Preconception Prep 101
Pregnancy prep starts about 90 days before the positive test. Eggs mature over months. Sperm regenerates on roughly the same clock. So the work you do in this season is the work that shows up later. Welcome to your Trimester Zero.
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Start earlier than you think
Most people start a prenatal after a positive test. By then the first critical weeks of development are already underway.
Eggs Take 90 Days to Mature
The egg you release next season is developing right now. What you are eating and absorbing today shows up in that egg, not this cycle's.
Sperm Renew Every ~74 Days
Male factors are involved in roughly 40% of infertility cases. The whole supply turns over in about three months, so what he starts today counts.
Small Changes That Make A Big Impact
None of these require a full life overhaul - but they do have a big effect on your fertility.
Pick two, hold them for a month, then add the next.
Start a prenatal three months out
Look for methylated folate, therapeutic choline, and CoQ10. Doses matter more than the label on the front.
Get him started too
His 90 days run alongside yours. Zinc, CoQ10, omega-3s, and NAC are the short list worth handing him.
Steady your blood sugar
Protein and fat with every meal, and no naked carbs. Steady glucose supports ovulation and hormone rhythm.
Lower the toxin load
Swap plastic for glass, fragrance for unscented, and filter your water. Skip the rest and save your energy.
Protect seven to nine hours of sleep
Hormone regulation happens overnight. Sleep is the foundation under all of it.
Move, but do not overtrain
Walking and strength work support insulin sensitivity. Chronic overtraining does the opposite.
Track your cycle
Know your luteal phase length, cervical mucus pattern, and ovulation window before you start trying.
Bring your cortisol down
Stress hormones compete with reproductive ones. Ten quiet minutes daily does more here than any supplement.
Most cycles have a handful of fertile days
Understanding what is happening hormonally is more than tracking your period. Consistent tracking is how you find your own patterns instead of someone else's average.
What to watch for
- Cervical mucus changes. Clear and stretchy, like egg white, is one of the clearest signs your window is opening.
- A shift in basal body temperature. Taken at the same time each morning before you get out of bed.
- An LH rise. This predicts that ovulation is coming, usually within a day or two.
- A PdG rise afterward. This is the one that confirms ovulation actually happened.
- Your luteal phase length. The stretch between ovulation and your period, and a pattern worth knowing before you start trying.
Predicting is not confirming
Most ovulation tests track LH only, which tells you ovulation is likely coming. It does not tell you it happened.
Rises as your fertile window opens.
Surges to predict ovulation.
Rises after, to confirm it.
Signals follicle development.
Dr. Natalie walks through how to read all four in the cycle chapter of the guide.
How to actually read a prenatal label
Practitioner grade, not Amazon grade. Four things worth checking before you commit to any bottle, whether or not it is ours.
→ Check the form, not just the name
Folate should appear as 5-MTHF, and B vitamins should be methylated. If a label says folic acid only, your body may not convert it well.
→ Look for choline, then look at the dose
Plenty of prenatals skip choline entirely because it is bulky and expensive. Others include a token amount so they can list it.
→ Decide about iron on purpose
Iron is not right for everyone and it is a common reason prenatals cause nausea. Know your ferritin before assuming you need it.
→ Ask who tested it
Third-party testing is the difference between a label claim and a verified one. If a brand will not say, that is your answer.
What actually belongs in a prenatal
Not all supplements are created equal. Here is what Dr. Natalie looks for, and why the dose matters as much as the ingredient.
900mg supports fetal brain development and the formation of neural connections, in the weeks before most women know they are pregnant.
1600mcg as 5-MTHF, the methylated form your body can use without having to convert it first.
50mg of antioxidant support for egg quality and mitochondrial energy, which matters more with every year.
350mg to meet the increased physiological demands of pregnancy, at a dose most prenatals do not come close to.
4000 IU for immune support and reproductive hormone regulation. Most women test low.
Supports insulin sensitivity and ovulation, which is why it earns its place for anyone with irregular cycles or PCOS.
