They Told Me Not to Eat Pork When Trying to get Pregnant so I Tried It (My Honest Experience)

I tried the “do not eat pork when trying to conceive” tip for an entire cycle—here is how it really went down, what studies have found, and what I wish I knew before overthinking every meal.

I Never Thought This Would Get Under My Skin As with any fertility tip, this one popped up unexpectedly but naturally. “I should not eat pork if I’m trying to conceive,” a friend casually mentioned without further information or evidence. I wish I could say that I just let it pass. But I did not.

Why? Because once you reach the trying stage, every little thing seems to stick.

Even tips as specific as this. This time around, I was not completely desperate, but I was certainly not comfortable. I was already at that point where each and every cycle meant something more significant than the previous ones. That is why I did not brush it off. I decided to test it out.

Where Did This Advice Come From?

Before making any changes, I did my best to trace the origins of this advice. And here’s what I found out:

• Beliefs around taboo foods in culture.
• Worries about fat and inflammation,
• Advice against processed meat consumption.
• Fertility diets boiled down to strict guidelines.

Pork would allegedly affect hormone production for some individuals. Others believed pork was able to heat the body. While none of this was particularly specific, it was enough to put doubt in my mind.

And this is exactly how fertility myths persist. It’s not because they have been scientifically proven. It’s because they appear believable enough when uncertainty reigns supreme.

My Starting Point (Before I Removed Pork)

As far as I’m going to be honest, I have to admit how my lifestyle was before. Because it wasn’t bad at all. Though it also wasn’t planned.

• Typical days went this way:
• Starting off with coffee, then eating. 
• Convenient lunch rather than prepared one. 
• Hearty dinner consisting mostly of whatever was around.
• Snacks if I was tired, anxious, or bored.

But what about pork? Turned out to occur way more often than I realized. Not necessarily in obvious way, but in my regular food choices: Pork adobo, Pork dishes fried, Sausages or hotdogs. Nothing unusual. Typical.

This is where the key point is, though: I wasn’t aware. And this is the reason why this experiment became something special for me.

The Decision that Was More Important than it Should Have Been

“I will do it once.” Absolutely no pork at all. A very basic and simple principle.

But in terms of emotions? Not so simple at all. That’s because suddenly, everything I ate seemed to be important. I found out something disturbing: It was never about the food.

Week 1: Unexpected Challenges

The initial days did not present physical challenges. However, the mental part was louder than expected. Each time I looked at food, I would ask myself: Will this help me or hinder me?

This question never popped up in my head before. I do not miss the taste of pork. What I miss is the freedom to eat without thinking too much.

Therefore, I substituted it with: Chicken, Fish; Eggs, and home-cooked dishes, Without realizing it, I began to have a healthier diet. Not entirely healthy. Just a bit healthier.

An Actual Experience That I Considered Not Including

Once, I came really close to giving up. It is pretty dramatic, but it actually happened. The food was ready—pork, rice, something I usually enjoyed.

And yet, I lingered far too long, contemplating eating it. Not because I thought the pork would harm me. But because I had already associated it with hope. And once something has been associated with hope, it becomes more difficult to disregard it.

I did not eat it. But the thing that stuck with me was not the choice itself. It was the weight of the choice.

Week 2: Small but Real Differences

After the second week, I began to notice some differences. Not big ones, mind you. Small differences that made me stop.

• I was bloated less often at nighttime.
• My afternoon crashes were less severe.
• I did not feel as “heavy” after eating my meals.

And I found myself wondering: Is it because I got rid of the pork?
Or is it because I eat differently now? Both likely. But in the real world, they go together.

Week of Ovulation: When Everything Seemingly Becomes Important

The week of ovulation becomes different. Despite your efforts to keep calm. Despite telling yourself that you shouldn’t overthink. You realize things in greater magnitude. Your physicality. Symptoms. And decisions.

And I can recall that I was thinking: “If this works, then I’m definitely going to give credit to the ‘pork’ business.” This is quite irrational. But, at the same time, very human.

