Trying To Conceive - Tips to Get Pregnant Fast

What you eat and drink can make a difference to both female and male fertility so the basics are the same for both mums and dads-to-be:

* Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (at least 5 portions each day - aim for lots of different colours) to boost vitamin and mineral intakes.
Here's a guide to your five a day
* Choose iron rich protein foods such as lean meats, eggs, beans and lentils.
* Try to include one portion of oily fish each week (e.g. salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines etc).
Find out more about the benefits of fish oils in pregnancy here.
* Include lowdairy foods every day for extra calcium e.g. low fat milk & yoghurts etc.
* Choose healthier snacks such as fruit, dried fruit, fortified breakfast cereals etc.
* Moderate alcohol intake - no more than 1-2 units each day - and have more alcohol free days.
* Increase your omega-3 intake. A study of 9,000 mothers and children in Avon suggested those who consumed less of the essential fatty acid omega-3 had children with lower IQs. Click here for more information about fish oils in pregnancy. Eat more of the vegetarian form of omega 3 - we have lots of omega-3 tips and recipes here.
* Give up smoking. Here's a guide to get you started.
* Work towards achieving an ideal body weight.
Find out more about successfulhere.
* Be active on most days - walking swimming or something more aerobic.

In addition while trying to conceive, and when pregnant, women are advised to:

* Take a 400mcg (0.4mg) folic acid supplement and choose foods rich in folates as this can help to reduce the chances of having a baby with a neural tube defect such as Spina Bifida.
* Avoid too much vitamin A as this can harm the growing baby - which means avoiding taking any supplement that contains vitamin A, including most fish liver oils e.g. cod liver oil, and also liver and anything made from this such as pate's.