How long does it take to complete this course?

Plan on about 7 hours in total. That's manageable over a weekend or spread across a week if you want time to absorb both the science and the practical advice. The course includes lessons, readings, and graded quizzes.

Is this course more focused on theory or hands-on learning?

It's more concept-first than project-based. Most of the learning comes through lessons and readings, with quizzes and practical counseling examples to reinforce the material. That suits learners who want clear explanations and guided application rather than labs.

Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy

Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy

Instructor: Prof. Dr. Berthold Koletzko

122,071 already enrolled

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

3,224 reviews

Intermediate level

Some related experience required

Flexible schedule

7 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

3,224 reviews

Intermediate level

Some related experience required

Flexible schedule

7 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 4 modules in this course

Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy offers an overview of the latest research findings and international recommendations on a variety of nutrition-related aspects and outcomes of pregnancy. Ensuring a healthy nutritional status and lifestyle prior to and during pregnancy is one of the best ways to help support the healthy growth and development of the unborn child. We will look at how a healthy diet and lifestyle should ideally be achieved prior to conception and provide recommendations for pre-conception counseling of women.

We will also look at the nutrient recommendations for a healthy pregnancy to ensure optimal maternal and fetal outcomes as well as focus on the most common nutrition-related pregnancy complications; obesity and gestational diabetes. The learner will have the opportunity to delve into the cutting-edge world of epigenetic and metabolomic research and appreciate the enormous role that these programming effects have in long-term health and disease outcomes. Finally, we offer real-life, everyday situations and questions from pregnant women to aid healthcare professionals in the nutrition-based counseling of pregnant women and their families. In addition to the English original, subtitles in Portuguese language are available now! Once you finish this course, we invite you to navigate the world of nutrition in infancy during the first six months of life through our newly launched course "Breastfeeding and Adequate Substitutes".

In this Unit we detail what nutrition and lifestyle changes should be considered and already implemented prior to conception and emphasis the important role that a healthy BMI and sufficient folate status play in providing the unborn child with the best start possible.

What's included

4 videos3 readings1 assignment

4 videosTotal 30 minutes

Course Introduction: Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy4 minutes
Introduction: A Healthy Pregnancy Starts Before Conception11 minutes
Body Weight: Preparing For Pregnancy6 minutes
Folic Acid: Preparing for Pregnancy10 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Unit 130 minutes

The learner will gain an insight into the current nutrition-related recommendations for healthy pregnancies. We will look at the maternal physiological and metabolic adaptions that occur during pregnancy and what these play in supporting pregnancy and altering nutrient requirements. We will then focus on the changing macro- and micro-nutrient requirements during pregnancy and what outcomes these can have on both the mother and unborn child. Finally, we will focus on food-bourne illnesses and what foods and beverages or lifestyle activities to avoid during pregnancy.

What's included

8 videos4 readings1 assignment

8 videosTotal 61 minutes

Introduction: Nutrition and Lifestyle for a Healthy Pregnancy2 minutes
Physiological Adaptations of Pregnancy8 minutes
Metabolic Adaptations of Pregnancy7 minutes
Nutrition in Pregnancy: Macronutrients11 minutes
Nutrition in Pregnancy: Micronutrients12 minutes
Expert Statement Prof Przyrembel: Regulation of Food Supplements2 minutes
Nutritional Restrictions During Pregnancy9 minutes
Avoidance of Food-Bourne Illnesses9 minutes

4 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Unit 230 minutes

The focus of this unit is the two most common nutrition-related pregnancy complications: obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus. Based on the latest scientific findings the learner will gain an in-depth knowledge of the risk factors, outcomes and recommendations associated with these pregnancy complications to better manage and counsel pregnant women and improve infant outcomes.

What's included

5 videos5 readings1 assignment

5 videosTotal 42 minutes

Introduction: Nutrition-Related Pregnancy Outcomes3 minutes
Obesity: Management During Pregnancy12 minutes
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Management During Pregnancy9 minutes
Early Nutritional Programming: Is Epigenetics the Key?10 minutes
The Biochemistry of Your Body From a Drop of Blood9 minutes

5 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Unit 330 minutes

Learners will apply the knowledge gained in the previous lessons to real-life clinical scenarios. Pregnant women pose common questions related to nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy and experts in the area of early nutrition offer comprehensive, scientific-based answers to aid healthcare professionals in their day-to-day interactions with pregnant women and those wishing to become pregnant.

What's included

6 videos3 readings1 assignment

6 videosTotal 26 minutes

Introduction: Practical Advice for a Healthy Pregnancy1 minute
Why Pregnant Women Should be Eating Fish10 minutes
Physical Activity Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy5 minutes
Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy5 minutes
Planning for Infant Feeding2 minutes
Nutrition in Pregnancy: Fact or Fiction?4 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes
Reference List and Further Qualification10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 20 minutes

For the Whole Course20 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(915 ratings)

Prof. Dr. Berthold Koletzko

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)

2 Courses124,678 learners

Offered by

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)

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Reviewed on May 14, 2018

Very informative. Great for all women who which to become pregnant one day. I believe taking this course before becoming pregnant will be of great advantage for the mother and the child.

Reviewed on Aug 12, 2020

These type of course is excellent for the learning students and also for those parents who are planning to have a baby.This will help them to know about the health and care during pregnancy.

Reviewed on Aug 12, 2019

Helped me understand the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy. This course helped me build my knowledge of nutrition and how we must bring about lifestyle changes for a healthy pregnancy.

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Frequently asked questions

You'll learn how nutrition and lifestyle choices before and during pregnancy affect maternal health, fetal development, and later health outcomes, and how to turn that into clear advice. It starts with preconception health and nutrient needs, then builds into issues such as obesity and gestational diabetes, along with newer ideas about early-life programming. In the applied sections, you'll work through common questions on fish, exercise, morning sickness, and food safety.

Not necessarily, but some familiarity with nutrition, health, or pregnancy care will help. The course is intermediate and moves fairly quickly into research-based recommendations, maternal physiology, and counseling around pregnancy complications. If you're completely new to the subject, you can still follow it, but it doesn't spend much time on basic nutrition from scratch.

It's beginner-friendly if you already have some basic grounding in nutrition or maternal health and want to focus specifically on pregnancy. The workload is short and the teaching is clear, but the course assumes you're comfortable following clinical topics and international recommendations. If you're brand new to health science, a more introductory nutrition course may feel easier.

There aren't labs or open-ended projects, but there is guided practice throughout. You'll check your understanding with graded quizzes and apply the material to common counseling questions, such as fish intake, exercise, or food safety during pregnancy. That makes the course useful if you want to apply each topic as you learn it without doing a large independent project.

The course centers on preconception and pregnancy nutrition, maternal physiological changes, and the pregnancy complications most closely tied to diet and lifestyle. You'll look at nutrient needs, supplements, food safety, and how to advise around obesity and gestational diabetes. It also connects everyday nutrition guidance with longer-term health for both mother and child.

You should be able to interpret key nutrition recommendations for pregnancy and discuss them more confidently in education or counseling settings. For example, you could explain why folic acid and healthy weight matter before conception, talk through common food and lifestyle restrictions, or recognize when gestational diabetes risk needs closer attention. The outcome is practical, evidence-based guidance rather than a clinical qualification.

This course is a strong choice if you want pregnancy nutrition taught from a research-based, healthcare-oriented perspective rather than as general wellness advice. It connects preconception care, nutrient recommendations, common complications, and real questions from pregnant women, so the science stays tied to everyday guidance. If you want a concise course that is more counseling-focused than lifestyle-only alternatives, this is a good fit.