Healthy diet for a mum-to-be

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.