TTC Diet Tips

ddjay315

What are some of your diet/nutrition tips for TTC?

My doctor was very general, just to generally be healthy, avoid drinking heavily, etc. But I've also seen various tips in browsing articles over time, things to eat or not to eat, involving pineapple, dairy, various seeds/nuts, sweet potato...it's all so confusing!  And I'm not sure if these are things that would have a positive/negative effect, or are more "old wives tales."

So I'm wondering, what have your experiences been (or what have your docs told you) in terms of any general diet changes or specific foods that have helped you in the TTC process, like regulating/ovulating or just generally made you feel better/healthier? 

Are there any specific foods or diet habits that should be avoided or may have had a negative effect for you in the TTC process? For example, I saw something about how some seeds can influence estrogen/progesterone and might throw things off, but is that just in large quantities? (my morning granola has hemp/flaxseed)  I've read about cutting back caffeine, but that's a hard one for me to do, I love my coffee!

And for fun, what's your favorite guilty pleasure/comfort food to help with some of the TTC stress? I'm definitely a stress eater, I love anything that's a vehicle for cheese consumption - especially pizza and mac and cheese!




P.S. -
I thought there was a live chat with a nutritionist posted a few weeks ago, did I miss that? I tried searching for the thread but couldn't find it - if it happened, and someone has the link, could you post it?

lns0425

I don't have much insight into diet/nutrition while TTC so am very much looking forward to others' answers, but I can tell you that the live chat is under Specialty - Health & Exercise And my favorite guilty pleasure/comfort food lately has been dark chocolate with sea salt.

mrsmommya

I only have one coffee a day, but did the same when conceiving my daughter....I will not be giving it up right now for TTC.  I also don't have any other caffeine intake so that may give me some points.  I have seen exercise affect ovulation, delayed or interfering completely.  

I am curious what others have to say as well. I have been doing low carb for about a year and a half.  I have been charting so it seems everything is in line, but we will see the next cycle when we actively start TTC. 

Kristin712

I'm in the "treat my body like I'm already pregnant" camp. The biggest reason for this is I don't want to get KU and suddenly have to make major changes, like giving up caffeine. Personally, I chose to wean myself off caffeine one month prior to TTC. I cut back from two cups of coffee to one for a week, then had a daily soda for a week (way less caffeine than a cup of coffee), and then went cold turkey. I did have a withdrawal headache on that third week, but only for two days. I'm glad I got that out of the way before pregnancy. 

I haven't cut out alcohol, but I do limit it significantly. I'm having 1-2 drinks per week and none during the TWW. 

Aside from those two things, I'm trying to make smarter choices and be mindful of portion control, especially since I quickly gained 5 pounds once I went off BCP. I'm taking prenatals, CoQ10, and a calcium supplement. I've read that calcium is important in pregnancy so again, wanted to get in the habit of taking it now. It doesn't do any harm, so why not?

I've only been temping and off BCP for a month and a half, so I don't have any insight into dietary choices that have had an effect on my temps or ovulation. Curious to learn of others', though!

My guilty pleasure food has been ice cream! I've probably been eating a bit too much lately. Hmm... perhaps that's where those five pounds have come from. )

StarbucksShip

Dirty lurker prepping to TTC: First, SO much love for the 30 Rock gifs. Whenever I'm stressed out I actually think of Liz Lemon saying, "Something of a stress eater, isn't [s]he?" after she sees Jack grab cheesey poofs and jelly beans. Then I eat a couple of hot dogs covered in coleslaw.

There's some books available that are devoted to nutrition or have a fair amount of coverage. I have one that I personally love, "Before Your Pregnancy: 90 Days to Conceive..."  My husband and I thought it was the most comprehensive and balanced approach to preparation (not fear-mongering, not vague). It has recommendations for each of the vitamins and minerals needed, and suggests foods and their portion sizes to meet those requirements.

I found most of these books by entering "fertility diet" into Amazon and then looking at what was highly rated and what other people bought. Then I just borrowed them (if available) from my local library.

gravcass

I've been just overall trying to eat better. I'm also a bit on the heavy side and wanting to loose a few pounds but not sure how that would work for TTC (although I'm not actively yet per ob's orders so I guess I can go all out with a diet:p)

Guilty pleasure food has to be pizza. Just the most amazing food ever invented. I've really been getting into pizza huts new crust flavors and flavor "drizzles"

KLake42

I went ahead and cut out alcohol, and cut caffeine way down (to a third of a cup a day).  That's been known to (marginally) increase the success of women doing IVF, so I went for it.  I've also been taking prenatal vitamins since February, and CoQ10 and DHEA (specifically because I have low reserve).

