Increase Your Fertility With These Foods

on November 9, 2009 at 7:00 AM

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says if you've been trying to conceive for 12 months -- or six months if you are a woman over 35 -- without success, it's time to seek help from a fertility specialist.

But if you haven't reached that point yet, you can try some changes in your diet that may help your chances of conceiving go up.

Colette Bouchez author of Getting Pregnant: What Couples Need to Know Right Now wrote a piece for WebMD that included some foods that may increase the odds of having a baby.

Before I share the food suggestions, it's important to remember that some women need more than just a diet change to help with fertility. But for those starting out on their TTC journey, these fertiity foods may help with ovulation.

Eat more:

Monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) and less trans fats (like the kind found in many baked goods or fast foods).
Vegetable protein (like soy), while reducing animal protein (like red meat).
High fiber, low-glycemic foods -- like whole grains, vegetables, and some fruits, while reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars.
Go with moderate amounts of high-fat dairy products -- like ice cream, whole milk, and cheese.

One of the researchers who took part in this study, Jorge Chavarro, MD, "believes diet made a difference because the majority of women experiencing ovulatory dysfunction were also suffering from undiagnosed or subclinical PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a condition related to insulin resistance that also affects ovulation."

"It responds well to diet, so that could be one of the reasons these foods were so helpful," says Chavarro, who is also author of The Fertility Diet.

Bottom line: Give the diet a try, but don't depend on it alone -- it should be just one part of your effort to have a baby.

What are some of the changes you've made to your lifestyle when TTC?

TTC Ladies: What You Should Know Now

8 Ways to Prep Your Body for Pregnancy

5 Natural Ways to Boost Fertility

About the author Michele Zipp

loves vintage and will defend skinny jeans to the death though she is highly superstitious and "death" is probably a bad word choice. She has a touch of the hoarding disease and enjoys sleuthing, the worst reality shows, and wearing high heels, even at the playground. She's an AP mom of twins, slightly crunchy but with a pedicure.

Filed Under: trying to conceive

Comments (2)

HelloKitty86

on Nov 9, 2009 at 4:33 PM

judging by the picture, do i cook the baby with the zuchini and tomato, and if so, do i bake or boil? if i bake, what temp. for how long??? :)

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Callien

on Nov 9, 2009 at 9:32 PM

I miscarried my first pregnancy very early on, and I know almost exactly what to attribute it to. I was really ill, medicating with unsafe for pregnancy meds, and drinking lots of caffeine (in the form of soda) to stay awake while working. Because of that, immediately after I realized I'd lost the embryo, I started limiting any soda or high-carb drinks, replacing them with water and drinking more of it to boot. My fiance (now husband) and I weren't "TTC" but we surprisingly ended up pregnant after the first normal menstral cycle following the loss. We're now on our way to a healthy full term baby! (Water is amazing. So is acetaminophen ;D lol)