Thinking About Having a Baby in 2025? Here’s Why You Should See a Prenatal Dietitian.

If a baby is on your radar this year, there's one thing you might want to seriously consider: teaming up with a prenatal dietitian.

Pregnancy is a time where nutrient requirements are at an all time high to help meet the increased nutritional needs of both you and your growing baby. That means you need more macronutrients (think calories, protein, carbs, and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). And while we’ve got a ton of info today about which nutrients are essential for your baby’s development, there’s also a lot of misinformation out there. Without the right guidance, it’s easy to get lost in the noise and follow outdated or even harmful advice.

You might be thinking, “But women have been having babies forever without all this info and we turned out fine, right?” Well, yes, but here’s the thing: times have changed. Our food environment is different now - our diets aren’t as nutrient-dense as they used to be. In Australia, 40% of our calories are coming from ultra processed foods, and it’s easy to see that we’re swapping out nutrient-packed foods for “junk” that doesn’t provide much nutrition. And let’s not forget about our soil - over time, it’s become depleted of the minerals that crops need to grow healthy and nutrient-rich. This is partly due to farming practices and pesticide use, which are also contributing to mineral loss in the soil.

So, between a less-than-ideal diet and the nutrient depletion in our food, it’s more likely than not that you could benefit from some extra support. A prenatal dietitian can assess your current diet, identify any gaps, and help you fill those gaps through the right food and supplements - ideally, before you even start trying to conceive.

But is it enough to just take a prenatal vitamin and call it a day?

If you consume nutrient-dense foods regularly sure, that might be enough. But in my opinion, most women would benefit from at least one session with a prenatal dietitian to make sure they’re covering all their bases. This is especially true if you have any dietary restrictions (like vegan, dairy-free, or vegetarian) or medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid issues, or hypertension. And just to throw this in - nature always gets it right when it comes to packaging nutrients in a way that is most beneficial for us to consume. Humans in labs creating supplements don’t always get it right (whilst they are amazing at what they do). So, relying on a supplement to give you what you need and not paying attention to your diet may be problematic. This is why I have a food first approach and add in supplements correctly where they are necessary.

Did you know?

In the early weeks of pregnancy, your baby is relying on your pre-pregnancy nutrient stores to get everything they need through the endometrial glands. So, if you have the chance to build up those stores before you get pregnant, why not take advantage of it?

Want to find out if we are a good fit?

It’s important that you align with any health professional you decide to work with, otherwise, you may just be wasting your time and money. If you want to find out if we are a good fit, reach out to me via email and we’ll arrange a time to chat!