Posted with permission of I N UK...
Making the decision to start a family can be an exciting, but with so many factors to consider, it is important not to forget your eating habits and lifestyle choices. Ok, it's not really the first thing that comes to mind when you first start trying to make your own perfect family however small changes can really help increase your chances.
Eating well and keeping physically fit and active during preconception is so important with both partners, the female body is prepared for pregnancy and male sperm quality is optimised by healthy eating and exercise. Good nutrition can be the secret to maximising your chances of conception and plays a vital role for couples who have had difficulty getting pregnant in the past.
Weight plays a huge role in conception and being underweight or overweight can reduce your chances of falling pregnant, making an effort to achieve a healthy weight will do you wonders while trying. For your best chances you should aim to have a BMI of between 18.5 and 25. If your have a higher or lower BMI you should try to gain or lose weight. Please be sensible when doing this – no crash dieting, meal skipping or huge portions of junk food with a large fizzy drink on the side!
It may help to contact a Nutritionist to see if they can help advise you on what is best to eat during this time and for tips on gaining or losing weight.
Nutritionist Resource is an online directory of UK nutritionists which helps you to find someone in your area. Trying for a baby can be tough and may not happen straight away, but hopefully these small changes will help.