If you're trying to get pregnant, practicing good eating habits now can help you have a healthy pregnancy once you conceive.
"What you eat affects everything from your blood to your cells to your hormones," says Cynthia Stadd, a nutrition specialist at the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness in New York City.
But no matter how balanced your diet is, it's still important to take prenatal vitamins to reduce the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects. Most experts recommend that all women start taking folic acid at least a
month before trying to get pregnant.Curb caffeine
It's unclear whether caffeine can affect fertility. There's some evidence that very high consumption – more than 500 milligrams a day, or about three to four 8-ounce cups of coffee depending on the strength of the brew – might interfere with fertility. But experts generally agree that low to moderate caffeine consumption (less than 300 milligrams a day, or about two 8-ounce cups of coffee) shouldn't make it harder for you to get pregnant.
Because no one knows for sure how caffeine impacts fertility, some experts suggest lowering your caffeine intake even more or giving it up entirely, especially if you're having difficulty conceiving or if you're undergoing in vitro fertilization.
Once you're pregnant, experts recommend getting no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day (a little less than a 12-ounce cup of coffee) because higher amounts have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Think of produce as Mother Nature's multivitamin. Fruits and vegetablesdeliver a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, and getting enough of certain nutrients is especially important before you conceive.
For example, veggies like spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, and broccoli are high in the B vitamin folate. (Folic acid is the synthetic form.) Eating foods rich in folate during preconception and pregnancy can help prevent neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida.
Produce that's high in vitamin C – such as citrus fruit, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes – can help your body absorb iron more easily, and iron is an important mineral for women who become pregnant. (See "Pump up your iron intake" below.)
In general, choose fruits and vegetables in a range of colors to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. (Eating a produce "rainbow" gives you a wider variety of nutrients.)
Choose fish
Seafood is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, and according to some scientists, these essential fats may have a positive effect on fertility. Research suggests that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help regulate ovulation, improve egg quality, and even delay aging of the ovaries.
Omega-3s are also important for a baby's brain and eye development and could have many other pregnancy-related benefits. These include lowering your risk of preterm birth, reducing your chance of preeclampsia, and easing depression.
On the other hand, you've probably also heard that some types of fish contain contaminants such as mercury. In high doses, this metal is harmful to a baby's developing brain and nervous system.
The good news is that not all fish contain a lot of mercury. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that women trying to conceive can safely eat up to 12 ounces (roughly two or three servings) a week of fish like canned light tuna, salmon, shrimp, cod, tilapia, and catfish.
However, the FDA advises limiting white (albacore) tuna and completely avoiding fresh or frozen swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and shark because these have the highest mercury levels.
You can take fish oil supplements if you don't like seafood, but first talk to your doctor about which brand to buy and how much you should take.
Pump up your iron intake
Fill your body's iron reserves before you get pregnant, especially if your periods are heavy. According to Sam Thatcher, a reproductive endocrinologist and author of Making a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant, "Bleeding every month is a constant source of iron depletion."
Make sure to get enough iron now – once you're expecting, it's difficult for your body to maintain its iron level because your developing baby uses up your stores of the mineral. (Pregnant women need double the amount of iron they needed before pregnancy.)
Too little iron at conception not only can affect your baby, it can also put you at risk for iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy and after you give birth(especially if you lose a lot of blood during delivery). Anemia causes your red blood cells to fall below normal and saps your energy.
If you don't eat much red meat, or if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, your healthcare provider may recommend that you take a prenatal vitamin containing extra iron. And to be on the safe side, ask your healthcare provider to test you for anemia at your preconception checkup.
Eat whole grains
A woman trying to conceive should eat as many nutrient-rich foods as possible, and whole grains are a great place to start, says nutrition specialist Stadd.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food guidelines recommend that you make at least half of the grains you eat each day whole grains (such as bran cereal, oatmeal, brown rice, or whole wheat bread).
Refined carbohydrates (like white bread, pasta, and white rice) won't directly lower your chance of getting pregnant, but they do shortchange your body because the refining process strips grains of key nutrients such as fiber, some B vitamins, and iron.
Note: If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common cause of infertility in women, pay extra attention to the types of carbs you eat. PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that can get worse when insulin levels in the bloodstream surge, and refined carbohydrates are a main cause of insulin spikes.
Mark Leondires, fertility specialist and medical director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut, explains that when women with PCOS eat too many refined carbohydrates, insulin flows into the blood, feeds back to the ovaries, and can lead to irregular ovulation.
Avoid alcohol
An occasional beer or glass of wine probably won't hurt your odds of conceiving, but having two or more drinks a day can. Moderate drinking can also increase your risk of miscarriage. You may want to skip alcohol completely when you're trying to conceive because it can be hard to tell exactly when you get pregnant, and alcohol can harm a developing baby.
Be aware of listeria
Listeria is a bacterium that can contaminate lunchmeats, soft cheeses, and unpasteurized dairy products. Pregnant women are more likely than other healthy adults to get sick from eating contaminated food, and the infection caused by listeria (listeriosis) can cause a miscarriage early in the first trimester – possibly before you even know you're pregnant.
To kill listeria, heat high-risk foods in the microwave until they're steaming hot. To reduce bacteria growth on leftovers, set the refrigerator's temperature to 40 degrees or less. Toss any food that's been at room temperature for more than two hours.
Do not eat these foods: raw fish and sushi, refrigerated smoked seafood (like lox), soft cheese made from unpasteurized (raw) milk, other unpasteurized dairy products, and refrigerated pâté or meat spreads. (Canned or shelf-stable spreads are safe to eat.)
Choose other proteins
Protein is a critical part of a healthy diet, but according to the USDA, many Americans rely too heavily on beef, pork, and chicken to get their daily amount. In a study of 18,555 women, experts at Harvard Medical School found that those who included one daily serving of vegetable protein – such as nuts, beans, peas, soybeans or tofu – were less likely to have infertility due to ovulation problems.
More research is needed on the link to fertility, but because vegetable proteins are usually lower in fat and calories than steak or fried chicken, including them in your meal plans is both good for you and a great way to maintain a healthy weight.
To get a personalized nutrition plan that includes the amount of protein, grains, and produce you should eat daily, try the USDA's SuperTracker tool.
What about his diet?
When it comes to fertility and diet, men don't get a free pass. Lisa Mazzullo, an ob-gyn and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, recommends that fathers-to-be take a daily multivitamin that contains zinc and selenium for at least three months before conception. Studies suggest these minerals aid in healthy sperm development.
Why start so early? The sperm your partner ejaculates today was actually created more than two months ago. It takes about 74 days for sperm to fully develop and benefit from the supplementation.
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