Nona Nutrition

This is something i see all the time when a client comes to me and we go through blood results they always say my doctor said there all fine, but when we look closer, yes they may be within range but not optimal for fertility .. b12bon the low side of "normal" vit D on low side or thyroid hormone not on optimal levels which can make a huge difference when trying to get pregnant and staying pregnant.

Pop me a message if you have any questions 🥰

When working with Clients who are trying to concieve, we work on alot together behind the scenes as its not just all egg and s***m.

🌸There are many bodily systems that are vital to the end goal of a healthy pregnancy, we work on these foundations first and build from there.

🌸We will work through these 6 systems to get you in the best possible position to concieve.

🌸To learn more about this and consultations just pop me a DM 🥰

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Do you NEED your morning coffee but arent sure if you can drink it while TTC or pregnant??

Good news is you can safely have up to 200mg a day...thats if you can still drink it, i couldnt even smell coffee without being sick in pregnancy.....

But what does 200mg actully look like???

1 shot Coffee = 100mg
1 cup Tea = 75mg
1 cup Green tea = 30mg
1 can of Coke 330mls = 40mg
1 bottle of Coke 500ml = 60mg
Energy drinks (monster) = 160mg
Chocolate (yes chocolate contains caffeine 😪) 50g milk choc =25mg

You can get decaf coffee & teas while there is still some caffeine in them it will be much less than regular ones, and you can get caffeine free coke for example too if you wanted to make small changes to improve your caffeine intake for the day ☕️

Any questions just pop me a DM 🥰

When it comes to a "fertility diet" there is no one size fits all , I will always design a plan that is individual to each clients needs and circumstances.

A Fertility diet is a specialised approach that focuses on enhancing fertility & reproductive cell health of the egg and s***m and also uterine health. Where a balanced diet can be more generic and across the board healthy diet. (Which there is nothing wrong with btw)

A fertility diet and a balanced diet can overlap in many ways as a balanced diet often includes many of the principles found in a fertility diet.

Any questions just pop me a DM 🥰

When going through a fertility journey it can take a mental toll on your wellbeing. Trying to balance relationships, work and every day realities and responsibilities is not easy and can be very overwhelming at times.
Its important to check in with yourself and see how you are doing.🥰

Its important to take the time to focus on yourself, even when times are tough. By maintaining some kind of self-care routine, you’re telling yourself that you are worth taking care of and boosting your mental resiliency. Try self-care practices such as:

Yoga

Meditation

Taking a bath

Exercise

Cooking healthy meals

Journaling & Mindfulness

Reading a book

Spa day

Whatever it is that helps you

None of this is easy, but help is available to support you through the process. Getting the help you need can help you feel stronger, healthier, and ready to face what comes your way. 🥰

Following on from my post on the male factor when trying to concieve here are some important antioxidants to include in your diet dailt to help improve s***m health.

If your looking for help and Guidence around Nutrition And Fertility and would like to arrange a consultation DM for more info 🩷

***mhealth

For details regarding Fertility Consultations DM me or pop me an email at [email protected]🩷

For details regarding Fertility Consultations, DM me or pop me an email at [email protected] 🩷

Everyones Fertility Journey is unique 🩷

The Male Factor

When going through a fertility journey the main focus is almost always on the female when actually male fertility accounts for 40- 50%of infertility cases.
I am seeing this alot at the moment in clinic.

For this reason its so important to discuss the importance of Male Fertility, what can damage it and what we can do to improve it.
Male factors may be down to one or a combination of factors such as low s***m concentration, poor s***m motility or abnormal morphology.

A semen analysis is generally the first test thats done to check this, what is really helpful on top of this however is the DNA Fragmentation test which checks to see if there DNA damage in the head of the s***m which is useful in cases of recurrent miscarriage and unexplained infertility.

