This is how I'm following an ancestral health diet for pregnant and nursing women.
Following traditional dietary principles and ancestral health concepts have been important to me for a very long time. I grew up eating the traditional diet of my people, but the pressures of modern life in a big city can make those old-fashioned values seem obsolete and almost embarrassing.
The work of Weston A. Price was instrumental in reclaiming my health (see my Why I'm No Longer Vegan article for that whole story). His work, so beautifully outlined in the monumental Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, should be required reading for everyone.
I focus on a nutrient-dense, animal-based way of eating. I eat high fat, high protein, nose-to-tail, and plenty of real, raw dairy. I'm not interested in fads or trends. I've had periods where I've eaten no grains at all, but today I allow them in my diet in moderation.
When we decided to start trying for a baby, I looked to the Weston A. Price Foundation for guidance. They ave an entire plan dedicated to mothers to be, pregnant, and nursing women where they distill ancestral health practices down. We already followed this way of eating, but I decided we would spend three-months prior to trying to conceive following a super-charged version of the diet we normally do.
Some traditional cultures restricted conception to certain times in the season, others required even longer periods of preparation, but I felt that my body was ready.
Admittedly, I was slightly nervous and wanted to start sooner rather than later.
What if we had trouble conceiving?
What if I was infertile? What if I had a miscarriage? Or multiple miscarriages?
Miscarriages are common and they can happen to anyone. I see figures that range from 1 out of every 4 to 1 out of every 3 as to the number of women who will experience at least one miscarriage in her life.
As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about — we successfully conceived our first cycle of trying and it stuck. Am I out of the woods yet? No. Many things could still go wrong, but the likelihood of anything happening dramatically decreases by every day that goes by.
And I've been careful about following the Weston A. Price Foundation's Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers.
For those of you seeking similar guidance, here is how I'm following these traditional principles of ancestral health.
When you read through this list — you may feel overwhelmed. But at the end, I'll show you a typical day of eating for me (with pictures) that incorporates these guidelines fully. And each section has links to recipes too, many of which combine multiple aspects of this way of eating (hence the repeated links) — like my favourite morning drinks since giving up coffee, Hot Spiced Milk or my Raw Kefir Smoothie.
Cod Liver Oil
REAL cod liver oil daily from a trusted brand that doesn't have synthetic Vitamin A added.
The foundation has a list of recommendations here, but the only two I trust that are on the market are Rosita's and the Green Pastures brand.
This is simple enough to do. I take the Rosita brand of Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil, usually with food.
I took 2 teaspoons daily before conception, 1 teaspoon daily during the first trimester, and now that I'm in the second I take 2 teaspoons daily again.
Fish liver oils and cod liver oil have been used for centuries by people as medicine. They have fallen out of fashion now and many brands add synthetic vitamin A and D3 which can be very problematic. Always source a high-quality cod liver oil with no synthetic vitamins added or just skip it altogether.
Whole Full-Fat Milk (Preferably Raw)
1 quart (32 ounces) whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows.
I'm lucky enough to have access to raw Guernsey milk, despite this being illegal in Canada, the land of marijuana.
If you try hard enough, you can source it yourself.
Have you seen my new Raw Milk Cheesemaking 101 (For Beginners & Beyond) Series Of Free Classes (Videos & Articles)?
That's me, 19-weeks pregnant, making raw milk paneer cheese in my first YouTube video. I've launched a brand new series of videos and accompanying articles all about raw milk cheesemaking. Many of the cheeses can be made with pasteurized milk as well if you're stuck.
What do you do if you simply can't access raw milk? Try sourcing unhomogenized (cream top) milk from A2 cows and whatever you do stay far, FAR away from the UHT (ultra-heat-pasteurized) stuff.
Conventional dietary advice will warn you far away from raw milk and soft raw milk cheeses, but you're more like to get foodborne illness in this country from lettuce or industrially produced deli-meat.
As with anything, you are responsible for your health and well being.
My Recipes Including Whole Raw Milk:
- Hot Spiced Milk
- Raw Kefir Smoothie
- Beginner Cheesemaking: A Simple Paneer Cheese
- Wild Ramp Paneer Cheese (Preserving Your Ramps Past Spring)
- Roasted Strawberry Vanilla Custard Ice Cream (REAL Homemade Ice Cream)
Grass-Fed Butter
4 tablespoons of grass-fed butter daily.
You can buy brands like Kerrygold (or literally anything from New Zealand) — or you can make your own from raw grass-fed milk like I often do.
My Recipes Including Butter:
- Hot Spiced Milk
- Raw Cream Cultured Butter or Sweet Cream Butter Recipe | Traditional European Butter Techniques
- Smoked Salmon With Poached Egg, Roe, & Asparagus
- Mastering Risotto
Eggs
2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens
My Recipes Including Eggs:
- Polenta For Brunch With Poached Eggs & Garlicky Mushrooms
- Smoked Salmon With Poached Egg, Roe, & Asparagus
Egg Yolks
Additional egg yolks daily added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.