Generally, cutting down on sugar/starch/carbs is thought to help with ovulating, especially if you have PCOS.  I don't think a strict low-carb diet is the thing, but focus on veggies and protein.

SchmancyNancy

I basically eat as if I were pregnant. Also, I drink wine when AF comes, that was at least after a big let down I have something to look forward to! Best of luck! (LOVE Kristen Wiig) 

juliehollz13

I have started exercising 4 times a week and doing strength training because i will be carrying around extra weight for months once a get pregnant, especially in the front. I heard that baby belly is very heavy.  I cut out fast food and just generally eating healthier, taking prenatals and also started taking FertilAid - i know there's alot of negative things said about the product but i'm taking it for 1 month to see if I like it. The reason i decided to try it is because i recognized all of the herbs in it and was taking them before TTC, my last gyno appt was in April and everything looked great so the herbs in FertilAid that I have already been taking didnt have a negative affect on me. But as always, check with your Dr. I dont think this product will give me outstanding results lol but hey it's worth a try.I'm also TRYING to cut down on caffeine and aside from an occasional glass of red wine, i dont drink. Im also quitting smoking. Down to 1 cigarrette every other day, so doing good so far!

I HEARD that soy should be avoided during pregnancy, and pineapple could cause contractions (i heard its not true tho but idk). I actually read that sweet potatoes and yams are supposed to improve fertility (???). I know you're supposed to stay away from raw sushi and rare meat while pregnant. If you eat alot of dairy I would personally switch to organic/hormone free while pregnant. 

lalala2004

I'm interested in following this thread. I eat generally healthy, but I've heard/read so much mixed information when it comes to this. 

Some women seem to avoid caffeine like it's a horrible drug, but I've read 200mg or less a day is fine. When I'm more actively trying to conceive, I'll probably switch to decaf coffee and tea.

I'm also curious about artificial sweeteners as I've heard mixed things. Some say you should avoid them altogether, my sister-in-law who is a nurse says Splenda is the only one that's "proven safe" and I've heard mixed things about the more natural ones like Stevia and Truvia. 

I'm also wondering if actively trying to lose weight can affect fertility. I've heard mixed things on that as well. I'm wanting to lose weight and would of course make sure I'm taking in adequate calories if I did indeed get pregnant, I just don't want to have too much weight to lose after having a baby as I'm on the edge of overweight already.

I feel like I'm rambling, but this is a subject I've been trying to find out more about and have had a hard time hearing any consensus about! (Although it seems that way for a lot of topics when it comes to TTC, pregnancy, birth and everything else! What's a gal to do when trying to educate herself!)

StarbucksShip

lalala2004 said:

I'm also curious about artificial sweeteners as I've heard mixed things. Some say you should avoid them altogether, my sister-in-law who is a nurse says Splenda is the only one that's "proven safe" and I've heard mixed things about the more natural ones like Stevia and Truvia. 

I'm personally trying to follow the American Heart Association's recommendations for added sugars. It's shockingly low, but I think they make a good argument for these limits. FWIW, I have been doing without artificial sweetners since I hit 30- for whatever reason my body abhors the stuff and I feel weird-gassy for a day.

Those of you losing weight/concerned about weight: have you looked up anything about suggested weight gains based on BMI? They suggest a range of pounds you can gain during pregnancy per BMI category. Most books acknowledge the BMI scale is imperfect, but I found that to be a great reference for a starting point. For example, I creep to the high end of "just-right" and I'm not super muscular. So I've decided to work on weight training and a modest weight loss to feel okay.

lalala2004

Yes, it's incredible how much sugar is added into everything! I try to avoid added sugars especially, but it's rough as I'm addicted to carbs and not willing to give them up! I drink diet soda fairly regularly, and that will be hard to give up, although I know I probably should. I'm lacking in willpower when it comes to things like that. I count my calories religiously, but it takes more than that to be healthy, I know!

Thanks for the resource, @purrbucket

MamaBish

A lot of things are really dependent on the individual. Caffeine affects me more than a lot of others I know, so I am cutting that out. Last time we were ttc, I finally got my BFP after quitting caffeine, could be a total coincidence but who really knows?! 

