What Foods Should I Eat During IVF?

We know that after being bombarded with hoards of hormones, supplements, and the struggles of infertility, making changes to our diets is probably the LAST suggestion you want to hear. 

But especially if you’re about to do an IVF cycle, you’ll want to get your body in tip-top shape to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. But don’t freak out; we’ve got the lowdown on the nutrients you need to support your fertility mission, and where to find them.

Dara Godfrey, a registered dietician at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, notes that there’s no one-size-fits-all nutrition guide. We’re all different, but there are some foods that can help support the body to hopefully function more optimally. But before you make any significant changes to your diet, be sure to speak with your doctor and maybe a registered dietician, who can tailor an individualized diet for your body’s specific needs.

Five A+ foods for fertility

Godfrey’s top five foods that she recommends to support clients’ fertility goals include: 

• Green veggies
• Wild salmon
• Walnuts
• Black beans
• Eggs 

Fertility-friendly nutrients FTW

Here’s a breakdown of the seven nutrients Godfrey says your fertile body needs, and a wide variety of foods where you can find them:

1. Omega 3s are known to help with hormone regulation. To get those good juices flowing, look for high-fat fish like sardines, anchovies and wild salmon. You can also find Omega 3-enriched eggs (which also have protein bonus points). Godfrey mentions that recent research also suggests that Omega 3s can improve embryo quality, reduce inflammation and can even help with sperm quality. If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or just not that into fish, you can get Omega 3s from walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds.

2. Some recent research shows that Vitamin D can increase IVF success, as well as potentially help regulate blood sugar. Keep in mind that Vitamin D supplementation may be especially needed during the winter months, when we’re not getting as much sunlight. There aren’t too many foods that are naturally fortified with Vitamin D, but Godfrey suggests include wild salmon, sardines, eggs and milk (yep, those guys are gonna come up a lot).

3. Iron is important during pregnancy to deliver oxygen to the baby and to prevent anemia in the mother. While the supplements in prenatal vitamins are great, Godfrey says you can also find iron naturally in foods such as lean beef, shrimp, chicken, and fish. Animal-free sources of iron also include oatmeal, organic tofu, enriched whole grains (Godfrey loves cereals like All Bran or Shreddies), which are also high in fiber. Iron loves to hang out with Vitamin C, so if you’re having shrimp, chicken, fish or tofu, Godfrey suggests throwing in some red peppers. In the morning and for snacks, sprinkle strawberries on your iron-rich cereal.

4. Folate. The first trimester is the most important time to prevent neural tube defects, and folate and folic acid are shown to have a protective effect, which is the main reason doctors and dietitians recommend you take a prenatal vitamin. The food form of folic acid is folate and it’s super easy to find it in dark leafy greens like brussels sprouts, kale, asparagus, avocado, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, oranges and sunflower seeds.

5. Vitamin C, especially during food and cold season, is super important while trying to conceive. Most people think of citrus right off the bat, and yes, oranges and grapefruit are great, but Godfrey also suggests red peppers and broccoli. Other fruits include strawberries, papaya, kiwis, pineapple, mango and watermelon. Keep frozen fruits (ideally organic) in mind when they’re out of season. Apparently, according to Godfrey, they’re actually more concentrated in nutrients, since they’re picked and frozen at peak ripeness. Mind blown. 

6. Vitamin C’s best friend is calcium. If you want to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your Vitamin C, Godfrey suggests pairing it with a source of calcium. She suggests pairing strawberries with yogurt to help with each others’ absorption, or trying a stir-fry with red peppers and other veggies, paired with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top. One important note on dairy: go for organic and keep in mind that men and women have opposite needs here in regards to fat content. Women need whole fat: “the fat in milk is where the female hormones like estrogen are found,” explains Godfrey. So when that fat is taken out, what’s left are the male hormones (like androgen) which aren’t helpful to a female body seeking to conceive. Contrastingly, men should avoid whole fat yogurt for the same reason: their fertility could be adversely affected by the higher concentration of the female hormones. If you’re dairy-free, you can get calcium from broccoli, bok choy, collard greens, kale, almonds, organic tofu, and black beans.

7. Hydrating with water is important year-round. In the winter months, it helps to clear your body of mucus, getting rid of viruses and airborne infections more rapidly. This may not sound like it relates to fertility, but as Godfrey points out, “if your immune system is strong, your body is working more efficiently.” And that’s always a good thing.

Men can use a boost, too

For men seeking to improve their fertility, Godfrey adds zinc and selenium to this list.

• Zinc is shown to increase testosterone levels, improve quality and quantity of sperm and help prevent sperm from clumping together. It can be found in seafood like oysters, crab and shrimp, as well as pork, beef, chicken and venison. Vegetarian sources include sesame seeds, raw pumpkin seeds and low-fat yogurt.
• Selenium is necessary for the creation of sperm, and is best sourced from Brazil nuts, liver, snapper, cod, halibut, tuna, salmon, sardines, shrimp, turkey and broccoli. 

Every time is snack time 

If you’re looking for healthy ways to get your snack on, Godfrey also serves up these easy, on-the-go ideas:

• Bag up a mix of walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax. Grab a cup of full-fat, organic yogurt and sprinkle your healthy mix on top.
• Ladle some black beans (or kidney beans, or chickpeas) into a glass jar as a wholesome, satisfying snack at your desk.
• Pack your commuter bag with an iron-enriched cereal and some strawberries and almonds.
• When you’re traveling, you can sometimes find ready-made hard-boiled eggs in airport cafes.

The bottom line on fertility foods

Beyond diet, Godfrey stresses that improving your body’s fertility has to include changes to your overall habits and environment. Bottom line: you can eat a perfect diet, but if you’re not taking care of yourself in other ways, the foods you eat can’t work as efficiently. It’s probably a good idea for you to start reducing your wine and coffee intake (we know, we know). Coffee wise, getting down to one or two cups (think 6oz, not a 20oz Venti!) per day will make the transition easier if and when you do get pregnant. Be sure you drink your morning joe after you’ve had breakfast and a glass of water. 

Godfrey is also pretty permissive when it comes to alcohol—within reason. Practitioners vary with their recommendations on this (so make sure to talk to yours), but evidence that Godfrey has seen at her clinic suggests that having three to four glasses of wine per week shouldn’t have an effect. The larger concern about booze are the habits that surround it. Avoid having drinks on an empty stomach, and remember to hydrate. Otherwise, Godfrey observes, “your inhibitions are lowered and you choose poor quality foods and larger volume.” (Hey, we’ve all been there). 

Finally, Godfrey assures us, you don’t have to deny yourself all your favorite things. “For me, there are no absolute ‘no’s,’ because that’s unhealthy, too!” Pass the nachos, please?