Dr. Aisling Lanigan shares the most important things to do and eat to boost your fertility.
What to do and eat if you want to get pregnant
If you’re in the baby making business, there are a couple things you need to know. Our expert Dr. Aisling Lanigan tells all (even the most embarrassing stuff!) about what both women and men should be doing and eating to increase their chances of healthy fertility.
What to do:
First rule of thumb: Know you ovulation cycle. Cycles can vary depending on the person, and most women do not know when they ovulate. Most will ovulate about halfway through their cycle, but for those who cannot tell, use these indicators:
- Take your temperature (oral or auxiliary, such as your armpit) — it will increase when you’re ovulating. This spike will be very small, but this is the prime time for fertility.
- Cervical mucus. If it resembles an egg white, you’re ovulating.
- Count the days. If day 1 is the first day of your period, day 13 is roughly around the time you will be ovulating.
- Ovulation strips. Similar to a pregnancy test, women will be able to determine if they are ovulating by urinating on the strip.
Bottom line: Ovulation = baby making time!
What to eat:
- Protein. It’s important to have a protein source with every meal. If you’re a vegetarian, try out quinoa for its essential amino acids. For the women who need their meat, a boneless, skinless chicken breast will work wonders. Protein is crucial as it balances your blood sugar levels which will regulate ovulation — which we all know is how babies are made.
- Dark fruits. Dr. Aisling recommends darker fruits (and dark veggies!) for their antioxidants and large role in alkalizing your body. Turns out sperm are drawn to alkaline, and therefore your body will act as a magnet.
- Essential fatty acids. Omega 3 is key and can be found in all sorts of oil, avocado, ground flax, and fish — especially sardines and anchovies. The trick is to stock up your body with omega 3 before becoming pregnant. This can assist with your baby’s brain and heart development.
- Leafy greens. Kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are great — particularly for men!
- Fibre. The best source of fibre happens to be lentils, but it’s good to eat a variety of fibre sources. Choose lima beans, chickpeas, and all the colours of lentils for some options. Fibre is important as it collects all the extra hormones, cholesterol, and unwanted junk we don’t need in our body.
- Iron. This is the number one most important nutrient for women to have in their bodies in order to ovulate properly. Iron can be found in lean cuts of red meat, spinach, lentils, and kidney beans.
- Zinc. This one is for the fellas. Zinc is essential for balancing testosterone, sperm development, etc. Dr. Aisling recommends oysters, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds, as great ways to up your zinc intake.
Bottom line: Eat a balanced diet! This is important for both women and men. It takes two to make a baby and it takes two to make it healthy.
For more of Dr. Aisling Lanigan’s tips, check out the video below.
Courtesy of Dr. Aisling Lanigan