Lifestyle factors that can effect s***m health.
Binge drinking
Recreational drugs
Smoking
Sedentry job
Working with fumes/chemicals
Excessive exercise (cycling)
Use of plastics eg BPA
Laptops on laps/phones in pants pocket

Luckily there is lots we can do to improve s***m health
Eat a wide variety of fruit&veg, lots of colour, the mediterranean diet has be shown to be beneficial
Avoid smoking& binge drinking
Cut down on caffeine&processed foods
Swap plastic for glass where possible
Adequate sleep each night
Moderate exercise
Taoilerd supplement plan

S***m is highly senstive to damage but on a positive note it can respond quite quickly to diet &lifestyle changes with new s***m generating  around  64- 74days

Dm to book consultation and more info x

A menstrual cycle is more than just your ‘period’ or `that time of the month’. It is important that a woman is aware of the menstrual cycle phases and how it will affect her body. Being in tune with your body is important so that if things go wrong you know to seek support. 

The menstrual cycle is important as a vital sign to overall health, as tracking the menstrual cycle and being aware f fertile days can be used both as a contraceptive method and also to plan conception. 

In my upcoming posts i am going to go into more detail on each phase of your menstrual cycle!

But for now heres the jist.....

The count for menstrual cycle begins on the first day of bleeding (not spotting, a proper bleed) for this part the length of menstrual cycle has been assumed to be 28 days (alot of women dont have 28day cycles(me included))

The entire duration of a Menstrual cycle can be divided into four main phases:

• Menstrual phase (From day 1 to 5)

• Follicular phase (From day 1- 13)

• Ovulation phase (Day 14- 15)

• Luteal phase (From day 15 to 28)

🌸 The length of a normal cycle is 24-35 days.

🌸 Flow usually starts heavy and lightens as the days go on. Usually we loose anywhere feom 5-80 ml.

🌸 The average length of a period is between 3-7 days.

🌸 There is a delicate balance between the ebb and flow of hormones at play and sometimes external factors may also play a part in cycle length variation.

🌸 Your ‘period’ is menstruation when your body eliminates the thickened lining of the uterus (endometrium).

🌸The follicular phase starts on the first day of menstruation (period) and ends with ovulation

🌸Ovulation (o***y releasing an egg).
occurs mid-cycle (approx. 14 days before menstruation).

🌸Luteal Phase occurs after ovulation before menstruation. This is the time when the uterus thickens in preparation for a fertilised egg to implant.

Women should be empowered with the knowledge to understand their own bodies. Throughout the cycle women experience different moods, emotions and energy levels as hormones rise&fall knowing where you are in your cycle helps you understand why you may be feeling a certain way 🥰

When your planning a pregnancy its so important not to forget about your nutrition and lifestyle and how these can effect your fertility outcomes, this is the same if your going through fertility treatment or not!!

Implementing specific nutrition strategies can absolutely improve your chances of getting pregnant. ⁠
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It can improve the health of your menstrual cycle which in turn will support ovulation.⁠ it can improve your reproductive hormone levels and correct any hormone imbalances that may be affecting your ability to concieve.
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It can improve your egg and s***m quality giving you a better chance of fertilisation.
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In your two week wait it can improve implantation sucess by creating a healthier uterine lining and environment and therefore support a healthy growing  foetus.
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Studies have shown that 5 or more diet and lifestyle changes improved fertility by 69%!!!!

How empowering is that??

When it can feel like everything is out of your control, Nutrition is 100% something which you can control.

DM for info on Fertility Nutrition & Coaching Consultations 🥰

Small Consistent changes can lead to big results 🥰

It can be tempting to try and overhaul everything when a New Year comes around and it becomes too much and we end up giving up.

Above are some simple tips that you can add into your lifestyle that are achievable and easy to maintain.

It doesnt need to be complicated. 🥰

DM for more info on Fertilty Nutrition & Coaching Consultations ❤️

# fertilitynutrition

Do you know the importance of cervical mucus (CM) and your cycle when TTC

Knowing what to look out for can be so helpful when it comes to trying to concieve, as it can tell us a lot about whats going on in our body.

Throughout your cycle, your CM changes in quantity, colour and texture.

Fertile CM helps s***m swim to reach your egg and keeps the s***m nice and healthy on their travels.

So what are the different types and when can you expect to see them???

