Healthy diet during pregnancy
Eating the right foods plays a
huge role in your fertility and conception. A balanced diet helps to regulate
your hormones and nourishes your reproductive system. A good diet also helps to
maintain a healthy weight, which is essential for making sure you ovulate regularly each month. So what should you be eating if
you’re trying for a baby?
Fruit and vegetables Ideally you should be eating at least five portions of fruit
and vegetables a day, but don’t forget you can eat them tinned, frozen, fresh
or dried; fruit juice also counts as a portion. Vary the colors of what you eat
– leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, contain vitamin A, B
and calcium; tomatoes contain good amounts of potassium, iron and vitamins A and
B; and peppers are high in vitamin C and B6 as well as having antioxidant
qualities. Read do I need prenatal supplements for more vital nutrition
advice.
Carbohydrates These
should make up the bulk of your diet – stick to whole wheat bread and pasta,
potatoes and whole grain rice and cereal.
Protein Include at
least three daily servings of protein foods, such as lean meat, poultry, fish,
eggs, beans and pulses.
Dairy To keep up
your calcium levels try to eat cheese, milk and yogurt regularly.
Fish Try to eat
at least two portions of oily fish a week – try fresh tuna, trout, salmon,
sardines and mackerel.
Fat and sugars
Eat small quantities of fat and sugary foods containing sugar (no more than
three small portions a day).
Don't forget breakfast It’s the most important meal in
the day. Eat food such as oatmeal in the winter – it’s a slow-release
carbohydrates which should keep you full until lunchtime.
If you need to snack between meals, do – but stick
to healthy snacks such as fruit, nuts, seeds or wholegrain crackers.
Keep hydrated Adults should aim to drink
three to four pints of fluids a day – it doesn’t have to be just water but keep
I mind that coffee and tea are diuretics that make your baby pass more fluids
out as urine so these will eat into your ovarall intake.
Try not to diet. Ideally you should reach your
ideal weight before conceiving – if you measure your BMI and it falls between
20-25, you've nothing to worry about. However if your BMI is higher than 25 or
lower then 20 this may have an impact on you getting pregnant.
What to avoid
Alcohol, tobacco (including
smokeless) and other recreational drugs can have harmful effects on your
fertility, so you should stop taking these at least four months before you plan
to conceive. Smoking can hinder ovarian function and can affect the success of IVF. It also adversely affects your unborn baby, so quit as soon
as you decide to try. Have
a look at what’s safe and what isn't during pregnancy.
Fertility foods to get into your diet…
Food for your brain When you’re trying to conceive
it's important for your brain to create the chemicals serotonin and dopamine,
which are essential in the production of the hormones required when trying for
a baby. Eating foods that contain trytophan and tyrosine will help to improve
your levels of serotonin and dopamine. Foods containing trytophan include
bananas, parsley, dates, celery, sweet potatoes, dried apricots, carrots and
almonds; foods containing tyrosine include cod, sea bass, sardines, oats and turkey.
Foods to help your sex life! Foods that are supposed to
boost your libido and work as aphrodisiacs have been used for centuries when
people needed to boost their sex lives and fertility. Whether they really work
or not, it's worth a try! Try foods such as asparagus, oysters, garlic, figs,
dates, avocados, bananas, and pomegranates. See also our article on sex for baby-making if you need help in the
bedroom.
If
you want more information on foods to avoid during pregnancy, take a look at our related
video on the subject and also, why not meet other moms, by posting a message on
our fertility chat forum
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 24/09/2008