Sign up to our newsletter and receive 20% off your first order
International shipping now available

Currency

Preconception nutrition: How to optimise nutrient density for fertility and pregnancy

Steph Lowe, The Natural Nutritionist, on preconception nutrition

By Steph Lowe, The Natural Nutritionist 

Everyone’s preconception journey is different and what is most important is that you have a plan in place to create optimal health for both you and your partner prior to conception, and an incredibly healthy pregnancy and entry into motherhood. This is essential whether it be your first or subsequent preconception period, and is often more important as you continue to grow your family due to previous postnatal depletion. 

There are a number of important considerations for preconception and today we will focus on the first, optimising the nutrient density of the foods you and your partner consume. 

The great news is that it doesn’t need to be complicated, time consuming or expensive. Some small changes away from processed and refined foods towards wholefoods – food that comes out of the ground, off a tree or from an animal – will nourish your body and create the foundation of optimal preconception health. 

My top six fertile foods are: 

Organ meats: Liver is often referred to as nature’s multivitamin or the original superfood, and rightly so. Organic pasture raised chicken livers provide one of the highest source of vitamins A, B12, D and K and are also a rich source of iron. Due to the nutrient density of liver you only need a serve or two a week – try sneaking into your meatballs or make this Simple Chicken Liver Paté. 

Bone broth: One of the best sources of gelatin, collagen and glutamine, bone broth has become popular in recent years for its role in gut healing. We’ll cover the role of the gut and more specifically the microbiome, in more detail in a future article however focusing on gut healing in preconception is critical for your baby’s future health, immunity and robustness. It’s super easy to make or there are many ready-made options available online or at your local health food store. 

Eggs: Eggs are true powerhouses, packed with a number of nutrients that promote fertility including choline, DHA, folate, iodine and selenium. They provide omega-3 for brain development, DNA synthesis and reduce oxidative stress, which is very important when it comes to fertility in our modern day environment. From both an ethical and environmental standpoint, please purchase free range and pasture raised eggs as often as possible. 

Sustainable oily fish: Rich in omega-3, oily fish helps us to better absorb the rest of the nutrients we consume. They also increase blood flow to the uterus and improve sperm health in general (motility, morphology, count and composition). Try this delicious One Tray Bake Herb-Crusted Salmon. 

Slow cooked meats: a rich source of iron, B12 and folate (amongst other nutrients), red meat can be one of the best ways to boost the nutrients that are not only critical for preconception, but depleted during pregnancy. Being a source of protein, meat provides key amino acids and specifically, L-arginine, which improves blood flow and circulation to the reproductive organs and L-carnitine, which has been shown to improve sperm and egg health from a mitochondrial perspective. Slow cooking improves not only nutrient availability but digestibility, so if you’ve ever felt like you don’t digest meat well, slow cooking is the answer! 

We hope you are feeling inspired and ready to add more nutrition to your plate. For more recipes and education, please visit https://thenaturalnutritionist.com.au. 

Previous Article Next Article
grid-media

LittleOak formula promises it’s quality and my twins have loved it. It has been so easy for their stomach, especially for one of my colicky babies. Thank you for a great quality product.

Sarah

Australia

grid-media

When we transitioned to formula we were worried as our little bub struggled on formula, all anxiety is gone, he happily takes the bottle with no upset tummy and nothing but smiles.

Rikki

Australia

grid-media

Little one absolutely loves it! So lucky to have found LittleOak.

Emma

New Zealand

grid-media

Top notch product for baby backed by a company with excellent customer service. At 7 months old now my baby boy is very satisfied after a bottle of LittleOak. Thank you.

Rikki

Australia

grid-media

LittleOak has been a lifesaver for our family, massively reduced our baby’s stomach issues and helped him sleep through the night. Highly recommend for parents seeking a gentle formula.

Jody

Australia

grid-media

William has now been on LittleOak for 3 months and we have found it very gentle on his stomach, particularly with the transition. Also found it doesn’t smell yucky like other formulas.

Mel

Australia

Our ingredients are closer to nature
It's not just what we put in that matters,
it's what we leave out
See all ingredients

A world first. LittleOak's
From Fresh approach.

Goat milk infant formula and toddler milk

Frequently asked questions

Our CareTeam

We are always here to help with your feeding journey

Contact us