Any vegetarians or Vegans with Unexplained Infertility?

[Feisty Fidget]

Hi Lovelies :wave:

After two years of FTC (Failing to conceive ) I have decided to take drastic action and look into my diet and environs to see if they could be contributing to my unexplained infertiltiy. I purchased a book called the fertility diet about 6 months ago and it makes for an interesting read.

One of the more controversial claims is that meat and dairy eaters are much more likely to suffer with infertility then vegetarians or vegans. Apparently going vegetarian can drastically increase your chances of natural conception but going vegan is said to have the best impact.

So I am just trying to do some research and thought I would come straight to the source; the lovely ladies of bnb. Any of you vegetarian/vegan and if so how long have you been trying?

 

[giraffes]

Hi there,

I'm a lifelong vegetarian (my family are veggies) but my troubles TTC are due to problems caused by previous surgeries rather than unexplained. I just wanted to say good luck if you do decide to go veggie, you can lead a totally healthy and eat a wide variety of things! But be careful if you go vegan, it's a big change in diet and it's important to get all the vitamins you need. I also reckon that there are different body types out there, some that suit a veggie life and some that don't. My OH gets really tired and grumpy without meat whereas I'm obviously fine!

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Thanks giraffes

I have been vegetarian before and don't find life without meat all that difficult but I am a proper dairy fiend so may struggle with that one! x

 

[KittyCat82]

I'm vegeterian and unexplained. I got pregnant when I was 17 and a meat eater x

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Thanks Kitty, this is the kind of useful data I was after!

 

[phoenixrose]

I'm not a vegetarian but I have read a lot into it. One of of the good points that I've found is that vegetarians/vegans do have less health issues including infertility but you also have to look at the entire eating pattern of a vegetarian/vegan vs a meat eater. Vegetarians/vegans choose to be that way and eat very healthy with lots of veggies and tend to lead a healthy lifestyle in general. The average vegetarian doesn't decide to not eat meat and then eat a lot of velvetta shells and cheese. On the other hand the average meat eater eats a bunch of processed food. Ive also been changing my diet little by little. I cut out caffiene and alcohol 5 months ago. I cut out all processed food a month and a half ago. I cut out wheat 3 weeks ago and I'm working on cutting out dairy except the tiny amount I put in my smoothies. I've been eating mostly fruits, veggies, chicken, eggs, brown rice, and my daily smoothie. I also try to eat as many of those things organic as possible, especially things that you don't peal, like spinach, lettuce, apples, etc. Also, be careful with that fertility diet book, I think it says dairy is okay, but that depends who you are. Many people have unknown allergies to milk and wheat. Those allergies can be as simple as always being fatigued after you eat them. Good luck with your change in diet!

 

[pavementfan]

Hi there, just thought I would chip in, I've been TTC for 19 months and been a veggie most of my life (over 20 years).
I do get a bit worried about my iron levels but hopefully the folic acid supps and eating leafy greens help. I think getting enough B vitamins (B6 or B12) is also a concern - there was a thread on here recently - but you can eat marmite/pulses/fortified cereals for that.
I was vegan for 2 years and it's actually not too bad... until you try and eat out!
My MIL thinks I'm not pg because I am vegetarian... sigh
Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[Feisty Fidget]

You lovelies are all wonderful for sharing your eating patterns and experiences with me

PhoenixRose DH is diagnosed as coeliac but was refusing to stick to a gluten free diet (I know how dangerous it is, pity he wouldn't listen) but after shockingly low SA results (last one when he was GF was great) he is being forced into sticking to it, which means as encouragment I will too I am considering eating the occasional organic meat and sticking to organic milk but limiting it and for the rest of my diet being unprocessed, sugar and cafferine free but I just wanted to get some background on whether meat and dairy really was the devil when it came to infertility or if it as you have said (and I suspected) that it is more to do with the quality and processed elements of food

PS coconut milk or almond milk in a smoothie is amazing! xxx

 

[purplesparkle]

3 people who i know who have had a baby recently or are pregnant at the moment are all veggies. maybe there is something in it, maybe they eat more veg and get more vitamens then big meat eaters. i don't eat a lot of meat but try and have a varied diet and eat lots of fruit and veg.

 

[Feisty Fidget]

PurpleSparkle this is what makes it all so confusing

I think that I am going to only eat organic chicken, organic dairy both in moderation and bulk up on the fruit and vegetables. At the moment I am in the transition stage but come next cycle I hope to be sugar and caffeine free too!

 

[purplesparkle]

Feisty Fidget I know what you mean. I'm trying to cut back on fizzy drinks and trying to drink more herbal teas.

I heard on the tv the other day that lack of vitamin d can effect fertility, I take vitamin d as doc. said I wasn't getting enough. Its because we don't get enough sun in the uk! told my oh next holiday we have has to be somewhere hot!

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Don't forget to mention that a holiday somewhere hot is a damn sight cheaper then IVF

I am also giving up gluten to keep DH company on his coeliac diet!

Purple if you must have caffeine make sure to check the ingredients for Aspartame as it is one nasty little additive that can severely affect not just fertility but your general health!

 

[purplesparkle]

I only have 2 cups of tea a day, other wise i have green, peppermint or fruit tea. so cold at the moment sometimes you just need to have a good cup of pgs tips!

defo. holiday cheaper than ivf i'm already dreaming of our next holiday, need to get a job first though!

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Purple go easy on the green tea hon, I have heard from lots of different sites and books that it can be quite risky to take when ttc as it affects your folic acid absorption which could result in severe birth defects I love lemon and ginger tea and is also supposed to be good for implantation

 

[phoenixrose]

You lovelies are all wonderful for sharing your eating patterns and experiences with me

PhoenixRose DH is diagnosed as coeliac but was refusing to stick to a gluten free diet (I know how dangerous it is, pity he wouldn't listen) but after shockingly low SA results (last one when he was GF was great) he is being forced into sticking to it, which means as encouragment I will too I am considering eating the occasional organic meat and sticking to organic milk but limiting it and for the rest of my diet being unprocessed, sugar and cafferine free but I just wanted to get some background on whether meat and dairy really was the devil when it came to infertility or if it as you have said (and I suspected) that it is more to do with the quality and processed elements of food

PS coconut milk or almond milk in a smoothie is amazing! xxx

Sounds like you have a good plan! I don't know that milk is evil or not, it's just at this moment I'm willing to try anything to get my BFP, so I've decided to give it a go. And thank you for the tip about the almond or coconut milk, I'll definitely give it a try. I'll just find somewhere else to get the probiotics from, maybe a pill.

 

[purplesparkle]

Feisty Fidget you got me drinking lemon and ginger tea again forgotten how good it tastes

 

[cooch]

Don't know if this counts but the endo diet-

no
dairy
wheat
alcohol
sugar
caffeine
red meat.
All the vegies I have known have never had any problems falling pregnant. Maybe as they eat plenty of fish which contains some of the most important supplements! I don't know!

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Cooch that is pretty much the fertility diet

I love fish but have to limit the amount I eat because as a Dental Nurse I am already over-exposed to mercury

I am really going to struggle with the no sugar rule as I love to bake!