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Growing a Healthy Baby: Nutrition for Conception, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

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I’m teaching a new 3-hour seminar on February 13th in Berkeley, CA on nutrition for conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. In March or April I plan to offer the same material as an online class, to make it accessible to those of you that don’t live in the Bay Area. I also intend to record the class and put it all on a DVD for those that won’t be able to attend the live seminar or online class.

I’ll be offering this seminar live in the Bay Area every 2-3 months. If you can’t make this one, but are interested in coming at some point, click here to put your name on a mailing list. You can also sign up for the mailing list if you’d like to be notified when the online class and DVD is ready.

I’m passionate about this topic. There’s no time when a nutrient-dense diet is more important (for both mother and baby) than during pre-conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you or anyone you know is preparing to have a baby or is currently breastfeeding or pregnant, please tell them about this seminar and class series! I’ve included information about the seminar below.

GROWING A HEALTHY BABY

Nutrition for conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding

3-HOUR SEMINAR
Sunday, February 13th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Location TBD in Berkeley, CA
$50 per person • $75 per couple
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED • Registration closes Sunday, February 6th
Visit healthybaby.eventbrite.com to register
Click here to download a flyer

EVERY PARENT wants their children to be as healthy as possible. Good maternal nutrition promotes robust, lifelong health and protects children from diabetes, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and cognitive and behavioral problems as they age.

Traditional cultures around the world provide special pre-conception and pregnancy diets to mothers-to-be, and in some cases, even fathers-to-be. For example, the Masai in Africa only allowed men and women to marry after spending several months consuming nutrient dense foods known to be essential to a healthy pregnancy.

Modern research has identified the essential nutrients in foods emphasized by traditional cultures and expanded on their role in both maternal and fetal health.

Fat soluble vitamins, like A, D, K2 & E, are necessary for proper growth and development. The omega-3 fatty acid DHA is crucial for the brain, especially visual acuity and cognitive function. Folate boosts growth and decreases the risk of birth defects; choline causes a lifelong increase in memory and attention; and glycine, an amino acid, is needed for growth.

Unfortunately, many mothers are confused about what to eat before, during and after pregnancy. In the age of the internet, conflicting information abounds. This 3-hour seminar draws on both traditional wisdom and modern research to cut through the confusion and bring you clear and proven nutritional guidelines that will help you conceive, birth and nourish a healthy baby.

By the end of the seminar, you will know:

  • The most important nutrients for fertility & conception
  • The ideal ratio of protein, carbohydrate and fat
  • Essential nutrients for maternal and fetal health during pregnancy
  • Which foods should be emphasized
  • Which supplements you need, how much, and why
  • Which foods should be avoided or minimized
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Chris Kresser in kitchen
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This website contains affiliate links, which means Chris may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support Chris‘s ongoing research and work. Thanks for your support!

21 Comments

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  1. I’ve been following your work for over a year now since my 5 year old son was diagnosed with SIBO and fructose intolerance.

    We’ve been working hard to get him on track and this was the final push that helped me to leave my career and pursue my passion to help people in the health and wellness field.

    I am driven to help parents and future parents have the best healthy starts they can, I don’t want to see any parents experience what we did if they don’t have to. Your healthy baby code seems a perfect fit.

    Have you ever been interested in training others to give this workshop in other areas of the country under your ‘umbrella’?

    Id love an opportunity to talk about this if at all possible. Thanks kindly, Kara

  2. Hi- I live in the UK and they recommend over here to avoid liver and fish oil as it is all high in vitamin A. They do distinguish between retinol and carotene, saying retinol is the one to avoid. Would like to know your thoughts on this- Many Thanks for your time.

  3. Hi there Chris,

    I just purchased the Healthy Baby Code and had a question about Vitamin E…Module 3’s first video says that it will cover Vitamin E, but I didn’t see anything in there about the proper RDA and type. The reason I’m asking is because I am taking Dr. Ron’s Multivitamin instead of the standard prenatal (because of the folate instead of folic acid), but I am concerned that the Vitamin E content is too high in this vitamin based on this study:

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/02/10/us-vitamin-e-idUSTRE5196R920090210

    Thanks!