🌸 Dry - Not fertile

Following your period, you likely won’t produce any discharge and will feel quite dry for a couple of days

🌸Sticky/Pasty/Thick : Not yet fertile

Here Oestrogen is rising, can cause a wet/sticky sensation, this CM filters abnormally shaped s***m

🌸Creamy - Semi fertile

This type signals ovulation is close it will change to a creamy consistency/wet and cloudy . This type can allow s***m travel to uterus

🌸 Egg White - Ovulation

what we have been hoping for and leading up to, is the most fertile CM which looks clear, is slippery and stretchy, just like Raw egg whites! This is Peak Mucus , rich in potassium and gives s***m a nutrient boost. Ovulation is immanent.

The last day of this peak mucus is the most fertile day of the entire cycle, When CM is gone this signals the end of the fertile window for that month.

We know s***m can live up to 5days , but the egg can only live up to 24hours , having in*******se in the days leading up to ovulation can be the best days for success!

it’s amazing how confident you can feel when you get to know your body and are able to recognise these cycle changes! And knowing when you ovulate, can ensure you are timing s*x at your most fertile time to really boost your chances of falling pregnant!

If you want to learn how to optimise ovulation for  your fertility, pop me a DM to learn more about working 1:1 with me 💕

I am a Fertility Nutritionist offering online consultations at my nutrition practice ‘Nona Nutrition’. I specialise in fertility nutrition for both men and women.
My mission is to provide clear evidence based, helpful, practical advice that you can follow to help optimise your fertility.

Nutrition support can help:

🌸 Optimising egg quality for IVF, IUI & Ovulation induction

🌸preparing for an FET

🌸optimising Egg &S***m quality to concieve naturally

🌸Polycystic O***y Syndrome

🌸 Irregular or absent Menstruation

Making positive changes to your diet and lifestyle can improve your chances of conceiving naturally, increase your potential success with IVF, manage PCOS and other hormonal imbalances, gain a greater understanding of what you should be eating at every stage of your fertility journey.

Pregnancy Nutrition

I offer Clear and practical advice on what to eat, what nutrients are crucial during different stages, how to manage common pregnancy symptoms, and how to nourish yourself during the fourth trimester. 

Ensure your nutrient status and diet is optimal to cover the most critical micronutrients for fertility and pregnancy.

Provide you with evidence-based nutrition and supplement recommendations for fertility and pregnancy.

Nutrition is the cornerstone to laying down the foundations for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Nutrients play an essential role in creating and maintaining healthy eggs and s***m that will go onto fertilise, implant and grow a healthy baby. There is so much conflicting advice around diet and supplements when trying for a baby naturally, I will develop a personalised and targeted nutritional plan for you.

Healthy fats are 100% fertility foods and something i always speak to clients about

We can often underestimate the power of healthy fats in the fertility and IVF world.

having a fertility friendly foundation of eating in the preconception period is actually so so important

Including healthy fats in your diet each day can help to:

🥑 Improve fertility , natural conception & IVF

🥑 Improves egg quality and s***m health

🥑 Higher rates of implantation

🥑 may improve ovulation

Healthy fats can also :
Reduces sugar/carb cravings
Natural Anti-inflammatory

How to add to your diet:

🥜Have a handful of nuts as a snack a few times a week.

Sprinkle seeds(chia,flax,pumpkin,seasame etc) on your porridge/yogurts/salads/rice cakes

Eat oily fish Twice a week

Use extra virgin oil

Following the mediterranean diet (previous post) high in fruit,veg,wholegrains,nuts,seeds,olive oil
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🌸 FERTILE WINDOW 🌸

Do you know your fertile window??

This is something that comes up a lot with Clients,
As much as reproductive health, good nutrition, managing stress, sleep and happy hormones do wonders for your fertility, you need to also know when you are most fertile to plan pregnancy!

Your fertile window lasts for about 6 days and will occur with each cycle as long as you ovulate.

S***m can survive in favourable conditions inside your uterus until an egg is released so your fertile window is longer than just your ovulation window.

Your ovulation window is 12-24 hours (the time an egg can survive for after being released from one of your ovaries). You then add on the time s***m can live for.

So if you ovulated on day 16 and had in*******se beforehand on day 14 - it is most likely those s***m are sitting there waiting ready to fertilise the egg!

Also be mindful that ovulation can shift cycle to cycle depending on alot of factors, such as sleep, stress, nutrition, over exercising .

Therefore your most fertile time may be different to your last cycle, which is why it's so Important to track your Cycle and Ovulation.

Do you track your Ovulation??

