The Top 7 Micronutrients to Boost Preconception Health
Jul 01, 2025
If you’ve been prepping your body for pregnancy, you’ve probably already heard the basics:
Eat more whole foods. Get better sleep. Stress less. Balance those hormones.
All great advice — but there’s more to the story.
Especially if you’re dealing with endo, PCOS, Hashimoto’s, or just years of being on birth control... your body needs more than leafy greens and good vibes.
Let’s talk about the micronutrients your body actually needs to support egg quality, hormone health, and a healthy pregnancy — the ones that most women don’t even realize they’re low in.
Because here’s the truth: you can’t pour from an empty nutrient tank.
And if you’re trying to conceive (TTC), now’s the time to fill it up.
1. Vitamin A — For Early Fetal Development (and Hormones Too)
Vitamin A is a total MVP for your baby’s earliest stages of development — think facial structure, heart, and organ formation. Deficiency in early pregnancy is linked to eye malformations, poor growth, and even cleft palate.
But it’s not just about the baby. Vitamin A also supports your thyroid and copper balance, two things that play a big role in hormone regulation.
And here’s the catch: you need it in its active form (retinol) to get all the benefits. Beta carotene (from veggies) is helpful — but your body has to convert it, and that process isn’t always reliable if you’re inflamed or nutrient depleted.
✅ Best food sources:
-
Grass-fed butter or ghee
-
Egg yolks
-
Beef liver (if tolerated)
-
Kale or dark leafy greens (contain beta carotene, but not as bioavailable)
2. Folate (NOT Folic Acid) — For Neural Tube + Brain Development
If you’ve read any TTC article ever, you’ve seen this one — but let’s clear something up:
Folate = natural. Folic acid = synthetic.
And if you have the MTHFR gene mutation (which about 1 in 3 women do), folic acid isn’t well absorbed. That means even if you’re taking a prenatal, you could still be low in this critical nutrient.
✅ Folate supports:
-
Neural tube + brain development
-
Healthy placenta
-
Midline structures (like cleft palate, tongue tie, etc.)
-
Lowering preeclampsia risk
✅ Best food sources:
-
Liver
-
Spinach
-
Lentils, beans
-
Walnuts
✨ Pro tip: Choose a prenatal with methylated folate (like 5-MTHF or L-methylfolate) if you’re supplementing.
3. Choline — The Underrated Nutrient That Deserves a Trophy
Choline works hand-in-hand with folate to support baby’s brain, spinal cord, and memory. It also plays a role in forming the placenta and reducing the risk of neural tube defects.
But here’s the bummer: most prenatals either don’t include choline or barely include enough.
✅ Best food sources:
-
Egg yolks (pasture-raised, if possible)
-
Brussels sprouts
-
Avocado
-
Liver (again!)
✨ Can’t do liver? Totally fine — there are high-quality choline supplements, or just load up on choline-rich foods daily.
4. Vitamin C — For Immune Support + Collagen Production
Everyone knows vitamin C helps fight colds — but it also helps with iron absorption, tissue repair, and collagen formation. And you’ll want strong collagen for your uterus, skin, and baby’s developing organs.
Here’s a fun fact: in early pregnancy, your immune system intentionally weakens to avoid rejecting the baby. So keeping your immune system supported with Vitamin C is a win-win.
✅ Best food sources:
-
Raw bell peppers
-
Oranges and berries
-
Mango
-
Broccoli
5. B Vitamins (Especially B6 + B12) — For Hormones + Energy
Let’s hear it for the B team. These vitamins help with cellular energy, detoxification, methylation, egg quality, and hormone balance. Basically, they keep the entire fertility engine running.
If your B levels are low, you might notice fatigue, mood swings, irregular cycles, or just feeling “off.”
✅ Best food sources:
-
Liver (surprise)
-
Eggs
-
Legumes
-
Dark leafy greens
-
Nutritional yeast
✨ Choose a whole-food or methylated B-complex if supplementing.
6. Zinc — The Fertility Mineral
Zinc helps mature eggs, regulate hormones, support your immune system, and even plays a role in implantation. It’s crucial, but gets depleted fast — especially by stress, inflammation, or birth control.
✅ Best food sources:
-
Oysters (zinc GOAT)
-
Pumpkin seeds
-
Grass-fed beef
-
Turkey
-
Oats
7. Iron — For Oxygen + Baby’s Growth
Iron is essential for transporting oxygen throughout your body — and to your baby. It’s also key for preventing preterm birth and keeping your energy levels up.
Your body starts storing iron during preconception — so don’t wait until you’re pregnant to check those levels.
✅ Best food sources:
-
Heme iron: red meat, liver, turkey
-
Non-heme iron: spinach, lentils, quinoa
✨ Pair with Vitamin C to boost absorption (think spinach + bell pepper salad or lentils + lemon).
So... Can’t I Just Take a Prenatal and Call It a Day?
I wish it were that easy — but most conventional prenatals:
-
Use synthetic folic acid
-
Lack choline or methylated B12
-
Contain poorly absorbed iron or zinc
-
Skip the cofactors your body actually needs to use those nutrients
My FAVORITE Prenatals:
Needed: Can choose the COMPLETE version (more capsules) or the essentials (less) – though the COMPLETE will have higher levels of all nutrients including choline.
Seeking Health: same as above.
That’s why inside my Nourish to Nurture program, we focus on food-first fertility prep with a large emphasis on minerals, habits, + targeted supplements that actually support your body — not just the standard checklist.
Ready to Prep Your Body for Pregnancy the Right Way?
Whether you’re actively TTC or just thinking about going off birth control soon, Nourish to Nurture helps you:
-
Rebuild your mineral stores
-
Balance your hormones
-
Support your gut
-
And feel like your best self again — baby or no baby (yet)
✨ Enrollment opens August 4th.
Join the waitlist and you’ll get a bonus plus up to $250 off.
Let’s get your energy back, your cycle regulated, and your body ready for what’s next.
for 1:1, personalized support on your holistic health journey, book a 30 minute discovery call.