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Eating well when planning for a baby - for men and women
Although there is are no superfoods or supplements that have been proven to help with fertility, to give yourselves the best chance when planning a pregnancy, it is advisable for both men and women to eat a healthy balanced diet, to moderate alcohol intake (under 2 units a week), and to aim for a healthy weight (see our page on seeing if you are a healthy weight here).
Being a healthy weight is particularly important for women – women with a healthy weight (body mass index between 20 and 25) have been found to be more successful at getting pregnant than women who are overweight or underweight.
Here is more advice for women trying to get pregnant
- take a daily 400 microgram folic acid supplement, and carry on taking it until the
12th week of pregnancy. This helps to prevent some birth defects.
- eat fish weekly because of its healthy oil content, but don’t have more than two
portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which
does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout. Other goods sources of
these healthy fats are rapeseed oil, olive or omega 3 rich spreads, omega 3 enriched
eggs, omega 3 enriched milk, nuts and seeds.
- don’t eat shark, swordfish or marlin because they can have high levels of mercury.
- eat plenty of food rich in iron such as red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables,
fortified breakfast cereals. Although liver contains a lot of iron, you should avoid
eating it while you're pregnant.
- avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A. Fish liver oil also contains high levels of vitamin A. Having too much vitamin A may harm an unborn baby.
Page added: March 2008