Housing, work and fertility pressures are stopping many Britons growing the families they want, new research suggests.

A UK fertility report found that 79 per cent of people surveyed who had tried to conceive in the past five years would like more children than they currently have.

Among parents with one child, that figure rises to 88 per cent.

The report surveyed more than 1,000 people across the UK who had tried for a baby in the past five years.

While birth rates continue to fall, the findings suggest it is not because people no longer want children. Instead, many respondents said external pressures are making it harder to grow their families.

The findings, from wellness brand Wild Nutrition’s Fertility Disconnect report, highlight how financial pressures, fertility struggles and gaps in reproductive health knowledge are shaping modern family life in the UK.

Gail Madalena, fertility nutritional therapist at Wild Nutrition, said: “People often assume fertility begins the moment they decide to try [for a baby].

“In reality, egg and sperm health are shaped months and years earlier.

“By the time someone starts thinking about fertility, their body has already been responding to its environment for a long time.”

Among the biggest barriers, 26 per cent said career progression affected their family plans, 25 per cent cited housing affordability and lack of space, and 52 per cent said they required medical intervention during their fertility journey.

The report also found that almost a quarter of respondents had spent more than two years trying to conceive.

Trying for a baby can take a significant toll on mental health and relationships, especially for those navigating fertility treatment.

According to the research, 38 per cent of respondents said trying to conceive had negatively affected their mental health. That figure rose to 99 per cent among people undergoing fertility treatment.

Julianne Boutaleb is a perinatal psychologist.

She said: “Navigating a fertility journey is about so much more than medical appointments and procedures.

“It’s an emotional marathon that can take a huge toll on your mental wellbeing.

“Sadly, the stats show that 15 per cent of couples going through fertility treatment say their relationship has been irrevocably impaired.”

The report also highlighted the realities of secondary infertility, which affects around one in 20 people, challenging the assumption that having one child means conceiving again will be straightforward.

Researchers found many people felt under-informed about fertility, particularly younger adults.

Ten per cent of Gen Z respondents said they “know nothing” about fertility, while only one in five respondents said they know “a lot” about egg health.

The report also found that 60 per cent of women were unaware of fertility testing options, and one in five Gen Z respondents said they felt uncomfortable discussing fertility, even with their partner.

Around 40 per cent of those surveyed supported fertility education being included in schools, covering topics such as egg health, sperm health and hormonal health.

The report also explored how lifestyle and long-term health may influence fertility outcomes.

Many respondents said they only made changes once they started trying to conceive.

Some 44 per cent improved their diet when trying for a baby, while 32 per cent reduced alcohol intake at that stage.

The report also referenced emerging research that suggests ultra-processed foods and microplastics could have an impact on reproductive health.

While fertility conversations often focus on women, the findings showed male fertility issues are also affecting many families.

Seventeen per cent of respondents cited sperm health issues as a barrier to conception, while male factors contribute to around half of all fertility challenges.

Only one in four men said they would share fertility struggles with friends.

“Many causes of male infertility are entirely treatable yet so often the last resort is the first response,” said Ian Stones, co-founder at Test Him Ltd.

The findings come as UK birth rates remain below replacement level.

The report noted that the UK fertility rate is now 1.41, meaning that on average women give birth to 1.41 children over their lifetimes. The replacement rate, or rate that maintains population numbers, is 2.1.

It also said the average age of mothers has risen to 31, while birth rates are falling across most age groups except among over-40s.

“There is no single fertility story, and it is rarely a simple, linear narrative,” said Dr Zeynep Gurtin, lecturer in women’s health at UCL.

Dr Gurtin added that better fertility education, fairer access to treatment and more open conversations around infertility and pregnancy loss are needed.

The first patients have been dosed in a UK miscarriage trial testing a new intravaginal drug delivery platform for threatened miscarriage.

The FREEDOM study is evaluating 400mg progesterone Callavid in patients diagnosed with luteal phase insufficiency, a condition in which progesterone levels may be too low to support early pregnancy, increasing the risk of infertility and recurrent miscarriage.

Callavid uses a patented leak-free, tampon-like design intended to address the limitations of current vaginal treatments, which rely on self-administered pessaries, or vaginal suppositories, that can leak and may move during use.

The device is being developed by London-based Calla Lily Clinical Care, a medical technology company focused on women’s health. The trial is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and run in collaboration with the Trial Management Unit at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

According to the company, Callavid is positioned to become the world’s first drug-device combination product to support treatment of threatened miscarriage, as well as luteal phase support as part of assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilisation, or IVF.

The Government’s Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England cites estimates ranging from 120,000 to 250,000 cases of miscarriage a year in the UK. Administering 400mg micronised progesterone twice daily is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for women who have suffered a previous miscarriage and experience bleeding during early pregnancy, known clinically as threatened miscarriage.

