Medical expert of the article
New publications
Nutrition when planning pregnancy
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Nutrition when planning pregnancy plays a significant role, thereby determining the success of conception. It should be optimally balanced, taking into account the impact of certain products on the reproductive system of men and women.
Such nutrition can be considered a kind of therapeutic diet, the action of which is directed, first of all, to the normalization of metabolic processes occurring in the human body.
[1]
How to eat right before planning a pregnancy?
Nutrition in planning pregnancy is a topic that includes certain recommendations of medical experts about the rational diet that are aimed at the optimal balance of nutrients, vitamins and microelements necessary for the full functioning of the human body.
Proper nutrition in planning pregnancy is a very important issue for both partners, especially if they do not adhere to certain rules and restrictions in eating. In general, such food should be as varied as possible. The body (especially the future mother) will need a whole range of useful substances.
A separate place in the diet of men and women in the planning of conception is given to folic acid. Among the products that contain this useful element, we can note fresh greens, potatoes, carrots, peas, bran, cabbage, nuts, beets. Future parents also need to take care to ensure that the body receives enough calcium, which is contained in dairy products.
It should be noted that the digestibility of nutrients can be disrupted due to intestinal dysbiosis, which to date affects up to 90% of the population of our country. For this reason, the pregnancy planning program should include taking natural preparations, such as Linex, whose action is aimed at the effective restoration of the intestinal microflora. It is recommended to supplement a healthy diet with a complex of minerals and vitamins that enhance the effect of nutrients that enter the body with food. It is necessary to make sure that when planning pregnancy, vitamins E, C and P (rutin) are included in vitamin complexes. Their action is aimed at strengthening the walls of blood vessels and preventing varicose veins, which often develops during pregnancy.
Future parents will have to completely abandon bad habits, because The use of alcohol and smoking during pregnancy is strictly prohibited. It is important to part with cigarettes and alcoholic beverages before conception, tk. They significantly reduce the chances of successful conceiving and bearing a baby.
Harmful to reproductive health are products that include caffeine (coffee, pepsi-cola, etc.). The fact is that caffeine helps to increase the production of androgens in the body. Too much of them leads to androgenization: the absence of ovulation in women, the inability of spermatozoa and eggs, the development of the polycystic ovary syndrome. The same applies to sweet foods (cakes, cakes) with a high sugar content, the use of which causes a jump in the glucose level in the body, resulting in increased production of insulin. If this process occurs for a long time, insulin can also cause polycystic ovary syndrome - one of the most common causes of infertility in women. For successful outcome of pregnancy planning from the diet of both partners, it is necessary to exclude products containing dyes, taste enhancers and preservatives that adversely affect the viability of eggs and spermatozoa, and also settle in the liver, which can again result in increased production of androgens.
Proper nutrition when planning pregnancy is not the only factor that affects the positive outcome of conception. When preparing the program for preparation for pregnancy, it is important to take into account one more point - the positive psychological mood of both partners. If the desire of a woman and a man to have a child strong enough, then dreams will necessarily come true!
Nutrition for men in planning pregnancy
Nutrition in planning pregnancy is important not only for a woman who aspires to become a mother, but also for a man. From the food he receives depends on the development of testosterone in the body, as well as the development of viable, active spermatozoa. In addition, it is from the male that the determination of the hereditary information of the baby, and most importantly its sex, depends to a greater extent: it is known that the conception of a boy is an advantage of spermatozoa with a Y-chromosome, and girls with an X-chromosome.
The nutrition of a man when planning a pregnancy, in the first place, should be correct and balanced, containing exclusively natural products. In addition, a man needs to reconsider a lifestyle and established habits. A smoking man will have to give up cigarettes, especially from smoking at home, at least a couple of months before the desired conception of the child. It is proved by medicine that even when one man smokes in a house, a woman becomes involuntarily a passive smoker. It should be taken into account that if episodes of drug use have occurred in a man's life, he should consult a narcologist who will assess the state of health and, if necessary, prescribe appropriate treatment. Naturally, in this case, the period of preparation for conception will be longer.
