It's true my husband and I "tried" for 15 months before we got pregnant. And as all of our friends pleasantly warned us, trying was absolutely the best part of feeling infertile. Everything else about trying to conceive (TTC) is unpleasant: the let down every month when you're not pregnant, hopelessness, confusion, anger, constant monitoring...How many doctors have we seen about our infertility to try and correct something that must be wrong with our body? How much money have we spent on a Hail Mary pass to get pregnant?
My struggle with infertility was that I was not getting my period. I was under-fueling my body while I was training and exercising pretty hard. Not only did this decision to restrict and track my calories effect my period, it also played with my hormones. Everything is connected, right? That being said, and after spending all the time and money trying to figure out what was "wrong" with me, here are the 5 simple tools that helped me overcome my fertility complications.
- Tracking my Basal Body Temperature
- Working with a Registered Dietician for 6 solid months (not a holistic nutritionist)
- Lifestyle changes including adding more rest days and self-love practices like massage
- Acupuncture for fertility
- Focusing on having fun (travel, sports, spa days, dinners with friends) instead of stressing about what's wrong.
These are the tools that worked for me. After tracking my BBT for 6 months on the Glow app, working with my Registered Dietician Deanna Conte Busteed, making some lifestyle changes, going to acupuncture on occasion (maybe twice a month?), and focusing on having fun, Matt and I got pregnant in Amsterdam after 6 months of dedication to letting my body and mind work as a system instead of trying to control it.
I hope this brings you comfort: One thing a friend told me while I was in the thick of my infertility struggle was, "Emily, you are going to be a mama no matter what. That role arrives to each of us differently, just like life, but if you desire it, you will have it." This really took the pressure off of Matt and me because we knew, one day, that we would be parents, no matter what.
I'd love to hear about your own experiences with fertility in the comment section. What's worked for you? What questions do you have?
