“Holistic Gift” Baby #2
Here’s a gem of happy news to brighten your day, give you a little smile, and a dash of hope (especially if you’re trying to conceive and having issues):
Our daughter, Pema will be big sister this winter! Yes, we are expecting another healthy Ayurvedic baby in Feb 2022! We are excited, and a little nervous...we just a got puppy too (what are we thinking?!?).
This is especially joyous, almost-bittersweet, and downright amazing, given my history of infertility due to years of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (no period for "unknown neurological reasons" aka stress). After traumatic life events in 2014-2015, I was left with crippling anxiety, constipation and gut dysfunction, and a nervous system in constant fight or flight.
I had never tried to get pregnant before. But my partner and I were now ready - yet I was not having a period. For years…
Then in 2018, when I was 38 years-old, and had tried “all the other healthy things”, we decided to look into it more seriously. The fertility doctor told me I basically had no chance of conceiving without medical intervention, which included heavy daily doses of synthetic estrogen and progesterone, to be taken indefinitely. That is an appropriate path for some women, but it did not feel right for me.
So we forged ahead with monthly acupuncture, SO much support from my amazing partner and family, and deep Ayurvedic "Vata-pacification," creating predictability and comfort in my life in order to heal my frazzled nervous system (NS). I did this by:
Eating easy-to-digest foods
Eliminating caffeine
Sleeping on a trusty schedule, and
Restoring the NS and replenishing reproductive tissues with nourishing adaptogenic herbs.
My body came back into its own rhythm, and we got pregnant with Pema right away. It felt like a miracle! But really it was a big and wonderful surprise made possible by healing my nervous system and my body through Ayurveda.
If you have the goal of starting a family, I want to support you on whatever path you take toward that goal. Do know: there are many effective, holistic solutions available for you. Life often looks differently than we think it will. Sometimes that can be part of the fun and adventure of it!
If there is one belief that I try to hold in my mind and heart, especially when times are uncertain or challenging, it's that, "Life happens FOR me, not TO me". This was hard to believe when I was overcome with anxiety and digestive issues for years; not having a period, and wondering what was “wrong”with me.
Now, though, when I look back on it, even if we had not been able to conceive naturally (twice!), this journey has ushered in tremendous growth in my life. It has brought me closer to my partner than I ever imagined, and closer to my version of god and divinity. Slowing down, accepting that I can’t (and shouldn’t) control everything, that I don’t have to know all the answers right now, and that I can love my body exactly how it is right NOW… Those realizations have been tremendously healing. Now, these new beliefs empower me to go on - and find surprise and delight amidst the challenges that still come.
Remember, there are people who care for you, including me, and there is always hope, love, and growth to be had!
Are you struggling with infertility, anxiety, or a digestive disorder? If so, stay hopeful! I promise there are sensible, effective and 100% natural solutions for you. I want to share them with you. If you’re curious, let’s talk soon, for free.