In addition to giving up smoking, a few months before the planned conception, the future father should exclude from his diet the intake of alcoholic beverages, including beer. The fact is that even the minimal doses of alcohol have a depressing effect on both spermatogenesis (sperm production) and male potency. A man is obliged to support himself in the form with the help of sports and nutrition. It is unacceptable to take any energy supplements or stimulating drugs aimed at the process of building muscle mass, because these drugs have a poor influence on the mobility of spermatozoa, as well as their full maturation. Therefore, a man is recommended to eat foods rich in folic acid: green vegetables, cabbage, beans, spinach, asparagus.
In the critical period of pregnancy planning, both partners should include in the diet vitamins, which include vitamin B9, i.e. Folic acid. In addition, the nutrition of the future father should consist of products rich in zinc, which helps the body in producing sperm and destroys abnormal spermatozoa. Among the zinc-containing products, you can distinguish black bread, walnuts, fig fruits, dates, and raisins. A sufficient amount of this useful microelement is also found in almonds, corn flakes and wheat grains. It is also important to increase the intake of vitamin C, which favorably affects spermatogenesis. To this end, this man is recommended to drink a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice a day.
Nutrition for men during pregnancy planning should be rich in proteins and include daily intake of milk and dairy products, eggs, chicken, fish. Daily water consumption is recommended to increase to 2-3 liters in order to prevent dehydration, which can reduce the amount of sperm production. Ordinary water can be replaced with juices, fruit drinks, compotes, milk, low-carbonated mineral water.
Nutrition when planning a pregnancy for a man should consist of approximately the following diet:
- Meat (preferably ground beef and dark poultry meat).
- Whole-grain products.
- Potatoes (boiled or "in uniform" - contains the folic acid necessary for successful conception).
- Fresh greens, vegetables and fruits (in unlimited quantities).
- Vitamin supplements (first of all - folic acid, zinc, vitamins C, E, D, etc.).
The nutrition menu when planning a pregnancy
Nutrition in planning pregnancy is the most important condition for successful conception of a child. This issue must be treated seriously, taking into account the recommendations of doctors. The main thing in the nutrition of future parents is a balanced diet and healthy food. During the planning period of conception of the baby it is recommended to use a variety of products.
The nutrition menu in planning pregnancy, first of all, should be useful, balanced and includes:
- Vegetables, fruits and berries in any form (both fresh and frozen, in the form of juices, dried, canned). Their daily diet should be at least 5 servings.
- Dairy products containing calcium (yogurt, kefir, cheese, cottage cheese, whole milk).
- Foods rich in protein - eggs, low-fat fish, meat, poultry.
- Products with a sufficient content of carbohydrates - potatoes, bread, whole grain rice, all kinds of pasta.
- Products containing folic acid: greens, leaf lettuce, cereals.
- Fish - at least 2 times a week: sardines, mackerel, fresh tuna and trout.
- Products enriched with iron - for example, red meat, whole grains, lettuce, green vegetables, and legumes.
- Foods fortified with vitamin C (like fruits, vegetables, and juices).
It is necessary to use with caution the products or supplements with vitamin A (pates, liver, fish oil, etc.), because his overabundance can harm the future child. It is recommended to avoid excessive use of "soda", beverages containing caffeine (pepsi-cola, coffee, strong tea), and limit the intake of cocoa and chocolate. Naturally, future parents need to give up fatty, smoked, fried, spicy and sweet foods, which will minimize the development of obesity and help reduce the risk of a woman developing early toxicosis during pregnancy.
Unreasonable nutrition adversely affects the condition of the future mother, provoking the development of vitamin deficiency and interfering with the planned conception. Therefore, a woman's menu must necessarily include a complex of vitamins. For example, a deficiency in the female body of vitamin E leads to an inadequate level of hormone progesterone, which is very important for maintaining pregnancy, especially in its early stages. The lack of this vitamin in the body of a man can worsen the quality of sperm.
At the moment there are a lot of vitamin preparations, however, the most optimal of them must be selected individually, by consulting with a doctor. The best option will be the use of vitamin-mineral complexes in the form of fortified juices, instant drinks, as well as specially designed for future mothers balanced cocktails.
A few months before the planned conception, future parents should remove food products from the table, which contain dyes, flavor stabilizers, preservatives and other "chemistry". It is also recommended to completely abandon the use of alcohol.
