The Top 11 Questions About Nutrition In TTC, Pregnancy & Postpartum
As part of our Symptom Solving Snack series we asked our community what questions they had about nutrition during TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum and what symptoms they wanted to solve with food. Today, we’re sharing all of the answers and everything you need to know from the nutrients that will beat symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and heartburn, to what nutrients you need to protect your hair postpartum. Let’s get into it…
The Top 11 Questions About Nutrition In TTC, Pregnancy & Postpartum:
1. What nutrients or food can help beat fatigue in pregnancy and postpartum?
The best thing you can do to beat fatigue in TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum is to prioritize sleep when you can, but we know that’s often easier said than done, so here are a couple of other top tips for beating fatigue:
Eat smaller meals more often: This helps keep your blood sugar and energy levels balanced
Stay hydrated! Tiredness is often a symptom of dehydration,
Ask friends & family for support so you can rest
Keep your bedroom slightly colder than the rest of your house to promote better sleep
2. What nutrients or food can help beat nausea in pregnancy?
Nausea is a very common symptom in pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester. Here are a few things that can help ease nausea:
Ginger: An age-old remedy for beating nausea. You can chew on ginger, try ginger tea, or put ginger in a smoothie!
Vitamin B6: It’s thought that vitamin B6 can help relieve nausea and symptoms of morning sickness. It can be found in milk, salmon, carrots, spinach, sweet potato, bananas, and avocados.
Recommended snacks to beat nausea: Avocados, plain baked potato (with the skin on), sunflower seeds
Eat foods that are milder in taste & aroma: This can be easier on your nose and stomach. If you have a particularly sensitive sense of smell, cold foods may be easier for you, just be sure to avoid raw & undercooked meats, fish, eggs, or Brussels sprouts
Eat smaller meals more regularly: Eating smaller amounts can be less work for your digestive system & therefore help ease pregnancy nausea
Eat as soon as you wake up in the morning: Keep a glass of water and dry snack (like crackers) next to your bed and eat them first thing in the morning. Lots of women report this helping with early morning nausea!
Recipe: Symptom Solving Snacks: Stomach Soothing Popsicles
Watch: How do I know if this is morning sickness or something more?
3. What can help beat mood swings in TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum?
Mood swings are a common symptom of TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum. Why? Hormones, stress, lack of sleep… a combination of everything you’re experiencing! There are a couple of feel-good tips you can try…
Eating nutritious meals & have light snacks when you are hungry - don’t let ‘hanger’ creep in
Exercising to release feel-good hormones - find out more about how exercise benefits your mental health!
Meditation to help calm and center yourself when you feel overwhelmed
Prioritizing sleep
Talking to friends & family about how you are feeling
4. What can help beat heartburn & acid reflux in pregnancy?
Another very common pregnancy symptom our community reached out about was heartburn and acid reflux. Heartburn in pregnancy is usually caused by hormones, by baby pressing on your stomach, or by a combination of both. Here are some top tips for beating heartburn in pregnancy:
Eat smaller meals more regularly to aid digestion
Eat slowly to aid digestion!
Stop eating 2 hours before you go to bed & stay upright for 1 hour after you eat or take a short walk
Common triggers to avoid: chocolate, fatty & spicy foods, acidic foods like citrus fruits and tomato-based items, fizzy drinks, and caffeine
5. What nutrients or food can help beat headaches in pregnancy?
Headaches during pregnancy are common and can be caused by the extra weight you’re carrying on your bump or holding stress in your body. But headaches during pregnancy are most commonly caused by dehydration, so be sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day and when you are working out.
Hint: Here’s Exactly How Much Water You Need In Each Trimester!
6. What nutrients or food can help beat dry & itchy skin?
It can be tricky to combat dry and itchy skin from the inside out, but some research shows that foods that can help keep the skin moisturized are:
Fatty fish: Research shows that a deficiency in omega-3s can be a cause of dry skin. Fishes that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like Salmon) can help keep skin moisturized!
Avocados: One study found that women with a high intake of healthy fats founding avocados actually had more supple, springy skin! That’s because this green fruit is high in healthy fats which are essential for keeping skin moisturized and flexible.
Broccoli: Broccoli is full of essential vitamins including Vitamin A, zinc, and Vitamin C. It also has lutein which helps protect skin from oxidative damage, which can cause your skin to become dry and wrinkled.
7. What nutrients or food can help beat food aversions in pregnancy?
Just like cravings, food aversions are common in pregnancy — one mama reported that everything smells like fish, which is definitely not what you want when you’re already battling symptoms like nausea! Here are some of our top tips for dealing with food aversions during pregnancy:
Be sure to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet, but don’t be too harsh on yourself and cook the food you can stand to smell!
