How to 'eat yourself pregnant'

Zita West, a fertility expert, midwife and author of 'Eat Yourself Pregnant', believes good, wholesome foods are the 'bedrock of a baby-ready body'.

Below, in an extract from her new book, Eat Yourself Pregnant: Essential Recipes for Boosting Your Fertility Naturally, she explains which foods can help with conception:

THE DIET PLAN AND YOUR CYCLE  

Mood, weight and hormones can change rapidly according to where a woman is in her cycle. It is possible to support your body’s monthly shifts through your diet.   

In this section I want to encourage you to think about how you feel at each of the stages (phases) in your cycle.

Then, I’ll tell you which foods will help support your shifting moods and emotions (a natural by-product of your changing hormones) over the course of the month. 

Phase one of your cycle

Many women can actually feel the hormonal shift on the first day of their period – pent-up tension seems to fall away and a sense of relief and calm ensues. 

However, like many other women, you may also feel a bit depleted or lethargic. Take some time out when your period begins – enjoy some quiet time that allows you to conserve and then restore your energy. 

Avoid exercising and treat yourself to an early night (or two).

This is a time for warm, nourishing foods. Choose a diet rich in iron and vitamin C, as these nutrients help to replenish the iron that you lose with your period. 

Vitamin-B-rich foods will help you to regain some energy. 

Good sources of iron include lean red meat, pumpkin seeds, beans and pulses, dried apricots and raisins, shellfish and dark green leafy vegetables. 

For B-vitamins include whole grains, lamb, beef, poultry, shellfish, eggs, and dairy products, leafy green vegetables, yeast extract and nutritional yeast flakes. 

Most fruits and vegetables will provide good levels of vitamin C (this is essential for iron absorption), but particularly good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, berries, kiwi fruit, leafy green vegetables and red pepper.

If you suffer from period pain, try taking an omega-3 supplement to help reduce levels of inflammation in your body.

Phase two of your cycle 

During this phase, which can vary in length from month to month, oestrogen is on the rise as your body prepares for ovulation. 

Many women feel great – attractive, flirty, full of libido. This is usually a time when you’ll burst with energy – you may feel like hitting the gym or pounding the streets (if that’s your thing).

Now is the time to noticesome of the vital signs and secretions associated with this fertile time of the month.

During this phase, stock up on your B-vitamins, which are important for hormonal balance.

B-vitamins also help with healthy cell division (a crucial part of babymaking). 

Lecithin (a phospholipid found in animal products) will help to keep your cell membranes healthy. 

Keep eating the vitamin-C-rich foods as this vitamin is thought to increase the amount of water in your cervical mucus, making it more plentiful.

Foods rich in capsaicin, isoflavones and L-arginine (such as, in turn, spicy foods, tofu and watermelon) encourage the body to make nitric oxide (NO).

This compound helps to dilate your blood vessels, easing blood flow through your whole system, which is good news for your reproductive organs (including your genitals, uterus and ovaries).

Finally, for healthy implantation to occur during this crucial part of your cycle, your immune system needs to be in optimum condition. 

For this reason, stock up on vitamin D – the workhorse of your immunity. 

Exposing your skin to sunlight is the best way to get your body to manufacture this vitamin, but it is also present in salmon and sardines, and in shiitake mushrooms (if you’re vegetarian).

Phase three of your cycle

This is the luteal phase of your cycle. 

The corpus luteum (the ruptured ovarian follicle that produces progesterone to thicken the womb lining, close the cervix and maintain a pregnancy) contains a high level of betacarotene, which is the orange–yellow pigment found mainly in foods such as carrots and butternut squash, as well as other vegetables.

Betacarotene is also a powerful antioxidant – a free-radical scavenger that helps protect your cells from damage. 

During this phase of your cycle, try to include plenty of betacarotene-rich foods in your diet, including butternut squash, carrots, collards, kale, spinach, potato and mustard greens.

Phase four 

If no fertilisation has occurred, your hormone levels start to fall. 

During this phase you may begin to feel more lethargic again - it's this time (on the run-up to your period) that many women find they crave sweet foods.

Remember your 80:20 leeway and allow yourself the odd treat, but try to make sure that generally you eat foods that will keep your blood sugar stable. 

Your cycle begins at the end of this phase - marked by the moment you get your period. 

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