What should women know about preparing for pregnancy after bariatric surgery? And how can nutrition during this time support both maternal health and a baby’s long-term development?

In this episode, Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, Melanie McGrice explains why the period before conception and through a child’s first two years is one of the most important windows for nutrition. She focuses on what women who have had bariatric surgery need to consider when planning a pregnancy, including weight stability, nutrient levels, and timing.

Melanie discusses why weight management can become more complex after pregnancy and how nutritional status before conception can shape fertility outcomes. She also explores how epigenetic programming may influence a baby’s future health.

Melanie breaks down practical guidance for bariatric patients who want to start or grow their family. She explains how to time weight loss before conception, what adequate protein and micronutrient intake looks like with a restricted stomach, and why the folate conversation is more nuanced than many prenatal supplements suggest.

For anyone navigating pregnancy preparation after bariatric surgery, this episode offers clear, evidence-based guidance on supporting both mother and baby during this critical stage.

• For health care professionals: Home - Early Life Nutrition Alliance
• For public: Nutrition Plus Dietitians - Fertility, PCOS, Pregnancy & Paediatrics

Episode Highlights:

• Why women often can't reverse weight changes that started during pregnancy — and the science behind it
• What epigenetics actually means, and why the first thousand days sets a child's lifelong health trajectory
• The landmark mouse study that changed how we think about what mothers eat during pregnancy
• Folate vs. folic acid vs. methylated folate — Melanie's practical middle-ground recommendation
• How to manage nausea-driven eating in the first trimester without compromising nutrition
• Why bariatric patients need specific micronutrient and protein targets before and during pregnancy
• The timing strategy Melanie uses for weight loss before IVF egg collection
• Why nutrition should come before IVF — not after multiple failed cycles

About Our Guest:

Melanie McGrice is an advanced accredited practising dietitian and one of Australia’s leading experts in early life nutrition. With over 20 years’ experience, she specialises in fertility, pregnancy, and the first 1,000 days, helping individuals and families optimise health during life’s most influential nutritional window.

Melanie is the founder of the Early Life Nutrition Alliance, a global community of dietitians dedicated to improving health outcomes through evidence-based nutrition care. She also leads consumer-focused services through Nutrition Plus, supporting people with fertility concerns, hormonal health challenges, and complex conditions such as PCOS, Endometriosis, and metabolic changes related to bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications.

A regular media commentator, researcher, and educator, Melanie is passionate about making high-quality nutrition science accessible, practical, and compassionate. Her work empowers individuals to feel confident, supported, and informed as they navigate significant health decisions and transitions.

Connect with Melanie McGrice

• Website | www.melaniemcgrice.com.au
• Instagram | www.instagram.com/melaniemcgrice
• Facebook | www.facebook.com/MelanieMcGriceDietitian
• YouTube | www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMqzbbepjpirMANLvA2TEQ
• X (Twitter) | @MelanieMcGrice
• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-mcgrice-91885638/