Is preconception nutrition a new idea?
Traditional cultures prized nutrient dense foods like organ meats, fatty fish, bone-in meats, and eating nose-to-tail. Without even having names for the nutrients found in these foods, they had such strong intuition ( and generations of practice) to know exactly which foods helped young couples conceive.
Through optimizing your body's digestion, detox capacities, and nutrient status we:
directly optimize your womb's ability to release healthy eggs
produce fertile cervical fluid
implant fertilized eggs
develop an embryo
increase nutrient absorption and utilization
create a favorable epi-genetic environment for your future baby, and manifest healthy pregnancy & birth outcomes.
When to start pre-natal nutrition
In general I recommend 6 months but depending on the woman’s health history it may take more or less time. It takes 4 months for women to see a change in egg quality after implementing diet and lifestyle changes.
SYMPTOMS that may be a clue you need to work on your nutrition before conceiving
Period problems: Irregular cycles (long, short or skipped), heavy or light menstrual flow, painful periods, missing ovulation
Previous pregnancy complications: miscarriage history or challenges with previous pregnancy (pre-ecclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, etc.)
Severe mood swings
Low energy
Poor digestion: IBS/SIBO, diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, cramping.
Known toxin exposures: nail/hair salon frequently, using generic household cleaners, mainstream skincare products, high-mercury seafood intake.
Think “if you don’t do ICF, you might need IVF”
Iron- 20-65% of menstruating women have deficient reserves (ferritin)
Choline- intake should be between ~400-900mg depending on genetics. 2-3 eggs per day!
Folate- Bioavailable folate > folic acid especially for individuals with MTHFR variations.
Anisa’s Favorite Prenatal Vitamin (use code: WOODALLWELLNESS10 for 10% off)
3 Food Groups to be mindful of during pregnancy
High glycemic foods- first trimester HbA1c is 98% predictive of Gestational Diabetes.
Dirty dozen- EWG.org
High mercury fish- Be mindful of Tuna and halibut especially. Though, DHA-rich seafood is still super important! A 2018 Cochrane review reported DHA intake is associated with 42% reduction in preterm (<34 weeks) birth while also reducing maternal risk such as preeclampsia, GD, PPD, hemorrhage etc. If RBC DHA is >5% then there’s reduced risk of low gestational age. Best sources of low mercury high omega-3 fish include wild-caught salmon and sardines.
Working with Anisa you'll learn:
How to listen to your intuitive voice and rebuild your relationship with food while preparing your body to carry life
How to use real-food to improve your energy, normalize your periods and fuel the life you want to live
The ins-and-outs of your menstrual cycle; learning to shift it to your advantage for fertility and optimizing metabolism.
How to prepare your body for a healthy baby, pregnancy, birth and postpartum while preserving your own health and well-being along the way
My Fertility Nutrition Coaching Includes:
6 months of holistic nutrition and lifestyle support
2- 60 minute nutrition consultations in the first month
4- 45 minute monthly nutrition consultations
1- 45 minute Fertility Awareness educational session
Preconception laboratory recommendations
Personalized supplement recommendations
20% discount on professional grade supplements ordered through my dispensary
Books Mentioned in this podcast episode
Studies-
DHA and preterm birth: Middleton P, Gomersall JC, Gould JF, Shepherd E, Olsen SF, Makrides M. Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;11(11):CD003402. Published 2018 Nov 15. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003402.pub3
An Early Pregnancy HbA 1c >5.9% (41 mmol/mol) Is Optimal for Detecting Diabetes and Identifies Women at Increased Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes. Hughes, R. C.E., Moore M.P., Gullam J., Mohamed K., Rowan J.Diabetes Care 2014;37:2953–2959. DOI: 10.2337/dc14-1312