Interview with Laura Favier Perinatal Dietician
Laura FAVIER, perinatal dietician, offers you valuable advice to support you throughout your motherhood adventure.
Can you tell us about your background?
My name is Laura Favier and I have been a dietitian since 2018. I obtained a BTS and a bachelor's degree in dietetics, which allowed me to become a certified dietitian nutritionist. I also have a master's degree in nutrition. I began my career in the nutrition sector within food companies, where I participated in the creation of products of the highest nutritional quality while respecting strict specifications. For example, I worked on the development of baby food jars alongside a brand specializing in infant nutrition. After four years, I missed direct contact with patients, which is why I decided to specialize in personalized advice and support.
How did you come to want to specialize in perinatal dietetics, in particular?
Some of my friends, when starting their family, found themselves a little helpless when faced with questions related to their diet during pregnancy and postpartum, after giving birth. They needed advice to reclaim their bodies and to feed their child appropriately. By observing this problem, I developed a real passion for supporting these unique moments in life. This is how I decided to specialize in perinatal nutrition and to go into private practice to meet specific needs.
Can you tell us what type of issues you are dealing with today?
I support women from the beginning of their pregnancy, who simply ask themselves questions like "What can I eat or not eat?"
Some women experience various pregnancy ailments such as nausea and vomiting, digestive problems or fatigue and have difficulty eating. Others, for example, have concerns about controlling their weight gain during pregnancy. I also advise pregnant women who suffer from pathologies such as gestational diabetes. My role is to help them improve these situations through diet. I intervene throughout pregnancy, but also during the postpartum period, by providing advice on adopting a better diet. Many women want to improve their diet when they become mothers, whether for themselves or for their baby. I offer individual support as well as workshops in partnership with daycare centers or midwives.
What excites you about your work?
What I love about my job is the contact with patients and supporting them through a life-changing moment, when everything changes and they can refocus on themselves. I love the support and guidance I can provide them, by relieving certain ailments during pregnancy. As for dietary diversification, it is rewarding to have a positive impact on children by helping them start their diet with a good foundation, and to give parents concrete advice that is useful to them, because in general, parents are very invested in their child.
What foods can promote fertility?
There are indeed dietary solutions that can help boost fertility. However, it is important to emphasize that, although these approaches can support fertility, they are not a substitute for medical treatment in the event of serious problems. They are not miracle solutions, but they can help optimize the chances. The primary goal is to adopt a healthier and more balanced diet, in order to regulate your hormonal cycle. This depends a lot on each person's eating habits, but it is recommended to eliminate additives, endocrine disruptors and preservatives, and return to a more natural and unprocessed diet. It is also beneficial to include foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as fruits and green vegetables that should be consumed daily. Do not be afraid of fats (of good quality) which are necessary for the production of sex hormones and which are found for example in vegetable oils and oilseeds.
What do you recommend for pregnant women who want to control their weight gain while providing quality nutrients to their baby?
It is essential to favor a balanced and varied diet, monitoring quantities rather than eliminating food categories. It is recommended to limit the consumption of sugars and processed products, advice that is valid not only during pregnancy, but throughout life. Prioritize vegetables, whole starches, quality proteins (such as fish, lean meats, legumes), as well as dairy products, essential for calcium intake. The mother's body draws on its reserves during pregnancy, so it is essential to provide it with energy and nutrients on a daily basis. For the safety of the mother and baby, it is important to avoid raw products of animal origin, shellfish, and certain unpasteurized dairy products in order to minimize bacterial risks. Finally, controlling weight gain requires an overall balance and not excessive restrictions, ensuring portions adapted to the needs of pregnancy while providing the nutrients essential to the baby's development.
I am tired during my pregnancy, what do you advise me from a dietary point of view?
Again, it depends on our starting point: what other symptoms does the mother suffer from? What are her habits? But, generally speaking, having a balanced diet and maintaining physical activity can boost energy on a daily basis! Regular consumption of complex carbohydrates, which are mainly found in starchy foods and pulses, will help maintain energy throughout the day. Foods such as avocado, sesame or banana have, to a certain extent, the ability to stimulate the production of dopamine, which is often called the “happy hormone”. It may therefore be wise to consume them regularly.
I am experiencing digestive problems during my pregnancy, do you have any advice?
These symptoms are common during pregnancy. It is recommended to increase fiber consumption, especially through fruits and vegetables, but also water. Adequate water consumption, combined with the action of fiber, is essential to regulate transit.
