We believe that wellness begins deep within. Fertility isn't just about conception, it's a reflection of our overall vitality, hormonal balance, and the ways we care for our bodies day to day. Many studies show the importance of a healthy diet for women who are trying to get pregnant. Whether you're actively trying to conceive, preparing your body for future possibilities, or simply wanting to optimize your health, making dietary improvements is one of the most powerful ways to optimize fertility for women.
As one half of the Tallow Twins and a holistic pregnancy, birth, and postpartum doula, fertility isn’t just a topic I care about; it’s one I live and breathe. Supporting women through every phase of their reproductive journey has shown me firsthand how deeply nourishment impacts our hormones, our cycles, and our sense of self. Fertility is not a linear path. It’s cyclical, sacred, and deeply personal. And whether you're preparing for conception or simply tending to your womb and wellness, how you nourish yourself matters.
This guide is born from that intention: to offer grounding, science-backed, and ancestral wisdom on eating for fertility. Because when we nourish our bodies with love and intention, we create fertile ground, not just for new life, but for vitality in every sense of the word.
The following advice is inspired by the science and energetics of fertility-focused nourishment, drawing wisdom from two trusted sources: Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols and Awakening Fertility by Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, and Marisa Belger.
Why What You Eat Matters for Fertility
Fertility is not just a matter of reproductive organs; it's a whole-body indicator of health. Hormones, cellular health, inflammation, gut function, blood sugar, and even your emotional well-being are all factors. Food can either help restore balance or create dysfunction.
Think of your body as sacred soil. To support fertility, we must enrich that soil with nutrients that signal safety, stability, and strength. Our bodies are intuitive and wise: they’re more likely to support conception when they sense abundance, not depletion. Fertility is a sign of thriving, not just surviving.
In clinical nutrition, certain nutrients stand out as essential for egg quality, ovulation, implantation, and sustaining early pregnancy. These include:
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Choline
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Folate (not just folic acid)
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Iron (especially heme iron)
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Zinc
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Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA)
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Iodine
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Vitamin A (retinol, not beta carotene)
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Vitamin D
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B vitamins
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Glycine
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Healthy saturated and monounsaturated fats
But nourishment isn’t only biological. Fertility also depends on warmth, slowness, rest, rhythm, qualities often neglected in modern living. In Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the womb is seen as a center of yin energy, quiet, deep, and receptive. Coldness, depletion, and stress can disturb this energy. Which is why energetically warming, grounding foods play a crucial role in supporting fertility from both perspectives.
Top Fertility Foods (Nutrient-Dense + Energetically Supportive)
Drawing from both Real Food for Pregnancy and Awakening Fertility, here’s our curated list of fertility-boosting foods that support hormonal health, nourish the womb, and promote healthy cycles.
1. Eggs (especially yolks)
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Real Food for Pregnancy: Rich in choline, B12, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K2), and bioavailable iron—all essential for hormone production, egg quality, and early fetal development.
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Awakening Fertility: Eggs symbolize potential and life. They’re a warming, complete food that supports yin energy and essence.
2. Liver (beef or chicken)
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Nichols: Often called "nature’s multivitamin," liver is dense in preformed vitamin A, folate, B vitamins, and iron—all vital for ovulation and implantation.
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Awakening Fertility: Blood-building and womb-nourishing, liver supports deep reserves and replenishes vital energy.
3. Bone Broth
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Nichols: A rich source of glycine, crucial for fertility, connective tissue, and fetal development.
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Awakening Fertility: Warm and grounding. Bone broth replenishes and nourishes the reproductive organs.
4. Full-fat Dairy (raw or cultured when possible)
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Nichols: Offers fat-soluble vitamins and saturated fats that help regulate ovulation. High-fat dairy has been linked to improved fertility.
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Awakening Fertility: Cooling yet nourishing. Cultured dairy can gently support digestive fire while offering richness and comfort.
More Fertility Powerhouses To Include In Your Diet
5. Oysters + Shellfish
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Nichols: The highest food source of zinc—a must for hormone production, cervical fluid, egg health, and proper implantation. Also contains selenium, iodine, and B12.
