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Getting to Baby: A Food-First Fertility Plan to Improve Your Odds and Shorten Your Time to Pregnancy
Shorten your time to pregnancy, avoid costly fertility treatments, and increase your odds of successful IVF treatment with this proven, food-first approach.
No matter what obstacles you’re facing in your journey to parenthood, Getting to Baby will help you take control of your fertility with an approach that has already helped thousands of women achieve their dream of having a baby.
Infertility can stem from a number of challenges: PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, egg quality, low sperm count, and more. But you can impact all of these conditions with one key shift: changing your diet.
In this practical, step-by-step blueprint, fertility specialist Angela Thyer, MD, and reproductive health nutritionist Judy Simon, RDN, share:
• The compelling research on how food supports fertility
• What to eat more of and less of to support conception and healthy pregnancy
• Skills and manageable goals to make changing your diet easy
• A six-week plan for implementing dietary and lifestyle changes
• Stories from other women who have conceived successfully on the Food for Fertility plan
• Plus, a sample menu to kickstart your journey
If you’re struggling to conceive, the last thing you want is vague advice—you need real answers and a plan of action. That’s where this book comes in. The fastest, healthiest way to baby is through the kitchen. Let Getting to Baby show you how.
No matter what obstacles you’re facing in your journey to parenthood, Getting to Baby will help you take control of your fertility with an approach that has already helped thousands of women achieve their dream of having a baby.
Infertility can stem from a number of challenges: PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, egg quality, low sperm count, and more. But you can impact all of these conditions with one key shift: changing your diet.
In this practical, step-by-step blueprint, fertility specialist Angela Thyer, MD, and reproductive health nutritionist Judy Simon, RDN, share:
• The compelling research on how food supports fertility
• What to eat more of and less of to support conception and healthy pregnancy
• Skills and manageable goals to make changing your diet easy
• A six-week plan for implementing dietary and lifestyle changes
• Stories from other women who have conceived successfully on the Food for Fertility plan
• Plus, a sample menu to kickstart your journey
If you’re struggling to conceive, the last thing you want is vague advice—you need real answers and a plan of action. That’s where this book comes in. The fastest, healthiest way to baby is through the kitchen. Let Getting to Baby show you how.
- GenresNonfictionNutrition
304 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2024
10 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 3, 2024
I enjoyed this book and looking forward to sharing it with my coworkers, soon-to-be-moms & patients.
Information is straightforward, felt they provided a great blue-print in the last chapters to help women to help make easy changes towards their diets with increasing fiber (and my favorite - vegetables). Each chapter had a patient story how they worked on improving their fertility with diet alterations, recipes, takeaways & goals. Lastly, love the food first mentality, the resources provided, and fun recipes.
Information is straightforward, felt they provided a great blue-print in the last chapters to help women to help make easy changes towards their diets with increasing fiber (and my favorite - vegetables). Each chapter had a patient story how they worked on improving their fertility with diet alterations, recipes, takeaways & goals. Lastly, love the food first mentality, the resources provided, and fun recipes.
June 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this book andddd- major win - I can actually recommend this to my patients, speaking as a fertility dietitian. I found this book straightforward and honest without using scare tactics. I will acknowledge that you need a lot of privilege to implement some of the strategies. I know the book states many times it is more on the weight neutral side but there were a couple too many times they tacked on ‘and she lost 10 pounds!’ To an anecdote they had sworn was *not* about weight. I just felt this cheapened the anti weight bias approach. But, I am speaking as a radical eating disorder professional so there is my own bias.
Overall, very informative and easy to digest information. I can’t wait to share this no-nonsense guide with my patients!
Overall, very informative and easy to digest information. I can’t wait to share this no-nonsense guide with my patients!
April 9, 2024
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review as a Registered Dietitian and Lactation Consultant specializing in reproductive health and eating disorders. This is a much needed resource in the fertility space. This book does an excellent job of compiling the research on fertility looking at nutrition, stress management, physical activity, and sleep, into easily digestible information. There’s even a “blueprint” at the end of the book that helps to give a 6 week baby step guide on how to make the changes suggested in the book. I would recommend this book as an entry point to those curious about how what we eat impacts our fertility. I especially love that this book doesn’t try to put you on a harmful fad diet. If you’re healing your relationship with food, there might some parts in the book you’d want to discuss with your therapist/dietitian. As mentioned in the book, it’s not a replacement for a therapist, RD, or REI. It’s meant to be complementary. Overall this book is a great educational resource on how specific foods impact fertility with suggestions on how to incorporate into your life without dieting and restriction.
