Fertility Awareness Week - Lessons Learnt
Since being thrust into the world of fertility challenges I’ve learnt so much. So to alchemise the tough times into lessons for myself and others I want to share with you some things I wished I’d known before I realised things would be so challenging.
Learn how the menstrual cycle works, not only from the point of view of avoiding pregnancy. Understand what processes the body is going through to develop the follicles, release an egg and shed the womb lining. Learn how the hormones impact mood, and energy levels and how to work around these. Learn what each phase of cervical fluid means. Track the cycle digitally or manually. If you do track digitally don’t just rely on your app to give you answers, understand what the data means. Learn when you are fertile, an egg can only survive for up to 24 hours but sperm can live inside the body for up to 5.
Get all the facts about the contraceptive pill before taking it. Understand that it is shutting down the body's ability to release eggs and what impact that will have on the body, aside from avoiding unwanted pregnancy. Low libido, low mood, flat emotions, weight gain - yep, I experienced all of these whilst taking the pill for more than 10 years on and off. If I could go back I wouldn’t have taken it.
When transitioning off the pill or any other form of hormonal birth control do this with the guidance of a doctor or functional health practitioner. Don’t just wing it as I did. I stopped taking it mid-pack and started using natural cycles. I had no idea that the pill depletes the body's minerals and vitamins. I was lucky that my period returned relatively quickly but I wish I’d gone for a health check at this time.
Chart your cycle to be in a better relationship with it but also to notice if irregularities are happening. There can be lots of reasons for irregular cycles but understand WHY this is happening.
Get a fertility health check. Be informed about your situation. Ask for a full panel of your sex hormones, and do a scan of the ovaries and uterus.
Freezing my eggs in my twenties. If someone had asked me about having a kid in my twenties I would have laughed in their face. When I turned 30 everyone started asking me when we were going to have a baby. I certainly wasn’t ready at this point. I think an issue for a lot of women is we wait till we feel ‘ready’ without fully understanding all the things that have to fall into place to fall pregnant. Yes, freezing eggs is no guarantee of having a baby but unfortunately, it’s true that as we age the quality of the eggs decline, and the ideal time to freeze eggs is the early twenties. Whilst fertility tech continues to evolve our biology hasn’t.
If you can, ask your Mother, Grandmother and other women on your Mother’s side about their menstrual cycles, pregnancies, miscarriages and age of menopause. We won’t live in exactly the same way as our relatives but knowing this information on your maternal side can be very informative for understanding about your reproductive life-span.
Reduce exposure to toxins. Our skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything we put on it. The majority of skincare products contain so many endocrine-disrupting chemicals that mess with the hormone system. I try to only buy organic, paraben-free skincare. You can check the ingredients list of your favourite products at The Environmental Working Group.
Lastly, I wish I had known from a much younger age about the power of my body. To connect with my womb space as a place of creativity, vitality, fertility, sexuality and so much more. I wish I’d been taught to revere my fertile health rather than something to fear from a young age.
I hope this list is helpful and informative. I’d love to hear from you what you would add. I’d also like to underpin all of this advice with the message trust your gut! Listen to your body and intuition, if something doesn’t feel right go and check it out.
