While you wait…

Learn about things you can do at home that can not only help you respond to the meds when you start back up with your treatments but also improve outcomes from these treatments

It’s a weird time. I know that each fertility clinic is changing their protocols to deal with COVID-19 and you may now be on hiatus from your treatments. For some of you, this is not a big deal and allows you time to take care of your body and mental health. But for other women who constantly feel the ticking of their biological clock, you may be freaking out.

I thought I would write a blog about some of the things you can do while at home that can not only help you respond to the meds when you start back up with your treatments but also improve outcomes from these treatments. Here is a list of some things that can greatly impact your journey, when ALL this is over!

COOK WARM AND NOURISHING MEALS One way to help your body heal is to cook things that are easy to digest that pack a big nutrient-dense punch. These include lots of soups and stews. Making your own bone broth is also a great way to get lots of gut loving, immune boosting nutrients. Bone broth gives us a natural form of collagen as well as L-Glutamine, which has been shown to improve the lining of your large intestines and thus improving nutrient assimilation. Treating your gut health is one of (if not THE) greatest things you can do to improve your overall health and fertility. Use your homemade bone broth in soups, stews, stir fries, sauces or drink it on its on first thing in the morning. Here is my favorite, suuuuper easy recipe to make in a slow cooker or instant pot.

TEA OR INFUSIONS Along the lines of above, limit your intake of cold, raw foods and incorporate hot or room temperature fluids. For women who struggle with uterine lining or have heard the term, “Blood deficient” from their acupuncturist, I recommend making a nettles infusion every night and drinking it through out the day. This includes: 1/4 cup of nettles, 1/4 cup of red raspberry, 1/8 cup of mugwort. Put these herbs in a large mason jar, cover with boiling water overnight and strain in the morning. Sip on through out the day for the month leading up to your treatments. Raspberry Leaf tea has been shown to help tone the uterus which can support healthy blood flow to this area.

MEDITATION Meditation and/or breathing techniques: learning mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing can help stimulate the vagal nerve response which is what triggers the parasympathetic nervous system aka “rest and digest.” Learning ways to reduce the impact that stress has on your body can greatly improve hormonal functions. Stress has a major impact on your progesterone production which therefore affects everything from PMS, Luteal phase defects, ovulation, and libido.

SEX. SEX. And more SEX This is a great time to get back to normal, regular, fun, crazy, sex without having to attach any emotional component to it. Use this time to connect with your partner intimately and taking the pressure off and in doing so, you may find sex much more enjoyable. I can’t tell you how often I hear that sex becomes mechanical or routine when couples are trying to conceive for a long period of time. I am here to give you permission to take a break from “baby making sex” and to have lots of crazy, unhindered, sex. Orgasm also greatly lowers your cortisol so I often prescribe orgasms (yes - I really do this) to help lower cortisol and boost progesterone production.

JOURNALING This is a trying and traumatic time. I don’t care who you are or how this has affected you, the energy in our external world is different. It normal to have an increase in anxiety and depression and honestly its valid. These are unprecedented times and if we are left feeling isolated in a state of fear, we can really impact our health. Start with “free of thought” journaling by writing down whatever comes to your mind and as the thoughts move through you, write them down. None of this needs to be grammatically accurate or make any sense at all. This is a great way to move subconscious thinking to the forefront of your mind and when you write it down, you physically expel it from your body. This is a great time to ask yourself a question and see how you respond when you aren’t being judgmental of the thoughts that you are having. This will allow you to process your emotions, while also gaining perspective and insight into your mental health.

GRATITUDE I can’t actually emphasize this enough and I know its not what every woman wants to hear. Especially if you have been through trauma associated with trying to conceive. It’s hard to see the positive in every moment and to be grateful for the simple! Dr. Lindsay Fox