I already avoid artificial sweeteners because they affect me badly. I get terrible sharp headaches if I eat/drink anything with splenda, sucralose, or aspartame.

I don't drink a lot anyway but I will continue to have a drink once a week or so until I get a bfp.

Other than that, I'm trying to eat fairly healthy while taking my prenatals. I've still got about 5 extra pounds from the last baby that I'd like to lose.

Oh, well, healthy except for lots of cheese. I am eating as much as I can since last time I was pregnant, cheese caused some very uncomfortable digestive problems and I couldn't eat it

lalala2004

MamaBish said:

Oh, well, healthy except for lots of cheese. I am eating as much as I can since last time I was pregnant, cheese caused some very uncomfortable digestive problems and I couldn't eat it

Cheese isn't so unhealthy. At least, that's what I tell myself.... I'd have a hard time giving that up, for sure.

I really enjoy food, if that's not clear >.<

MamaBish

lalala2004 said:

MamaBish said:

Oh, well, healthy except for lots of cheese. I am eating as much as I can since last time I was pregnant, cheese caused some very uncomfortable digestive problems and I couldn't eat it

Cheese isn't so unhealthy. At least, that's what I tell myself.... I'd have a hard time giving that up, for sure.

I really enjoy food, if that's not clear >.<

Gus Gus!! Haha!

No cheese isn't generally unhealthy, it's what I do with the cheese: mac and cheese, pasta alfredo, grilled cheese (which isn't even real cheese), pizza...

PrimRoseMama

I just enjoy my food... :-??

PrimRoseMama

PS-- love the Gus Gus gif

mrsmommya

@lalala2004

Thanks for bringing up the artificial sweeteners.  The only way I have stayed low carb for so long is using splenda every now and again when I need something sweet.

Wondering if there is anymore research on it?  

mrlight

I had read before that dairy and sweet potatoes/yams increase your chances of having twins.  The theory behind dairy is that we ingest additional hormones from the cows.  There is no theory behind the sweet potatoes, except that it is a major source of food in the country with the highest ratio of twins.  Who knows if any of this is true!

I have genetically high cholesterol, so for almost two years, I have been on a no red-meat, no fried-foods diet.  (Occasionally, I will eat a good steak, but that has been about once every few months.)  We eat a lot of chicken and fish. I really don't indulge in much junk food. Typically, I will snack on fruits, vegetables, or yogurt. 

My weakness would have to be Mexican Food.  I used to really enjoy pizza, but after I started running (combined with the no fried-foods), it started to taste really greasy to me and was disgusting.  Now, I make "pita bread pizza" or "flat bread pizza" at home.  I use basil pesto instead of marinara (because I like it better, I don't know if its really any healthier), and use cheese and veggies for toppings.

megmac2010

I have 2/3 of a nutrition degree... But all that makes me is a quitter

But for reals, I am focusing on folic acid, calcium, iron, and B vitamins. Which basically looks like lots of leafy greens, doubling up on veggie servings, lean meat and dairy, and lots of nuts, beans, and legumes.

Dark chocolate has also been my guilty pleasure lately, but I am steadfast in my belief that it's good for you. So dig in!

ddjay315

A few years ago a co-worker's wife was trying to get pregnant (not sure if she did or not) and he mentioned they were focused on doing an alkaline diet, something about how if a diet is too acidic then it can harm the sperm. But all the info I've read about alkaline diets + fertility seem to come from alkaline-diet promoting health blogs or sources so I'm not sure how scientific they are.

As much as I don't think I'll like it I'm going to try to let go of caffeine more this next month...going to try doing a cup of hot water + lemon in the mornings to see if that helps with energy levels.

I'm going to try to up my full-fat dairy intake with some whole milk and yogurt, some of the nutrition articles I've seen recently have mentioned that can help so we'll see. And also just making sure I eat enough! I have a bad habit of getting so wrapped up in my day that I forget to eat breakfast or snack enough until my stomach starts yelling at me. On top of that I think my focus on being healthy (and not indulging too much because of swimsuit season) maybe causes me to not get enough calories/nutrients from my meals (not enough variety), so this next month I'm going to let go of that and just listen to my body more.

lns0425

@ddjay315 Good luck!

yodapup

I just wanted to add you don't have to completely cut out caffeine if you don't want to. Try to keep it around 200mg/ day or less.