If you’re thinking about growing your family — or you’re already trying and it’s taking longer than you hoped — preconception nutrition is one of the most overlooked, evidence-backed places to start. On a recent episode of the Holistically Well Podcast, I sat down with Dana Hartman, a gut health, cycle, and fertility practitioner, to talk about what actually prepares a body (both of your bodies) for conception, pregnancy, and a healthy baby.
Dana’s own path here wasn’t easy. She’s walked through pregnancy loss herself, and it’s part of why her approach to preconception care is so rooted in both evidence and grace. Below is a breakdown of what we covered — nutrition, testing, your partner’s role, and the nervous system piece so many couples miss.
Why Preconception Nutrition Matters More Than You Think
Research supports giving your body a minimum of three months to prepare before trying to conceive. That’s not an arbitrary number: it takes roughly three months for an egg to mature and release, and sperm matures over a similar 70–100 day window. Whatever you and your partner are doing nutritionally during that time directly shapes the egg and sperm that could become your future child.
Three months is the floor, not the ceiling. If you’ve recently stopped hormonal birth control, have a history of painful or irregular cycles, PCOS, endometriosis, or ongoing gut symptoms, your body may benefit from a longer runway: six months or even a year. And if none of that applies to you? Dana’s take: it’s never too soon to start. Fertility is a marker of overall vitality, not just baby-making capacity.
Neural tube formation (the earliest development of your baby’s brain and spinal cord) begins almost immediately after conception, often before you know you’re pregnant. That’s the biological case for having key nutrients on board before you start trying, not after a positive test.
The Two Foundations: Whole Real Foods and Blood Sugar Balance
Dana starts every client in the same place, regardless of whether they pursue further testing: nutrition. Specifically, two things: eating mostly whole, real foods, and keeping blood sugar stable throughout the day.
Blood sugar balance matters more than most people realize. Constant blood sugar swings raise cortisol, increase the risk of gestational diabetes, and can quietly disrupt hormone production. One striking data point from the conversation: an estimated 49–52% of women are in a prediabetic state in their first trimester without knowing it, because fasting insulin and fasting glucose aren’t routinely tested — and this isn’t limited to women who are overweight.
A simple framework for each meal:
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- Half your plate: fiber-rich, non-starchy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, and similar)
- About 4–5 ounces of protein, aiming for roughly 30 grams per meal
- No more than about ½ cup of starchy carbohydrate (rice, sweet potato, oats) per meal
- Eating roughly every 3–4 hours to prevent energy crashes and late-evening cravings
A Sample Day of Preconception Eating
Breakfast: Two pasture-raised eggs (a strong source of choline) with sauteed greens in grass-fed butter, a side of beans or berries for fiber, and a piece of chicken sausage or cottage cheese to round out protein toward that 30-gram target. Add a slice of sourdough with butter if you’d like a carb.
Mid-morning snack: Nitrate-free deli turkey rolled with avocado and mustard, or Greek yogurt with berries and a drizzle of honey.
Lunch: Leftover protein (like chicken), roasted non-starchy veggies, and a starch such as sweet potato — prepped ahead so it’s grab-and-go.
Afternoon snack: Something different from your morning snack for variety — cheese and fruit works well.
Dinner: A balanced plate following the same formula, prioritizing whole, real ingredients.
If you want a closer look at how your own blood sugar patterns, nutrition, or nervous system regulation may be impacting your ability to conceive, a 1:1 session is a great next step — available in-office or virtually.
Preconception Nutrition Isn’t Just a “Her” Issue
It’s easy for preconception conversations to center entirely on the woman’s body. But biologically, it takes two: roughly half of your baby’s DNA, placental health, pregnancy complication risk, and even miscarriage risk are influenced by the male partner’s health.
The good news is that what supports his fertility is largely the same as what supports yours — just in bigger portions. A few specifics Dana highlighted for partners:
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- Nutrition: Same whole-food, blood-sugar-balanced approach, scaled to his needs
- Sleep: 7–8 hours in a cool, dark room — blackout curtains and a sleep mask help
- Heat exposure: Avoid laptops directly on the lap, keep phones in a back pocket rather than a front pocket, and skip saunas for 3–6 months while trying to conceive — sperm is highly heat-sensitive
- Toxin exposure: Swap personal care products for lower-toxin versions as he runs out (no need to overhaul everything at once)
- Exercise: Moderate, well-fueled exercise is fine; heavy endurance training (like marathon prep) without adequate recovery and intake can work against fertility for both partners
Because sperm matures over roughly 70–100 days, his habits in the months leading up to conception can meaningfully shift outcomes — even if a semen analysis has already come back with less-than-ideal numbers.
