About Fatema Fahed APD
Meet your specialist Dietitian in fertility, pregnancy and postpartum Nutrition!
Hello! I'm Fatema, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and founder of The Fertile Crescent, a nutrition practice dedicated to using the most up-to-date, evidence-based* nutrition to help you on your journey of parenthood from conception all the way to when baby is in your arms!
*What's evidence-based mean?
It means any advice I give you can only be based on high quality scientific studies and research. It has been tried and tested and has the evidence to back it up!
Why I became a Dietitian
Ever since I was in school I was fascinated by all things science and the human body. I remember in primary school, reading my mums health magazines fascinated and picking up the free recipe magazines at the Supermarket.
Science and food - in hindsight, it was clear that I was headed towards studying Nutrition and Dietetics from a young age!
At the age of 12, I developed Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and spent many years after that trying to understand why my immune system was attacking my own Thyroid gland. Could food affect it? I was told it was genetic, but why was my mother not really affected by it, and only one other sister of mine had it too?
When it came time for university, It was obvious that I was going to study science to find out why and Nutrition and Dietetics to find out how I could possibly use food and nutrition for my health and for the health of others.
Why I specialised in Fertility and Pregnancy Nutrition
During my studies at university we learnt about Barker's Hypothesis and the fetal origins of adult disease. To say I was mindblown that day is an understatement. What a mother (and father!) eat in the lead up to conception can affect the health of their offspring years and decades down the track! You could be susceptible to a genetic condition, but if your mother knows what to eat/supplement while pregnant, you may not get the disease!
Everything was starting to add up for me.
After graduating from my Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Sydney, I decided to get certified in Fertility and Pregnancy Nutrition. I personally wanted to know how I could protect my future child from preventable disease and what specific nourishment I needed to boost my fertility and have a healthy pregnancy.
Most importantly, I wanted to know how I could help other women and couples conceive and have healthy pregnancies and babies through solid, evidence-based Nutrition.
QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING and MEMBERSHIPS
- Accredited Practising Dietitian - Dietitians Australia
- Fertiltiy Training - The Dietologist 2023 and 2024
- Nutrition Therapy for Pregnancy - Early Life Nutrition Alliance (formerly Nutrition Plus) 2020 and 2023
- Breastfeeding and Nutrition Working Group Member - Dietitians Association of Australia
- Australian Breastfeeding Association Member
- Diabetes Australia Member
- Nutrition Therapy for Fertility - Early Life Nutrition Alliance (formerly Nutrition Plus) 2021
- Monash Low FODMAP Diet for IBS - Monash University 2020
- Master of Nutrition and Dietetics - University of Sydney 2019
- Bachelor of Science (Physiology) - University of Sydney 2017
