Maybe it’s my age, but all of a sudden, it feels like everyone around me is having babies and making more babies, which is awesome because, well, life. One thing that I think is pretty cool about babies is that they’re experiencing so many things for the first time, and being able to watch those moments can be pretty humbling. The idea that at some point we had never tasted our favorite foods kind of blows my mind.

Did I ever tell you guys that my first word was “banana?” Let’s not analyze that one too much, but I guess it’s no surprise I went into a career involving food.

One thing that stuck out to me in talking with friends and clients about pregnancy was the food cravings before finding out they were pregnant. Quite a lot of people talked about a longing for orange juice or bitter greens like arugula! It’s actually not so mysterious, when you consider that these foods, along with beans, lentils, eggs, and fortified grain products are all great sources of folic acid, a key nutrient in fetal development.

Proper nutrition in preparation for—and during—pregnancy is essential. Since early 2015, I’ve been working behind the scenes with a super-cool company called Preconceive that connects women to healthcare experts and resources to guide and support them all the way from preconception through the postpartum phase.

I recently wrote a blog post on Giggle about the importance of folic acid to support and maintain a healthy pregnancy. If you’re thinking about starting—or continuing—a family, this is a must-read.

Do you have any children or plan to have children? Do you ever think about how you might want or need to change your diet to get ready for having kids?