Welcome to the Nourished Mama Collective! I’m so glad you’re here.
Pregnancy is one of the most vulnerable times in life, and for good reason. How we eat and live directly affects another little being. Because of this, I’ve also seen pregnancy become a time when companies and social media seem to prey on and profit from people’s fears.
I started this column to create a space where we can connect, ask questions, share stories, and lean on science-backed nutrition and lifestyle tips - without the fearmongering.
My husband and I always knew we wanted to be parents, but our path wasn’t straightforward. Because of a genetic factor my husband has, we suspected getting pregnant might be difficult for us. When we were ready, we went in for routine checkups and soon learned that we would need to pursue IVF. At first, I felt really intimidated and overwhelmed by the process, but we like to say we are the lucky, unlucky ones. One egg retrieval, one transfer, and I was pregnant with our little Elio. I know that’s not everyone’s reality, and I don’t take it for granted.
It was during IVF that I first saw how much misinformation surrounds fertility and pregnancy. I came across unfounded warnings about foods that could “ruin” treatment, fears about embryos “bouncing out” after transfer, and even superstitions about McDonald's fries and pineapple being the key to success. The pressure to get everything perfect in pregnancy, especially while undergoing fertility treatment, seems constant.
One of the first things I ignored was the recommendation not to let my heart rate go above 140 bpm and to avoid lifting more than 25 pounds. Of course, every pregnancy is different, and it’s essential to follow your medical team’s guidance, but for most healthy pregnancies, staying active improves outcomes. So why are we still telling women to sit still for nine months?
One of the most surprising parts of pregnancy for me was how hard it was to watch my body change. I’ve spent my career helping people build healthy relationships with food and their body, and I’ve long let go of the idea that weight equals worth. Still, gaining over 40 pounds and navigating postpartum recovery after a semi-emergency C-section challenged me in ways I didn’t expect. Throughout my pregnancy, birth, and recovery, I had to learn to advocate for myself, rebuild trust in my body, and eventually found myself feeling healthier and stronger than I was before IVF.
Through it all, I learned to tune out a lot of the noise. I stopped listening to random accounts on social media and leaned instead on research, trusted experts, and my own intuition.
I want to share my story with you all because transparency can be a lifeline, and it’s reassuring to know that most of us land somewhere in the middle, not at the extremes that often seem to be the loudest.
In the Nourished Mama Collective, I’ll share pieces of my own journey, from how I supported egg quality before starting IVF, to my specific prenatal supplement routine, to the foods I prepped for postpartum recovery, while also digging into bigger questions, like why seed oil is in infant formulas, how to nourish yourself while breastfeeding, and how to support your immune system when your kid starts daycare or school (IYKYK).
I love the phrase “mother the mother,” and that’s the heart of what I want this space to be. A place where we can care for one another, find connection, and gain helpful insights in a world that can feel overwhelming and isolating.
As we begin this journey, I’d love to hear from you: What topics do you want me to cover and discuss? Whether it has to do with pregnancy, fertility, miscarriage, or raising a newborn, let me know - share in the comments! And please forward this email to anyone you think could benefit from this collective - thank you!
-Diana