Diet
Your diet should be as healthy and nutritious as possible to ensure you are in top condition to carry and baby and that your child is getting the right nutrients from you. When it comes to conceiving it is important you are getting the right vitamins and minerals and that you area eating foods that are rich in nutrients.
If you currently have a balanced diet there is no need to make any radical changes to what you eat and you shouldn't worry yourself if you don't particularly like leafy green vegetables but have also read that they are good "pregnancy foods". There are more than enough varied food groups that you should try to concentrate on during and pre-pregnancy so there should be ample choice for you.
A healthy diet is defined by a sensible healthy eating regime consisting of regular balanced meals and will be the prime source of nourishment for your baby so make sure you give your diet some thought when trying to conceive.
Healthy eating is also important for your partner. A healthy diet will make for more suitable conditions for better quality sperm and so the balanced diet is certainly a two way street!
Before and during pregnancy your diet should include;
Protein Rich foods - These are needed for cell growth and to produce blood and typical foods include; eggs, tofu, dried beans, poultry, fish.
Iron - Important to help make red blood cells. Red meat with low fat content.
Calcium - To aid bone growth in you and your baby. Foods rich in calcium include; Low fat milk (to provide you with calcium but without the extra fat), hard cheeses (but not unpasteurised soft cheeses which should be avoided), yogurts, broccoli, okra, watercress, red kidney beans, chick peas, green beans, sardines, apricots, figs.
It is also important to ensure you wash any fruit or vegetables before use.
Foods to Avoid: All raw fish, including sushi, shellfish, liver and products high in Vitamin A such as pates, unpasteurised milk or foods containing unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses due to the increased risk of listeria (brie, feta, gorgonzola, camembert, roquefort), pates (also carry increased risk of listeria), raw eggs (includes mayonnaises made with raw egg), fish containing high levels of mercury such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel (many also believe that tinned tuna also contains mercury and should only be eaten in very moderate amounts). Also, all foods should be thoroughly cooked through, in particular meat and eggs which you should avoid being rare or runny.
Why? Pregnant women are more susceptible to certain infections that could be much more fatal to them and to the baby than they would to a healthy woman who wasn't pregant. Foods carrying an increased risk of listeria could cause the bacterial infection Listeriosis which can lead to infection, premature births or even stillbirths.
Vitamins and Minerals
Most women are aware that Folic Acid is recommended to women attempting to conceive as a vital vitamin supplement to take and one of the most important supplements a woman can take before and during the first trimestre of a pregnancy.
Folic Acid aids development of your baby's brain and spinal cord and there are many folate rich foods you should try to incorporate into your diet, in addition to taking a Folic Acid supplement of a minimum 400 micrograms per day. Taking Folic Acid particularly important for up to a few months preconception and through the first twelve weeks of the pregnancy so you can start taking it as soon as you come off your contraception.
Folate rich foods include: Green leafy vegetables, beans, citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit), black-eyed peas, lentils, okra, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, green peas, orange juice, strawberries, oranges, bananas, sunflower seeds.
It is important to also note that pregnant women should avoid supplements of Vitamin A which could cause problems if too much is taken.
Alcohol Intake
The debate about whether you should limit your alcohol intake or abstain from it completely during pregnancy is hotly contested.
Alcohol is a toxin to the body and alcohol during pregnancy can be fatal to your unborn child causing birth defects, increasing the liklihood of a miscarriage as well as a premature birth or stillbirth. Numerous studies have proven to be inconclusive and differ in the amount of alcohol that is safe while pregnant.
Alcohol moves around the body in your bloodstream and when you are pregnant, alcohol can reach your baby via the placenta and can affect its growth. By far the safest option is to not drink any alcohol at all while pregnant. Many women may not know straight away that they are pregnant therefore if you are trying to conceive it is also advisable to avoid alcohol as soon as you want to decide to try for a baby.
Smoking
Smoking during pregnancy can harm your unborn child and there are literally thousands of toxins in every cigarette that have the potential to harm your baby. If you smoke when pregnant the toxins will replace the oxygen and vital nutrients being carried in your bloodstream to your baby and your unborn child will be starved of all the goodness it needs to grow. You run the risk of stunting your child's growth, both physically and mentally, increasing your child's chances of getting asthma, increasing the chances of cot death, as well as making stillbirths and premature births more likely.
Smoking also reduces your chances of conceiving so if you have any incentive at all to give up smoking then you should take the opportunity to give your child the best start in life possible as one of them.
Drugs
It comes as no surprise to know that all illegal drugs can be incredibly dangerous for your unborn child. Many legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol are not advised when pregnant and illegal drugs are just as potentially fatal.
Sleep
It goes without saying that a rested body is a more healthy body and you need to make sure you get a reasonable amount of sleep each night to boost your chances of getting pregnant. Just like a healthy and balanced diet, a good night's sleep helps us to function better and gives our bodies a much needed period of rest and rejuvenation.
You will find that once you fall pregnant, your sleep cycle may be disrupted and so getting as much as you can preconception and having a healthy sleeping pattern for as much of your pregnancy as possible will help you and your body cope much better.
Stress/Anxiety Levels
Stress and anxious feelings can affect our bodies in many different ways and where possible you should avoid becoming too stressed when trying for a baby as it can have a negative effect on your chances. All too often the moment an anxious couple decide to take some time out from any lengthy periods of trying to conceive and relax a little, the woman will fall pregnant.
Getting enough sleep will help maintain healthy levels of stress and ensure you are not too caught up in the whys and hows of getting pregnant and just focus on being healthy and happy and letting nature do the rest.
Return to the main Preconception page or read more on My Fertile Period
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