A Fertility Nutritionist's Guide to Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy
- Jun 15
- 6 min read
Written by Emily Pankratz, Clinical Nutritionist
Emily Pankratz is a functional nutritionist who is best known for her work in digestive health and hormonal imbalances. She is the founder of Emily Pankratz Nutrition, where she uses a holistic and natural approach in her clinical practice to support the root cause of disease for her clients.
If you're searching for a fertility nutritionist in Vancouver, a fertility nutritionist in Abbotsford, or a fertility nutritionist serving clients throughout British Columbia, you're likely looking for natural ways to optimize your fertility and prepare your body for pregnancy. As a fertility nutritionist, I help women uncover the root causes that may be impacting hormone balance, ovulation, egg quality, and overall reproductive health. Whether you're located in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Victoria, Kelowna, Nanaimo, or elsewhere in BC, working with a fertility nutritionist can help create the strong nutritional foundation needed to support conception naturally.
Trying to conceive can feel overwhelming, especially when there is so much conflicting information online. While fertility treatments can be incredibly valuable for some couples, many women benefit from first addressing the foundational aspects of health that influence fertility. Nutrition, stress levels, thyroid health, gut health, sleep quality, blood sugar balance, and nutrient status all play critical roles in reproductive health.
As a fertility nutritionist serving Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Langley, North Vancouver, and communities across British Columbia, I focus on helping women nourish their bodies, support hormone balance, and optimize fertility naturally.
1. Increase protein intake at every meal
One of the most important recommendations I make as a fertility nutritionist is increasing protein intake. Protein provides the building blocks for hormone production, egg quality, blood sugar regulation, healthy ovulation, and fetal development.
Aim for 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal and 15 grams of protein per snack. Examples include eggs, grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon, sardines, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, organic poultry, and bone broth. Many women are unintentionally under-consuming protein, which can negatively impact fertility and hormone health.
2. Prioritize nutrient-dense fertility foods
When trying to conceive, nutrient density matters. Eggs are rich in choline, vitamin A, B vitamins, protein, and healthy fats. These nutrients support hormone production and fetal development.
Organ meats, especially liver, are among the most nutrient-dense foods available. They provide iron, folate, copper, vitamin A, zinc, and B12. Grass-fed and finished red meat provides highly bioavailable nutrients that support fertility, ovulation, and pregnancy preparation.
Oysters are one of the richest food sources of zinc, an essential mineral for reproductive health. Wild-caught fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and herring, provide omega-3 fatty acids that support hormone balance and help reduce inflammation.
Vitamin A-rich foods are also important for reproductive health and healthy fetal development. Focus on foods such as liver, egg yolks, grass-fed butter, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots.
3. Learn to track your menstrual cycle
Your menstrual cycle is one of the most important indicators of your hormonal health. Instead of simply relying on apps, begin tracking your cycle length, ovulation symptoms, cervical mucus, and basal body temperature, also known as BBT.
BBT tracking can provide valuable insight into ovulation and progesterone production. As a fertility nutritionist, I often use cycle tracking as an important tool for identifying potential hormone imbalances.
4. Lower stress and cortisol levels
Stress impacts fertility more than many women realize. Chronically elevated cortisol can influence ovulation, progesterone production, thyroid function, sleep quality, and blood sugar balance.
Simple strategies include avoiding your phone during the first hour after waking, which allows your nervous system to wake naturally before introducing external stimulation. Wearing blue light-blocking glasses in the evening may also support melatonin production and restorative sleep.
Red light therapy may support cellular energy production and overall wellness when appropriate. Prioritizing rest is also essential, as fertility thrives when the body feels safe and nourished.
5. Get outside first thing in the morning
Morning sunlight is one of the most powerful fertility-supporting tools available. It can help regulate circadian rhythm, improve cortisol patterns, support better sleep quality, enhance hormone production, and improve metabolic health. Aim for 10 to 20 minutes of natural sunlight exposure shortly after waking.