What do you think about playing sports during pregnancy?
I strongly recommend maintaining regular physical activity during pregnancy, starting with simple everyday actions. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking instead of driving for short trips. If the pregnancy is without medical complications, it is beneficial to continue being active. However, it is important to avoid high-impact sports to protect the body and the baby. Instead, opt for gentle sports, such as walking, swimming, or prenatal yoga. After giving birth, it is essential to undergo perineal rehabilitation before resuming physical activity. This step strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, weakened by pregnancy and childbirth. Once this rehabilitation is complete, it is important to resume sport gradually, while listening to your body and respecting your own rhythm.
What do you recommend for breastfeeding women?
The first piece of advice for breastfeeding women is not to start a diet or try to lose weight during this period. This could cause great fatigue and create deficiencies in the mother. Breastfeeding is ideal for introducing the flavors of food to babies who have already been exposed to tastes during pregnancy. Foods with a very strong taste, such as asparagus, which have a strong taste could surprise the baby, but he will gradually adapt to this new flavor. Excessive consumption of parsley can affect lactation by reducing the amount of milk produced by the mother. On the contrary, to support lactation, certain foods and drinks can be useful, such as verbena or raspberry leaf herbal teas, which promote milk production while contributing to the hydration of the mother. Hydration is also essential during breastfeeding, because milk is mainly made up of water. If you do not drink, your body will continue to produce the milk your baby needs, but you may suffer from dehydration.
When do you recommend starting a low-calorie diet to lose weight after pregnancy, if you feel the need to do so in order to regain a self-image in which you feel good?
It is not recommended to start a low-calorie diet while breastfeeding, because the body needs a lot of energy, even more than during pregnancy. Milk production requires drawing on energy reserves, and to promote lactation, the mother must eat adequately. If the mother is not breastfeeding, it is recommended to wait a few months after giving birth, to get out of the postpartum phase, which can be emotionally and physically demanding. It is also important to let hormones stabilize before starting a diet. Returning to a balanced diet includes introducing vegetables and starchy foods at each meal, varying the sources of protein, whether animal or vegetable, while avoiding processed products. It is also essential to give yourself time and understand that the body has changed, and that it will not necessarily return to its previous appearance.
Food diversification, what do you recommend?
The foundations of nutrition are created from a very young age, already in the mother's womb. The baby's first contact with food tastes occurs in utero, through the amniotic fluid, and continues with breastfeeding. The more diversified the mother's diet is during pregnancy and breastfeeding (if applicable), the better. Introducing a wide variety of foods from the beginning helps to lay a solid foundation for the future. The more tastes the child is introduced to, the more likely he or she will be to maintain a diversified diet. This is therefore the right time to establish good eating habits. Food diversification generally begins between 4 and 6 months, depending on the baby and their signs of readiness, such as their ability to sit up in a high chair or to show their acceptance or refusal of food. It is best to avoid delaying this stage beyond 6 months, because until this age, nutritional needs are covered by milk. Beyond 6 months, milk alone is no longer enough and it is essential to introduce other foods to meet increasing nutritional needs. If some babies have difficulty with this transition, it may be useful to consult a professional.
What foods are best to start with?
Officially, there is no strict recommendation regarding first foods. However, I personally recommend starting with vegetables, as they are often less appreciated by children due to their sometimes more bitter taste. If we start with fruits or starchy foods, babies may later refuse vegetables. It is also important to introduce different textures. If diversification begins at 4 months, we start with smooth purees, then gradually introduce pieces to get the child used to chewing.
If you start at 6 months, you can consider the baby-led weaning (BLW) method. This involves directly introducing “solid” foods that the baby can handle. By solid, we obviously mean soft foods that the baby can easily crush against his palate. For example, well-steamed vegetable sticks, such as melting zucchini, or later a very ripe fruit, such as a banana. For proteins, you can introduce vegetable or legume-based patties, for example. Be careful, not all textures should be introduced at the same age, it will be essential to inform yourself and get support if you wish to implement this diversification technique.
Why wait 6 months to have solid foods?
Before 6 months, the child has not yet developed the physical, digestive, and motor skills necessary to consume solid foods. This is why we generally start with smooth purees before gradually introducing pieces from this age. The goal is to expose the child to a maximum of textures – soft, melting, crunchy – and flavors before the age of 2, because after this period, children tend to become more selective. This diversification phase is therefore crucial to allow them to more easily accept a variety of foods later in their life.