March 5, 2024
This was a very well written and thought out book about how food affects fertility.
Unfortunately, sometimes it felt like I was reading a nutrition textbook, so I got a bit bored, but I loved the knowledge I learned-especially TTC!
The authors deal with a lot of facts after numerous studies, convincing me they know what they're talking about.
My favorite part of the book though, was the six-week guide at the end. Short and sweet and easy to follow.
Unfortunately, sometimes it felt like I was reading a nutrition textbook, so I got a bit bored, but I loved the knowledge I learned-especially TTC!
The authors deal with a lot of facts after numerous studies, convincing me they know what they're talking about.
My favorite part of the book though, was the six-week guide at the end. Short and sweet and easy to follow.
April 24, 2025
TBH I already eat a lot of the foods mentioned in this book. So I didn’t discover some big secret (haha) but it is reassuring to know my food choices are good and to have an understanding of the science behind it all. I’m glad I read it, I will probably utilize some of the recipes and I’ve bookmarked some of the food lists for grocery shopping. I’d highly recommend this book for anyone looking for practical daily things within their control to help on their TTC journey.
January 22, 2025
tl;dr- Getting to Baby is a great book for people interested in getting pregnant who have little to no familiarity with the anti-infammatory or Mediterranean Diet. They cite evidence when it's available, but there's not as much out there as I would like, so they lean on what they've done in practice to fill in the gaps.
longer version:
I came to this book for both personal and professional reasons. While I have been aware of the benefits of the anti-inflammatory diet for general health, I was curious to see just how much of an impact dietary changes can have on fertility. Written by an MD and RD who have been working with fertility and diet in their practice for years, they bring plenty of their professional experience and the personal experiences of their patients into the book. However, having read books around pregnancy like Expecting Better, I was a little disappointed with how few studies were cited around the effects of dietary changes on fertility, menstrual health, and early pregnancy. This is, I believe, a reflection more on the scientific literature than on these authors. Studying the effects of diet and nutrition can be a challenge, particularly when studying an event (pregnancy) that doesn't happen all the time.
Secondly, this book is clearly written for people who have little to no knowledge of what an anti-inflammatory or Mediterranean diet looks like. The authors review many of the foundational aspects of the anti-inflammatory diet, separating the different food groups into different chapters. This is a fantastic read for people who haven't read other books recommending a plant-based/forward diet, but if you are pretty familiar with these concepts, the first half of the book may be quite a bit review. I found the later chapters (specifically 10-12) to be more compelling, reviewing in a bit more detail the research around supplements, pregnancy disruptors and pregnancy boosters. While I often describe the benefit of better sleep, better stress management, and fewer chemicals in the body, these chapters gave me a bit more evidence and research to share with my friends and patients.
So in general, a great starting out point for people wanting to get pregnant and curious about the impact their foods and habits have on their fertility. Might be a little boring/review material for those already knowledgeable about the health benefits of the anti-inflammatory diet.
longer version:
I came to this book for both personal and professional reasons. While I have been aware of the benefits of the anti-inflammatory diet for general health, I was curious to see just how much of an impact dietary changes can have on fertility. Written by an MD and RD who have been working with fertility and diet in their practice for years, they bring plenty of their professional experience and the personal experiences of their patients into the book. However, having read books around pregnancy like Expecting Better, I was a little disappointed with how few studies were cited around the effects of dietary changes on fertility, menstrual health, and early pregnancy. This is, I believe, a reflection more on the scientific literature than on these authors. Studying the effects of diet and nutrition can be a challenge, particularly when studying an event (pregnancy) that doesn't happen all the time.
Secondly, this book is clearly written for people who have little to no knowledge of what an anti-inflammatory or Mediterranean diet looks like. The authors review many of the foundational aspects of the anti-inflammatory diet, separating the different food groups into different chapters. This is a fantastic read for people who haven't read other books recommending a plant-based/forward diet, but if you are pretty familiar with these concepts, the first half of the book may be quite a bit review. I found the later chapters (specifically 10-12) to be more compelling, reviewing in a bit more detail the research around supplements, pregnancy disruptors and pregnancy boosters. While I often describe the benefit of better sleep, better stress management, and fewer chemicals in the body, these chapters gave me a bit more evidence and research to share with my friends and patients.
