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I seriously cannot believe its December!
Its one of those strange years for me in which some parts feel like they have gone forever...yet the time still seems to have flown!
The end of another year looming in TTC can be a hard time for us 'infertile' folk. I was speaking to my IVF nurse and she was saying they are flat out with transfers...we are all hoping for that 'Christmas' baby and avoiding that feeling of ticking over another year without our pregnancy dreams being achieved!
Last year I decided to look at it another way - the new year is a fresh start - I can shake off the past 12 months, and be excited that the year to come may well be the year I hold my baby in my arms!
Given a lot of us are transferring our precious embryos this month, I thought it might be good to focus this edition on the luteal phase and supporting our 2 week wait (2WW)!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and I sincerely hope that 2015 is the year of the baby for you!! And for me too!
Jess
xx
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Fertility Five
Five questions designed to give a range of perspectives on supporting yourself in maximising your fertility and feeling good while TTC!
Answered each month by a different fertility specialist or TTC Sister!
This month we have Dr Amanda Waaldyk sharing her knowledge and advice for facing fertility challenges in the 'Fertility Five'.
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Amanda is a Dr in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture specialising in fertility and pregnancy as well as a Fertility and Pre-Natal yoga guru!
Owner of Angea Fertility Centre Amanda is based in Melbourne Prahran. She has created a wonderful space for women to come together and support their health and each other! Her yoga classes are truly one of my most favourite places to be! As is her acupuncture table!
Here's what she has to say!
1. What is something about fertility that you think most people don't know but should know?
There is so much information available to us when we are thinking about taking the step towards our fertility. Sometimes it is confusing where to begin.
The best advice I can offer you is, firstly get a snapshot of your current fertility. To do this start with your General Practitioner (GP). The following is a list of tests generally included in a routine fertility check up.
This can be used as a general guideline - Start with a pelvic ultrasound, then a set of general bloods ranging from Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels, Progesterone, Thyroid and Vitamin D. Test all the important endocrine (sex) hormones that support your fertility. For the blokes the most important test is a sperm analysis.
There are other tests you can run if you have PCOS or endometriosis.
You can then discuss your results with a Practitioner who specialises in natural fertility and has a great understanding of the IVF process and protocols.
Its great we live in a day and age where we have the opportunity to combine Western Medicine with Complementary Medicine.
2. What do you think is the biggest emotion that people face when dealing with issues TTC?
This is such a big question. Everyone that is faced with this journey experiences - what I describe as - the 'Whirlwind' of emotions!! Its like riding a roller-coaster, it has its ups and its downs. We face the highs with the lows and literally experience every emotion!
3. What are your top 3 tips for keeping sane while TTC?
Keeping our sanity during this time can be difficult. Our fertility journey challenges us on so many levels - from our relationships, to personal matters, work and even career changes.
Its really big stuff - in fact it's huge!!
My favourite Top Three Tips to keep sane during this time are all about supporting YOU!! You need to ask yourself the questions - what makes me feel good? What nurtures and supports me?
For myself personally going through this journey the three things that supported me and kept me sane were:
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Eating Correctly
I am a huge advocate for Mind-Body techniques. These work by allowing you to reconnect your mind to with your body and are essential tools when it comes to fertility!
Supporting you can range from:
1. Thoughts Are Seeds
Thoughts are seeds we plant in the soil of our bodies. In ancient Chinese medicine there is a phrase "yi yi yin chi" and its translation is "energy follows intention" or more poetically - "where intention goes, energy flows".
Observing your thoughts can become key in our ability to change them. Our thoughts create our feelings. Meditation is a great way to get out of our 'heads' and into our 'bodies'. There are several mind-body meditation apps, which are ideal for women TTC. Circle and Bloom offer some wonderful fertility meditations - I would highly recommend you checking them out!
Changing our overall attitude and connecting to your body can play an important role for your fertility. Meditation will teach you to shift awareness to what is working in your body!
Here is a great exercise to try:
Begin to notice how your body feels as you move through the day - focusing on the positive aspects. Ask yourself- how is your body supporting you? What feels good? What positive changes do you need to do to make this happen?
2. Our Physical Bodies Are the Soil
Our bodies are the soil- the needs to be tilled, cleansed and replenished. Yoga is the ideal tool to cleanse, circulate and cultivate a fertile ground in which a woman helps her chance of conceiving.
Yoga activates the lymphatic system, helps to balance hormonal production, release stress and massages our internal organs.
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word 'Yuj' which means to unite. Its about connection of the mind, body, breath and movement. Yoga is a combination of asana (postures) and breathing techniques that help get you into a state of relaxation and meditation.