My Recipes Including Egg Yolks:
Again...
Fresh Liver
3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week.
(If you have been told to avoid liver for fear of getting “too much Vitamin A,” be sure to read Vitamin A Saga)
My Recipes Including Fresh Liver:
Fresh Seafood
2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs.
My Recipes Including Seafood:
- Mediterranean Grilled Octopus
- Halibut In Creamy Turmeric Sauce + Caramelized Onions, Peas + Bok Choy
- Mussels In Bacon, Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper & Red Wine Sauce
- Marinated Fried Anchovies With Grilled Halloumi
- Smoked Salmon With Poached Egg, Roe, & Asparagus
- How To Smoke Whole Trout
- How To Smoke Salmon
- Smoked Maple Salmon Jerky
Fresh Beef or Lamb
Have some fresh beef or lamb daily.
I also eat plenty of pastured heritage breed pork and as much wild game as I can get. I'm not sure why pastured pork, wild game, or goat isn't included here, to be honest as I eat those regularly.
My Recipes Including Fresh Beef or Lamb:
- Gochujang Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Herbed Beef or Veal Meatballs Stuffed With Brain
- Moose Shoulder Ragù (can be made with beef/lamb)
- Perfect Butter Basted Steak
- Herbed Beef Or Veal Meatballs Stuffed With Brain
Oily Fish or Lard
Have some oily fish or lard daily for that crucial Vitamin D.
Especially if you conceived in the winter months as I did. Lard has to be made from truly pastured pigs to be a good source of vitamin D, the same goes for any pork you eat.
My Recipes Rich In Vitamin D:
- Real Food Recipes High In Vitamin D
- My Best Pasta Sauce Recipe: ‘Nduja Sausage With Smoked Caramelized Onions, Tomatoes & Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coconut Oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil daily.
Used in cooking or smoothies, etc.
My Recipes Including Coconut Oil:
Yes, yet again...
(There's a reason I start my day off with this.)
Lacto-Fermented Condiments & Beverages
Fermented foods are defined as foods or beverages produced through controlled microbial growth and the conversion of food components through enzymatic action.
This includes: yogurt, cheese, kefir, sauerkraut, cultured raw butter, kimchi, natto, kombucha.
My Recipes Including Lacto-Fermented Condiments & Beverages:
Bone Broths
Used in soups, stews and sauces. It's also very simple to just drink a mug or more of this delicious, nourishing stuff every day.
My Recipes Including Bone Broth:
Check out all of my Soup of The Week Recipes
Soaked Whole Grains
I prefer to bake my own einkorn wheat sourdough bread, but grains are not something I focus on.
Bread is just a vehicle for fresh liver pate or raw cultured butter.
I'll have a small slice of bread daily with pate.
My Recipes Including Soaked Whole Grains:
You Can Watch My Video For That Recipe:
Fresh Vegetables & Fruits
Self-explanatory. I don't put as much emphasis on this category as I do the rest as it's less important to building a human life inside of me.
I focus on eating seasonally, organically, and locally as much as possible. I grow some of my own in my community garden plot and also on my balcony planter. I also love to forage for wild edibles.
My Recipes Including Fruits & Vegetables:
- Wild Edibles: Stinging Nettle Soup
- Grilled Vegetable Soup
- Make A Pretty Summer Salad Of Nasturtium Leaves & Flowers
- Smoked Tomatoes On The Traeger Grill
- Roasted Vegetable Salad
- Traditional Basil Pesto (Properly Made In The Correct Order)
What I Eat In A Day While Pregnant (With Pictures)
Here's a standard 'what I eat in a day' but pregnant. It's not much different from when I'm not pregnant.
Remember, I'm just one woman on the internet and this is just what I do for myself — you do what works best for you. Do not take anyone else's word or plan to heart. Do not let perfect be the enemy of good. And don't let anxiety overwhelm you when it comes to food.
And if you are feeling overwhelmed, just take a break and recalibrate.
Breakfast
A raw milk kefir smoothie mixed with collagen, two egg yolks, creamed coconut or coconut oil. I have a recipe up here, but it's pretty straightforward — blend kefir with these ingredients.
What This Covers:
- 1-quart (litre) raw dairy (I had two of what's pictured, 1 later as a snack)
- Lacto-fermented beverages/foods
- Fresh fruits
- Egg Yolks (2)
- Collagen
- Coconut oil
Lunch
Real soup with beef bone broth, beef and vegetables.
Served with a slice of homemade soaked einkorn sourdough bread heaped with lots of homemade raw cultured butter.
