From the Desk of Dr. Karen Spencer Dees, PhD

Fertility is an important issue facing many individuals today. Being educated on proper diet and holistic health options can make the difference of successfully having a family. Sometimes even the simplest changes yield the biggest results. Here you will find life-changing information on things you can start doing today to nourish and prepare your body for an amazing miracle of life.

What to Eat
What to Avoid
Vitamins
Peanuts
Alcohol

Preparing for a baby

A healthy diet is important at any time, but particularly when you're planning a pregnancy.

What to eat

When you're trying for a baby, as at other times, you should try to eat a healthy and varied diet.

This means trying to eat a variety of foods including:

• plenty of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or a glass of juice). Aim for at least five portions a day
• plenty of starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes - try to choose wholegrain options
• protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs and pulses (beans and lentils). These foods will also supply you with iron (see below)
• try to eat fish at least twice a week including some oily fish. But don't have more than two portions of oily fish a week. This includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout
• dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, which contain calcium

You should cut down on foods containing fat and sugar such as cakes and biscuits. This will help you to keep your weight under control.

Healthier snacks you might want to choose include sandwiches or pitta bread filled with chicken, cottage cheese or lean ham; low-fat yoghurts; vegetable and bean soups or fruit including fresh, canned in juice or dried fruit such as raisins or apricots.

Pregnant women can become deficient in iron so make sure you have plenty of iron-rich foods to build up your iron stores. Have some food or drink containing vitamin C, such as fruit or vegetables, or a glass of fruit juice, with any iron-rich meals to help your body absorb the iron.

Good sources of iron:

• red meat
• pulses
• dried fruit
• bread
• green vegetables
• fortified breakfast cereals

What to avoid

Make sure you don't have too much vitamin A. This means you should avoid eating liver and liver products such as pâté and avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which contain high levels of vitamin A).

You need some vitamin A, but if you have too much during pregnancy, this could harm your unborn baby. Ask your GP or midwife if you would like more information.

You should also avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin and limit the amount of tuna you eat.

Don't eat more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can).

This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm an unborn baby's developing nervous system.

Should I avoid peanuts?

Your baby could be at higher risk of developing a peanut allergy if you, the baby's father, brothers or sisters have a food allergy or other allergic conditions such as hayfever, asthma and/or eczema.

If you think that your baby may be in this higher-risk group, you may wish to avoid eating peanuts and peanut products when you're trying to get pregnant and during pregnancy.

Vitamins

When you're trying to get pregnant you should take a daily 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement. You should take these from the time you stop using contraception until the 12th week of pregnancy.

This vitamin helps prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. If you would like to take your folic acid in a supplement that contains other vitamins, make sure it contains 400mcg folic acid and doesn't contain vitamin A or fish liver oils.

You should also eat foods containing folate - the natural form of folic acid - such as green vegetables and brown rice as well as fortified bread and breakfast cereals.

When you are trying to get pregnant, and during pregnancy, remember to avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which also contain high levels of vitamin A).

Alcohol

When you're trying to get pregnant, it’s best to stop drinking alcohol altogether. But if you do drink, have no more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week and don’t get drunk.

A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine is about 2 units and alcopops are about 1.5 units.

Dr. Dees is a Family Nutritionist. Her specialty is women and Children. She consults with women who are experiencing extreme hormonal imbalances and counsels them on their eating.

Specializing in Endometriosis and Other Endocrine Disorders, Dr. Dees has authored many Nutritional Health Programs for Endometriosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Infertility, Menopause, Perimenopause Early Menopause, Building Your Immune System, Building Your Digestive Tract, Food sensitivities, Yeast-Free programs and more.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Dees' Services

Additional Resources

"A Healthy Holiday Pregnancy Diet" by editors of American Baby Magazine