Foods to Add for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum

Calling all dietitians who work with patients trying to conceive, pregnant, or newly postpartum:

• Do you have an idea of what you’d like to focus on with your perinatal clients, but lack structure?
• Need a cute handout to go along with your evidence-based prenatal nutrition counseling?
• Want guidance on foods to add for your fertility, pregnancy, or lactation clients?
• Finding that most handouts are either very deity, or outdated?

Look no further! The Foods to Add for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum handout is a perinatal dietitian’s BFF – evidence based recommendations, no stigmatizing or restrictive language, and it’s cute!

I designed this comprehensive handout specifically for my clients who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or postpartum because I found that they needed structure and a visual aid to go along with my recommendations. Many patients, stuck in the diet mentality, were too focused on foods to cut out, or felt caught up in specific foods for specific short periods of their reproductive health journey. This handout helps them zoom out, focus on more sustainable, long-term habits, and keep a positive attitude towards all types of foods. Plus, it takes into consideration male fertility as well! (See ya later to the women-only focus on fertility!)

This 4-page handout includes:

• Note to the patient about how to use the guide
• Foods to add for male and female fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum
• Serving size and frequency recommendations
• Culturally inclusive food examples
• Encouragement to speak with RD if certain foods are not eaten for preference, ethical reasons, or allergies/intolerances

This handout incorporates evidence-based recommendations that I’ve gathered from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for prenatal and lactation nutrition, Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols, Fueling Male Fertility by Lauren Manaker, and the EARTH Study (PMID: 30742825).