Did you know stress makes balancing hormones more challenging?

 All Hormones in the body influence each other, like a domino effect!

When you're feeling anxious,stressed your nervous system releases stress hormones such as cortisol.

This is called The fight or flight response and is triggered when a situation of extreme stress arises.

 Any body system that isn't necessary for survival can slow down, including your reproductive system.(you don't need to ovulate if your running away from a Lion in a life or death scenario)

That’s why your period can be late when you're experiencing high levels of stress for an extended period of time.

We also know that women who experience higher levels of stress have lower rates of conception.

Unfortunately our body doesn't know if we're in real life or death stress or general life/work balance/ family stress so it reacts the same.

 Sleep and stress are essential components of health to consider for infertility treatment and hormone conditions.

Whether its a long walk outside / the gym (my one) a coffee and chat with a friend / a book and bath or yoga, it's whatever works for you ❤️

What is your go-to coping mechanism when your stressed?

OPTIMISING OVULATION

Anovulatory infertility is such a common barrier to people conceiving!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So here are some key tips to optimise and track your ovulation:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🍞🥑1. Get enough carbs and fats in your main meals CRITICAL! These are so essential for ovulation⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🥬 2. Boost sources of folate like green leafy veggies, fruits and legumes each day which can help support regular ovulation⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🐟 🥑 3. Optimise omega-3 fatty acids for healthy eggs!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🖊️ 4. Track your cycle in a way that works for you - basal body temperature, cervical mucus, or with your doctor using bloodwork and ultrasound scans⠀

Which way do you prefer to track Ovulation??

Every Client that comes through my door I speak to them about the importance of Omega-3 and The reasons why this good is the holy grail of fertility:

⭐️ boosts blood flow to your reproductive organs

⭐️ natural anti-inflammatory

⭐️ precursor to hormones - hello ovulation!

⭐️ supports menstrual cycle regularity

⭐️ improves egg quality

⭐️ thickens the uterine lining

⭐️ boosts implantation rates

 These are some of the benefits of adequate omega-3s during the pre-conception phase for fertility and also during pregnancy for baby's development!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. Omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect supporting egg health 🥚 and seems to be useful for endometriosis and PCOS as well as for male fertility outcomes too! 👨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. Omega-3s help support healthy blood flow too which helps with implantation support 🩸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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3. During pregnancy, omega-3s supports baby's brain 🧠 and eye development ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If your not a big fish eater 🐟, your long-chain omega-3s (DHA and EPA which have the benefits we are after) won't be very well converted from ALA sources such as walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds and h**p seeds - so keep this in mind when evaluating where you're at with your omegas!

Fish oil is a more reliable source of EPA and DHA.
Fish and other seafood (especially cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines)

Nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts)

Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil,
The plant foods which are good sources of omega 3s are:

some oils, flaxseed oil , walnut, soya, pumpkin and algal oil
Eggs nuts, especially walnuts
seeds, especially flax pumpkin, chia and h**p seeds.

Do you include Omega-3 every day???

You'll never regret working on your prenatal Nutrition

Targeted Nutrition really is so powerful when Trying to Conceive, finding someone to help you put all the bits of the jigsaw together and someone who will guide you through the process and give you all the knowledge you need to make positive changes.

This is where a Fertility Nutritionist can help 🥰

All Consultations are specific to your needs depending on factors affecting you and your Fertility.

Your Fertility journey is unique, but there are things you can do and changes you can make to improve your chances of a Healthy Pregnancy ❤️

If you have any questions about Consultations just pop me a DM ❤️

Nona Nutrition updated their phone number.

Eating a diet that supports fertility includes a combination of whole foods, a healthy balance of lean protein, healthy fats, and fibre that can help your gut microbe, regulate hormones, and are anti- inflammatory all of which are important to prep your body for Conception &  Pregnancy.

If your looking for Personal Advice on Dietary changes get in touch via DM or Email 💕

INTERPLAY OF HORMONES AND THE OVULATION CYCLE

🌸The cycle is regulated by the release of hormones, from the brain and the o***y:

🌸 Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulates an immature egg within a follicle to grow and mature. The growing follicle produces increasing amounts of estrogen.
Estrogen stimulatesthe lining ofthe uterus to thicken, and causes the cervix to secrete mucus which is fluid, slippery and abundant.
This mucus is fertile, promoting the survival and transmission of s***m through the reproductive tract.

