motherhood, lifestyle
Before I begin let me first say...YES, you can get pregnant! Changing my mindset has been my biggest tool throughout this pregnancy. After being terrified of getting pregnant again after RPL (recurring pregnancy loss) I had to work really hard in this department to get my head back in the game. Once I started working on that part of my wellbeing I really started to "let shit go" and that is when a real shift happened in my body. Before pregnancy I always considered myself to be mentally strong. My life has been pretty solid and things seemed to work out for me because I was always willing to work hard. So it only seemed logical that the same philosophy would apply for this— I was so wrong! I can tell you one thing, the harder you force here the more unbalanced your spirit becomes and you drift further and further away from your divine source. My mind was always racing and my anxiety (which I never had before) skyrocketed. When you are stressed you create an environment where pregnancy does not flourish. After working with numerous integrated health professionals, I started to realize how important it was to love my body and trust it again in order for me to conceive.
There is one woman who has changed my life forever and has taught me so much about fertility. She is my now a close friend and owner of The Fertile Ground Wellness Center, Cecily Yousaf. She is the most incredible person in her field and knows SO much about this area of expertise. Without her, I would not be in my second trimester and I would not be thriving. I will be talking a lot more about her as we continue to talk about this topic. Don't worry, she can be your fertility guru too!
So, I wanted to share my top three tips that helped me get pregnant!
1. TRUST YOUR BODY
This is my number one for a reason. When you have had to deal with loss or other complications you start to give up on yourself. Believe me, it's a lot easier said than done, especially when you have had numerous things go wrong. Always remember that our bodies WANT to do this! It might not be the way we envisioned, but whatever path is yours is YOURS. One thing that has really helped me is meditation and journaling. Both of these practices helped calm my mind and get my feet back on the ground. Also, every morning before I took a shower I would stand in the mirror and tell myself how much I loved myself and how much I believed in my body. I truly believe that when you say it out loud you start believing it.
2. NUTRITION
I cannot emphasize how important this is. I know many fertility clinics don't overly stress the importance of having a healthy diet but I think it is so important. Throughout this journey, I will be sharing my favorite fertility foods and also be sharing the reason why I started eating meat again. I have so much more to talk about regarding this topic! Don't worry lots more to come here.
3. SLEEP + REST
After having two back to back panic attacks, I decided to take the summer off and that was exactly what my body needed. Exercise is amazing during and before pregnancy but for me, I just needed a reset. Having time to rest and slow down really made a difference for me. Not everyone is like this but it helped me immesnsly. When your body is in a stressed state, rest is key to the healing process and will help get you back on course. Remember, it's ok to not be ok! This process is hella stressful and takes everything out of you so be kind to yourself.
I hope these three steps help in a small way. As we continue this journey together I will be sharing so much more. It's just baby steps and suddenly you will get there. Start slow and really focus on how amazing your body is. Your beautiful baby is on the way, I know it.
Photography by: Chelsea Chorpenning
