Why Preconception Health Matters: How to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy
Written by Jess Kasriel, Fertility Practitioner, Registered Nutritional Therapist & Shamanic Healer. Based in Finchley, North London.
There’s a word you’ll hear me say again and again when it comes to fertility…
PREPARATION. 🤘🏻
And I genuinely believe that preparing your body for pregnancy could be one of the most valuable investments you make in your health and your future family.
Let me explain why.
When I was training for a marathon, I started experiencing all sorts of niggles. I went to see an osteopath, hoping to understand what was going on and how to keep my body performing at its best.
Something he said really stuck with me: the warm-up is one of the most important parts of the process. Before you ask your body to run miles, you need to prepare it for what's coming — engage the muscles, increase circulation and get everything ready for the demands ahead.
Not only can this help reduce the risk of injury, but it can also help you get off to a stronger start.
And I remember thinking… isn't this exactly how we should be approaching fertility, too?
We wouldn't dream of running a marathon without preparing our bodies. Yet when it comes to trying to conceive, so many women are expected to stop contraception, cross their fingers and hope for the best.
Of course, pregnancy doesn't always happen according to plan. But there is so much we can do to support our health before conception — and I believe it's time we made preconception care the norm.
What is preconception health, and why does it matter?
Preconception health is about looking after your physical and emotional wellbeing in the months before pregnancy. It's an opportunity to understand your body, address potential nutritional gaps, review existing health conditions and build foundations that support you through pregnancy and beyond.
Because fertility is about so much more than ovulation.
Nutrition, metabolic health, hormones, sperm health, sleep, stress, age and underlying health conditions can all play a role. For some women, this might mean exploring PCOS, irregular periods or thyroid function. For others, it could mean reviewing their diet, understanding their cycle or investigating possible nutrient deficiencies.
And sometimes, it means getting the right medical investigations rather than spending another six months trying every supplement you've seen recommended online.
The goal isn't to create another fertility project. It's to understand what YOUR body needs and focus on what matters most.
Fertility nutrition: building strong foundations before pregnancy
Your body doesn't suddenly become important when you see a positive pregnancy test. Your health matters long before that moment.
The preconception phase is an opportunity to focus on balanced nutrition, healthy blood sugar regulation, adequate nutrient intake and habits that support your overall wellbeing. It can also be a valuable time to review medications, existing conditions and relevant investigations with your GP or fertility clinician.
One nutrient worth paying particular attention to is folate. It's essential for early foetal development, including the formation of the neural tube, which develops very early in pregnancy — often before you know you're pregnant.
As a naturopathic nutritionist, I often consider methylfolate as part of a personalised preconception nutrition plan, alongside the wider picture of B vitamins and other nutrients involved in methylation. I'll be sharing a dedicated post soon on why methylation matters and the key nutrients involved.
It's important to know that UK guidance recommends taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily while trying to conceive and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, unless a healthcare professional advises a different dose. Methylfolate isn't currently the standard replacement recommended by UK guidance, so discuss your individual supplementation plan with a qualified healthcare professional.
And please remember: preconception care can help identify and address certain risk factors, but it cannot prevent every miscarriage or guarantee a complication-free pregnancy. This isn't about achieving perfection or putting responsibility for every outcome on your shoulders. It's about giving yourself the best-supported starting point you reasonably can.
Preparing for pregnancy means preparing YOU, too
Stepping into motherhood is transformational. It's wild, incredible, challenging, inspiring and empowering — sometimes all before breakfast!
Your body goes through enormous changes. Your identity evolves. Your relationships shift. Your energy and priorities can change in ways you could never fully anticipate.
So why do we talk about preparing for pregnancy almost exclusively in terms of getting pregnant? Why aren't we talking more about preparing the mother?
This is your opportunity to invest in your own health, understand your body, build supportive habits and seek help with concerns that have been niggling at you. It's a chance to think about how you want to feel during pregnancy and beyond, and what support you might need along the way.
You don't need another 50-item checklist. Start with the foundations:
Nourish yourself: enjoy a varied, balanced diet with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, healthy fats and good-quality protein.
Understand your cycle: learn about ovulation and cervical mucus, and seek advice if your periods are irregular or absent.
Consider both partners' health: sperm health matters, too. If conception is taking longer than expected, a semen analysis may be a useful starting point.
Review your health: discuss existing conditions, medications, vaccinations and relevant investigations with your GP or fertility clinician.
Build supportive habits: prioritise sleep, regular movement and stress management without putting pressure on yourself to live a perfectly optimised life.
Seek personalised fertility support: focus on what is relevant to your body, your history and your circumstances.
And if you've been trying for a while, have PCOS or irregular cycles, have experienced pregnancy loss, or are preparing for IVF, it's not too late to seek support. You don't need to have done everything perfectly beforehand to deserve a supported journey.
Let's make preconception care the norm
I want us to move away from the idea that fertility support only begins when something goes wrong or when you've been trying for months and finally seek help.
I want women to feel empowered to invest in their health before pregnancy, ask questions, investigate concerns and feel supported through this transition.
Because you and your future baby are worthy of that investment.
Your health matters. Your experience matters. And the foundations you build now can support you well beyond the moment you see that positive pregnancy test.
Could this be one of the best investments you make in your life? I genuinely believe it can be — not because you can control every outcome, but because you deserve to feel informed, nourished and supported as you step into one of the most powerful chapters of your life.
Let's build motherhood on strong foundations. 🩷
If you're wondering where to begin, I've created something for you.
✨ Download your FREE Baby-Making Blueprint here. It's my gift to every woman preparing for motherhood, to help you cut through the overwhelm and start focusing on what really matters.
Maybe it is the athlete in me but my favourite word will always be… PREPARATION. 🤘🏻