Modern research has proven yoga to reduce the stress hormone - cortisol - and yoga philosophy believes that specific postures increase blood flow and life force 'Prana' or 'qi' to the reproductive organs.
I teach Fertility Yoga - which is relatively new to Australia. Fertility Yoga uses specific postures to nourish and stimulate the reproductive organs, balance our endocrine system, reduce stress and regulate our menstrual cycle.
3. Nourishing the Soil
If we take a close look at our nutrition, you will be surprised at some of the choices we make. We need to be more conscious about the foods we consume. Correct, conscious nutrition and what we put into our bodies provides the energy to conceive.
Creating healthy eggs and nurturing a receptive environment requires energy. What we put into our bodies daily impacts our overall health and fertility. Foods to avoid are preservatives, processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine and alcohol.
4. What is the most helpful fertility resource you have come across?
To be honest Jess, what you have created at Path to Birth is an amazing fertility resource!
Its one of the first blogs that I've read where all the information presented is positive and informative. You deliver a personal story or experience from the heart which gives the readers an opportunity to know there is hope!
That is what I give all my clients at Angea Acupuncture and Yoga your card and access to your blog!
5. Knowing what you do now about fertility what would you tell your younger self?
A very powerful question. To answer it best let me tell you my story:
When I was 15 years old my mum took me to a natural fertility specialist to teach me about my menstrual cycle. I had already tried every different contraceptive pills, but they just didn't work for me. I suffered many uncomfortable side effects, just as my mum had done.
My mum didn't want me falling pregnant at a young age so her idea was to educate me about my menstrual cycle. I was taught about my fertile days and when to avoid having sex, which, for a 15-year-old girl was the most important part! The last thing I wanted was to fall pregnant in my teenage years!
For the past 20 years I have been tracking my cycle. I know my body and my cycle inside out. Now I have the best job in the world educating women about their fertility and menstrual cycles. Who would have thought that experience all those years ago would lead me to where I am now!
When I was in my early 20s, the thought of having a baby wasn't something I had considered. While I had always loved children, I struggled enough to look after myself. As I approached my 30s and now working with women and their fertility I know just how important lifestyle and health choices are when it comes to making a baby.
Having been on this journey myself I sometimes wish I knew in my 20s what I do now. The truth is, what we do with our bodies can affect us later in life. The older we become the more our lifestyle choices influence our health and wellbeing.
This is where is comes back to education. Its is about educating our younger generation about the choices they have towards contraception and to let them know that there are alternatives available to them.
I think we need to empower younger women with the knowledge about fertility and menstrual cycles.
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Fertility Hint
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Fertility Hints are a chance for me to share some of the many things I have found that have helped me to either enhance my fertility or my sanity while on the crazy ride of TTC!
This month I'd like to talk about surviving the Two Week Wait!
I used to completely sweat out the 2WW! Every twinge was a sign of something good or bad, I spent a fortune on Home Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) and half my life in the bathroom. I was a fully fledged card-carrying member of the POAS (Pee-on-a-stick) club.
After my first pregnancy loss I decided to make a change. In the cycle where I was pregnant after the elation of those early positive pregnancy tests came the disappointment of the fledging beta blood test results.
I wondered if I'd gotten my hopes up too soon in those days of early testing?
For me, when I did an assessment I came to the following realisations:
- My behaviour in the 2WW was hurting me, not helping me.
- The constant symptom checking and POAS activity was making me crazy, driving my hubby crazy and probably driving my friends crazy too!!
- It didn't change the outcome - both pregnancies the positive test just increased this activity as I needed to be "sure" it was still there!
- My stress levels were through the roof!!
So I decided to change my approach to the 2WW - today I want to share with you some of the things that helped me more than anything else!
Number One - I sorted out my emotions
Whether its counseling, self work, meditation or coaching I can't recommend this highly enough. I like to think I am a strong person, I don't do fuss well. I found it hard to manage the emotional roller coaster that hit me with TTC. I felt like I'd completely lost myself.
My behaviour was so left-field to everything I'd ever been, and to what I wanted it to be. So I got some help - for me it was coaching. It worked a treat - I feel like myself again, in fact better than I've ever felt, and I've not looked back!!
Number Two - I baked in certainty and consistency!
When we are facing times in life where we are feeling really uncertain it can lead to anxiety, procrastination and feeling overwhelmed. The 'drama dial' in life can really turn up!
Uncertainty in life is a given and in good doses its necessary - its how we grow and experience variety and adventure.
However when uncertainty in overdrive (like when we are TTC) it can be a really awful, scary experience! So how do we even it out to something more manageable?
