Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition

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Hi, I am a homebirth midwife and I refer all my clients to your book for great nutritional advice. I have a question regarding B12 supplementation. Is it safe for a pregnant mother to take 1000mcg of methylcobalmine per day to increase her B12 levels? In your book you don’t recommend a dosage and I would love to know what you suggest. Most supplements have a tiny amount of B12 and I think it’s not enough for a growing fetus. You’re pregnant, planning to conceive, or recently had a baby (or are a healthcare practitioner working with mamas-to-be)

Real Food for Pregnancy - Lily Nichols RDN Real Food for Pregnancy - Lily Nichols RDN

On the other hand, while this book draws from a wide spectrum of research, I think it struggles to consistently discern the quality of all that data and as such draw reasonable and relevant conclusions for its audience. I get the impression that whenever Nichols comes across studies that associate a particular food ingredient or toxin with the term, “elevated risk” she opts towards recommending avoidance instead of digging deeper to consider the validity of that association, data quality, and the degree of risk. The chapters on foods that don’t build a healthy baby, nutrients, and toxins culminate in a punishing list of restrictions and scared the hell out of me at a time when I was already struggling with elevated fears. Suddenly, drinking tap water, eating out, using moisturizer, toothpaste, and so on felt like risks. I’m skeptical that the stress was worth it. If you're having foods and drinks that are high in fat and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov. Accessed Jan. 19, 2022. This amazing book is long overdue. As a midwife, I am relieved to finally be able to recommend a one-stop resource for proactive nutritional guidance. It’s reader-friendly and well-organized with loads of information, but at the same time not overwhelming. The information is based on solid research but also from the experience of a professional with a long history of success working with expectant and postpartum mothers. Lily Nichols’ common sense approach is both accessible and effective. Real Food for Pregnancy is great for expecting parents and professionals alike, who wish to get up-to-date on the best ways to minimize complications and use nutrition for the best pregnancy outcomes. Elke Saunders, CPM Lily’s second book, Real Food for Pregnancy, is an evidence-based look at the gap between conventional prenatal nutrition guidelines and what’s optimal for mother and baby. With over 930 citations, this is the most comprehensive text on prenatal nutrition to date.

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And yes, the book is extensively researched with a massive reference list at the end, but not all studies are necessarily high quality. Another reviewer mentioned that the author “also has a responsibility to her readers to identify real versus perceived risk, and the statistical likelihood of the negative outcomes she warns against” - which I 100% agree with! Wash all surfaces and utensils, and your hands, after preparing raw foods (poultry, meat, eggs, fish, shellfish and raw vegetables) to help you avoid food poisoning.

Real Food for Pregnancy Book | Real Food for Pregnancy

Finally, a book about nutrition in pregnancy that won’t put you to sleep, and might, in fact, make your mouth water! No sign of the ‘Pregnancy Police’ here, as Lily brings together a straight-talking combination of ‘sauce and science.’ As a midwife, this book will be on my must-read list for every pregnant person I know. Tracy Donegan Good sources: Fortified cereals are great sources of folic acid. Dark green, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and dried beans, peas and lentils are good sources of naturally occurring folate. Food There is a lot in this book that is not about food. I'm a Type A person, so I already knew plenty about toxin avoidance, unhealthy foods, supplements, exercise, stress, etc. If you are NOT a type A person who has already learned all they can about those topics, it would be very helpful for learning those essential elements of preparing your body for conception. I ended up skimming a lot of that. It's best to get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, but when you're pregnant you need to take a folic acid supplement as well, to make sure you get everything you need.

Staying healthy and safe. Office on Women's Health. https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/staying-healthy-and-safe. Accessed Jan. 19, 2022. I have read numerous books on nutrition and Real Food for Pregnancy is simply incredible. I always tell my patients that I don’t practice out of popular books. Lily Nichols’ book seems to fit in a different category as it is really of textbook quality; it could be called an easy reading version of an encyclopedia of nutrition. Lily is meticulously thorough in combining current scientific understanding with the wisdom of the past. Nutritional demands are undoubtedly most intense during pregnancy, and Real Food for Pregnancy offers crucial insight into the importance of eating a nutrient dense diet during this time. John Madany, MD Real Food for Pregnancy is the most important innovation I have seen in pregnancy healthcare in the seventeen years I have worked with expecting and new families. It leverages science and nutrition to help us all achieve the fundamental right of fulfilling our potential in the world. I will share that I stood up and cheered at regular intervals as I read this book. I hope you will, too, and that your provider will cheer with you as you exceed what most think possible in pregnancy health. Jodilyn Owen, LM (WA, TN), CPM

Real Food for Pregnancy Real Food for Pregnancy

Prenatal nutrition can be confusing. A lot of the advice you have been given about what to eat (or what not to eat) is well-meaning, but frankly, outdated or not evidenced-based. In other words, if you follow conventional prenatal nutrition advice, you’re almost guaranteed to be eating a nutrient-deficient diet, not a nutrient-dense one.

Pregnancy diet: Focus on these essential nutrients

As a dietitian who specializes in women’s health, Real Food for Pregnancy will be an invaluable resource for me and my clients for years to come. Lily has bravely called out where we have gone wrong with prenatal nutrition and artfully combines modern science with traditional wisdom in a must-read for anyone who is pregnant or planning to have a baby. She managed to cover everything I’d personally want to see in an effective prenatal text from genetics, to nutrient bioavailability, to misconceptions, and much more. Ayla Barmmer, MS, RD