Four quarters? Drinking raw milk, lowering cortisol, 60-day detox… What is this “trimester zero”?
The idea that a truly healthy pregnancy is primarily a “choice” made even before conception is gaining traction on social media. Influencers and content creators have been promoting what they call “zero quarter”: This is the pre-conception period in which they say you should “optimize” your body to get pregnant faster, have an easier pregnancy and ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
The term “zero trimester” was popularized by Miranda Waggoner in a book published in 2017, where the sociologist describes the growing attention given to the interval, often indefinite, that precedes the attempt to get pregnant, according to .
On TikTok and Instagram, this space has become the target of a culture of well-being and “optimization” aimed both at women with fertility difficulties and those who have not yet started trying to conceive.
Recommendations and “plans” for the six to 12 months before conception include drink raw milk, filter the air at home e avoid nail polish and cold drinksor follow journeys of meditation to lower cortisol in the months before getting pregnant. There are still those who recommend micronutrient analysis e 60 day “detox”.
Experts cited by warn of the ease with which this type of content can induce culpa. When following this advice, it is easy to conclude that a delayed conception or a difficult pregnancy would be, to a large extent, the mother’s individual responsibility, which is wrong.
And some doctors recognize that the traditional clinical approach, often centered on “wait and see,” may not meet the needs of those trying to get pregnant. There are interventions in the pre-conception period that can improve general health and, consequently, pregnancy outcomes.
The point of contention really lies in the quality of the information: the preparation must be validated by experts and supported by scientific evidence, and not by TikTok.