When Loss or Difficulty Conceiving Points to a Deeper Root Cause
For couples who have experienced a loss or unexplained difficulty conceiving, Dana recommends going beyond a standard checkup with a few specific tests:
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- A semen analysis, including DNA fragmentation testing — not always included on a standard panel, and typically available through a urologist or fertility clinic
- Comprehensive bloodwork for both partners: a CBC, metabolic panel, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and full thyroid panel
- Gut and microbiome testing (such as GI mapping), often available through a functional medicine practitioner, naturopath, or Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P)
A note on “normal” lab ranges: conventional reference ranges are built from the average of everyone tested — not necessarily what research shows is optimal for fertility. It’s worth seeking a functional or integrative lens on your results, in addition to your standard care.
How to Bring Your Partner Into the Conversation
If you’re the one who’s been researching, meal-prepping, and reading labels, it can feel discouraging when your partner doesn’t seem as invested. Dana’s approach: don’t frame it as “you need to do this for the baby.” Frame it as his own long-term health.
Try asking rather than telling — “Would you be willing to get a semen analysis?” rather than “you need to.” Tie the conversation to how he’ll feel day to day: more energy, faster recovery, fewer digestive symptoms — benefits that exist whether or not you conceive right away. And watch the instinct to police every choice he makes; most partners dig in harder when they feel managed, and soften when they feel invited.
Postpartum to Preconception: When to Start Trying Again
If you already have a little one and are wondering when to shift from postpartum recovery into preconception prep, research generally points to waiting until your infant is around 18 months old. Longer pregnancy intervals are associated with lower risk of preterm birth, growth restriction, and fertility struggles — largely because pregnancy and breastfeeding are significantly nutrient-depleting.
If you’d rather not wait that long, that’s a personal decision — just know it calls for extra intentionality around nutrition and recovery the entire time you’re pregnant and postpartum.
Your Cycle Is Your Fifth Vital Sign
One of the most empowering shifts Dana described is learning to read your own cycle as real-time feedback. Painful periods, heavy PMS, and spotting are common — but common isn’t the same as optimal. Tracking changes in cervical mucus, energy, and symptoms across your cycle can show you, in real time, how nutrition, stress, and travel are affecting your body.
Don’t Forget the Nervous System
Nutrition and testing matter, but Dana was clear that nervous system regulation and sleep may be the two most important pieces of the entire picture. A body that’s stuck in fight-or-flight doesn’t prioritize conception or a sustained pregnancy — regardless of how “perfect” the diet looks on paper. This is exactly where the hands-on work I do as a pelvic floor and orthopedic physical therapist — dry needling, myofascial release, trigger point release — supports the same goal from a physical standpoint, alongside practices like breathwork, prayer, and journaling.
Above all, both Dana and I want you to hear this: you cannot control every outcome, and that’s not a failure on your part. Doing the things within your control — nutrition, sleep, testing when it’s warranted, nervous system care — and then releasing your grip on the rest is extremely helpful for your nervous system.
Ready to Start Preparing Your Body?
Grab my free Preconception Body Prep Plan for a simple starting point:
→ Get the free Preconception Body Prep Plan
→ Or you can dive deeper and grab my full preconception program here.
You can find Dana Hartman on Instagram @hartmanholistic and at www.hartmanholistic.com for more on gut health, cycle support, and fertility.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and reflects one practitioner’s clinical approach. It is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please talk with your physician, OB, or a fertility specialist before starting any new testing, supplement, or treatment protocol — especially if you have a history of pregnancy loss.
70 | Preconception Nutrition 101: How to Prepare Your Body (and Your Partner’s) for Pregnancy
This topic goes even deeper on the podcast. Whether you’re a listener, a reader, or a watcher — there’s a version of this conversation waiting for you. Tune in on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and if it resonates, a review helps more women find their way here.
