6 Foods To Help You Conceive

When you’re trying to get a baby bump, there are a lot of suggestions and advice thrown your way – Sleeping your legs up in the air or that an orgasm will suck the sperm deeper. Although the effectiveness of these methods is debatable, there are few fertility-boosting foods that are sure to help you conceive, apart from the baby-making process, of course.

1. Pumpkin seeds

A study found that women who took non-heme iron supplement were 40% less likely to not conceive when compared to women who didn’t take this supplement. And pumpkin seeds are rich in non-heme iron, the kind you find in plants and iron-fortified foods. You can toast these seeds in the oven until they’re crunchy and sprinkle them on your daily meals or you can have them as a snack separately.

2. Leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli have high contents of folate which is a B vitamin that is known to improve ovulation. Among men, it is known to increase the count of healthy sperm. This means that there’ll be fewer chances of a miscarriage or genetic illnesses in the baby. You can make a simple salad out of these veggies or a curry with spinach and dal.

3. Beans

In a recent study, it was seen that women who ate more animal based-protein rather than plant-based protein had higher chances of infertility. Beans and lentils are a great plant-based protein for boosting the fertility. Beans are also super versatile so you can make a salad, curry or even a delicious pulao.

4. Olive oil

Olive oil decreases inflammation in the body and also increases insulin sensitivity. Inflammation is known to cause problems during ovulation and conception. So using olive oil daily might increase your chances of getting pregnant. You can substitute olive oil for the normal cooking oil. But make sure to use only refined and pure olive oil.

5. Full-fat dairy

You can finally have all that dairy you want without substituting it for low-fat or skimmed versions. Women who have dairy products like whole milk, full-fat paneer and yogurt are more likely to ovulate than ones who don’t or low-fat dairy. Vitamin D content in milk also boosts your sex drive by increasing the production of sex hormones to help you in the baby-making process.

6. Peanuts

Peanuts and pistachios contain Coenzyme Q10 which is an antioxidant that encourages energy production in all the cells of the body including eggs. This antioxidant is also known to improve sperm mobility, egg quality, and will also reduce age-related fertility problems. So grab a handful of these nuts next time you’re out the door and you’re set! 

Don’t be frustrated if you’ve tried everything to get pregnant but you’re still not able to. Since all of our bodies are unique, you shouldn’t compare yourself to a person who got pregnant in one go. Have patience and live a healthy lifestyle and you’ll be pregnant before you know it.