THE blog

You may be thinking – I don’t need to work with a fertility dietitian / nutritionist, I already eat pretty healthy (weekend margs don’t count right?), I exercise, drink my green juices … and besides, I can get any nutrition information I really need through Google.

Well, my friend… I’m here to break down five benefits of working with a fertility dietitian nutritionist, specifically one that works in a functional nutrition capacity. I think some of these may surprise you!

1. Breaking down your relationship with food

Okay, we all have our issues with food. To say that eating is not emotional… well it’s just not what I’ve seen in my practice and in life. We all eat emotionally from time to time, even if it’s happy emotions like birthday cake, or holiday meals.

But when our relationship to food becomes restrictive or consumes our thoughts, it’s time to work with a professional who understands what you’re going through.

For many women struggling with fertility, food can be very time consuming. We’re told not to eat gluten or dairy or cut out coffee completely. We’ve heard of different fertility diets, and can easily spiral into the trap of thinking that every bite we take is going to either get us pregnant or leave us feeling miserable.

Working with a fertility dietitian that can help you set up your meals in a way that supports your fertility, but also leaves room for enjoyment is key. I mean, what is a life without pizza anyway?

2. Accountability

Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to take on a new hobby or something to improve yourself only to find yourself giving up a few weeks later? 👋🏼

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to take up surfing – I bought a foam board off Craigslist, rented a wet suit, and out I went into the ocean. As I splashed around the water, and even got tumbled by some waves I felt exhilarated by the cold Pacific ocean and glimmer of water in the sun.

Maybe I went out a few more times, but soon enough, I lost momentum. I didn’t have anyone to go with, no one to learn some new moves with or a partner to go with before or after work.

We all have the best of intentions when we start something new. But having accountability is key. And your dietitian is always going to keep you accountable to what you said you wanted for yourself.

3. Test, don’t guess

When you work with a functional nutrition dietitian (hey, hello!) – you’re likely going to be introduced to some new functional lab tests. Tests like the DUTCH hormone test, GI MAP stool test, Spectracell micronutrient testing, food sensitivity testing and more.

The reason for this is because you’ve likely already had some conventional lab tests done in the past. The problem with this is that you’re still trying to get pregnant and have no answers. By the way… “unexplained infertility” is not an answer.

This is where a deeper dive into your gut, hormones, and nutrient levels is so important. For example, most people don’t realize that they’re probably deficient in vitamin D – a key vitamin (that acts as a hormone) needed for fertility.

Or maybe you’ve had heavy periods your whole life, but didn’t realize that your messed up gut health is actually impacting your estrogen levels, causing you to put on weight, and have heavy painful periods.

Working with a functional nutrition dietitian is going to be key to understanding the root cause of your issues.

4. You have PCOS and you’re kind of freaking out

One of the most common hormone disrupting conditions for women of reproductive age is PCOS. It can feel really scary when you get the diagnosis and you may think you’ll never be able to get pregnant without hormone therapy – WRONG. Just wrong.

Instead of jumping to medications and pills, you can work with a fertility dietitian who will help you manage your diet and lifestyle specifically for PCOS, so that you can have regular periods, and optimize your chances of getting pregnant naturally.

PCOS is not a death sentence, and there are plenty of women with the condition who get pregnant (and have healthy pregnancies) without assistive reproductive technology.

5. You know your diet could be better and you just want to make sure you have a healthy pregnancy

Well, good on you girl for being uber prepared for pregnancy.

Did you know that the best time to start taking prenatal vitamins and working on your diet is actually 6 months BEFORE you plan to start trying?

Working with a fertility dietitian is going to be huge for you, because you’re making sure you get all the nutrients you and baby need, so by the time that first trimester rolls in and all you want is bagels and crackers- you’ve already stored up the necessary nutrients to ensure baby is getting everything they need.

So tell me, which one applies to you? If you’re thinking you might benefit from working with a fertility dietitian, book your free discovery call with me today.

We’ll talk through what your goals are and how I might be able to help you on your journey towards becoming a mama.