Healthy Pre-Pregnancy Diet
Once you decide to get pregnant you need to focus on your health. It is important to make sure your body is ready. Boost your chances of conceiving and eat your way to a healthy pregnancy. Start today…
First things first… no matter how balanced your diet is, it’s still important to take prenatal vitamins to help towards a healthy baby. Many medical experts recommend that women wanting to get pregnant start taking folic acid at least one month before trying.
Eat your fruit and veg
Fruit and veg are great for providing a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, and getting enough of certain nutrients is so important when trying to conceive. Vegetables like spinach, lettuce, asparagus, and broccoli are high in the B vitamin folate. (Folic acid is the synthetic form.) and can prevent your baby from many illnesses.
Vitamin C – Helps your body absorb iron more easily. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables containing vitamin C such as citrus fruit, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes. A good way of getting a good mix of fruit and veg is to eat “the colours of a rainbow” in it.
Ditch the Caffeine
There’s some evidence that if you consume large amounts of caffeine it can interfere with fertility. Medical experts do feel that 2 cups of coffee a day shouldn’t affect fertility. Caffeine has been linked to miscarriages so it is vital to cut down where you can. I used to love my coffee but bought decaf coffee to get me through my pregnancy.
Fish at least once a week
Research suggests that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps regulate ovulation, improve egg quality, and even delay aging of the ovaries.
Omega-3s is also important during pregnancy as many experts believe that it helps with a baby’s brain and eye development. It also can lower your risk of preterm birth and reduces your chances of getting preeclampsia.
Fish that contain mercury can be harmful to a baby’s developing brain and nervous system therefore it is important to cut down where possible. Fish that contain mercury are as follows; canned light tuna, salmon, shrimp, cod, tilapia, and catfish.
Pump some Iron
Fill up on iron reserves before you get pregnant. Make sure you get plenty of iron now because once you’re pregnant, it’s difficult for your body to maintain its iron level because your developing baby and placenta use up your iron stores.
Eat whole grains
Eat as many nutrient-rich foods as possible, and whole grains are extremely important. Bran cereal, oatmeal, brown rice, or whole wheat bread are all a great source of whole grains.
Try and switch your white bread, white pasta and white rice to whole grain as it is much better for you.
Avoid Drinking Alcohol
Avoid alcohol where possible. The odd glass of wine or pint of beer should not affect your chances of conceiving but constant heavy nights and regular drinking can increase your chances of having a miscarriage during pregnancy.
Be aware of listeria
Listeria is a bacteria that can contaminate meats, soft cheeses, and unpasteurized dairy products. Eating something with listeria can cause a miscarriage before you are even aware that you are pregnant.
Avoid listeria by using a heat on high risk foods in the microwave and cook until they’re steaming hot. Throw away any food that’s been at room temperature for 2 hours or more.
The foods to avoid arel sushi, raw fish, refrigerated smoked seafood, soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk, any other unpasteurized dairy products, and refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.
Carla is the founder of MyBump2Baby. Carla has a huge passion for linking together small businesses and growing families. Carla’s humorous, non-filtered honesty has won the hearts of thousands of parents throughout the UK.
She has previously written for the Metro and made appearances on BBC News, BBC 5 live, LBC etc. Carla is a finalist for Blogger of the Year award with Simply Ladies inc. Carla is also the host of the popular Fifty Shades of Motherhood podcast and The MyBump2Baby Expert podcast.
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