The Fertility Diet – What to Eat When Trying to Get Pregnant

You don’t have to wait until you’re pregnant to start eating well. In fact, following a healthy diet before you conceive can help boost your fertility, lower the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and even reduce your chances of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy.

Eating as if you're already pregnant can actually help prime your body for conception, says Dr. Heena. Implementing a fertility-enhancing diet can help to support achieving pregnancy, reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.

Here's how to healthy pregnancy by following a fertility diet.

Fruits and Vegetables

For fertility, diet to improve egg quality, load your plate with fruit and veggies. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health, which comprised nearly 19,000 women, found a higher incidence of the ovulatory disorder in those who consumed more Tran’s fats, sugar from carbohydrates, and animal proteins. Make sure half your plate at every meal is composed of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fruits that are packed with vitamins:

Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are some of the best sources of vitamin C.

Calcium

Calcium keeps your reproductive system functioning smoothly and may even help you conceive faster. It’s important to stock up now because you’ll need a stable supply for the baby’s future teeth and bone health and development. You must add on milk yogurt, cheese, kale, and broccoli.

Iron

If you’re scheduled for a preconception checkup, ask your doctor about whether you should be screened for an iron deficiency, since too little iron could increase your baby’s risk of being underweight or premature. Women need about 18 mg per day, but your daily iron requirement will increase to 27 mg per day once you’re pregnant. Lean meats and spinach are best for iron.

Fiber

Adding more complex, slowly-digestible carbohydrates like fiber to your diet will keep you feeling full for longer. And if you’re planning to get pregnant, increasing your fiber intake by 10 grams per day may lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Some good sources of fiber include:

Whole grains, High-fiber cereals, beans, and legumes. Lentils, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, split peas, and chickpeas are all packed with fiber. Add them to stews or salads.

Protein

Protein will help supply your baby with important nutrients. But some proteins are better than others. If you’re trying to get pregnant, stick to two to three servings a day, one of which should be plant-based.

Foods that are packed with protein include:

Fish, lean meats, poultry, black beans

Dairy

Consume one or two servings per day of whole milk or other full-fat dairy foods that’s because a high intake of low-fat dairy has been shown to raise the risk of ovulatory infertility, compared to high-fat dairy.

Whether you jump all into our recommended fertility diet or simply use these tips as a guide to understanding more about what you’re eating, we hope it helps your fertility journey.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, it’s important that you begin making healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices today. But don’t let stress and worry get you down. Talk to your IVF Specialist Doctor to find the best choices for you. Dr. Heena Agrawal is the Best IVF Specialist in Indore. You can visit the center of the solution to your fertility problems.