So you have finally made it, and now you need to look after yourself and your precious baby. The minefield of what to eat, not to eat, how to cope with nausea and tiredness, should you take vitamins or not, how to manage any other medications you’re on and what really is the best food to eat for the baby, accompanied by first trimester anxiety, especially after fertility treatment, can just finish you off!

I will talk you through everything you need to know; all the dos and don’ts, the right vitamins, evidence based and plain common sense; I’ve been there myself and sometimes you can feel very overwhelmed. My initial pregnancy consultation will give you a plan with everything you need to know, all your dos and dont’s. Then I offer a fifteen minute catch-up at 14 and 26 weeks, just to ensure you are on track with each trimester. At 37 weeks we have another full consultation that covers labour or C-section, post natal and breast feeding, should you choose to do this, up to weaning.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping bring our daughter into the world and changing ours. As well as helping us realise our dream you are so knowledgable about so much and go above and beyond in terms of support and providing information. It feels so good giving her the extra probiotics and vitamin d, which we wouldn’t have thought of without you. On top of the practical stuff you are an absolute joy, of course! We feel very lucky to been able to work with you on what was thankfully, the final part of our journey.”

The First Thousand Days

The First Thousand Days—from conception to a child’s second birthday—is recognized as a critical window for growth and development, particularly in relation to nutrition. During this period, the foundations for lifelong health, brain development, and immunity are established. Good maternal nutrition during pregnancy supports foetal growth, including, of course the brain, and reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, while the right baby feeding practices—such as timely introduction of nutrient-rich complementary foods—ensure optimal physical and cognitive development. Studies on the First Thousand Days emphasize that nutritional interventions, particularly sugar restriction in this phase can significantly reduce growth restriction, improve learning outcomes, and lower the risk of chronic diseases later in life, for example dementia10.

So nutritional and lifestyle support during this critical time can be very helpful, as you negotiate your way through the minefield of contradictory advice out there.

Ren, C. et al., 2023. Nutrition and Metabolism in the First 1000 Days of Life. Nutrients, 15(11), 2554. doi:10.3390/nu15112554. (MDPI)
Taveras, E.M. et al., 2021. Intervention in first 1,000 days of life may halt childhood obesity. Harvard Gazette, 21 July. Available at: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/07/intervention-in-first-1000-days-of-life-may-halt-childhood-obesity/ (Harvard News)
Zhou, Y. and Xu, Y., 2023. Nutrition and metabolism in the first 1000 days of life. Nutrients, 15(11), p.2554.U.S. Federal Perspective: Improving Nutrition in the First 1000 Days in the United States: A Federal Perspective. American Journal of Public Health, 112(S8): S817-S825. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2022.307028. (2022) (PubMed)
Lian, X., Chen, A., Zhu, X., Huang, Y., Yang, C., Huang, Y., Ran, M., Yin, L. and Zhang, B., 2026. Early-life sugar rationing, brain aging, and long-term neurodegenerative and psychiatric health outcomes: a population-based natural experiment study. npj Aging.

How Can I Help?

1st Trimester

Nausea
Foods not to eat in pregnancy
Food aversions and cravings
Protecting your immune system
Tiredness
Drug/nutrient interactions (if appropriate), eg. Clexane and calcium
The right vitamins for YOU
Key nutrients for baby development

2nd Trimester

Getting back on track after falling off in the first trimester!Sleep
Exercise
Sleep
Constipation
Vitamin and food assessment
Special review if a multiple pregnancy

3rd Trimester

Iron, vitamin D and calcium needs
Sleep
Constipation & piles
Gestational diabetes help if needed
Pre-eclampsia help if needed

End of Pregnancy, Birth & Post Natal

Nutrition and vitamins
Feeding advice
Sleep and how to cope with the nights
Mood
Practical advice (I remember that time very clearly)
Getting back to normal post weaning