What we eat greatly impacts our fertility and what we eat during pregnancy greatly impacts us and our baby.
Our vitamin and mineral intake and storage become their building blocks for life.
I believe prioritizing what we eat before and during pregnancy is stewarding the responsibility and the blessing God gives women through having children. Yes, it’s something extra we need to focus on, but oh what a gift we can give our children by setting them up for a healthy life!
Many cultures around the world know that what a mama eats greatly affects the baby and have known this for thousands of years without having all the science to back it.
Weston A Price traveled around the world in the early 1900s studying what made people healthy. One thing he found was some of the healthiest people prioritized preconception and prenatal diets.
This is because, in tribes where the strength of the men and women really matters, they knew that they had to be proactive before and during pregnancy to give the child the best possible chance of being strong and healthy.
There was a responsibility around carrying children the correct way and setting them up for success.
This meant incorporating certain foods that were high in vitamins and minerals. Though they might not have known exactly what made them healthy, they knew there was something about these foods that helped with both fertility and the health of the baby and mama.
Here are some of the top fertility and pregnancy foods that help give women’s bodies the best building blocks for life:
Organ Meats
Organ meats from organic, grass-fed animals such as liver, kidney, and heart are packed with vitamins and minerals that are amazing for mamas and growing babies.
Ancient cultures have always incorporated the whole animal in their diet, rather than just muscle meats.
Organ meats carry some key nutrients for building babies and nourishing mamas such as Vitamin A, B12, choline, heme iron, zinc, copper, selenium, riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and folate.
We want to have these nutrients prior to conception to help with fertility but also because babies’ heart starts to form before we even know we are pregnant and needs vitamin A to help get that process going.
I personally eat grass-fed organic liver by freezing it for a few weeks and then swallowing it in small pill-sized pieces. But there are great ways to get liver in pill form as well.
One of my favorite pregnancy supplement is kidney. I also got a blend of organs that I take a few times a week.
Lily Nichol’s has a great post on getting liver in your diet as well.
Eggs
Eggs from organic, pasture-raised chickens are such an undervalued food that is a powerhouse for fertility and pregnancy. They are great forces of folate (B9) and choline. Folate is essential for building the cells in the baby.
I personally eat eggs every day. Usually, I put an organic, pasture-raised egg or yolk in my smoothie and/or have 2 eggs for breakfast. Egg yolks especially are a power house so I try to get at least a few in my diet today.
Raw Dairy
The health world says to choose dairy free. But organic, grass-fed dairy is a super food for fertility and pregnancy.
Organic, grass-fed, raw milk is filled with protein, vitamins, and minerals. It’s a great source of good bacteria as well.
The Maasai tribe that Weston A Price studied which are found in Kenya and Tanzania, only allowed men and women to marry after spending several months consuming milk from the wet season when the grass was especially lush and the milk much denser in nutrients. This milk of course was completely raw.
I drink organic, grass-fed raw milk daily. I use it in smoothies, ice coffee, or just have a little glass as a snack.
A great place to find raw milk is RealMilk.com.
Fruit
Choosing season organic fruits is always helpful, but I have found that citrus and berries and always great to incorporate. Daily I have either orange juice or grapefruit for the vitamin C.
My body really began to want oranges as I got pregnant, which makes sense because Vitamin C is important for our cells and babies’ cells.
Fruit sugar is also important for our thyroids and livers to function properly. Fruit also has minerals and can help hydrate us at a cellular level.
Red Meat
Forget that boneless, skinless chicken breast. Eating quality red meat, which is grass-fed and organic is a great source of protein. It’s filled with fat-soluble vitamines and CLA.
We don’t need to eat loads of red meat to get the nutrients from it either.
I like to choose ground beef since that’s a great price and can make multiple meals. Of course, a steak is good to :).
Certain Fish
Some fish are high in mercury and I would avoid eating being pregnant, but shellfish and white fish are great safe options for boosting fertility and getting in additional protein.
Oysters are a great source of zinc as well. You can get these canned with olive oil. I would drain them though in case the olive oil isn’t the best quality.
I also like to use cod liver oil for this. I first heard about cod liver oil years ago from Weston A Price. He found this to be a key pregnancy food since it is high in vitamins A and D, and a full spectrum of omega fatty acids (including EPA and DHA).
Extra Add Ins
Shilajit: Moms lose 10% of their minerals once the baby is born, so getting in extra minerals is key. Shilajit is a natural substance found mainly in the Himalayas I like this shilajit personally.
Acerola powder: This is a whole food vitamin c powder. I try to get most of my vitamins from food sources so I avoid ascorbic acid as vitamin c. Acerola is like a cherry and is packed with vitamin c. I like this brand.
Additional supplements: Magnesium is so important with pregnancy. I don’t know what I’d do without with. This is an amazing brand.
Use code Nikkio at check out for a discount.
I also really like vitamin E. Vitamin E is great for helping prevent cellulite and help protect our body if we eat too many PUFA’s. This is a good brand.
Collagen: Collagen is an amazing source of protein and helps balance out eating muscle meats. When we only eat muscle meats, we are missing key nutrients found in the organs and tissues of the animal. I eat collagen daily to make sure I get a balanced animal protein intake. I like this brand.
Blessing you to have a healthy body and a healthy baby,
-Nikki
**Disclaimer** Not medical advice, consult your doctor ahead of time. Some affiliate links used.