6. Consider Bow Spring and bodywork support
The fertility journey can place significant stress on both the body and mind. Many women benefit from therapies such as Bow Spring, massage therapy, fascial release, osteopathy, and pelvic floor therapy. These approaches can help support circulation, mobility, and nervous system regulation.
7. Assess key lab markers
Before conception, it's important to assess foundational health markers. Vitamin D plays an essential role in hormone health, immune function, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes.
Thyroid health is another important area to assess. Thyroid dysfunction is commonly overlooked and can significantly impact fertility. A comprehensive fertility assessment should include a thorough evaluation of thyroid function.
8. Support gentle detoxification
One of the biggest misconceptions about fertility is the need for aggressive detoxes. Instead, support your body's natural detoxification pathways through dry brushing, Big 6, rebounding, sauna use when appropriate, electrolytes, castor oil packs, adequate hydration, and regular bowel movements. Healthy detoxification is about supporting elimination, not deprivation.
9. Support healthy progesterone production
Progesterone is essential for ovulation, implantation, and pregnancy maintenance. Ways to support progesterone naturally include eating enough calories, consuming adequate protein, managing stress, supporting thyroid health, improving sleep, and correcting nutrient deficiencies.
This topic deserves an entire blog post of its own because progesterone is one of the most important fertility hormones.
10. Choose a quality prenatal or multivitamin
Not all prenatal supplements are created equal. Brands I commonly recommend include Bird&Be, Needed, and Be Frtil. A quality prenatal should contain folate, choline, iron, zinc, selenium, iodine, and B vitamins.
11. Build fertility-friendly meals
Each meal should include vegetables, especially steamed leafy greens, sautéed leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Seasonal fruit is also a valuable addition. Choose local, in-season fruit whenever possible. Complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, fruit, and properly prepared grains are also important, as carbohydrates are essential for reproductive hormone production.
12. Support liver and gut health
As a fertility nutritionist, I often find that underlying gut and liver imbalances contribute to hormone dysfunction. Supporting these systems can improve estrogen metabolism, nutrient absorption, detoxification, and immune function.
Areas worth investigating include gut dysbiosis, H. pylori, hidden infections, chronic inflammation, and parasites.
13. Nourish your adrenals
The body prioritizes survival before reproduction. Supporting adrenal health can begin with mineral-rich foods such as bone broth, grass-fed beef, seafood, quality dairy, fruit, and root vegetables.
Whole food vitamin C sources, including citrus, kiwi, berries, and bell peppers, can also be supportive. Sunshine and intentional movement are important as well. Focus on walking, strength training, stretching, and restorative movement rather than excessive exercise.
What not to do when trying to conceive
When trying to conceive, avoid undereating, obsessing over timing, ignoring symptoms your body is giving you, consuming inflammatory seed oils, drinking alcohol regularly, doing frequent HIIT workouts, choosing conventional dairy and meat whenever possible, taking random supplements without guidance, and drinking coffee on an empty stomach.
The bottom line
Supporting fertility naturally starts with creating a strong foundation of nourishment, hormone balance, stress resilience, gut health, thyroid health, and metabolic health.
As a fertility nutritionist serving Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Victoria, Kelowna, Nanaimo, and communities throughout British Columbia, I help women uncover the root causes affecting fertility and create personalized plans that support conception naturally.
If you're looking for a fertility nutritionist in Vancouver or Abbotsford, I'd love to help you navigate your fertility journey with confidence.
Read more from Emily Pankratz
Emily Pankratz, Clinical Nutritionist
Emily Pankratz is a leader in the alternative health and wellness space. She utilizes natural health modalities and holistic medicine to support her clients in getting to the root cause of their health conditions and symptoms. She is best known for her work with digestive and hormonal imbalances, along with autoimmune conditions and oncology-related support. Emily is extremely passionate about health and supporting her clients in finding complete wholeness and recovery. Her mission: that every one of her clients will feel empowered with their health and understand how they are able to heal themselves.
