I ran into a friend at lunchtime and after discussing the sleep-deprivation that goes hand in hand with motherhood, we agreed we weren't handling it brilliantly. After all, I've been known to put the iron away in the fridge after a bad night's sleep — and that was before the baby came along. However, I knew things had reached breaking point when I managed to go a whole day without realising my feet had miraculously changed colour.

During our little monsoon on Monday, after surviving the morning on what I could find in my desk drawer (9 almonds and a sunflower seed) hunger eventually drove me outdoors.

As getting Chloe ready for the day has replaced my ability to dress myself properly, I had to run through the rain in some flimsy black ballet shoes. I'm sure this would have been fine if it weren't for the fact I ended up ankle-deep in flood water.

Nevertheless, I persisted on my mission and when I got back to the office, kicked off my soaking shoes under my desk. It was only later that night as I was climbing into bed that I noticed my feet had been dyed black by my wet shoes. Discovering this was one thing but realising I must have walked round all evening in my bare feet and not noticed was a little troubling. Since then I have also walked Jasper in my slippers and arrived at work with a burp cloth still over my shoulder.

On the bright side, Chloe is now beginning to sleep through the night so this phase may well be coming to an end. I've been told that soon I'll forget what these sleep-deprived days were like, just as I'm also beginning to forget the realities of labour.

It's this selective memory that is so dangerous — you see, I'm coming to a point where I've started to say that labour "isn't really all that bad" and the idea of having another baby seems like quite a good idea. (If my husband is reading this at work, we can safely assume that he is now choking on his coffee.)

Now when it comes to having babies, many women fall pregnant easily yet for others it can take far longer. It's so ironic — not to mention frustrating — that most of us spend years trying not to get pregnant and yet we can struggle to do so once the timing is right.

However, although the causes of delayed pregnancy or infertility are varied, cleaning up your diet can certainly help to optimise your chances of conception. It also helps to prevent you obsessing over your recent alcohol intake when you discover that you are 12 weeks along!

As what you eat directly affects your physical make-up and the liver's production of hormones, a healthy diet is extremely helpful when it comes to conception.

So, from a dietary perspective, if you are planning a baby, the following steps are useful for maximising hormone balance and fertility:

1. Eat five servings of fruit and veg daily. These are rich in fibre, which helps to remove old (and potentially disruptive) hormones from your body.

2. Replace refined carbs (white bread/rice, sugar, cookies, pastries, chips) with complex carbs (brown rice, oats, wholegrain bread.) Complex carbs have a high fibre content and help to balance blood sugar, directly tied to hormone production.

3. Eat organically, seasonally and locally where possible. Avoiding air-miles, following nature's calendar and reducing chemical exposure all help to maximise the nutrient content of your food. Also with reference to meat and poultry, choosing organic means that you can avoid artificial growth hormones being passed on to you via the food chain. It's also a good idea to buy organic grain (bread, rice, pasta) as grain has a large surface area through which a high ratio of fertilisers/pesticides can be absorbed. Fertilisers, pesticides and hormones all interfere with the liver's natural production of hormones — contributing to imbalance. As organic food is expensive, I would prioritise meat, poultry and grain products over and above fruit and vegetables.

4. Eat phytoestrogens. These are found in fruit, vegetables and cereals but especially soya, lentils, chickpeas and beans. Recent research suggests that phytoestrogens can help produce lighter periods and lengthen the menstrual cycle in women whose cycles are too short. A note of caution re soy: The research on the benefits of whole soy foods is well documented, but always aim to have a balanced diet. Generally, avoid foods which contain soy protein isolate. Isolate is only part of the soy bean and lacks many of the benefits that come from the whole food. The health-related benefits of soy are largely attributed to fermented, whole soy products such as tofu, miso and soy sauce (choose low sodium) rather than heavily processed soy foods.

5. Eat good fats! Good fats include fish, nuts, avocados, seeds and oils. These are rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9 which all help to balance out your hormones. Note that good fat tends to be damaged by high heat so avoid deep fried fish and roasted nuts. Only use olive oil when cooking.

6. Reduce intake of bad, saturated fat. Saturated fat is mainly found in red meat, eggs, dairy, palm oil and baked goods. Bad fat blocks the body's absorption of good fats, stimulates the overproduction of oestrogen and encourages inflammation, swelling and pain.

7. Drink plenty of fluids. Water helps transport nutrients in and out of cells so proper hydration is vital for optimal utilisation of all the vitamins and minerals from your diet. Aim to drink at least 1.5 litres of water daily, but avoid water from water coolers. Water cooler bottles are made from a plastic that contains BPA — a chemical that may leach into the water and disrupt hormones. Plastic containing BPA is marked with a number 7 inside a small triangle, usually found on the bottom of the bottle. It's better to drink filtered or mineral water from plastic marked with a number 1 instead. Please note however that number 1 bottles should not be re-used as chemicals can leach from these over time.

8. Avoid additives, preservatives and chemicals. These are toxic to the liver. The liver has to detoxify old hormones and produce new ones. If your liver becomes sluggish (due to toxic overload), it can struggle to produce the right quantity of hormones at the right time.

9. Reduce caffeine. This has a diuretic effect on the body, depleting the vitamins and minerals that help keep hormones well balanced. The nutrients that are most important for healthy hormones are: B6, B12, Zinc, Folic Acid, Magnesium and Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3, 6 and 9).

10. Reduce alcohol. Alcohol can contribute to liver toxicity and blood sugar imbalance — both of which upset hormone levels. It is an anti-nutrient, and robs your body of B vitamins and zinc. If you are rectifying a hormone related problem (e.g. PCOS), do avoid alcohol the vast majority of the time. It's especially important to avoid binge drinking (5 units +) as this is very bad for your liver. As for the men out there, note that a high alcohol intake can increase the number of abnormal sperm you produce!

11. Avoid sugar. Not only does sugar cause weight gain, but it can also raise oestrogen levels too high — excess sugar is converted to fat, and fat stored on the body is a manufacturing plant for oestrogen.

A note regarding supplements: If you are planning a family, always take a pre-natal multivitamin as these have the right levels of vitamin A (low) and folic acid (high). Brands such as Sanatogen will cover your bases but more advanced formulas can be found at Down to Earth and Rock On.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted at clinicalnutrition@gmail.com.