Try foods that are milder in taste & aroma. You may find that cold foods are milder in smell — just be sure to avoid raw & undercooked meats, fish, eggs, or Brussels sprouts
Chew on sugar-free gum if you need to as this can distract your sense of smell
8. What nutrients or food can help with postpartum haircare?
Postpartum hairloss is a common symptom and here’s why… During pregnancy, there is an increase in estrogen in your body which keeps hairs in their growth phase for longer and delays them from moving into their shedding phase–which means fuller, thicker, and glossier locks for you. After you give birth or stop breastfeeding, your high estrogen levels revert back to normal. The hairs that were being kept in their growth phase now move into their shedding phase. They rest for several weeks, and then after about 3 months, they fall out. This is why you might shed a large number of strands within a short period of time. it is just your body's natural way of adjusting to the changing hormone levels.
Here are 7 nutrients that can support postpartum hair regrowth:
Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, a protein that keeps hair strong. It’s also an antioxidant and can help protect hair follicles from oxidative stress, which has been linked to signs of aging like hair loss or graying.
Vitamin A is a hair-healthy vitamin needed to make an oily substance called sebum, which moisturizes the scalp and helps keep our hair healthy. Research shows it also might help our hair grow quicker and thicker.
Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that have been shown to help improve hair growth. Although research on these is limited, this randomized, double-blind study looked at women with thinning hair and found supplements helped promote hair growth and limit hair loss.
Biotin is a B-vitamin that’s essential for the production of keratin, a hair protein that keeps our hair healthy. Research shows biotin can help hair growth in people not getting enough, however, most people consume enough of it through a balanced diet.
Zinc helps support this process and keep the oil glands surrounding follicles healthy. Not consuming enough or too much of this mineral can lead to issues with hair loss, so it’s good to be mindful of how much you’re adding to your diet through supplements.
Folic Acid, also known as folate, is critical for cell development so researchers are beginning to look into whether it can help promote hair growth and repair! One study found deficiencies in folic acid (as well as other B-vitamins) in people with prematurely gray hair. However, more research is needed to understand the role of folic acid and hair growth.
Iron helps red blood cells supply oxygen to all the cells in our bodies. Iron deficiency is common in women and can cause hair loss, so it’s an important mineral for keeping hair healthy and strong.
Vitamin E has been used by dermatologists to protect our skin since the 1950s — so researchers started looking at how it can also help protect our hair. A small study in 2010 showed vitamin E supplements helped hair grow in people experiencing hair loss, but research isn’t yet clear about the benefits for hair health.
Magnesium is essential for our overall health and is needed for many bodily functions, including building proteins like our DNA. This may help support hair growth but unfortunately, about 50% of people in Western countries may not be getting enough.
Calcium is known for its role in healthy bones and teeth, but it’s also critical in releasing hormones and enzymes that are involved in processes all over the body, like healthy hair growth!
Watch: What nutrients support hair growth postpartum?
9. What foods should I avoid during pregnancy?
You can eat most things during pregnancy! Consuming anything in moderation and maintaining a healthy & balanced diet are the main rules but there are some key things to be mindful of:
Products or cheese that is unpasteurized as they could contain a bacteria called Listeria
Raw & undercooked meats, fish, or eggs
High-mercury fish like shark, orange roughy, swordfish, and ling
Unwashed produce or raw sprouts
Caffeine in high amounts — it’s recommended that pregnant people only have around 200mg of caffeine per day
10. How much folic acid intake do I need per day during TTC and pregnancy?
It’s recommended that when trying to conceive, women should take a supplement that has 400 micrograms of folic acid in it every day. During early pregnancy, women should take a daily prenatal vitamin that has 600 micrograms of folic acid. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all number though and you should talk with your health care provider about how much folic acid you need during your pregnancy.
You can also get folic acid from Brussels sprouts, asparagus, avocados, broccoli, and leafy greens like spinach. You can also get folate from lentils, pinto beans, black beans, peanuts, and even citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits.
Check out this article on why You Absolutely Need Folic Acid When You’re Pregnant!
11. What foods or nutrients can help increase cervical mucus for ovulation?
Cervical mucus is key to conception and the type of cervical mucus you have before ovulation helps sperm to swim up the vagina and into the uterus to meet the egg. When your estrogen is at its peak before ovulation, your cervical mucus will usually be slippery & egg white.
If you think you have low levels of cervical mucus, it’s best to get it checked by your doctor or OB-GYN who can determine what the cause might be and the best course of action. To increase cervical mucus naturally you can try drinking plenty of water and eating more fruits and vegetables.
Do you have a question about nutrition in TTC, pregnancy, or postpartum? Leave it in the comments!
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