{Ok, Iowa City pregnant and/or new mamas! I have invited a local dietitian nutritionist, Hannah Sorrell, that specializes in women’s health to guest blog today. She is going to share her fave simple nutrition tips for pregnancy and postpartum (new moms). So much good info to take in!}

Whether you’re thinking about having kids in the near future, TTC (trying to conceive), currently expecting your little bundle of joy, or looking for the best ways to take care of yourself while soaking up the newborn days, each of these precious time periods requires lots of extra TLC and nourishment for your body. Your body that is now not only your home, but home to your sweet little one. It can feel overwhelming trying to figure out how and what to eat to support each of these unique stages, so let’s break it down here –

Preparing your body for pregnancy

1/ Addition by addition not restriction

Now is not the time to cut calories or eliminate entire food groups (unless you have a medical condition, like a lactose or gluten allergy, that indicates doing so). Not eating enough can stress your body and negatively impact hormones needed to support a regular cycle and ovulation. Instead, focus on what nutrient dense foods you can add to boost your nutritional status and overall health.

• Ensure you’re eating enough by aiming for 3 meals + 2-4 snacks per day, eating a meal or snack every 3-4 hours
• Think: what can I add to this meal to enhance its nutrient content? For example, adding a TBSP of flax or chia seeds to your morning oatmeal → fiber + omega-3s + protein + hormonal balance support

2/ The fertility diet

While there’s not one diet that’s best for everyone, research supports a diet based on the principles of the Mediterranean Diet to optimize fertility. 

• Whole, nutrient dense foods as much as possible
• Plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Fatty fish 2x/week
• Plant protein > animal protein (evidence suggests that replacing some animal protein with plant-based protein can reduce risk of anovulatory infertility by 50%)
• Complex carbs > simple carbs (i.e whole grains, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, oats)

3/ Enjoy healthy fats and limit saturated and trans fats

• Focus on mono- and poly-unsaturated fat sources, especially those rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3s (i.e. olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, fatty fish)
• Avoid intake of trans fat which is associated with greater risk of infertility
• Opt for full fat dairy, which may be more supportive of fertility than low fat dairy

4/ Focus on blood sugar balance

Blood sugar balance and insulin sensitivity are essential for supporting hormones, ovulation and fertility.

• Eat consistently (see above) and avoid skipping meals
• Aim for balanced meals that include ½ plate non-starchy vegetables, ¼ plate complex carb, ¼ plate protein + serving healthy fat
  • For example, avocado toast topped with eggs + side of blueberries OR salmon + asparagus + sweet potatoes
• Do a mini version of this for snacks, including a protein + carb to support blood sugar balance and satiety. For example, apple + peanut butter + sprinkle of hemp seeds
• Limit more refined or higher sugar carbohydrates and ultra processed foods

5/ Start taking a quality prenatal vitamin at least 3-6 months before TTC

A prenatal vitamin is not meant to replace a balanced diet but can help fill in the nutrient gaps and address any deficiencies – important because pregnancy and postpartum are two of the most nutritionally demanding life stages. A few things to look for:

• Methylated B vitamins, such as methylated folate instead of folic acid
• Vitamin D (I’d recommend at least 2,000 IU, potentially more if baseline levels are low)
• Zinc (supports egg + sperm quality, ovulation)
• Magnesium (insufficient intake is relatively common and associated with increased risk of anovulation)
• Choline (important for baby’s brain development and often missing in prenatals)
• DHA/omega-3 (also critical for baby’s brain health)

A few of my favorites: Perelel, Needed, FullWell

Supporting a healthy pregnancy and baby

If you’re doing most of the above, you’ve already got a solid foundation for your prenatal nutrition! Here are a few additional things to consider in pregnancy:

1/ Increasing energy needs 

In the first trimester, energy needs remain about the same as pre-pregnancy. They increase by about 340 calories in the 2nd trimester and 450 calories in the 3rd trimester. Listen to your body and support these growing needs by increasing portions or adding in additional snacks between meals.

2/ And protein needs

Think of proteins as the building blocks for your growing baby – the amino acids found in proteins are required to build new cells, so it makes sense that protein needs also increase throughout pregnancy. 

• A good general goal is to aim for at least 80 g/day of protein in the first half of pregnancy and 100 g/day in the second half (about 20% of total energy intake)

3/ Some things to avoid

Some foods do not support optimal prenatal nutrition or may even be harmful in pregnancy and are best to avoid. These include:

• Alcohol
• Excess caffeine >200 mg/day
• Foods that increase risk of listeria or salmonella (unpasteurized dairy and juice, undercooked or raw eggs, meat, or seafood, deli meat that’s not heated to steaming)
• High mercury fish (tuna steak, shark, swordfish, tilefish, marlin, orange roughy)
• Trans fat

Don’t forget about postpartum nutrition

Once baby is here, it can be hard to find time – and easy to forget – to take care of yourself. Nourishing yourself should remain a priority for your postpartum recovery and nutrient repletion (remember: pregnancy and birth are very demanding). And, if you’re breastfeeding, many nutrient needs are actually higher than while you were pregnant.

1/ Continue to focus on nutrient dense, whole foods as well as blood sugar balancing meals to support postpartum mood, energy, and hormones

3/ Increased needs while breastfeeding

• You need an extra ~330-400 calories per day over the first year of breastfeeding
• Fluid needs are at an all-time high, aim for 125 oz (~16 c) per day

2/ Continue taking your prenatal or postnatal vitamin

• Certain micronutrient needs are also at an all-time high during lactation, such as vitamins A, C, B12, choline, iodine, zinc, and selenium

3/ Support healing through adequate protein intake, antioxidants, omega-3s, and hydration

>Hopefully you enjoyed these nutrition tips for pregnancy and postpartum! I remember that I could not believe how hungry I was ALL OF THE TIME when I was postpartum and breastfeeding! I definitely could have used these nutrition tips for pregnancy and postpartum (I’m only 3+ years late for myself, but I got you!)-Jess<

Hannah Sorrell is a women’s health registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Iowa and Alike Nutrition. If you would like to learn more about perinatal nutrition services, you can check out Hannah’s info on Alike Nutrition. You can also reach out to Hannah directly via email if you prefer: hannah@alikenutrition.com

Are you still reading?

As a sidenote (b/c I just have to plug myself), if you stumbled upon this blog and are an expecting mama, do you need someone to document your motherhood journey? Check out my maternity and newborn work!