Pregnancy
Pregnancy Nutrition for Beginners
A short, friendly start to pregnancy eating that covers what matters most without the overwhelm.
NZ$24.99Buy
Pregnancy courses for every trimester, with your midwife in mind
Clear, practical help with eating well, food safety, supplements and planning for birth, written to sit alongside the care you get from your Lead Maternity Carer.
- 6 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Most people in New Zealand choose a midwife as their Lead Maternity Carer (LMC), the person who looks after you through pregnancy, labour and birth and for the first weeks afterwards. LMC care is free for people who are eligible for publicly funded health services, and it is worth finding a midwife as early as you can, because many book up months ahead.
Eating well in pregnancy uses the same four food groups as the rest of the adult guidelines, with a few extras. Folic acid is advised until 12 weeks and iodine throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding, and there is no known safe level of alcohol. New Zealand Food Safety, part of the Ministry for Primary Industries, advises avoiding foods with a higher risk of listeria, such as chilled ready-to-eat seafood, deli meats and pre-prepared salads, and eating soft cheeses only when they are cooked until steaming hot. Caffeine should be limited too.
Our six pregnancy courses, written by Dr Aqsa Mukhtiar, PhD in Nutrition, turn that advice into fridge lists, meal planners, supplement trackers and a birth plan to talk through with your midwife. They do not replace your antenatal care, and they never set calorie targets for pregnancy.
All pregnancy courses
Pregnancy
First Trimester Nutrition
Gentle, realistic eating for the first 12 weeks, even when toast and crackers are all you can face.
NZ$29.99Buy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Food Safety
Clear, calm food safety answers for pregnancy, from deli meats and sushi to soft cheese and coffee.
NZ$24.99Buy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Vitamins and Supplements
Cut through the supplement aisle with a stage-by-stage checklist, daily tracker and label checker.
NZ$29.99Buy
Pregnancy
Creating a Birth Plan
Make informed, flexible birth choices with your LMC, using an options checklist and a briefing sheet for your support person.
NZ$24.99Buy
Pregnancy
Complete Pregnancy Nutrition Course
Every trimester sorted, from early sickness to the weeks after birth, with shopping lists built around New Zealand food safety advice.
NZ$47.99Buy
Find the right pregnancy course
Eating well
- Pregnancy Nutrition for Beginners is the short introduction: what to eat each day, the supplements to take and a simple shopping list.
- Complete Pregnancy Nutrition Course goes trimester by trimester, with meal planners, an activity planner and questions for your midwife.
- First Trimester Nutrition is for the early weeks of nausea and food aversions, with small-meal ideas and a hydration tracker.
Safety and supplements
- Pregnancy Food Safety explains which foods carry a higher risk and how to store, reheat and order safely when eating out.
- Pregnancy Vitamins and Supplements covers folic acid and iodine in New Zealand, when vitamin D may be advised, and how to read a supplement label.
Getting ready for birth
- Creating a Birth Plan helps you think through your options and write them down for your LMC and birth partner.
What the pregnancy tools do
- Fridge safe and avoid list: a printable list of foods that are fine, need care or are best avoided, for the fridge door.
- Cheese checker and eating-out card: quick checks for cafés, takeaways and whānau gatherings.
- Caffeine tracker: adds up coffee, tea, energy drinks and cola across a day.
- Supplement tracker: a daily tick for folic acid and iodine.
- Trimester meal planners and shopping lists: simple meals that work around nausea, heartburn and tiredness.
- Birth plan template and midwife question sheet: fill in, print and bring to your appointments.
When to call your midwife straight away
Contact your LMC midwife, or the hospital where you plan to give birth if you cannot reach them, at any time of day or night if you have:
- any bleeding from your vagina
- fewer baby movements than usual, or a change in their pattern
- a severe headache, blurred vision, or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet
- strong or constant tummy pain, or your waters breaking early
- vomiting so often that you cannot keep fluids down
Do not wait until the next day to report reduced movements. In an emergency, call 111. For low mood or worry, talk to your midwife or GP, or free call or text 1737.
Pregnancy courses: your questions
How do I find a midwife in New Zealand?
You choose your own Lead Maternity Carer, usually a midwife. Your GP or local maternity service can help, and the Find Your Midwife website lists midwives by area. Start looking as soon as you know you are pregnant.
Which supplements are advised in pregnancy?
New Zealand advice is a daily folic acid tablet until 12 weeks of pregnancy and a daily iodine tablet throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Vitamin D is advised only for some people. Check with your midwife or GP before taking anything else.
Which foods should I avoid while pregnant?
New Zealand Food Safety advises avoiding higher-risk foods such as chilled ready-to-eat seafood, sushi, deli meats, pâté, pre-prepared salads, raw or runny eggs and unpasteurised milk, unless they are heated until steaming hot where that applies. The course has the full list as a printable fridge sheet.
Can I still drink coffee?
Yes, but caffeine should be limited in pregnancy. The course shows how much caffeine is in common drinks and includes a tracker so you can keep your daily total low.
Do I need to eat for two?
No. Your needs for some nutrients rise more than your energy needs do, so the focus is on the quality of what you eat. The courses do not set calorie targets for pregnancy.
Do I have to write a birth plan?
No, it is optional. Many people find that thinking through the options helps their conversations with their LMC, and the template keeps your preferences in one place.
Official sources
Print the fridge list first
It answers most everyday questions about safe kai in pregnancy, and you can check it in seconds before you eat.