When women start thinking about getting pregnant, they are routinely advised to start taking a prenatal with folic acid in it, to ensure they have adequate stores to reduce the chance of neural tube defects in the first trimester. A study that came out...

The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) allows you to identify the days in your menstrual cycle on which you’re more likely to be fertile. This information can be used to avoid pregnancy, or help get pregnant when the time comes to start your family. FAM...

Miscarriages are incredibly common: it is estimated that 15% (1 in 7) of clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage (i.e. those pregnancies that were confirmed with a positive pregnancy test). When a woman has a first miscarriage, it is typically considered a one-off event...

Probiotics are live bacteria that benefit their hosts (that is, us!) in seemingly countless ways. Throughout pregnancy the gut microbiome undergoes significant changes, and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy has been shown to lower rates of infant eczema and allergies, pre-term birth, and rates of urinary...

Avoiding refined grains, including white flour and white rice, is something I recommend to my patients during pregnancy, due to their impact on maternal blood sugar levels. As I share in-depth as part of the nutrition module in my online pregnancy coaching program, a...

50% of pregnant women will experience back pain during pregnancy. Many women forego treatment out of concern about prescription drug use and overuse of Tylenol (see this weekly tip for more information). However, chronic, severe pain is associated with hypertension, anxiety and depression, and needs to...

Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) affects 10% of pregnancies in the United States and is a major cause of death in pregnant women and newborns worldwide. These hypertensive disorders include chronic hypertension (elevated blood pressure at less than 20 weeks pregnant or persisting beyond 12...

Gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy) is a growing concern around the world. It’s something my patients and participants in my online pregnancy program are motivated to prevent. In my program, I devote a full module to this topic, including...

Red raspberry leaf tea (Rubus idaeus) is one of my favourite herbs in pregnancy. It has a proven safety record (considered Category A meaning that human pregnancy studies have demonstrated its safety), and has a number of wonderful effects during pregnancy. Red raspberry leaf is...

We know that Vitamin D is important for strong bones and healthy immune systems. In Northern countries like Canada, Vitamin D supplementation is widespread as awareness grows about its crucial role. What is less known, however, is the importance of adequate Vitamin D stores...