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Awakening Fertility: Oceanic medicine that replenishes minerals and fortifies reproductive waters.
6. Grass-fed Red Meat
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Nichols: Provides heme iron, B12, and carnitine—all crucial for blood building, thyroid health, and regular ovulation.
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Awakening Fertility: Grounding and strengthening. Supports the body's energy and rebuilds reserves.
7. Salmon + Sardines (wild-caught)
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Nichols: Packed with DHA, EPA, and iodine for hormone regulation, egg health, and fetal brain development.
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Awakening Fertility: Nourishing to yin essence and kidney energy. Light yet deeply supportive.
8. Fermented Foods (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso)
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Nichols: Enhance gut health, hormone detoxification, and nutrient absorption.
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Awakening Fertility: Gut-centered healing is foundational. Fermented foods balance inner ecosystems and emotions.
9. Cooked Root Vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, beets)
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Nichols: Provide slow-burning carbs, beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), potassium, and magnesium.
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Awakening Fertility: Warm and grounding. Root vegetables stabilize energy and promote healthy menstrual cycles.
10. Avocados + Olive Oil
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Nichols: Excellent sources of monounsaturated fats and vitamin E—crucial for endometrial lining, cervical fluid, and hormone production.
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Awakening Fertility: Juicy, nourishing fats feed yin and help create fertile terrain within the body.
The Energy of Eating for Fertility
Eating for fertility is more than just hitting your macros. It’s about cultivating ritual, pleasure, and warmth in how you nourish yourself. Fertility asks you to tune in, not hustle harder.
This means:
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Choosing warm foods over raw or cold ones
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Eating regular meals to stabilize blood sugar
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Focusing on slow-cooked, mineral-rich meals
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Using healthy fats liberally for hormonal health
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Enjoying food without guilt or obsession
Nutritional depletion is sadly common today, especially in women of reproductive age. Years of dieting, stress, gut dysfunction, and synthetic hormones can leave us undernourished—even if we’re eating frequently. Prioritizing deeply nourishing foods helps repair those depletions and prepares the body for future life, whether it’s a baby or simply your next chapter.
What to Limit
While fertility-supportive foods matter most, it’s also wise to be mindful of what can deplete or disrupt your hormones:
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Refined sugars & ultra-processed foods: Can spike insulin, which disrupts ovulation
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Seed oils (canola, soybean, sunflower): High in omega-6s, can promote inflammation
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Low-fat or diet foods: Starve your body of necessary fats for hormone production
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Alcohol & excess caffeine: Stress the liver and interfere with nutrient absorption
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Raw, cold foods: Especially in colder seasons, they can dampen digestive fire and slow down the metabolism
This doesn’t mean being rigid. It means being reverent with what you eat, how you eat, and the sacred process of creating life (in whatever form that means to you).
Fertility as a Form of Feminine Power
Whether you’re preparing for pregnancy or simply supporting your hormonal ecosystem, eating for fertility is a form of feminine power. It’s an invitation to slow down, to nourish deeply, to honor the incredible intelligence of your body.
We believe that nourishment is activism. In a world that often praises hustle over harmony, fertility-focused eating says: "My body matters. My cycles matter. My nourishment matters."
Because fertility is not just about babies. It’s about creating a fertile, abundant life; one rooted in vitality, resilience, softness, and strength.
And that begins with how you fuel & treat your body.
- xx Madison
Learn more about Madison’s birth work
Madison offers holistic doula support for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Her approach blends ancestral wisdom, emotional attunement, and deep nourishment. Learn more about her services here.
Supporting mamas and babies, naturally
Originally created for Madison’s birth clients, our Happy Baby tallow balm has become one of our most beloved and best-selling products. It is gentle on the skin and non-irritating, making it suitable for sensitive baby skin or for treating skin ailments. Good for cradle cap, eczema, diaper rash, and it can be used as a balm for pregnant or nursing mothers.