What is fertility nutrition?
Fertility nutrition is using your diet to help increases your chances of becoming pregnant, reducing the risk of miscarriage, and supporting a healthy pregnancy and growth of the baby. Following a fertility friendly diet cannot guarantee a pregnancy and a healthy baby, but it can increase your chances and help reduce risks.
A diet optimised for fertility can help couples trying to conceive naturally and also those receiving assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as IVF, IUI, or ICSI. It’s not just for women – men can also benefit from a fertility friendly diet!
Following such a diet has been associated with a 40% increase in the probability of pregnancy during IVF (1), and offers a host of other fertility associated health benefits, such as:
Egg and sperm quality (2,3) (yes, fertility nutrition can also help with the male partner’s contribution as well!)
Ovarian reserve (2)
Improved embryo yield and fertilised oocytes during IVF (4)
Reduction in inflammation and insulin resistance with PCOS (5)
Reduced risk of ovulation disorders and unexplained fertility (6,7)
Reduced risk of miscarriage (1,7)
Improved implantation conditions due to a more favourable endometrial environment (8)
In addition to nutritional help regarding the above concerns, you can also get advice regarding topics such as diet and nausea/hyperemesis gravidarium, dealing with food aversions, weight management during pregnancy, nutritional recovery post-pregnancy, nutrition during breastfeeding, and more. Wondering whether your question can be addressed? Just send an email and find out!
Meet the dietitian
Hey, I’m Heather, a registered dietitian based in Belgium. I’ve been working with patients one-on-one since 2023, but my passion for nutrition more than 10 years ago when I went looking for answers to managing my irritable bowel syndrome and corporate burnout. After completing my dietetics training, I continued studying for nutritional specialisations in the areas of pregnancy, pre-conception, and fertility. I also have a background in nutrition for irritable bowel syndrome as well as intuitive eating, which I share more about on my general nutrition page, Healthfully Heather. All the information that I share here, and use when working with clients, is evidence based, and I make staying up to date on the latest fertility nutrition science a priority.
On a more personal note... I'm originally from Canada, but have been in Belgium since 2011. I currently live in the Flemish countryside with my partner and our son, plus our orange cat, Milo, and Leonberger dog, Finnley. I speak (and work) in English and Dutch.
I offer in person consultations in Ghent and Erpe-Mere as well as online consultations.
Book a consultation
Please use the form below for all queries. For consultation requests I will do my best to respond within 1 business day.
Please note that email correspondence will be via the email address hello@healthfullyheather.com.