Natércia Ferreira Nutricionista

Natércia Ferreira Nutricionista Nutrition excelence with caring support for your family. Presential and online consultation📍UK

05/09/2026

Taking an iron supplement during pregnancy? What you take it with matters too.

One of the most common things I see is iron being taken alongside tea, coffee or calcium rich foods and supplements.

The problem? These can reduce how much iron your body absorbs.

Instead, taking iron away from tea, coffee and calcium, and pairing it with a source of vitamin C, such as fruit, can help support absorption.

And if iron makes you feel nauseous, constipated or uncomfortable, please don’t simply stop taking it.

There may be ways to adjust the timing, type or dose, depending on what has been recommended for you.

Iron needs during pregnancy are individual, so if you’ve been prescribed or advised to take an iron supplement, follow the guidance from your healthcare professional.

Sometimes it’s not just about taking the supplement. It’s about how you take it too.

Save this for later, and follow for more practical pregnancy nutrition advice.


05/09/2026

Taking a prenatal is important, but that doesn’t automatically mean your iron needs are covered during pregnancy.

Your iron requirements increase during pregnancy because your body is producing more blood and supporting your baby’s growth and development.

But prenatal supplements aren’t all the same. The amount of iron they contain can vary, and some may contain little or even no iron at all.

And supplements are only one part of the picture.

I also look at how much iron you’re getting through your diet, the types of iron rich foods you’re eating, what you’re pairing them with, and whether there are any factors that could be affecting absorption.

Your individual needs matter too. If blood tests show that your iron levels are low, your healthcare professional may recommend additional supplementation.

So rather than assuming your prenatal has everything covered, check the label and make iron part of the conversation during pregnancy.

Save this for your next prenatal check, and follow for more practical pregnancy nutrition advice.


05/09/2026

And for my next trick, I’ll help you navigate planning a pregnancy while taking GLP 1 medication.

If you’re thinking about trying to conceive, this is something worth planning ahead for.

GLP 1 medications are not recommended during pregnancy, and depending on the medication you’re taking, you may need to stop it before you start trying to conceive.

But I also don’t want you to think about this as simply stopping an injection and carrying on as normal.

If GLP 1 medication has affected your appetite, food intake or weight, the period before pregnancy is a good opportunity to look at whether you’re meeting your nutritional needs and prepare your body for pregnancy.

That can include looking at your overall food intake, protein, key vitamins and minerals, appropriate supplementation, and building eating habits that feel manageable without the medication.

And please don’t stop prescribed medication without speaking to your doctor or prescribing healthcare professional first. The timing and advice can differ depending on the medication you’re taking and your individual circumstances.

If you’re taking GLP 1 medication and planning a pregnancy, I can help you make nutrition part of that preparation.

Send me a message to find out more about my fertility and preconception nutrition support.


04/09/2026

These are the kinds of recipes I love recommending to my patients who are trying to conceive.

Simple, enjoyable, nutrient rich, and easy to include in everyday life.

Think protein rich snacks with fruit, homemade protein cakes, balanced breakfasts, smoothies, and simple savoury meals.

But when I talk about “fertility boosting” recipes, there’s something important I want you to know.

There isn’t one recipe, ingredient or “fertility food” that will suddenly improve your chances of conceiving.

What matters much more is what your overall diet looks like.

I encourage my patients to focus on getting enough energy and regularly including good sources of protein, healthy fats, fibre, whole grains, fruit and vegetables.

And food should still be enjoyable.

That’s why I love sharing recipes that make supporting your nutrition feel realistic rather than like another strict fertility diet you have to follow.

If you need more inspiration, I’ve also created an ebook with 30 simple and practical recipes to support your fertility nutrition.

If you’re trying to conceive and need personalised support with your nutrition, comment SUPPORT below to book a consultation.

With love, Natércia xx


02/09/2026

35 has somehow become this number that women are taught to fear when it comes to fertility.

As though everything is fine at 34, and then something suddenly changes the moment you turn 35.

That’s not how fertility works.

Yes, female fertility naturally declines with age, and that decline becomes more significant as we get older. But it happens gradually. There isn’t a switch that suddenly turns off at 35.

And age is only one part of the fertility picture.

Ovarian reserve, egg quality, whether you’re ovulating regularly, your overall health, medical history, and your partner’s reproductive health can all influence your chances of conceiving.

Nutrition matters too, but I think we need to be realistic about what it can and cannot do.

Eating well can support your reproductive health and help make sure your body has the nutrients it needs. But no diet, supplement or “fertility food” can stop the natural changes in fertility that happen with age.

So if having children is something you’re thinking about, whether that’s now or in the future, understanding your own reproductive health can be far more helpful than becoming fixated on turning 35.

It’s about having the information you need to make decisions that are right for you.

If you have questions about fertility and nutrition, comment SUPPORT below to book a personalised consultation.

With love, Natércia xx


01/09/2026

If you’re trying to conceive, you’ve probably wondered at some point, “How do I actually know if my fertility is in a good place?”

The truth is, there isn’t one single sign that can tell us everything about your fertility.

But there are certain things I look for that can give us useful clues about whether your cycle and overall health are supporting reproductive function.

Some of the most common are:

Regular, predictable menstrual cycles

Signs that you’re ovulating regularly

Eating enough to support your body’s needs

Getting enough of the nutrients involved in reproductive health

A hormonal environment that supports a healthy menstrual cycle

And this is where it gets a little more complicated.

