Certain diets help with making babies

Found on www.ksn.com/ and brought to you by Tricks To Getting Pregnant Faster

.Published: 5/24 11:04 am

 

HARTFORD, Connecticut (NBC) -- The dream of having a healthy baby starts long before the infant is brought home.

Rebecca Brandt knows that. She and her husband have been trying to conceive for four months.

"I’m approaching my mid 30's now, been married for just under two years, and it's something that my husband and I really want," said Brandt.

Rebecca is now making a conscious effort to eat the foods her body needs right now to help make a baby.

The website "what to expect dot com" has narrowed down the key foods to help women and men up their baby-making odds.

They include minerals, starting with calcium for women.

Three servings a day, and it's not just in milk and cheese; broccoli, soy products and leafy green veggies have it too.

"Calcium is good for the person and for the baby because it's a key component of bone. It also is involved in muscle contraction and the nervous system as well," Joseph Walsh, M.D., chief of obstetrics at UConn Health Center said.

Dr. Joseph Walsh encourages overall good health for optimum fertility.

Another mineral for women, manganese, is required for reproductive health.

It can be found in things like spinach, carrots, whole grains, nuts and bananas.

Zinc is good for women and men.

Zinc-rich foods include meats, almonds, yogurt, eggs, and cooked shellfish.

Pomegranate juice and pumpkin seeds boost sperm count.

And studies show that the more produce a man consumes, the more active his sperm is.

“Being overweight can cause menstrual dysfunction and poor egg production, so it can lower your chance of getting pregnant,” said Dr. Walsh.

And while Dr. Walsh does not believe caffeine impairs fertility, he does recommend cutting back.

“There's some evidence suggesting if you have over 200 milligrams a day, which is 2 or 3 strong cups of coffee you have an increased miscarriage rate, although even that is controversial,” said dr. Walsh.

He says cigarette smoking is also a no-no.

It can also cause problems with sperm and affect the woman.

Alcohol is also a known toxin.

“We know it causes birth defects, so while you're trying to get pregnant you might want to cut back because most people don't know when they become pregnant,” said Dr. Walsh.