What Foods to Avoid When You’re Trying to Get Pregnant
Hey girly, I’m so glad you found this blog. Let’s pretend we’re sitting at a local coffee shop. I’m drinking my iced oatmilk latte, you’re having your favorite drink of choice, and we’re just chatting about how to optimize your TTC time.
I want to walk you through everything you need to know about what foods to avoid if you’re trying to get pregnant. I know there is so much information out there, so I really appreciate you taking the time to be here. My hope is that you walk away from this with more clarity and a lot less overwhelm.
This is loaded with information, but I want you to have it all. So, if it is overwhelming I encourage you to come back to it after you’ve digested some of it.
Preconception nutrition is incredibly important. It takes about 100 days to produce a dominant follicle or egg, and the environment that egg grows in matters a lot. Things like stress, nutrition, and exercise all play a role in the environment that follicle is maturing in.
The goal of everything I’m about to recommend is simple: reduce inflammation and support your hormones.
If you’re anything like me when you started trying to conceive, you probably wanted all the information. I’m going to do my best to give it to you in a way that feels supportive, realistic, and doable.
Alcohol
Everyone is aware of fetal alcohol syndrome at this point, and most people know that alcohol is not recommended once you’re pregnant. But I want to take a slightly different approach here and give you two main reasons why alcohol matters before you’re pregnant, when you’re trying to conceive.
First, alcohol directly impacts estrogen levels. Every alcoholic beverage increases estrogen levels by over 5 percent, and consuming four or more drinks per day can increase estrogen levels by over 60 percent. Heavy alcohol intake may also diminish ovarian reserve and fecundability in women.
There is a study out of Denmark that found women over the age of 30 who consumed one to six alcoholic drinks per week had higher rates of infertility compared to women of the same age who consumed less than one drink per week. This is one reason why reducing alcohol intake can go a long way when it comes to fertility.
The second reason alcohol matters is its impact on the liver. Alcohol places a significant strain on the liver, which is where alcohol is detoxified and where estrogen metabolism takes place. This likely explains why estrogen levels tend to be higher in women who consume alcohol.
Caffeine
Caffeine, my beloved coffee that I’m pretending to sip on right now…
There are several ways caffeine can impact fertility, and this is where things get a little less fun.
Caffeine stimulates the production of cortisol, which may negatively impact progesterone levels. Cortisol and progesterone are both made from pregnenolone. When the body is under stress, it prioritizes converting pregnenolone into cortisol rather than progesterone.
I like to explain cortisol and progesterone like a seesaw. When cortisol levels are high, progesterone levels are lower. Continuously drinking caffeine can contribute to elevated cortisol, which in turn lowers progesterone.
Lower progesterone often shows up in the menstrual cycle as a short luteal phase, meaning the time after ovulation is shortened. One study found that women who consumed more than 200 mg of caffeine per day were 50 percent more likely to have a short luteal phase compared to women who consumed 100 milligrams or less.
Many women drink caffeine first thing in the morning. If that’s you, it is important to make sure you are eating breakfast with it, because fasted caffeine can further increase cortisol levels.
Blood sugar regulation is another important factor affected by caffeine intake, and blood sugar balance is critical for fertility.
Refined Carbohydrates
Here’s the problem with refined carbohydrates.
Refined carbohydrates are stripped of their fiber. Their caloric density is increased, dietary fiber is reduced by about 80 percent, and dietary protein is reduced by almost 30 percent. They are also void of most micronutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin E, and minerals, and they cause significant spikes in blood sugar.
Examples of refined carbohydrates include:
Bread, bagels, pizza, pasta, noodles, crackers, and pretzels
Breakfast cereals and puffed grains
Instant foods
White rice
An increase in refined carbohydrate intake is typically paired with a decrease in nutrient dense foods. Even if you are not trying to conceive right now, a diet high in refined carbohydrates is associated with more severe PMS symptoms and ovulatory dysfunction.
When it comes to fertility specifically, refined carbohydrates are linked to lower egg quality and challenges conceiving naturally. Research also shows that women who consume a lower glycemic loaded diet tend to take less time to conceive.
Added Sugar
So much of the American diet consists of added sugar, and this matters more than most people realize when it comes to fertility.
Regular consumption of sugar sweetened soda and or sports drinks has been shown to reduce the chances of conceiving and carrying a pregnancy to term by more than 20 percent. Diets high in sugar are also more closely associated with hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and ovulation disorders such as PCOS.
High sugar intake can worsen menstrual cramps, likely due to increased production of prostaglandins that trigger uterine muscle contractions and contribute to menstrual pain.
