Good Soil Society

For expecting & new mothers

The 9 nutrients pregnancy depletes — and the garden that grows them back.

The planting happens before the baby arrives. Your postpartum garden is already growing when you need it most.
A pregnant woman cradling her belly in a sunlit wildflower field

The nine

The minerals + vitamins pregnancy depletes most aggressively.

Iron

Why: Blood volume nearly doubles. Iron stores drop fast.

Grow: Beet greens, spinach, parsley, dandelion, lentils.

Supplement: Grass-fed liver — among the most absorbable heme-iron foods there is.

Folate

Why: Critical for neural tube development; depleted aggressively in T1 and T2.

Grow: Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, avocado, beets.

Supplement: Grass-fed liver — one of the densest whole-food folate sources.

Vitamin B12

Why: Crucial for nervous system; deficiency common postpartum.

Grow: Pair with regen-grown animal foods; nutritional yeast on greens.

Supplement: Grass-fed liver — exceptionally rich in B12.

Omega-3 (DHA)

Why: Brain and eye development for baby, mood + recovery for mother.

Grow: Flax, chia, walnuts; pair with regen-grown pastured eggs.

Zinc

Why: Immune function, tissue healing, mood regulation in postpartum.

Grow: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, oysters.

Supplement: Grass-fed liver — a strong whole-food source of zinc.

Magnesium

Why: Muscle function, sleep, anxiety regulation — postpartum essential.

Grow: Leafy greens, almonds, cacao, avocado, swiss chard.

Choline

Why: Brain development, lactation support. Most prenatal vitamins under-dose.

Grow: Pastured eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, soy-free beans.

Supplement: Grass-fed liver — the single richest source of choline.

Vitamin D

Why: Hormonal regulation, calcium absorption, mood. Sunlight + food sources.

Grow: Egg yolks, mushrooms grown in sun, or sunshine itself.

Iodine

Why: Thyroid health for both mother and baby; deficiency is common.

Grow: Pastured eggs, sea vegetables (dulse, kelp).

Not a fan of liver? A grass-fed desiccated organ-meat supplement delivers the same iron, folate, B12, zinc, and choline — find it in the Approved Store.

Trimester-by-trimester

What to plant when — so the harvest hits when you need it.

Weeks 1–13

Trimester 1

Plant: Cool-season greens, peas, beets, radishes

Harvest for: Mid-pregnancy — for the period when food aversions ease and you can build stores

Weeks 14–27

Trimester 2

Plant: Heat-tolerant fruits (tomato, peppers, squash), herbs, sweet potatoes

Harvest for: Late pregnancy + first weeks postpartum — for energy-dense recovery meals

Weeks 28–40

Trimester 3

Plant: Cover crops + cold-storage roots (carrots, beets, garlic, onions)

Harvest for: Postpartum month 2–6 — when daily cooking is hardest and you want food just sitting in the pantry

A mother gazing at her swaddled newborn in soft window light, black and white

Who built this

Built by a mother who's lived it.

My wife built the Prenatal Garden Planner out of her own postpartum journey — the depletion that nobody warned her about, the recovery that nobody mapped for her, and the months of trial-and-error figuring out which foods actually moved the needle. It's the tool she wishes she'd had years ago, rebuilt as something every expecting mother can use from day one.

Note: this is educational, not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Build your prenatal plan in the app.

The full planner — with your zone, your due date, and your specific recovery priorities — is the Prenatal / Postpartum option inside Garden Planner, part of the GSS Steward tier (7-day free trial).

Open Garden Planner →