You can have regular periods and still experience fertility challenges. You can eat a nutritious diet and still need support. And you can seemingly be doing everything “right” without conceiving straight away.

Fertility is influenced by so much more than one symptom or one food. Age, hormones, nutrition, medical history, lifestyle, and both partners’ reproductive health can all play a role.

So rather than looking for one perfect sign of “good fertility”, I prefer to look at the bigger picture.

If you’re trying to conceive and want to understand how your nutrition may be supporting your fertility, comment SUPPORT below to book a personalised consultation.

With love, Natércia xx


28/08/2026

Your toddler doesn’t need to finish everything on their plate.

But for a lot of us, that’s probably not how we grew up.

“Just three more bites.”

“Finish your vegetables.”

“You can have dessert when you’ve cleared your plate.”

And that was pretty much the end of the nutrition conversation.

You were given a plate of food, and you were expected to finish it.

So it makes sense that when your toddler eats three bites and announces they’re done, your first instinct might be to encourage them to eat a little more.

But here’s what I want parents to know. Your job isn’t to decide how much your toddler eats.

You decide what food is offered, when it’s offered and where you eat. Your toddler gets to decide whether they eat and how much.

Because their appetite isn’t going to look exactly the same every day. One day they might ask for seconds. The next day, they might barely touch the same meal.

And yes, that can be frustrating, but it can also be a completely normal part of toddlerhood. Instead of focusing on whether they’ve cleared their plate, zoom out.

What are they eating across the day? Across the week? Are you continuing to offer variety? Are mealtimes becoming a battle, or are they learning to listen to when they’re hungry and when they’ve had enough?

We don’t need to teach children to ignore their fullness just because there’s still food on the plate.

We want to help them build a healthy relationship with food and learn to trust their own body.

If you’re worried about how much your toddler is eating or mealtimes are becoming stressful, comment SUPPORT below to book a consultation.

With love, Natércia xx


26/08/2026

The nutrition advice you’re given during pregnancy can sometimes feel very focused on what you shouldn’t eat.

Avoid this. Limit that. Be careful with this food. Just take a prenatal.

But that barely scratches the surface of what pregnancy nutrition is really about.

Many of my patients tell me they know exactly what they’ve been told to avoid, but they’re much less clear on what they should actually be eating to support their pregnancy.

And that matters. If you're pregnant, your everyday food choices provide the nutrients your body needs to support your baby’s growth and development.

Protein, iron, folate, iodine, calcium, vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids all have important roles during pregnancy, and taking a prenatal doesn’t make the rest of your diet irrelevant.

People get obsessed over: “Are you taking a prenatal?” But we need to be asking more questions.

Are you eating enough? Are you getting enough protein? Are your meals varied? Are you regularly including foods that provide the nutrients you and your baby need? Are there nutrients you may be struggling to get enough of?

A prenatal can be an important part of pregnancy nutrition, but it’s a supplement. It’s there to supplement your diet, not replace it.

And this isn’t about creating another list of rules or expecting you to eat perfectly for nine months.

It’s about helping you understand how to nourish yourself properly during a period when your nutritional needs are changing and your baby is growing every single day.

So yes, let’s talk about your prenatal. But let’s also talk about what’s on your plate.

If you’re pregnant and want personalised support with your nutrition, comment SUPPORT below to book a consultation.

With love, Natércia xx

24/08/2026

Imagine your baby is only 3 months old, they’re feeding well, growing, and everything seems to be going exactly as expected.

Then someone tells you they might already need an iron supplement.

And THIS is where parents can understandably get confused.

Because we often hear that babies are born with iron stores to support them through their first months of life, and that milk provides the nutrition they need before solids are introduced.

So why would a 3 month old need extra iron?

The real point is, not every baby does.

Iron supplementation at this age is usually recommended because certain babies have a higher risk of their iron stores becoming depleted earlier.

This can include babies who were born prematurely, had a low birth weight, or have other individual circumstances that affect their iron needs.

Iron is particularly important during infancy because it supports normal brain development, growth, and the production of healthy red blood cells.

So the question shouldn’t simply be, “Should babies take iron from 3 months?”

It should be, “Does MY baby need additional iron, and why?”

Recommendations can differ depending on your baby’s circumstances, how they are being fed, and the clinical guidance where you live, so supplementation should always be discussed with your baby’s healthcare professional.

Follow for more evidence based guidance on infant and child nutrition.

With love, Natércia xx


21/08/2026

When a baby arrives, so much of the attention naturally shifts towards their needs.

But while you're caring for your baby, your body is recovering from pregnancy and birth too, and it deserves to be looked after.

Postpartum nutrition can support:

- Recovery and tissue repair

- Replenishing nutrient stores after pregnancy

- Your changing energy needs

- Breastfeeding, if you choose to breastfeed

- Maintaining regular meals during a demanding new routine

- Your overall health and wellbeing

Looking after yourself postpartum doesn't need to mean complicated meals or a perfect diet. Sometimes, it's making sure you're eating enough, including a source of protein at meals, keeping nourishing snacks nearby and remembering to stay hydrated.

Your baby needs care, but so do you.

If you're navigating postpartum and want personalised nutrition support that considers your individual needs, comment SUPPORT below to book a consultation.

With love, Natércia xx

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