Is anyone changing their diet to aid fertility?

[Hankthehonk]

Is anybody following particular fertility diets, tracking macros etc? This is all new to me but I've read that a good ratio for egg health is 40% carbs, 35% healthy fats, 25% protein. I'm not hitting that yet but trying to pay more attention to what I eat, logging in Fitness Pal, and upping protein/reducing carbs. I've never been on any particular diet or tracked this sort of thing before. I'd love to hear from people who have more knowledge and experience. I've just bought the book "It starts with the egg" after seeing it recommended on a MN thread.

I just had a miscarriage last week - and I think focusing on nutrition is in part a way to feel a sense of control over my body and the fertility journey. But I guess there's no downside to eating more healthily. Once I've had a bit more time to recover physically from the miscarriage I'll get back to exercising too (I was running a few times a week before falling pregnant but my symptoms of sore boobs, nausea and exhaustion were so bad that I had to stop during the pregnancy).

I've not changed my diet for fertility, but for thyroid health. I have Graves, but am trying to lower the antibodies so that it isn't a problem for pregnancy.

Anti-inflammatory, no gluten or cow dairy (I still eat sheep or goats cheese) plenty of fruit and veg, good quality protein and lots of nuts. I also take an omega 3 fish oil, vitamin d and pre and probiotics. Also stress reduction, as high stress levels play a major role in inflammation

Maybe make a few small tweaks to your diet and lifestyle and see what happens. Lots of cruciferous vegetables are good for balancing hormones, think brocilli, cauliflower, sprouts, etc as are healthy fats - avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut milk, etc. Yoga and breathing exercises are good for stress, as is walking in nature.

Try not to go too hard, too fast, or you may end up falling off the wagon!

Good luck, sending baby dust!

I think that's too many carbs but everyone is different

May just be coincidence, but 6 weeks after cutting out gluten and dairy and giving my diet an overhaul I've just got my bfp!

@Pitstop1986 that's brilliant congratulations!
Had you been ttc for long?
What was your diet like the last 6 weeks then please share?!

@Hankthehonk I could have written this. I have also just purchased the book.
How long have you been ttc?
We have been trying 3 1/2 years now and I've had 2mc's, worst thing ever to go through isn't it, I hope you're doing ok.

I have too much sugar- I know this. I do a couple of day's restricted (can't drink tea without though) but then it's like I'm craving so I go mad and buy cakes/ chocolate from the works cafe and then feel bad after ☹️ I'm really struggling with the food side of things.

I know exactly what you mean about trying to regain some control. I had a late miscarriage over a month ago and I've lost half a stone since. My diet wasn't overly unhealthy but I have a few months to be the healthiest version of myself before we start ttc again. I have no idea if it will help but it's about the only thing I can actually physically do at the moment.

I'm just calorie counting which is instantly making me more mindful of not binging, and trying to reduce carbs and saturated fat.

For me carbs are the devil I've read a lot suggesting clean Keto is beneficial for fertility and holding pregnancies not sure there is any data to back it up though. I personally find keto just generally beneficial and I'm going to start back at it as I need to lose some weight as well .

@rainbowssky my diet at the moment is berry and spinach or carrot, apple and ginger,(or just chuck a load of stuff in the blender) smoothie with hemp protein powder or buckwheat porridge for breakfast, lunch is salad with plenty of veggies and half an avocado with some protein- eggs, chickpeas, chicken, etc, dinners are curries, rice bowls, hearty soups or tray bakes each with lots of veggies in them. Snacks are nuts, fruit, dark chocolate, rice cakes and nut butter or carrot sticks and hummus and I've been drinking 1-2 cups of bone broth every day.

I've made "healthy" brownies out of ground almonds, cacao powder, eggs, mashed banana and coconut oil, banana bread out of mashed bananas, chickpeas and eggs and oaty bars out of gf porridge, mashed bananas, eggs, dried fruit and chopped nuts and seeds to have as a dessert or snack, too

I also take a multivitamin, an extra vitamin d3 (my levels are low) omega 3 fish oils and pre and probiotics.

I found that after a week or do I stopped craving junk food and chocolate, so now it doesn't bother me if DH sits next to me with a cream egg or something!

Good luck to everyone! Sending baby dust!

Thanks everyone for the responses.
I have now been trying to improve my diet for two weeks and I am not yet consistently hitting my goals of 40% carbs/35% fat/25% protein although getting closer all the time. I've made what feel to me like big changes but clearly I was on a very carb heavy diet before so hitting those macro goals feels like a stretch for me (I know that even less carbs would be better but 40% feels like a goal I can achieve, and so far it's tough). I'm lucky that I've always been slim without ever having to worry about what I eat, this has been a wake up call to the impact of diet on my overall health.

@rainbowssky sounds like we are very similar! I am so sorry for your losses. I have a very sweet tooth as well and as above struggling with the food side. Exercising I'm genuinely enjoying having just started running again.
We had only been trying for 2 cycles when I got pregnant (for our second - my daughter is 3 in July), then miscarried at 8 weeks, 3 weeks ago, just after a positive scan where we saw a heartbeat. So it's 4 months now since we decided to properly try. It took a year to get pregnant with my daughter so I was surprised to fall pregnant so fast - I know that if the pregnancy and mc hadn't happened I'd still be quite relaxed about ttc but now I've been pregnant and lost it I am desperate to be pregnant again.

@Skyblue22 thanks for sharing and I'm so sorry for your loss. Glad to hear others are in the same boat of trying to take control of diet and health, it does feel like a positive way to respond to the horrible situation we're in.

@Pitstop1986 thank you for sharing and congratulations on your bfp!

Keto all the way carbs and glucose spikes aren't good