It’s been said time and again but it never seems to sound clichéd when you become a mom – a baby is a bundle of joy that makes your life seem complete. Children are life’s blessings, and this is why we see so many couples (and single women) trying desperately to have a baby, by any means possible. Sometimes, a couple may find themselves trying hard to conceive without any success. There’s often no medical problem with either of them, and it’s often just a matter of timing and luck that they’re not able to make a baby in spite of counting days, taking temperatures, and having sex when they think the woman is fertile.
The conception of a baby is a major miracle, one that happens only when a host of factors are all lined up and ready to take place, one after the other or simultaneously. Sometimes, if you’re finding it hard to get pregnant, it pays to take a look at what you’re eating, because some foods have been known to hinder one or more of the factors that determine the occurrence of a pregnancy. If you’re trying to conceive, here’s a list of foods that you need to steer clear of:
· Food with high fat content: If you’re a junk food addict, now is the time to stop. All those calories are not just adding on the pounds to your frame, they’re also inhibiting your ability to conceive. You need to avoid eating processed foods like biscuits, bread, cakes, burgers and pizzas, fatty foods like ice cream, butter and cream, and foods rich in sugar like sweets, colas and pastries.
· Food that’s not cooked properly: Especially the non-vegetarian kind. They cause stomach upsets and other infections that play havoc with your digestive and reproductive systems. If you must eat meat, go in for the lean kind that’s cooked well. It’s best to also boil your eggs fully or cook them well before you eat them to avoid stomach bugs.
· Foods rich in caffeine: Coffee, colas, teas and even some forms of chocolate are rich in caffeine. While studies have not shown that you must totally avoid this stimulant if you’re trying to get pregnant, we do know that caffeine constricts the blood vessels and slows down blood flow to the uterus, thus making it hard for a fetus to implant itself. So if you’re going in for assisted reproductive techniques, it’s best to avoid caffeine altogether to improve your chances of success.
· Foods that are unpasteurized: Meats that are ready-to-eat, soft cheeses and other unpasteurized dairy products are rich in the bacteria Listeria which has been known to cause miscarriages in the first trimester, sometimes even before you know for sure that you’re pregnant.
· Foods rich in Vitamin A: While a certain amount of Vitamin A is necessary for all of us, too much of it is similar to a slow poison. So try and avoid foods like liver and certain fish like shark, swordfish and tuna when you’re trying to conceive.
· Alcohol, tobacco, drugs and medicines without prescriptions: Alcohol, while ok in moderation, is best avoided when you’re trying to conceive. If you smoke, you must give up the habit before it consumes you and your unborn child. And drugs and medicines taken without the right prescriptions could have harmful side effects that damage your organs and cause other complications.