking of having a baby or who is trying to conceive should read a Zita West book. She offers clear, practical advice in a sensible and supportive way.