Fertility beyond food: what did I do?
I did anything and everything I could find to support my fertility. Some folks I worked with locally, and some I found on line. Eventually, I narrowed my team down to the most amazing group of practitioners that all believed in me and my success. Am I lucky? Hell yes. Did I also make good choices? Also hell yes! And I want the same for you. I’m in your corner. My formula won’t work for YOU, you’re unique, but some of the pieces I used might also be key for your success!
Massage
Stress is the root of SO many health issues, and when pregnancy isn’t happening, that creates its own special kind of stress. Massage with a therapist you connect with will help you slow your mind, feel what’s really happening in your body, help you return to the present moment and unwind your nerves. I’ll get back in here soon with central Vermont therapists I recommend.
Abdominal Massage
Abdominal massage? Is that external? Yes! Is it uncomfortable? Maybe? Is it helpful? Beyond yes. The position of the womb inside our bodies can make pregnancy easier or more challenging to achieve. A trained therapist can actually feel the womb’s position and help encourage movement! There are a few different kinds of abdominal massage that I looked into on my journey: Mayan Abdominal Massage (Arvigo Therapy), Mercier Therapy and Clear Passage Physical Therapy. There’s also Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. I almost went and trained in Mercier Therapy myself, but then I discovered a local Massage Therapist deeply trained in Arvigo Therapy working right in my town with decades of experience (that’s another hell yes for me). I worked with Kayla Becker every two weeks and then every month to improve blood flow to my womb, as well as help my womb stay centered and balanced in my abdomen.
When my work with my naturopath was showing very clear results of better cycles (less pain, less acne, less exhaustion) I saw Kayla every week for three weeks to prepare for conception. During these sessions, not only did I experience physical changes, but I also experienced emotional shifts. I actually heard my body say: I can get pregnant now.
In between each session, I practiced my own self-massage on my womb and ovaries almost every night before bed for about 10 minutes. It was a chance for me to connect with my body, love my womb, and care for her in a way that said: You’re going to be my baby’s comfy cozy home soon! If you’ve spent any amount of time on the “fertility journey” you know that it’s pretty easy to start resenting the body parts that seem broken…and that’s a cycle that’s easy to spiral down into and hard to climb back out.
Acupuncture
We are also a town with a lot of options for acupuncture. I finally settled into seeing Jeanette Moy, in Burlington Vermont who specializes in women’s fertility.
Castor Oil Packs
Castor oil packs are a traditional remedy that comes from Naturopathy, and also is recommended from Arvigo therapists and from acupuncturists! I love the Queen of the Thrones kit for castor oil packs. To use, you simply apply castor oil to a flannel cloth, place over the lower abdomen and tie it on. You can either go to bed for the night and shower it off in the morning, or put a heating pack over it and relax for 20 minutes. NOTE!! IF YOU ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO CONCEIVE ONLY USE CASTOR OIL PACKS BEFORE OVULATION.
The traditional wisdom on these is that the castor oil brings blood flow to the area, increases its ability to clear toxins and to circulate new fresh blood.
Mindset coaching
I found my mindset tribe in Rosanne Austin, Fertility Mindset Coach. I have a strong inner critic, and this lady used to be a prosecutor. If anyone could take on my critical voices it was her!! You can find her on Instagram and on her website, From Maybe to Baby (love that!).
