2 years before I fell pregnant I was sick - I had Adrenal Fatigue and anxiety on top of some pre-existing health issues:
Crohn’s Disease, Endometriosis, lesions on my reproductive organs, IBS and I was also lucky enough to have Blastocystis Hominis.
I was constantly in pain with stomach issues, feeling bloated, tired and foggy brained along with bone pain from the Adrenal Fatigue. I had a long road ahead of me to become fit to have a baby. Below are 7 steps I took to regain wellness and be on the right path to conceive.
1. Listen to the ‘Red Flags’
I didn’t take notice of the red flags that were waving furiously to me. Asking me to notice that my daily aches and discomforts were signs of inflammation and fatigue. Many of us overlook the signals our bodies give us, whilst be are busy ‘adult-ing’. Some of us have a habit of ignoring pain altogether.
If we don’t listen to our bodies we can end up with some very serious issues. Once I began treatment for my adrenal fatigue, I practiced a daily check-in with myself to see how it was doing. I kept a diary and would scan my body and track symptoms like migraines, brain fog, anxiety, swollen joints, and tiredness were. It sounds negative but by practicing this kind of awareness, we can gather information, notice systemic patterns, and heal our ailments more quickly and we have something documented to show a naturopath/ healer so that they have a full understanding rather than guess work.
2. Your body is a natural healer
Ever notice you go through a patch of time where you just feel sick all the time. You hear yourself constantly complaining about an ailment or two? This ‘I am sick’ mentality can become our identity and we start to think this is who we are. We feel sick and feed the illness with our ‘sick mentality’. Fair enough too - it’s hard to feel on top of the world when you are not on top of the world. With the amount of time it took to heal from Adrenal Fatigue I was exactly in this mindset and the progress so slow, that I wasn’t able to shift my thinking quickly.
Our physical bodies are dependent on mental, emotional, and spiritual assistance. Even though the shift is subtle, our immune systems are heightened when we transition from thinking we’re sick, to knowing that we’re in the process of healing (feeling hopeful). As hard as it is, if we have positive thoughts, good quality food and drink and rest and slow exercise - the power of our thoughts and movement of our bodies can align with healing.
3. Food is medicine: Our Bodies really are a temple
For my whole life people always commented that I was a healthy eater however on closer inspection, I realised that even though it appeared healthy, really it was full of hidden additives, processed food, excess sugar and chemicals. I liked to buy ‘healthy packaged foods’ from the Supermarket.
Instead it needs to be food at its purest form (plants, herbs, fruits, and vegetables) they have powerful medicinal (antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant) qualities. Changing your diet is really like changing your whole life and is difficult at first. but there comes a point in time that wanting to be healthy and to have a healthy baby, is more important to me than my love of red liquorice and salted caramel Easter eggs. Within six months of changing my diet a bulk of my symptoms from Adrenal Fatigue had calmed down.
There is a reason why natural medicines and healers are on the incline. It’s time to stop looking for doctors to treat our symptoms which can mask fertility issues and for us to delve deeper into the root of the problem. Through good health we can prevent some of these issues in the first place, or reduce the man made issues we have created in our bodies by eating foods in their most natural forms.
4. Meditation/ Mindfulness
I know I know, here I go again, banging on about Meditation. Yes I bet you tried it and yes you found it difficult and it’s not for you.
It wasn’t for me either! But once I found the practice right for me, there was no turning back. And Whoah it was powerful in my physical and mental recovery!
I believe it was the final piece in my recovery and after 6 weeks of practice I fell pregnant and had a safe and healthy pregnancy. I practiced my newfound meditation throughout my entire pregnancy and had a natural birth. Sure this could all be by chance but did you know that the practice of being still and mindful increases our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being, and allows us to connect with the parts of ourselves that we’ve kept hidden for years—the parts that tell us we’re enough. With each deep breath we take, we give ourselves permission to strengthen our innate resources. It may take time—and some tears—but eventually we can heal our suffering. And the best part is that we don’t need a prescription.
5. Harmful everyday chemicals
Be especially warned of this when trying to fall pregnant!
Heavy metals and chemicals can be found in our water supply, food, cleaning supplies, and even the air we breathe. Also how much tinned tuna have you been eating a week? Be mindful that high levels of mercury can be found in tuna that can have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.I used to eat a tin of tuna 5 days a week!
When I had Adrenal Fatigue I was super sensitive to household chemicals, my partner had to clean the kitchen and bathroom (although it was a good excuse to get out of housework) as even the smell caused me headaches, nausea and dizziness.
Switch to natural cleaning products (Koh is a great natural brand), filtered water and if you can afford it - organic produce (even if it is just for a couple of weeks at the beginning of your detox). You will be amazed at how sensitive you are to these extra toxins when you are unwell and if you want to have a baby, its best to reduce the amount of toxins well before you start trying. You don’t want to have these toxins floating around when you have eggs in your system that could become a baby one day.
6. A problem shared is a problem solved
I felt so alone when I had Adrenal Fatigue and in the ‘trying to conceive’ journey. There was so many times I couldn’t see light at the end of tunnel and thought I was totally on my own in this journey. I had no idea that there were women out there on the exact same journey and feeling the same loss, sadness and confusion. Sometimes being able to talk to people going through this same things is enough to help to have these feelings validated.
The 40 year hustle is a online community where you can exchange advice, stories, and hope. When we connect with others, we realize fertility issues doesn’t discriminate. We all feel sadness, fear, pain, and loss. A sense of community lends compassion, empathy, and guidance during our darkest times. Even though the details of our stories make us unique, our feelings connect us universally and help us realize we’re all in this together.
7. Let Go!
Possibly the hardest lesson to grasp was that of letting go!
I didn’t have any hobbies to involve myself in and was looking outwards for happiness during this rocky path to conceiving, I would only be happy once I fell pregnant. I wanted it too much. I wanted it, to the detriment of my own happiness.
Every time we create healthy boundaries, practice self-compassion, and talk to ourselves like we would our best friend or an elderly parent, we indirectly give ourselves permission to reclaim our true selves.
A baby should be born into a world of love and we need to start that love within our own bodies (love your body) and our minds (love your self). I know as things start to fall apart on the trying to conceive journey that we can beat ourselves up….but isn’t it time we let go of the trying so hard and just be?
Accept where you are at for a moment, look how far you have come, how much you have already changed in this journey and be proud of that for a minute. Because wishing it to be easier or to happen sooner, isn’t actually going to help make it happen sooner. Instead, it is knowing what you want in your whole heart and then letting go of the reins a little. It’s knowing you have done all the right things to get to this point, then stop trying to manipulate the situation. Just be for a bit. Be ok with where you are at. Every time you feel yourself overthinking, say to yourself - ‘let go of ‘this’. Because ‘this’ isn’t helping you on your path anyway.
Please note: I am not a medical professional. I am a writer who is sharing my experience with others - no professional advice was personally provided for this article.