🌸High levels of oestrogen stimulate the release of luteinizing hormone (LH).

🌸 LH triggers the release of the mature egg from the follicle—this is ovulation. LH also transformsthe follicle into the corpus luteum at the time of ovulation.

🌸The corpus luteum secretes progesterone, which maintains the lining of the uterus and makes it nutrient rich in preparation for implantation.

🌸 Progesterone also abruptly halts the production of fertile mucus and causes the cervix to secrete thick and dense mucus that acts as a barrier to microbes and s***m.

🌸Hormones are released to ensure cervical mucus production, uterine lining growth and ovulation each cycle.

FSH stimulates a follicle to grow
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Growing follicles produces Oestrogen
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LH triggers Ovulation & Corpus Luteum
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Corpus luteum produces progesterone

If you would like more Information on these hormones how to track your cycles then pop me a DM ❤️

Smoothie's are a Fantastic way of getting alot of Nutritious foods in, makes a nice quick breakfast or lunch.

And an easy way to add lots of Fertility Friendly foods to your diet.

What's your favorite smoothie recipe??

🌸Three reasons why it's beneficial to track your Cycle.🌸

1. As women our Menstrual Cycle gives us an amazing window into our overall health. Each month your body gives you feedback to how well it's doing, if our hormones are reaching sufficient levels to allow us to ovulate successfully.
By tracking your cycle it can help you identify patterns and pick up on any issues/problems that you may not of recognised without tracking.

2. Daily Charting of your Cycle and body symptom's can give you a huge sense of confidence and self awarness, and feel empowered. Learn to work with your body rather than against it

3. It can allow you to AVOID Pregnancy naturally or Conceive a Baby, it can be used as a natural hormone free/side effect free form of contraception.

I'd your looking to learn about how to understand your hormones and anatomy and get set up charting your Fertility biomarkers and learn how to interpret them, pop me a DM and we can have a chat ❤️x

In my last post, I mentioned Nutrients that can help improve Egg Quality, now I'm gonna speak about factors that can negatively affect the quality of your Eggs.

The amount of Eggs are genetically determined and reduce over the years but the environment the eggs are growing in can be affected by lifestyle factors just like any other cell in the body.

There are changes you can make to your Diet & Lifestyle that can make a positive change on your Eggs.
Things like cutting back on Alcohol, no smoking/drugs.these can all increase free radical damage which in turn affects the health of the egg.

Reduce the use of plastics
BPA can affect the egg health by decreasing the number of eggs that mature and increasing the % of eggs that degenerate.
So switching to Glass containers, where possible.

Having good quality Eggs can increase your chances of conceiving sooner and improve the health of the developing embryo.

🌟Putting you in the best position to start with rather that waiting for something to go wrong and then trying to sort it out 🌟

Egg Quality and Health is so important when TTC naturally or if going through fertility treatment.

Did you know that the food you eat and lifestyle you live can influence the health of your egg that you will ovulate in 3 months time 🤯

While as women were born with all the Eggs you'll ever have and can't make more like Males with s***m, BUT, we can make changes to improve the QUALITY of our Eggs. Particularly in the 3 months leading up to Ovulation as the Egg follicles develop and mature into mature oocytes ready for ovulation which takes approx 3 months

We can improve the Percentage of eggs that are nor al and healthy and reduce the percentage of the ones that maybe abnormal or unhealthy.

This all Means that it can increase the Chance of Pregnancy and reduce the risk of miscarriage.

In IVF it can increase the number of mature eggs collected and increases the number of viable embryos at day 5

🌟 remember if you've been told you've low AMH or egg count, this does not reflect the Quality of the eggs 🌟

🥚It just takes one Good Egg 🥚

Some foods to include in your diet to get the Nutrients listed above.
Avocado 🥑
Sweet potato 🍠
Salmon 🐟
Spinach & green leafy greens
Fruit 🍓🍑
Nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashew etc)
Eggs 🥚
Chickpeas, legumes, beans
Seeds (h**p, chia,flax)
Oats
Just to name a few...

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this, pls DM ❤️