Formulated for egg quality
Women's Comprehensive Prenatal
All of these, at doses you can actually feel, in one daily formula.
Antioxidants that help protect sperm from oxidative stress and support cellular integrity.
Supports healthy sperm formation and DNA synthesis, both central to male reproductive function.
Supports mitochondrial energy production, which plays a direct role in sperm motility.
Support DNA synthesis and healthy sperm development.
Support healthy testosterone levels and hormone metabolism.
A traditional herb long used to support male vitality and reproductive wellness.
Formulated for sperm quality
Men's Fertility Multivitamin
His whole short list in one bottle. Ninety days is all it takes to turn the supply over.
Eggs mature over months and a full sperm cycle takes two to three. Starting together means arriving together.
Oxidative stress affects egg and sperm quality alike, which is why CoQ10 shows up on both sides.
Steady glucose supports ovulation for her and testosterone for him.
Support hormone production, healthy blood flow, and cell membrane structure for both partners.
Sleep, movement, and lowering the toxin load work better when nobody is doing them alone.
Both of you, same clock
His & Hers Bundle
Preparing for pregnancy should never fall entirely on the woman.
Build your foundation
Everything above, in the smallest number of steps. Save up to 30% when you bundle.
Best for couples
His & Hers Bundle
Both of you on the same 90-day clock. The women's prenatal plus the men's fertility multi.
Best for TTC
Prenatal Bundle for Her with NAC
Prenatal, Super Omega, and NAC. Built for cycle regularity, egg quality, and metabolic balance.
Simplest start
Prenatal Bundle for Her
The comprehensive prenatal plus Super Omega. The two-product foundation for preconception onward.
Everything
Ultimate His & Hers Foundations
The complete preconception stack for both of you, in one box.
For him
Men's Fertility Multivitamin
Targeted support for count, motility, and DNA quality.
The foundation
Women's Comprehensive Prenatal
900mg choline, 5-MTHF folate, CoQ10, and inositol. Iron-free by clinical design.
Six chapters and a bonus
Everything above is the short version. The guide goes deeper into each of these, including the testing most offices never bring up.
Food Focus
The specific foods that support egg quality, hormone balance, and fetal development, and why sourcing matters as much as the food itself.
Get to Know Your Cycle
How to predict and confirm ovulation with real numbers instead of an app's best guess, and what your patterns are telling you.
Labs for Preconception
The full panel worth running before you try, plus hormone testing and microbiome testing for the harder questions.
Low Tox Living
The ingredients to avoid, what to look for instead, and Dr. Natalie's own list of the swaps she actually uses at home.
Gut Health
Why your gut drives your hormones, who should consider stool testing, and how to optimize digestion before conception.
Quality Supplements
How to tell practitioner grade from Amazon grade, and the bundle Dr. Natalie recommends most often in her own practice.
Men's Fertility
Sperm health, semen analysis, the labs worth running for him, and a do's and don'ts list you can hand straight over.
Resources
Self-order lab storefronts, how to reach the FIG team, and how to book a discovery call with Dr. Natalie's practice.
Why Families Love Fig
Clinically Formulated
Developed with leading practitioners for real results.
Backed by Science
Targeted support from fertility to postpartum.
Clean & Bioavailable
Only what you need, nothing you don’t.
Made for the Whole Family
Every phase. Every parent. Every journey.
Check Out Pregnancy Prep Academy
For couples who want the comprehensive version: twelve modules, cycle tracking trainings, Q&A recordings with Dr. Natalie, and guidance well past conception.
Learn about PPAYour complete roadmap
Written by Dr. Natalie Underberg, functional medicine provider, fertility educator, and founder of FIG Wellness.
- The foods that build egg quality and hormone balance
- How to confirm ovulation with real data, not an algorithm
- The full preconception lab panel worth running
- Toxic ingredients to avoid and what to use instead
- Gut health, stool testing, and why hormones follow
- A full bonus section on men's fertility
Get The Preconception Prep Guide
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