Diets are interesting, if you think about it. Each year, millions of us pledge to start one up. They often fail or leave us discouraged, but that doesn’t stop us from trying again. But, did you ever think that your diet could get you pregnant?
One man swears that the keto diet helped him and his wife conceive their child. Reportedly, they were on the diet successfully for three months, and each lost around 25 pounds. The couple already had a child, but due to fertility issues, they had to depend on IVF to successfully get pregnant. Science is an amazing thing, isn’t it?
He wrote about his experience on the keto forum over at Reddit, under the name of scarlettrager. “When we were trying to get pregnant 2 years ago my sperm count and sperm quality were atrocious,” he wrote. “Pretty much no chance of getting pregnant on our own. We tried for 3 years and finally had to resort to IVF. And now 3 months after cutting out all sugar she’s pregnant!!!!”
The post is a real head-scratcher. For one, it’s incredible to know how much sugar can really affect your overall health. It’s not news that sugar is bad for you, but who knew it could affect your fertility?
You might assume this was just a coincidence, but fellow keto enthusiasts claim it’s not.
By changing up your dietary habits, you may be upping your chance of pregnancy.
That means that if you really don’t want to get pregnant, you may want to double your methods of birth control in order to avoid it while on the keto diet. But, you may have been doing that anyway if you’ve actively tried to remain child-free. There’s always a chance of pregnancy, even if it’s very slim due to sperm count.
But, is there science behind this?
Well, yes and no.
Health reports that the keto diet has been recommended by a few doctors who treat PCOS and other illnesses that may make conception difficult. They also reported that by cutting out carbs, some women noticed a positive change with the hormones that help to influence female fertility. In short, it may not be a miracle, but it couldn’t hurt.
Curious about the keto diet?
Making #breakfast because I love #keto pic.twitter.com/gX3oSS7xNX
— ☆Jessica ☆ (@Jesvela) September 8, 2019
If you’re unfamiliar with what it is, you may wonder what it’s all about.
Much like the Atkins diet, it focuses on low carbs and high fats. When you reduce your carbs, your body is put into ketosis, which is a good stage to be in for burning off body fat. It’s often hard to cut out bread and pasta, but you can’t argue with the fact that plenty of people see quick results.
According to Healthline, there are a few different versions of the keto diet.
That means that you might be able to find one that fits your lifestyle.
The site reports that certain versions include more protein and less fat, and one version — called the cyclical version — actually includes two carb-heavy days meant to help reset your body. So that might be good if you’re a little hesitant to immediately jump on board the keto train.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, it makes sense to change up your diet a little bit.
Do keto, a lot of women who struggle with infertility do it and get pregnant. I on the other hand did not know that, I lost all that weight just to get pregnant 💀
— Big Dawg Le ✨ (@jstme_lele) May 17, 2019
Food provides energy, so it makes sense that you’ll want your body to feel its best before pregnancy.
Plus, it’s a good way to reset any bad habits. Sometimes, it’s a lot easier to make healthier choices when you know that someone else, like a future child, would benefit. And since this Redditor isn’t the only one who saw results, it’s worth trying — especially if all else fails.
There are even Facebook groups out there for people to share news about their keto babies.
They’re even more inspiring for women looking for answers about their fertility.
Everyday Health pinpoints the fact that weight loss can be key to boosting fertility chances. Also, by following a keto diet, there’s a good chance that your hormones will rebalance. Hormones are pretty important when it comes to creating a baby. Changing up your diet also helps men with their sperm health, so it’s beneficial to everyone.
But, there’s one thing to pinpoint.
Why keto is a no-go during #pregnancy. Thanks for asking for my input @CaraRosenbloom! https://t.co/qTdgIO4iqC
— Elizabeth Ward (@EWardRD) April 10, 2019
Even though it’s okay to follow a keto diet before conception, you might want to quit it when you get pregnant.
A lot of dietary changes happen once again when you get pregnant. There are foods you need to avoid, and if you’re already as a ketogenic state, you may accidentally be blocking out key nutrients your child will need. Taking a prenatal vitamin is just the first step in making sure you’re staying healthy.
It’s actually been listed as being unsafe.
What To Expect talked to professionals, who claimed it was something that should be avoided.
“Glucose, from carbohydrates, is the primary energy source for baby’s growth and development and not having enough glucose can cause serious problems,” G. Thomas Ruiz, M.D., OB-GYN, Lead of Obstetrics at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California told the site. Staying on the diet while pregnant might actually lead to developmental delays in your child.
Keto is a lot less expensive than IVF.
Ivf is too expensive not to work all the time ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
— . (@Lexi_Loovee) April 16, 2017
IVF has been known to be ridiculously expensive, yet still so important for people who want to have biological children.
VeryWellFamily states that one cycle can range anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000. And, that cycle isn’t guaranteed to work. By trying to take charge of your fertility through diet, you’ll be saving a lot of money. That means that it’s worth a shot if you’re envisioning IVF in your future.
Some believe it’s not necessarily keto, but the fact that someone’s dieting.
Tanmoy Mukherjee, MD, associate director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, is one of them.
Mukherjee talked to Health and said that any sort of diet would probably have a good and healthy impact on fertility. “I don’t think there’s anything specific to the keto diet that helps with fertility purposes,” they said, adding that “any diet that helps you achieve a healthier lifestyle will likely impact your ability to be fertile.”
All in all, more research needs to be done to see if this diet is any different.
But the goods news is that it has obviously worked for people before.
That’s the best thing with diets — they’re something we can control. (Pregnancy, not so much.) You can easily get started on the diet and if you find that it’s too much, or just not working, you can pump the brakes. It might be fun to try out keto just to see if you’re able to say no to spaghetti.
It’s funny to think that a diet could help bring so much hope.
When you think of fertility, you might not link it to food.
Being infertile, or going through infertility, is heartbreaking to so many people. There’s nothing worse than knowing your body is incapable of doing something it was supposed to do. But now knowing that food and fertility can be linked, it offers up a little bit of extra hope that a simple step might improve everything.
People can’t stop talking about their keto babies on Instagram.
Whether it’s posting meals or positive tests, this trend has really taken off.
Each post also reminds women who are struggling that they’re not alone. Infertility can be a little lonesome sometimes, especially when other people are quick to post baby announcements and photos on social media. Hashtags regarding keto babies are a solid reminder that you’re not alone in your struggle to conceive.
You don’t have to be a specific size to get pregnant.
It’s not all about the number on the scale.
It’s just that losing weight can help your odds out a little bit. Making that change to prepare for pregnancy will make it a little easier to conceive. It’s not a necessary step to take, but it’s a good way to get a great start and feel good about yourself as well.
Congratulations are in order for scarlettrager.
It’s exciting to know that your family will be expanding, especially when the odds aren’t on your side.
Even if they don’t continue forward with the keto diet, surely they’ll always be thankful that it helped them naturally conceive their second child. By posting such a celebratory message, he may have helped out other couples who’ve been frustrated over their current inability to conceive. Bring on the protein!
And here’s something to remember.
Every diet works differently for every person and couple. Just because something works for some doesn’t guarantee the results for others. It can be insensitive to recommend this to a couple you know is trying to get pregnant, because it could get their hopes up. Use your discretion wisely.
