Optimal Prenatal

Why I Created Optimal Prenatal

I formulated Optimal Prenatal because no prenatal on the market supported the full methylation pathway—and methylation is THE essential pathway for healthy fetal development.

Methylation drives neural tube closure, DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter production, and cellular protection. Yet most prenatals only include folic acid, which many women cannot convert to its active form. They skip choline entirely—even though 90-95% of pregnant women are deficient (1). They ignore myo-inositol, which research shows can prevent folate-resistant neural tube defects through an entirely separate pathway (2). And they leave out glutathione, even though studies show that oxidative stress and depleted glutathione are directly linked to neural tube defects and pregnancy loss (3,4).

I designed Optimal Prenatal to fill these gaps—to support methylation, one-carbon metabolism, and antioxidant protection together, the way your body actually needs them to work.^†

How to Take Optimal Prenatal: The Pulse Method

I recommend using the Pulse Method rather than rigidly taking the same dose every day. Your nutrient needs fluctuate based on your diet, stress levels, sleep, and how you feel.

Basic Dosing:

• Take 2-4 capsules in the morning after breakfast
• Take 2-4 capsules after lunch
• Total: 4-8 capsules per day, adjusted to your needs

The Key Principle: Take it when you need it. Don't take it when you're feeling good energy and stable mood.

Your liver stores nutrients for many days. If you're eating nutrient-dense foods, sleeping well, and not under physical or mental stress—you likely don't need all 8 capsules. Taking 4-6 may be plenty.

If you're not eating well, experiencing morning sickness, under significant stress, fighting an illness, or feeling fatigued—you likely need 5-8 capsules daily.

Listen to your body:

• Feeling great, eating well, low stress → 4 capsules may be enough
• Moderate stress, average diet → 5-6 capsules
• High stress, poor appetite, not sleeping well → 7-8 capsules
• Some days you may skip it entirely if you feel fantastic—that's okay

This approach prevents nutrient excess while ensuring support when you actually need it.^†

Fertility Takes Two

If you're trying to conceive, remember that fertility takes two. Sperm quality matters as much as egg quality, and sperm take approximately 3 months to fully develop and mature. I recommend your partner begin taking Optimal Man at least 3 months before you plan to conceive. This provides the methylation support, antioxidants, and nutrients needed to support healthy sperm development and DNA integrity during that critical window.^†

Important Additions: Fish Oil, Optimal PC, and Iron

Optimal Prenatal is comprehensive, but I intentionally left out three nutrients that are better taken separately:

Why No Iron in the Formula: Calcium inhibits iron absorption—and Optimal Prenatal contains calcium. Taking them together means you won't absorb the iron well. Instead, take Iron Chewable after dinner, separate from your prenatal, for optimal absorption.^†

Why No DHA in the Formula: Most prenatals include token amounts of DHA—far less than what research shows pregnant and breastfeeding women actually need. Rather than give you an inadequate dose, I formulated a separate Fish Oil so you can take the full amount your baby's brain development requires. Take it after dinner.^†

Optimal PC (Phosphatidylcholine): If you're not regularly eating high-choline foods like eggs and red meat, add Optimal PC after dinner. On days you're eating 2-3 eggs or a serving of liver or red meat, you can skip it. This flexible approach ensures adequate choline without excess.^†

After-Dinner Protocol:

• Fish Oil
• Iron Chewable
• Optimal PC (only on days you're not eating enough choline-rich foods)

Continue Through Breastfeeding

These recommendations don't stop at delivery. Breast milk is only as nutritious as the mother producing it. Every nutrient your baby receives through breast milk comes directly from your body's stores.

Continue taking Optimal Prenatal, Fish Oil, Iron, and PC (as needed) throughout breastfeeding to provide nutrient-dense milk to your baby while protecting your own nutrient status. Many women become depleted during breastfeeding because they stop supplementing.^†

Sources

1. Caudill MA. Pre- and postnatal health: evidence of increased choline needs. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110(8):1198-1206.
2. Greene ND, Copp AJ. Inositol prevents folate-resistant neural tube defects in the mouse. Nat Med. 1997;3(1):60-66.
3. Zhao W, Mosley BS, Cleves MA, Melnyk S, James SJ, Hobbs CA. Neural tube defects and maternal biomarkers of folate, homocysteine, and glutathione metabolism. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2006;76(4):230-236.
4. Gupta S, Agarwal A, Banerjee J, Alvarez JG. The role of oxidative stress in spontaneous abortion and recurrent pregnancy loss: a systematic review. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2007;62(5):335-347.