The answer that worked for me was to balance it out with things I could find certainty, comfort, security and consistency in.
I made the time to take back the activities and hobbies that bought me joy, and ensure that they are the rocks in my week, every week - no exception. For me that is:
- Time with Hubby and Friends
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Writing
These things fill up my cup. They make me calm, relaxed. I look forward to them. I get immersed in them. I know rain, hail or shine I can count on them.
These block of certainty provide the foundations for making the time of uncertainty pass more quickly and with less anxiety.
My advice - find your building blocks of certainty and make them non-negotiable activities in your life!
Number Three - I take care of myself
Another way I've found that helps me to feel proactive and calm is making sure I am taking care of myself. I meditate, I eat like I'm pregnant, do yoga and I get lots of good sleep!
When I do this I know I am doing all that I can - mind and body - to give my baby the best shot...and the rest is out of my hands!
There is no right or wrong way to survive the 2WW. Its about finding what supports you best. You may well be someone who can POAS in a healthy way...hats off to you if that is the case as for me its like chocolate - once I start the whole block is gone and I end up feeling crappy!!
Experiment with your 2WW, play with different ideas to see what works - then see what behaviour you want to keep!
I hope these suggestions have been useful - I would love to hear any suggestions you have for how you survive the 2WW!
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Featured Fertility Yoga Posture
This months featured Fertility Yoga posture is all about supporting you during your 2-Week Wait (2WW)!
Inversions, forward-bends and restorative calming poses are a great support during this time. The following posture is one of my favourites!
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Yogi Name: Viparita Karani ("Viparita" = Inverted; "Karani" = In action - basic translation - this pose is reversing all the usual actions of sitting and standing!)
A.K.A. : Legs Up the Wall Pose
Time of Cycle: Anytime - great for immediately after sex if TTC naturally and supporting you in the luteal phase
Why Its So Good:
This pose helps to increase circulation and space in the pelvic cavity. It draws fresh oxygenated blood and energy to our reproductive organs.
Bonus Benefits: Its also called 'inverted lake' as it draws the blood back to your abnormal cavity. Its an extremely relaxing pose, great for de-stressing! They say 5 minutes in this pose is like a 20 minute nap!!
How and How long:
- Sit right next to a wall with your shoulder and hip facing the wall.
- Slide around slowly so that your legs go up the length of the wall and your back, neck, shoulders and head are flat to the floor. Your bottom should be ideally touching the wall.
- Feet are relaxed in the air, legs straight up against the wall.
- Place your hands either flat on the ground beside you, hands turned upwards in a gesture of surrender, or in a triangle on your belly with thumbs meeting just below the naval and fingertips meeting at your pelvic bone.
- Hold for a few minutes - or longer if you desire! - eyes closed, taking long even breaths in and out and then release.
Variations:
- Support your sacrum with either a block or a bolster - this can create a nice elevation in the pelvic area. It can also me more relaxing and restorative in the luteal phase or 2WW.
- Take it away from the wall either with your back flat on the ground or supported by a block or bolster.
- Spread your legs wide on the wall or in the air.
- Come into 'Happy Baby' posture by bending at the knees down towards your armpits and grabbing your feet with your hands - then rock from side to side
Cautions: Warm up properly and work to your own limitations! Yoga is playful - its ok to experiment and wobble or come out of a posture. Each day is different, each person is different!
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Fertility Affirmations For The 2WW
My uterus is the perfect home full of love and life giving energy for my baby to grow in
My body is capable of growing and birthing a beautiful, healthy baby.
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Work With Me
If you'd like to know more about what Fertility Coaching is and how I might be able to help support you on your path to pregnancy please contact me!
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Coaching is a different experience for everyone as we are all different! I often find the best way to explain it is to experience it, so I'm happy to offer an obligation free 20 minute chat to explore what coaching might be able to do for you!
Path to Birth is a global business with most sessions conducted via phone or skype so don't let location hold you back!
Here's what a few clients had to say:
"Over the course of six sessions she proceeded to completely change my perspective on life..." - Alexandra Tolmie (ACT, Australia)
"We were able to build new strategies that I could apply to my life right now to move me forwards towards the results I want..." - Tammie Tran (VIC, Australia)
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In my work as a fertility, pregnancy & wellness coach I run seminars and workshops and support groups around Melbourne.
If you are interested in finding out more about these events and viewing the calendar/registering to attend for upcoming events please click here.
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Path to Birth has a range of products including coaching packages and affirmation and meditation products to download for easy listening and relaxation.
These products are designed to help enhance positive beliefs, decrease stress and make you feel good!
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