This is not about telling you to avoid sugar entirely. It is about helping you understand why limiting excess sugar matters when you are trying to conceive.
If you do consume added sugar, pairing it with a protein or fat can help blunt the blood sugar response.
Some sneaky sources of sugar to be mindful of include:
Sodas and sports drinks
Fruit juices
Sauces such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, and honey mustard
Dried fruit
Fruit smoothies
This is about awareness, not restriction.
Artificial Sweeteners
Along the same lines as added sugar, artificial sweeteners deserve attention.
If you are cutting back on sugar, it can be tempting to reach for artificial sweeteners instead. I want to encourage you to pump the brakes here or at least be cautious.
Artificial sweeteners trick your brain into thinking you are consuming sugar. The more you consume, the more you tend to crave sweetness, and often more food overall, which can increase total caloric intake.
Artificial sweeteners significantly impact blood sugar, and those who consume higher amounts are more likely to experience blood sugar dysregulation. They also interact with the gut microbiome, which can further elevate blood sugar levels.
One study found that 12 weeks of consuming Splenda significantly reduced beneficial gut bacteria, even at a daily dose that was only one fifth of the amount the FDA considers safe.
Artificial sweeteners may also impact thyroid hormones and have been associated with side effects such as memory loss, headaches, dizziness, increased susceptibility to seizures, depression, anxiety, and more.
The less sweet you consume, the less likely you are to crave sweets.
Common artificial sweeteners include:
Aspartame
Sucralose
Saccharin
Acesulfame potassium
Neotame
Alternatives you mentioned include stevia derived sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and monk fruit.
Vegetable Oils
Fats are essential for hormone production and fertility, but the type of fat matters.
Vegetable oils, also known as seed oils, include canola and soy oils, which are extracted from crops such as canola, soy, corn, safflower, and cottonseed. These oils were rarely consumed by our grandparents and great grandparents. Today, we consume about 20 times more vegetable oils than people did a century ago, which may contribute to rising infertility rates.
These oils are high in omega 6 fats that are extremely vulnerable to oxidation. They can contain damaged fats and toxins that pose fertility risks by damaging oocytes and sperm. They are also highly inflammatory, which is especially problematic for conditions like endometriosis and dysmenorrhea.
Common foods cooked in vegetable oils include french fries, onion rings, chips, and donuts.
High intake of vegetable oils can also deplete vitamin E, which is critical for placental development and embryonic survival. Low vitamin E levels have been linked to first trimester miscarriage, and supplementation early in pregnancy has been shown to reduce miscarriage risk by up to 50 percent.
To reduce vegetable oil intake, limit highly fried and processed foods. For cooking, opt for animal fats or coconut oil. For dressings, choose extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or macadamia nut oil, which are lower in omega 6 fats and higher in healthy monounsaturated fats.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are created when liquid vegetable oils are chemically altered to become solid, such as margarine. This process extends shelf life, which is why trans fats are common in packaged foods.
Trans fats increase inflammation and insulin resistance, negatively impacting ovulatory function. Higher intake is associated with an increased risk of ovulatory infertility.
A note about the male partner. Men who consume higher amounts of trans fats tend to have lower sperm counts.
Even small amounts matter. As little as two grams per day, about one and a half teaspoons of shortening, has been associated with longer time to conception in otherwise healthy couples.
Common sources include:
Shortening
Margarine
Fried and fast foods
Donuts
Cakes
Store bought frosting
Cookies and pastries
Soy
Soy contains phytoestrogens, which are plant estrogens that can mimic estrogen in the body. Because of this, some research has raised concerns about soy’s impact on the menstrual cycle.
A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that long term ingestion of soybean protein significantly prolonged the menstrual cycle, particularly the follicular phase, leading to delayed ovulation.
Other research suggests soy intake may impact progesterone levels during the luteal phase. Low progesterone and a short luteal phase can negatively affect implantation.
High dietary intake of soy has also been linked to a 250 percent increased risk of uterine fibroids, which may contribute to fertility challenges.
One more thing…
The goal of this article is to educate and inform, not to make you feel shame about where your diet currently stands.
A helpful reframe is to focus on fueling your body for fertility, rather than restricting foods. Choosing nutrient dense foods that help your body feel better supports both conception and pregnancy.
If you are consuming many of these foods, start with one category at a time. That might mean one change per week or even one change per month. Once that feels manageable, you can layer in another change. Small, consistent changes over time are far more effective than trying to quit everything at once.
If you are trying to conceive and feel overwhelmed or confused, or if this article resonated with you, Jordan and I would love to help you.
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