Women trying to get pregnant could be as likely to conceive by giving up alcohol and caffeine than by going to a fertility clinic

Women wanting to become pregnant are as likely to succeed by giving up alcohol and caffeine than by attending a fertility clinic, a nutrition specialist claims.

Dr Emma Derbyshire said that 32 per cent of those having trouble conceiving became pregnant by giving up stimulants compared to 33 per cent after IVF treatment.

And she revealed that quitting smoking is as important as a healthy diet in improving a woman's fertility. Previous studies have shown that smoking can delay a woman's chances of getting pregnant by two months.

Dr Derbyshire, of Manchester Metropolitan University, said couples should tackle their unhealthy lifestyles first before choosing expensive fertility treatment.

'Women wanting to get pregnant stand nearly the same chance of conceiving if they cut out alcohol and caffeine as if they attend an IVF clinic for fertility treatment,' she said.

Dr Derbyshire said the odds of conceiving fall from 60 per cent in women who have one to five alcoholic drinks a week to 30 per cent for those consuming more than ten.

And she warned caffeine may also reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant, saying no more than 300mg - or three cups of coffee or tea - should be consumed in a day.

Research on miscarriage suggests caffeine might harm the unborn baby because it is easily passed from mother to foetus, who cannot readily metabolise it.

˜ The postcode lottery for fertility treatment on the Health Service is getting worse, a report by Tory MP Grant Shapps warns.

It found eight out of ten primary care trusts are failing to give childless couples the recommended quota of three IVF cycles.

And it said two trusts have refused to provide any IVF treatment in the past two years.

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