Current pessary delivery methods can result in uncertain placement and movement during use. These limitations can reduce the efficiency and consistency of drug absorption, potentially compromising delivery of the intended dose, and patients are regularly advised to lie horizontal for extended periods after each administration.

The FREEDOM trial is led by professor Siobhan Quenby MBE, an authority on miscarriage and preterm birth, and an honorary consultant at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. The study aims to evaluate safety, user acceptability and progesterone absorption, with the goal of providing evidence of improved usability in self-administration.

Quenby commented: “Through my clinical practice, I see the difficulties patients face with existing vaginal progesterone products at an already very stressful time. Callavid offers a promising new solution to ensure delivery of the correct progesterone dosage and give women greater confidence in their treatment. There is genuine excitement among both clinicians and patients at the prospect of Callavid progressing into clinical trials.”

Dr Lara Zibners, co-founder and chair of Calla Lily Clinical Care, added: “As a physician and entrepreneur, I believe we have a responsibility to create more effective, patient-centred solutions in women’s health. Having been through seven rounds of IVF myself, I have experienced how difficult progesterone treatment can be, and I am proud to be advancing an innovation shaped by both medical insight and lived experience.”

Thang Vo-Ta, co-founder and chief executive of Calla Lily Clinical Care, said: “Dosing the first patients in the FREEDOM study marks a critical milestone for Calla Lily Clinical Care. Callavid represents a differentiated delivery modality for a broad range of therapeutics in the pharma pipeline, and will create new opportunities to extend the lifecycle of existing drugs. This trial is a key step in demonstrating Callavid’s massive potential.”

GLP-1 drugs taken before conception were not linked to higher pregnancy risks in new research, which suggested they may even offer some protection.

Women of reproductive age are increasingly prescribed GLP-1 drugs for weight-management support, but the risks and benefits of using them before pregnancy remain poorly understood.

The findings support continuing the use of GLP-1 medicines in women with metabolic risk factors who are considering pregnancy, said Cara Dolin, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and co-author of the research, which was presented at the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine pregnancy meeting in February 2026.

“While there’s more research to be done, this data provides some reassurance that it is not harmful to be taking a GLP-1 if you’re planning a pregnancy, and that having done so may in fact benefit you by optimising your preconception metabolic health.”

The researchers examined electronic medical records for patients with a pre-pregnancy BMI of more than 30 who delivered at more than 20 weeks’ gestation. The data were reviewed for two studies: one assessed the link between pre-pregnancy GLP-1 use and the risk of gestational diabetes, while the second looked at the risk of severe maternal morbidity in patients with obesity.

Women with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other cardiometabolic disorders have a higher risk of pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, stillbirth, caesarean section and other outcomes. While GLP-1 medicines can help manage these conditions, they are contraindicated during pregnancy, and women are typically advised to stop the medication two months before trying to conceive.

However, stopping the drugs can often lead to rebound weight gain or worsening metabolic health. A 2025 study suggested this rebound worsened some pregnancy outcomes, but the risks and benefits are still poorly understood, Dolin said.

“There is a lot we just don’t know, which is why we wanted to look at our experience here with our Cleveland Clinic patients and see whether taking GLP-1 drugs before pregnancy was causing harm or if it was beneficial and helping patients have healthier pregnancies.”

Researchers analysed data for more than 8,000 women who had obesity but did not have diabetes before they became pregnant. They compared outcomes for 208 women who had been prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists before pregnancy with those who had not been prescribed the medication.

Women in the GLP-1 group had more risk factors heading into pregnancy. They tended to be older and have a higher body mass index, higher rates of bariatric surgery and chronic high blood pressure, and present earlier for prenatal care.

However, outcomes for the two groups were similar. Researchers found that the GLP-1 group did not have higher rates of gestational diabetes, severe maternal morbidity or other adverse maternal outcomes, suggesting that the medication may have helped mitigate elevated risk factors.

“I think this is a really important signal, and it may reflect that these patients were able to optimise their metabolic health prior to conception.”

“It shows there’s potential to use these drugs in a more targeted way with patients who are planning a pregnancy and have these different comorbidities and obesity.”

While the findings suggest that using GLP-1 drugs before pregnancy may be beneficial in women with metabolic risk factors, having a plan to stop the medicines before conception is essential, Dolin noted. In some cases, patients may be moved to an alternative medication that is safe for pregnancy and can be used to help manage their metabolic health during pregnancy.

Providers with patients who are taking GLP-1 medicines and planning a pregnancy should consider referral to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for pre-pregnancy counselling.

“We can have a nuanced conversation with the patient about taking the medication, what the benefits are, what the potential risks are, and help them formulate a plan to transition off the medication once they’re ready to start trying to conceive,” she said.