So in general, a great starting out point for people wanting to get pregnant and curious about the impact their foods and habits have on their fertility. Might be a little boring/review material for those already knowledgeable about the health benefits of the anti-inflammatory diet.
April 14, 2024
⭐ 5 / 5
As a fertility nurse practitioner, I field many questions on nutrition - which foods optimize fertility, which are harmful, what do I think of XYZ fad diet? As a fellow Lifestyle Medicine advocate, I love Angela and Judy’s plant-forward, food-first approach to fertility. They are a wealth of experience and knowledge and I am so excited they are sharing their wisdom and compassion with the world.
Getting to Baby is the comprehensive, yet accessible, resource I have longed for. I recommend it to anyone trying to conceive, wishing to optimize their nutrition for fertility and pregnancy, and to healthcare providers looking for reliable, evidence-based, fertility-focused, nutrition information.
Along with translating the most up-to-date research, Getting to Baby includes spotlights on specific nutrients, real-life stories, recipes (many of which are fan favorites from Angela and Judy’s Food for Fertility classes), and a Six-Week Guide to help transition to a Food-First, fertility promoting diet. If you are intimidated by ‘diet plans’ or cooking, don’t be. Angela and Judy’s approach is relatable, achievable, empowering, and delicious!
As a fertility nurse practitioner, I field many questions on nutrition - which foods optimize fertility, which are harmful, what do I think of XYZ fad diet? As a fellow Lifestyle Medicine advocate, I love Angela and Judy’s plant-forward, food-first approach to fertility. They are a wealth of experience and knowledge and I am so excited they are sharing their wisdom and compassion with the world.
Getting to Baby is the comprehensive, yet accessible, resource I have longed for. I recommend it to anyone trying to conceive, wishing to optimize their nutrition for fertility and pregnancy, and to healthcare providers looking for reliable, evidence-based, fertility-focused, nutrition information.
Along with translating the most up-to-date research, Getting to Baby includes spotlights on specific nutrients, real-life stories, recipes (many of which are fan favorites from Angela and Judy’s Food for Fertility classes), and a Six-Week Guide to help transition to a Food-First, fertility promoting diet. If you are intimidated by ‘diet plans’ or cooking, don’t be. Angela and Judy’s approach is relatable, achievable, empowering, and delicious!
June 19, 2025
I really enjoyed Getting to Baby! While I don’t think I’m the book’s primary target audience—I'm already living a lifestyle quite similar to what the author recommends, including eating mostly plant-based homemade meals, taking supplements, and staying physically active—I still found it informative and validating.
I especially appreciated the scientific approach and the explanations of why certain foods and supplements can be beneficial. It helped reinforce some of the choices I’ve already been making, and I imagine it would be especially helpful for those looking for clear, evidence-based guidance on how to optimize their diet and habits.
I especially appreciated the scientific approach and the explanations of why certain foods and supplements can be beneficial. It helped reinforce some of the choices I’ve already been making, and I imagine it would be especially helpful for those looking for clear, evidence-based guidance on how to optimize their diet and habits.
April 11, 2024
Having witnessed these two extraordinary women in action as invited presenters at national conferences (e.g., ASRM; Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics), I hope that the public reception of Getting to Baby will be as enthusiastically received as it is in professional circles. It's no wonder so many of their talks are standing room only! They're on the cutting edge of science, and they have genuine compassion that matters just as much as their combined knowledge.
April 18, 2024
As a registered dietitian working in endometriosis and fertility, I think this is a great book! I love the practical, evidence based approach. There are great recipes and ideas for goals for implementing the nutrition and lifestyle changes. My favorite thing is the focus on adding nutrients and habits. I’m so glad this is a resource for people who are ready to grow their family!
April 12, 2024
This book is an amazing resource for clinicians! As a registered dietitian myself, I was having difficulty finding appropriate and informative resources regarding fertility nutrition. This book has been very influential in the work I currently do with my clients and helped me increase my knowledge regarding fertility nutrition. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this area of nutrition!
October 30, 2024
Easy, helpful book
November 19, 2025
There is a lot of good information in this book.
June 30, 2025
This book felt practical, approachable and actionable. First TTC book that I didn’t stop a quarter of the way in. Would recommend to others!
June 18, 2024
Wonderful book! Accessible and informative—an essential resource for anyone interested in learning more about nutrition plans and pathways to pregnancy. I also loved making the recipes as I read along with the book. I highly recommend Getting to Baby!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews