Early Life Nutrition and the first 1000 days

Lately, I have taken the time to reflect on the purpose of being a Dietitian and starting my business, Hive Nutrition. Like many, during my undergraduate studies, I had the dream of changing the health of the world through nutrition.

The reality of nutrition interventions

Fast forward many years and the reality is a little different. By the time the majority of my clients get to the stage of seeing me they are seeking to change a lifetime worth of habits in a body that no longer supports them, often due to the lifestyle impacts of their environment and stress. The food we eat is a complex interplay between emotion, lifestyle and genetics. It is extremely difficult to create change and requires clients to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves. Success is varied, and like many health professionals, we can get stuck applying Band-aids rather than addressing the root cause.

So how do we address the health of future generations?

How do we reduce the incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, improve gut health and mental health?

The concept of the importance of nutrition during the first 1000 days of development helps address some of the diseases that traditionally present later in life. Research shows that the provision of key nutrients during these first 1000 days are of crucial importance for growth, cognition, immune response and metabolic programming for long term health.

When is the best time to start optimising my diet for conception?

Nutrition for the first 1000 days, from pre-conception, pregnancy, breastfeeding and through to the first 2 years of life will help set your children up for long term health (and even for the health of their own babies!).

Realistically its never too early to start, but if you are planning a pregnancy, getting your nutrition on track about 3 months prior to conception for both mum and dad is ideal. Remember, that it takes both a healthy egg and sperm to create a baby. However, if you're already pregnant, there is no time like the present to take a look at your diet!

Not sure if you’re on track with your nutrition to nurture the health of your baby? Consider seeing a Dietitian that specialises in Early Life Nutrition throughout your pre-conception planning, your pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond.

I'm proud to be an early life dietitian, supporting women on their fertility journey and into pregnancy and beyond.