    • Hi Chris!

      I may be a little late to the party here as I see this thread is several years old. I just filled out the survey for your seminar just in case. I’m wanting to clean house before trying to conceive again and I’m wondering what you think of Colon hydrotherapy given all the recent data on the microbiome?
      Also, do you have any experience with Quinton minerals? Thanks for such great info. You’re the best resource out there!

  4. Shabnam: I’m hoping for a March/April launch of the online version. Thanks for your interest!

  5. Mr.Kresser,
    When will you have Nutrition for conception,pregnancy & breastfeeding available as a download?I am a practicing OBGYN in Mumbai,India.Today I just got back from a Diabetes in Pregnancy seminar in Mumbai where Dr.C J Yajnik spoke on Nutritional & Environmental Programming of Fetal Epigenome.It was facinating.I am sure you have heard about DOHaD http://www.mrc.soton.ac.uk/dohad/
    Cant wait to read what you have to say!

  6. Chris,

    Maybe you can mention the importance of testing for toxic metals and going through a chelation/detox for mothers long before conception? Especially mercury and lead.

    – Elan

  7. Greg: I’ll be producing this as an online class series and/or a DVD in the near future. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS to be informed when they’re released.

  8. Chris, I wish I could attend this with my partner. In lieu of that, do you have any reading recommendations for prenatal nutrition?

    Thx

  9. Hi Chris,

    Just wondering if you might know why supplementing with maca root is my only ‘trigger’ for a menstrual cycle. I had not had a period since December 2007, just after completing my last pack of birth control. Though I maintained a healthy weight (5’5″, 115-120lbs. average), I was diagnosed with PCOS in October-ish 2009, and started eating Paleo shortly thereafter – lots of meat and fat – and supplementing with fish oil, vit D, folate, zinc, probiotic, and iodine. Still no menstruation. This past October (2010) I found some info on maca root’s benefits on the endocrine system. Literally 1.5 weeks after adding it to my morning berries, I got a cycle. This continued through November, but when I ran out of it in December…nothing! I ordered more in January, and sure enough I had another cycle.

    How can this simple addition have such a tremendous effect on me, and is it possible that its continued use can eventually correct my hormones?

    Thanks for your input…Jessica

  10. Assuming the raw dairy takes the necessary precautions and has pasture-raised cows, the record shows that there are fewer incidences of disease outbreaks with raw milk is lower than pasteurized milk.

  11. Hi Chris, Thanks for the reply. Things are improving now and the diet is getting back to normal. She takes CLO and fish oil, although we can only seem to get farmed salmon here which probably isnt as good in omega-3. She is drinking raw milk again (from our organic butcherry) but we are still unsure about it as our midwife has warned us against it for listeria. Is there any risk with raw milk, and is raw milk yoghurt any better?
    thanks again

  12. That’s not an uncommon response during pregnancy. Some protein aversion is normal during pregnancy because urea synthesis is decreased. Raw, full-fat milk and dairy is excellent, and if she likes that then she should eat as much of it as she wants. This rich with fat-soluble vitamins which is crucial. Salmon, mackerel, or another source of DHA and vitamin D is also important.

    I’ll be offering this content as an online, 6-week seminar in the near future. Stay tuned!

  13. Hi Chris,
    My partner is pregnant and we have done alot on research on nutrition berforehand, but now that she is 18 weeks pregnant she is having a hard time eating meat, fermented foodd, broths,organ meats and all the good things we had been eating before- she even feels a bit ill after eating it. Instead she is favouring carbs, (rice, potato chips) dairy, fruits etc. which she never thought she would. We are a bit confused whether to listen to her cravings (reasonably) or try and force eating these other foods. Any ideas?
    Also, any views on raw milk in pregancy?
    sorry for the long question, would love to come to your seminar but we live in NZ

  14. Yes I know. I’ve been familiar with his work for years. I just don’t agree with him, and neither does the bulk of the research.

  15. I have already read your article, and I agree with most of it. But do you know that Ray Peat’s position is that taking even one gram of fish oil is harmful?