Although my journey to motherhood wasn’t linear, I never stopped learning or fighting for what I knew my body was capable of.
As a young girl, I always knew I wanted to be a mom and that I would be great at it, but nothing prepared me for how I would get there, how long that would take, or what that journey would look like.
I, like most women, lacked the education necessary for conception and a healthy pregnancy. Sure, I knew how babies come about, but no one talks about preparation pre-conception. It wasn’t discussed in health class, in my nursing education or in doctor's appointments. I just knew you have sex, get pregnant, and BOOM grow your family. Easy right? It wasn’t.
After my wedding and stopping my birth control, I assumed things would just occur naturally, and seamlessly.
I never once stopped to think about the vitamins or minerals that were depleted from years of birth control use. I never once had my thyroid markers checked.
I never once stopped to think about toxins I was exposed to on a daily basis within my environment, my products, or in my food and water sources.
All of these play a factor in fertility and overall health.
After nearly 3 years of not conceiving, I turned to ovulation tracking with OPKs and an App.
Month after month for 8 months I grew more and more disappointed when my cycle came around.
My husband and I even got to the point of scheduling a consultation at a local fertility clinic.
Then in June of 2020, I finally saw those 2 pink lines and we got our dream. This was 1 week prior to our scheduled appointment and we were overjoyed to be able to cancel it.
I’d be lying if I said that there weren’t moments when I thought things were too good to be true and that I’d lose the pregnancy though.
At 35, nearly 36, I was considered high risk maternal age. We discovered early on in my pregnancy that my thyroid wasn’t functioning ideally. My TSH was elevated and stayed elevated throughout my entire pregnancy. I ended up on Rx medication for 6 weeks, which didn’t really even help and so I discontinued and took a leap of faith that all would be well.
Fortunately, my pregnancy and any symptoms were very mild, if any, and we had a beautiful baby girl, Irelynn in February of 2021. She is now nearly 2 years old and our whole world.
My motherhood journey didn’t stop there though.
This past Fall 2022 we found out I was pregnant again and this time it was a surprise. Those 2 perfect pink lines were met with the same joy as with our first, but the pregnancy ended in a different way.
I knew something was up when I wouldn’t stop bleeding. We later were confronted with the news that my pregnancy was ectopic.
We would need to act fast to dissolve it, as I was at high risk for rupture.
This was one of the hardest moments we had ever had to endure.
Fortunately, I have a great support system and my faith in God got me through. It also opened the door to a new-found passion in my Holistic Health Consulting business in terms of Fertility Health and focusing on foundations preconception.
I know that you can’t always plan for everything, but I also know that there is a lack of education in this area. Infertility, miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are becoming more and more prevalent and my heart aches for women having to go through this.
Knowing what I know now, I would have been more intentional about my health and wellness prior to conceiving. There is so much foundational work that can be done prior to deciding to start a family. This includes both nutritionally and lifestyle.
Research has shown strong correlations with infertility and heavy metal exposure and chemical toxins found in our air, food, water and personal care products. These toxins cause endocrine disruption, loss of blood sugar control, hormonal imbalances, impaired ovulation, and decreases in sperm count.
Among the list of worst fertility disruptors include organochlorine compounds, BPA, phthalates, herbicides and organophosphate pesticides. It is important to be mindful of your exposure to these toxins and ways to reduce and ideally eliminate exposure completely.
Some of this can be overwhelming to navigate, but the goal is to start with one change at a time.
My husband and I are truly blessed to have our daughter, but I can’t stress the importance of preconception preparation enough, especially given the 2nd circumstance. Some things are 100% out of our control, but I think I would’ve felt better knowing I did all I could to be the healthiest I could be within my control and then leaving the rest up to God.
This is where I love the Core Formulas supplement line and recommending these products to clients. The ability to eliminate toxins starts with drainage. This means pooping (yes I said pooping), peeing and sweating adequately.
Drainage Essentials and Bowel Complete are beneficial for this, with drainage boosting herbal blends designed to help when detox pathways become slow or clogged.
When working with clients 1:1, I always do baseline bloodwork and assess their hydration and elimination status.
I do a food first approach in addition to foundational supplements like an overall drainage or bowel boosting support. I love that Core Formulas has clean ingredients.
In terms of fertility health, an added benefit of Drainage Essentials is the Inositol, which is great for ovulation restoration and improving egg quality.
For anyone considering pregnancy, I urge you to take a good look at your daily habits and if you need guidance, to work with a practitioner that is knowledgeable and dedicated to helping you navigate through.