Nutrition in the planning of pregnancy consists of elementary rules and recommendations of nutritionists, adhere to which is not so difficult. Minimum - roast, smoked, sweet, maximum - baked, boiled and steam food, daily intake of fresh fruits, proteins and fermented milk products, moderate consumption of surrogate products - these are the foundations of a healthy diet that are necessary for the successful conception of the baby.
Products to help get pregnant
Nutrition when planning pregnancy should be made up of natural and easily assimilated products that contribute to the successful conception of the baby. The use of such products increases both the vitality and qualitative characteristics of the germ cells, which, in turn, increases the chances of pregnancy.
Products that help to become pregnant should contain slowly digestible sugars. They do not cause a sharp increase in blood glucose levels, leading to intensive production of insulin. These products include whole rice, pasta from whole wheat varieties, otrubno bread. The reproductive function of man is beneficially influenced by products enriched with vitamin C: from fruits - these are citrus fruits, kiwi, apples and pears, all kinds of wild berries, vegetables - Bulgarian pepper, tomatoes, broccoli.
Both partners need to add to the daily diet products that contain enough folic acid, which has a large role in the process of conception. These include: cereals, fresh herbs, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, etc. However, it should be remembered that vegetarianism negatively affects the processes leading to the onset of conception. For this reason, it is recommended that future parents introduce into the diet products that contain proteins of animal origin, including meat. The use of protein should be moderate, because excessive amount of it can prevent the attachment of a fertilized egg to the walls of the uterus, or inhibit the early development of the embryo.
The nutrition of partners should include foods that contain enough vitamin E, which is sufficient in vegetable oils: sunflower, olive, corn. With regard to a very common in our time food supplement called "soy", then its reception in the planning of conception is better limited to a minimum. British scientists have determined that soy products contain a special substance called genistein, which acts depressingly on the quality of sperm, as a result of which spermatozoa lose their motor activity and are unable to reach the location of the oocyte. This theory has well-founded premises, obtained as a result of a number of studies on the mating of rats on a soy diet. Numerous experiments have shown that genistein can destroy spermatozoa until they try to dock with a female egg for fertilization. This medical discovery is associated with the name of Professor Lynn Frazier. The use of natural foods, according to the researcher, has a positive effect on the life of spermatozoa within the female body. In this case, they can be in the female organs in the active state for four days. Under the condition of the wrong food, including the use of soy products, the life span of spermatozoa significantly decreases, sometimes they die instantly. Moreover, Lynn Frazier notes that human sperm is a hundred times more sensitive to genistein than sperm from mice. As a result of this disappointing conclusion, even minimal doses of soy can have a very negative effect on the fertilization of the egg.
One of the main methods of normalizing the weight index, which affects the successful outcome of conception, is diet. It has been proved by medicine that a woman whose weight is significantly different from the established rate is harder to conceive. For this reason, she needs to do weight correction at the planning stage of pregnancy with the help of a specially thought-out diet. However, you do not need to reduce weight by starvation, but by combining rational nutrition with exercise or exercise. Weight gain should be served by high-calorie foods, except for flour products: cereals, legumes, lean meat, milk, dried fruits. In any case, the nutrition of future parents should be balanced, without the content of harmful fast food, products with preservatives and food colors, carbonated and alcoholic beverages, and poor-quality food. In order for the chances of getting pregnant increased, it is recommended to include in the daily diet of whole milk or whole yoghurt with a high percentage of fat.
Products that help to become pregnant should provide the body with all the necessary microelements and vitamins. Perhaps the future mother will need to include in the diet of additional vitamin complexes, which should appoint a doctor.
Nutrition in planning pregnancy, in the first place, should be aimed at maintaining weight stabilization. It is important to take into account the diet, daily taking food at strictly defined hours. Such a regimen will help to prevent the appearance of constipation during the period of gestation. Food is preferably consumed exclusively in a freshly prepared form, thoroughly chewing each piece for better digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. It is recommended to replace coffee and tea with juices, compotes from dried fruits and fruit drinks. These simple rules combined with physical activity will help in achieving the main goal of both partners - the desired conception of the baby.