Why do some women train for pregnancy like it’s a marathon?

As one of 10 children with 29 nieces and nephews, Rohr has watched countless family members and friends go through difficult pregnancies. In response, she is determined to be positive and empowering. “I always thought having a baby was the least casual thing ever,” she says. “This seemed to be a life-changing thing and I wanted to be very sure about it.”

Doctors say that all this new interest surrounding “zero trimester” in general is a very positive and exciting development. Healthy mothers usually have better outcomes for mother and baby. Currently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that doctors ask patients of reproductive age whether they plan to become pregnant during the year during checkups. “There are a lot of things we can do to improve basic health in that year leading up to pregnancy that will make pregnancy outcomes better,” says Natalie Clark Stentz, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Michigan Hospital. This is especially true if you have a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression or thyroid disease, that needs to be managed and monitored during pregnancy.

At the same time, this “setting” must be examined by experts and backed by science, and usually does not include the TikTok store. Your doctor’s preconception toolkit is much simpler than what you might see online, and hasn’t changed much in decades: Make sure your vaccines are up to date, avoid alcohol, stop smoking and taking drugs, start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects at least a month before pregnancy, and review any prescription medications and nutritional supplements with your doctor. Only 5% of pre-pregnancy nutritional claims on social media reviewed in a 2025 study were referenced in current international pre-pregnancy guidelines, and 54% were deemed to have “no evidence of health outcomes.” TikTok and Instagram had a higher percentage of “no evidence” claims than the other platforms.

For example, raw milk is a favorite among crunchy moms, but unpasteurized milk can cause harmful germs like listeria, which can cause miscarriage or harm the fetus. Extreme diets and exercise can work against your fertility, too, by affecting hormones necessary for pregnancy, says Kara Goldman, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist, associate professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility and director of fertility preservation at Northwestern University. Recently, a patient with a history of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer told her she was taking beef organ supplements, and she didn’t realize this until Goldman researched the ingredients the “ovary” and “uterus” capsules contained. This means she was inadvertently taking in extra estrogen after years of avoiding unnecessary estrogen exposure. Additionally, organ meats like liver can be rich in vitamin A, which Stentz says can be “very toxic” to pregnancy.

“Anything individually is likely to be interesting, whether it’s Brazil nuts, organ meats, whatever,” Stentz adds. “Evidence-based stuff, not sexy. Maintain a normal BMI, stop smoking, take the boring prenatal vitamin.”

Preparation systems can quickly become expensive. A month’s supply of Perelel’s “Pregnancy Support Bundle,” which includes prenatal omega DHA + EPA and CoQ12 + folic acid, costs $58.77. A complete replacement of all your kitchen utensils, cooking pots and pans can run you hundreds. Add to that “soft movement” like Pilates, organic products, and a whole new range of cosmetics and skincare, and it gets even more expensive.