Have you ever stopped to wonder what, exactly, contributes to a person’s natural fertility?
In my mind, there are four components to natural fertility and they are:
Your Body—We usually think first of our reproductive organs (ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, etc.), but your overall health can play a large part in your fertility as well.
What you put in your body—These are the things you eat, drink or otherwise ingest.
What you do with your body—This includes all forms of movement and exercise (or lack thereof), as well as sleep.
How your mind is connected to your body—This is the ability to use your mind to calm your body, to tune into your inner voice, to maintain a generally positive mindset, and so much more.
The interplay between all of these things can influence your fertility either positively or negatively. And guess what! You have more control over all of them than you might think.
How do I get started improving my fertility naturally?
So you’d like to make some changes to help improve your fertility. Where do you begin?
The answer really depends on your specific situation.
Blocked fallopian tubes? Uterine fibroids? The logical starting point here is dealing directly with your body. Getting these issues resolved is often enough to solve the problem. And, I know, surgery doesn’t fall under the header of “natural,” but if you’ve got a known physical issue, resolving it can get you to a place where your own natural fertility will be able to do its job.
Have you been diagnosed with PCOS? If so, then your most important changes might have to do with what you put in your body as well as how you move your body.
Are you working through unexplained infertility? Then you might want to explore the connection between your mind and your body. It’s so often overlooked in Western fertility culture where the default attitude is, “You’re an excellent candidate for IVF!” But the interplay between your mind and body can be really critical to fertility success and can sometimes render fertility treatments unnecessary. Additionally, you might also choose to delve further into your overall health to ensure that you don’t have any underlying conditions that could be making conception difficult.
You’ve already made the decision to move on to IUI or IVF? Then it’s worth examining what you put in your body, what you do with your body, and your mind-body connection. You’re spending a lot of money on fertility treatment so you want to be sure you’re doing everything you can to ensure success!
Here are a few tips to help you make some changes and improve your natural fertility.
Be Patient. No real change happens overnight. In fact, you ideally need 3-6 months to reap the full rewards of any behavior change. I understand that when you’re dealing with fertility issues there’s a sense of “hurry up,” sometimes because of treatment schedules, but also because you’re just sick and tired of waiting for that baby. But if you do have some time to be patient, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Start by Creating a New Good Habit Instead of Trying to Break an Old Bad Habit. For example, it’s much easier to eat an extra piece of fruit each day than it is to stop eating chocolate after dinner if that’s what you usually do. Always look for ways to give yourself the easy win!
Set Small Goals. This piggy-backs on #2. Don’t jump in with both feet and decide that, “I’m going to get an hour extra sleep each night, and I’m going to meditate for 20 minutes every morning, and I’m done with sugar.” Whoa. Those are three drastic changes, and while you might keep it up for a few days or even a week, it usually gets hard to maintain so much change all at once. So scale it back and pick one thing to focus on and start small. For example: “I’m going to go to sleep 10 minutes earlier.” Or, “I’m going to meditate for 10 minutes when I get up in the morning.” Once that small change becomes habit, you can move on to the next small goal.
Ask for Help. If you’re stuck and aren’t sure what changes you could be making, or how to go about it, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help. I would love to help you formulate a plan to improve your fertility naturally. Just send me a message and we’ll find a time to talk!