I Had Fertility Challenges—5 Lifestyle Practices That Helped During My Journey

Conscious conception and fertility. This is a highly sensitive topic for many women but one I feel should be discussed more openly.

Fertility struggles are emotionally very challenging. Whether you are having trouble conceiving and/or taking a pregnancy to full term, it is a painful experience—especially if becoming a mother is something you deeply desire in your life.

There are times when there may be a medical issue or another force beyond our control affecting our journey to motherhood. There are also times when factors like timing, our environment, or stress could be causing bumps in the road. 

In short, conscious conception is the process of mindfully creating the space for your child to come to be. This process can mean engaging in tools like meditation, limiting your stressors and emotional triggers, and looking closely at your health from a holistic standpoint. 

I've included a meditation (below), based on these principles, to help lower stress and look within. Remember: Wherever you are in your motherhood journey, you have many things to be grateful for. You are whole with or without a child. And you will get through this. 

If you've been seeking active ways to be more conscious of the environment you're creating for both yourself and your child, below are a few tips, based on my experience as a certified health coach:

Ensuring your body is as healthy as possible will help foster an environment to conceive. Eat plenty of healthy fats (think avocados, good-quality oils, and nuts and nut butters) to help support hormone balance. 

A chaotic environment leads to additional stress. This may be a good time for a little spring cleaning, regardless of the season. 

Meditation can play a pivotal role in dealing with the undeniable stress that can surround fertility and conception. Here's a meditation that may be helpful:

In addition to meditation, try saying encouraging mantras to yourself. Ones like, "I love my body and everything it does for me," "I am ready to become a mother," "I am ready to bring on new life," and "Everything will be OK." It's amazing the shifts we can experience when we speak to ourselves in a loving manner. 

This piggybacks on some of the tips above, but reducing stress is key. You have no doubt heard it before, but the effect of stress on fertility cannot be denied. We've all heard the stories of women who try for years and years and then they give up, or they decide to adopt or find a surrogate…then BAM! They get pregnant on their own. This one tip alone can be incredibly helpful on your journey to motherhood. 

Sending you lots of love and baby dust.