Two-Week Wait (When the Logic Is Hushed)

Because if you knew, you knew.

This is where:

• You google symptoms you’ve already googled before.
• You start paying attention to sensations you never bothered to pay attention to before.
• You refrain from hoping… yet hope all the same.

But amidst all that waiting, there came an unsettling realization: It wasn’t just about food testing. It was about finding a cause. A solution.

The Outcome (Or What Came After)

I wasn’t pregnant. No dramatic conclusion. No “my life is forever changed” epiphany.

Just reality. For a moment there, I felt that disappointment I’ve grown too accustomed to. It was what happened after that took me by surprise.

Not despair. Not annoyance. It was this simple question: “Who’s going to get blamed now?”

The Path That I Almost Took

It was more important that moment rather than its outcome. As I could sense myself getting ready to jump into the next thing.

• Eliminate sugar.
• Reduce caffeine.
• Take another supplement.
• Make yet another change.

And suddenly, it became clear how easily this process can be made into a never-ending loop of changes. Never stopping to wonder, “Is this really going to help?”

The Facts About Pork and Infertility from Scientific Research

Let’s get down to facts here. When you search for:

• “Will eating pork impact my fertility?”
• “Do I need to stop eating pork before trying to conceive?”

Then here is the science-backed information: No credible scientific study suggests that consuming pork can prevent pregnancies.

But: Consuming processed meat, including pork, in large quantities can affect fertility, according to certain research studies. A high consumption of processed food can cause inflammation and metabolic problems in the body.
Overall dietary habits are much more important than individual foods consumed.

Therefore, the actual message should be: It’s not about the pork alone but about your diet overall.

Changes (and No Changes)

No Changes. I did not invent that particular cycle.  My hormones did not mysteriously realign. There was no sudden epiphany
Changes.  I became more conscious about what I ate. 

I limited myself from eating junk food. I actually felt light. I stopped expecting just one thing to solve all my problems. 

Truthfully? The last point was actually the most crucial one.

This Isn’t the First Time I’ve Done Something Like This

Here are some things I’ve already tried:

• Having certain foods for implantation.
• Modifying my schedule during ovulation.
• Introducing tiny “fertility hacks” from the Internet.

Some made me feel better. Some didn’t make a difference at all. And now I’m learning that sometimes,  That’s okay.

The Truth About Emotions That Gets Overlooked

Trying to conc eive quietly alters your mindset. Suddenly you begin asking yourself:

• “What am I eating?”
• “How do I feel about this?”
• “What am I doing that’s wrong?”

Even if you don’t get an answer. Sometimes, it’s not about the waiting. It’s about the unknown.

What Would Happen If I Were to Do This Again

I wouldn’t just eliminate pork. Instead, I would:

• Think about healthy meals rather than restricting anything. 
• Look for patterns, not individual foods.
• Care about my psychological well-being more.
• Not put all my hopes in one thing.

Because this is when it gets hard. So,  Should You Steer Clear of Pork When You’re Trying to Get Pregnant?

And here is my real answer: No, you don’t have to. Instead, consider asking yourself:

• Am I eating lots of whole foods?
• Am I relying heavily on prepackaged meals?
• Do I feel good after I eat?

It will get you further than worrying about one food alone.

The One Thing I Wish I Had Known Sooner

There is no one food that guarantees you’ll conceive. Not pork. Not pineapple. Not eggs.

Pregnancy can’t be reduced to simple things like this. Sometimes… It is simply not as predictable as we’d like it to be.

Concluding Thoughts (From Someone Who Tried It)

Pregnancy did not result from abstaining from pork.

However, there is one lesson I had to learn: There is only so much that is within your control in this experience.

And seeking control by making small rules may be silently draining you. The things that were helpful to me were those times when I asked myself: “Does this really serve my purpose, or am I simply holding on to it?”

Let’s Talk

And if you’re reading this right now, you’ve most likely thought about it too.

So I’m going to ask you this:

• Do you ever make changes based on what someone told you that it could help with?
• Was there any real change or just how you feel?

This shouldn’t be something you have to do on your own.