Your body does amazing things every single day. Digesting food and absorbing nutrients is one of those amazing things.
You eat a meal and move on with your day. Meanwhile, your digestive system works behind the scenes to turn that meal into life-sustaining energy.
Your body also does amazing things that take longer than a single day, like growing and nurturing another human.
One thing you can do to improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy is to get proper nutrition. Giving your body the right nutrients allows it to best serve you.
There is a lot of conflicting information out there about what a healthy preconception diet looks like but no matter what you choose, there are several nutrients that are essential for healthy baby development.
FOLATE/FOLIC ACID
Folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably. One is the naturally-occurring form of vitamin B9 (folate) while the other is a synthetic form (folic acid). Vitamin B9 helps to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. A neural tube defect is a birth defect that happens in the brain, spine, or spinal cord. These areas develop within the first month of pregnancy. Most women don’t find out they are pregnant until the first four weeks have passed so it’s important to be getting enough folic acid before getting pregnant.
Folate can be found in leafy, dark vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and arugula. Legumes, citrus fruits, nuts & seeds, beets, avocado, broccoli, asparagus, whole grains, and prenatal supplements are all great ways to add more folate/folic acid to your diet.
The recommended daily amount for women is 400 micrograms. When trying to get pregnant, it may be recommended to get up to 800 micrograms.
IRON
Iron is an important mineral for baby development. It is common for women to have low iron stores because of menstruation. When you get pregnant, your baby will need a good amount of iron from you so it’s important to build up your iron stores.
The most easily-absorbed form of iron is called heme iron. This type of iron is found in animal products, such as beef, poultry, fish, and organ meats. Non-heme iron is harder to absorb and is found in plant products, such as leafy greens, legumes, oatmeal, and tofu. To increase absorption, try eating heme iron and non-heme iron together or with a vitamin-C rich food. Eating these vitamins and minerals together boosts your bodies ability to absorb them.
It is recommended that women get 18 mg per day or iron. When pregnant, the recommended amount is 27 mg per day.
ZINC
A study from Pennsylvania State University recently “found that zinc deficiency can negatively affect the early stages of egg development, reducing the ability of the egg cells to divide and be fertilized”. If your eggs can’t be fertilized or divide properly, you’re going to have a pretty tough time getting pregnant.
Zinc is found in meats, shellfish, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.
The recommended daily allowance of zinc for women is 8 mg per day. During pregnancy, the recommended daily allowance is 12 mg per day.
CONCLUSION
As with all nutrition, it is best to get your micronutrients from food. Supplements are useful but they should “supplement” the nutrition you’re already getting. Prenatal vitamins are often recommended when trying to conceive because proper nutrition is essential to healthy baby development. If you’re planning on getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about what you should look for in a prenatal vitamin.
References
https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/preconception-nutrition/
https://www.yourfertility.org.au/everyone/lifestyle/nutrition-and-micronutrients
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=nutrition-before-pregnancy-90-P02479
https://www.eatright.org/health/pregnancy/fertility-and-reproduction/fertility-foods
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/here-are-5-nutrients-that-can-help-women-get-pregnant#8
https://www.whattoexpect.com/getting-pregnant/ask-heidi/iron-and-fertility.aspx
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180424133639.htm
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