What This Covers:
- Beef
- Bone Broth
- Lard
- Vegetables
- Butter
- Soaked Grains
Dinner
A plate of fresh sushi and sashimi (takeout, not homemade in case that's not obvious, because I'm too lazy for sushi) and then a bunch of shrimp sauteed in a garlic, butter, bone broth, berbere spice combination until reduced to a thick sauce.
What This Covers:
- Fresh seafood
- Butter
- Bone Broth
Last But Not Least
Two teaspoons of cod liver oil. Actually, that's a full tablespoon, so it looks like I actually had 3 teaspoons. Whatever. There's a pandemic going around apparently — I could use the extra Vitamin D and A.
Julie-Anna says
Lord, I know, another comment from me, but I was so refreshed to see you eating raw fish, I just had to. But forgive me if I say some things you already shared in your post, because I admit I skipped right to the photos of what you eat in a day 😬
I definitely bought into the fear surrounding what foods not to eat during pregnancy, and I avoided ALL THE THINGS “they” said I shouldn’t eat. But recently I was reading a book where the author was discussing the pregnancy diet recommendations in the US with Russian and Japanese OBs and dietitians (and I wish I had come across it sooner). The Russian doctor laughed and said Russian women didn’t have the luxury to pick and chose their food like that (and that a big staple was smoked fish and cured meats. I experienced this myself during my first pregnancy when my eastern-European mother-in-law was trying to get me to eat all kinds of foods I had been forbidden in the US). The Japanese don’t restrict raw fish at all during pregnancy, but do avoid the fish that can be high in mercury. It’s always enlightening to look at eating patterns world-wide!
Best of luck to you on your pregnancy journey! I just gave birth to my third (midwives all the way!) and just so love to see a woman following ancestral paths. ♥️
The Peasant's Daughter says
Hi Julie, your comment was trapped in Spam so I'm just seeing it now. I wanted to thank you for your comment and for your insight. The Russian doctor is absolutely right. We are told ridiculous things here concerning diet regarding a "science" which isn't even backed up by said science! It's always refreshing to encounter more women who follow more traditional ancestral paths. Best of luck to you and your family!
Kelsey L Wells says
I'm Currently 19 weeks pregnant and taking Rositas CLO and Ancestral Liver & Organ supplements. Do you recommend taking a total of 5000 iu a day of both together? Oo more? Its really hard to find good information on this topic.
The Peasant's Daughter says
I can't in good faith answer this as I'm far from being an expert. However, I did take a full tablespoon of Rosita's daily until 2 weeks before my due date and continued to eat liver regularly up until the end. 5000 iu of retinol is still just half of the recommended upper limit of 10,000 iu so I'm sure it's perfectly fine.
And yes, it is exceedingly difficult to find good, reliable information on this topic. Very frustrating.
Clarissa says
I very much appreciate the thoroughness of this post. I’ve known about the WAPF pregnancy/nursing diet for years, but I’ve never seen a post where someone goes into detail about how they specifically incorporate it all! I love how you don’t seem to have to eat massive amounts of food in order to cover it all. Before this, that was always my concern.
Can you tell me about your first trimester? Did you have nausea? Were you able to eat all of these things then, too? I’m in my first trimester with my seventh child, & I’m struggling so much to make sure I’m eating a thoroughly nourishing diet. I generally eat very well, but I’ve struggled to maintain that in all of my first trimesters. I’d love to hear how you went about eating in your first trimester, if you had any struggles. ♥️
The Peasant's Daughter says
Fortunately, I had no nausea at all. I did find that my appetite was somewhat lacking in the first trimester but I just listened to my body and went with it. The raw kefir smoothies and hot spiced milk kept me nourished until my regular appetite returned in the second. Just try your best! You're on your seventh so clearly, you're doing many things right! Good luck 🙂
Kaylee_Bailey says
"I have found Dr Knobbe's theory well researched and presented in his book. Although no one can accurately say exactly what the incidence of AMD was in the early 1900's, he presents a compelling argument, based in fact, that not only is AMD on the rise and reaching epidemic proportions, but it's coincident with the introduction of processed, nutrient deficient, foods. Perhaps most compelling is, after reading his book, I now find myself taking extra chair time to discuss dietary issues with my patients. I would say this is a must read for any eyecare provider, but particularly those practicing primary eyecare with the goal of preventing AMD." "Dr. Knobbe's thesis that macular degeneration is due to dietary causes is well-supported by his research. Drawing on the observations of Dr. Weston A. Price, who studied traditional cultures living on unrefined and unprocessed foods, the author makes his point quite clearly: Our present-day diet is a major culprit in the proliferation of not only AMD, but most likely for many other degenerative diseases of civilization as well. Here is where so many current studies are woefully behind; the answers are right in front of us if we dare to look. Dr. Knobbe has done just that, and he deserves great credit for bringing this topic to the public with this very readable book."