You’ve tracked your cycle, cleaned up your diet, and tried every supplement TikTok and your fertility group could name.
And yet… month after month, nothing changes.
As a fertility dietitian & nutritionist, I see this every week – individuals & couples doing everything right, just not everything right for them.
Most preconception plans focus on surface-level actions rather than the cellular foundations that determine egg, sperm, and hormone health.
Nutrition isn’t the last thing you try; it’s the first thing that makes everything else work better.
1. Over-Restricting: When ‘Healthy Eating’ Becomes Hormonal Stress
I often see clients who’ve spent years dieting or “clean eating” to the point of depletion.
They’ve cut out carbs or dairy thinking it’ll help – but what they’ve really done is reduce the very nutrients that build progesterone, support ovulation, and stabilise energy.
Your body doesn’t prioritise reproduction when it feels under-fuelled or unsafe.
Fertility is a luxury physiology – it thrives on abundance, not restriction.
Try this: include a slow-release carbohydrate, quality protein, and healthy fat at every meal. Balanced meals build balanced hormones.
2. Over-Supplementing: More Isn’t Better
When couples first see me, it’s not unusual for them to bring in a bag of random supplements, teas, miracle products… the list goes on.
Each one promising better egg quality, but without a personalised plan, supplements can compete or overload the system.
Nutrition isn’t a guessing game. It’s a biochemical equation that changes from person to person.
If you haven’t reviewed your labs or your supplement stack with a qualified fertility dietitian, there’s a good chance you’re either doubling up or missing something critical.
3. Focusing Only on The Female Partner
Around half of all infertility cases involve male factors – yet men are rarely part of the fertility conversation.
I see female partners carry the burden, while their partners quietly assume they’re “fine.”
But sperm is exquisitely sensitive to oxidative stress, heat, poor sleep, diet quality and nutrient deficiencies.
The right nutrition and lifestyle shifts can transform sperm health within months, improving outcomes for natural and assisted conception alike.
Fertility isn’t a female issue. It’s a shared cellular process and nutrition is the one intervention that benefits both sides.
4. Treating Fertility Like a 4-Week Cycle
Eggs and sperm don’t appear overnight.
It takes roughly 90 days for an egg to mature.
During that time, every meal, every night of sleep, and every nutrient absorbed directly influences their DNA, structure, and function.
Yet most people start “eating better” the month they plan to conceive – when the opportunity to influence egg and sperm quality has already passed.
This is what I call the fertility window of opportunity… the 90-day period before conception where nutrition and lifestyle choices have the greatest power to influence outcomes.
5. The Missing Piece: Nutrition as the Foundation, Not the Accessory
Here’s what many fertility journeys get wrong: nutrition is often treated as optional… something to think about after seeing specialists or starting treatment.
But I see it differently.
Nutrition is the foundation on which all fertility treatments sit.
Without the right nutrients, hormones can’t communicate, eggs can’t mature properly, sperm can’t swim efficiently, and implantation may not occur.
I see people go through multiple IVF cycles without ever addressing these fundamentals – spending thousands on technology without first supporting biology!
Working on preconception health isn’t just about conception itself; it’s about giving your baby the best possible start to life.
6. What Actually Works
When individuals and couples come to me, they’re usually exhausted… physically, emotionally, and financially.
They’ve tried every supplement and every cleanse.
But when we slow down and look at their nutrition, labs, and lifestyle through a fertility lens, the picture becomes clear.
We identify silent nutrient gaps, metabolic mismatches, and habits that are unknowingly working against conception.
Then we rebuild… step by step – with evidence-based, culturally inclusive nutrition tailored to both partners.
This is the exact process I take my clients through inside my fertility nutrition coaching program: The PLANT Method™ – transforming ‘doing everything right’ into doing what’s right for you.”
Because when nutrition and biology are finally in sync, conception often stops feeling like a mystery and starts feeling like alignment.
(Learn more about personalised fertility nutrition at poweredbynutrition.au.)
7. The Takeaway
If you’ve been doing everything “right” but still feel stuck, it’s not your fault.
You’re simply following a plan that wasn’t designed for your body, your culture, or your biology.
Fertility is a reflection of nourishment: physical, emotional, and relational.
When we build those foundations properly, conception becomes less about control and more about readiness.
Written by Pooja Adhyaru | Powered By Nutrition™ © 2025.
Pooja Adhyaru, APD, Fertility & Pregnancy Dietitian and founder of Powered By Nutrition™.
🌐 poweredbynutrition.au | Instagram: @fertility.dietitian.australia
