What you eat can affect your ability to conceive a child — both positively and
negatively. Here are the most important food-related ways to boost your chances
of getting pregnant.
Make healthy changes in your diet
three months to a year before you conceive
The sooner you can, the more likely you are to get pregnant. For both men and
women, foods
and fertility are linked; you both need to stick to a balanced diet to boost
your chances of conceiving and of having a healthy baby. Read on for specific
advice for you; click here for nutrition tips for a
healthy
dad-to-be.
Cut back now on artificial sweeteners,
caffeine, and alcohol
If your eating habits leave something to be desired — and many people's do —
you'll have to make some adjustments. Some solid advice: Cut down on the
artificial sweeteners, wean yourself from caffeine
in chocolate, cocoa, soda, and coffee (more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per
day may reduce fertility by 27 percent), and cut out or only occasionally drink
alcohol (for non-alcoholic alternatives, see our list of the best virgin
drinks). Stop using recreational drugs and if you smoke, quit. All these
substances and habits can harm your soon-to-be-conceived baby.
Take a vitamin-mineral
supplement
While you can meet almost all your nutritional needs through a balanced diet,
some experts believe that even the healthiest eaters can use some extra help.
"My doctor suggested I take a supplement while trying to conceive, and I
figured it couldn't hurt," says Margaret Phillips of San Francisco. "I
don't always have time to plan meals and I sometimes eat on the run. This way,
I'm making sure I get everything my body needs."
Remember that a supplement
is a safeguard, not a substitute for a sound diet. And since over-the-counter
supplements may contain megadoses of vitamins and minerals that could be harmful
to a developing baby, it's smart to switch to a pill formulated for pregnant
women even before you conceive. Talk with your caregiver about the right
prenatal supplement for you.
Get lots of folic acid -- at least 400
micrograms a day
Everyone could use more folic acid, not just women: This B vitamin has been
linked to a lower incidence of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes. It
also reduces a baby's risk of neural-tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
Most women of childbearing
age should get 400 micrograms (mcg) daily, which is the equivalent of 0.4
milligrams (mg), according to the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). If you
have a family history of neural-tube birth defects, your doctor may suggest that
you boost your daily intake to 4,000 mcg, or 4 mg, starting at least a month
before you conceive and continuing throughout your first trimester.
A good over-the-counter
prenatal vitamin should contain 800 mcg of folic acid; in addition, you can eat
folate-rich foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables (like spinach or kale),
citrus fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fortified breads and cereals.
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, so your body will flush out the excess if
you consume too much. For some women, there's an exception to this rule; getting
too much folate may hide a B-12 deficiency, sometimes a problem for vegetarians.
Ask your doctor or midwife if you think you may be at risk.
Find your ideal body
weight
Shedding some pounds (or gaining a few if you're underweight) while you're
attempting to get pregnant is fine, since you want to be as close as possible to
your recommended weight when you conceive.
Devise
a smart eating plan, choose lower fat, higher fiber foods. Start or increase an
exercise routine, and aim to lose one to two pounds a week, a safe rate of
weight loss. Extreme weight loss from crash dieting can deplete your body's
nutritional stores, which isn't a good way to start a pregnancy ...
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