Organic Pill Popping Power

One of my favorite things about going au natural is that I know the things I'm putting in my body would be perfectly healthy for me, whether I was TTC or not. A huge turning point for me was speaking to this woman, Ros Haney. She was my 3rd opinion when seeking out help in trying to figure out what was going on with my body. She is an Applied Clinical Nutritionist and RN...just so happens she used to be a nurse at my fertility clinic, so she knows a thing or two about how to conceive a baby.  Check out her website, and you'll get a snip-it of just how knowledgeable this woman is.

The 90 minutes I spent talking to her about my situation provided many epiphanies. She critiqued my current diet, analyzed my blood work, and gave me a list of dietary recommendations and supplements to help me turn things around...ovulating on my own was the goal here, since I STILL wasn't at this point!

Our meeting was a little humbling, only because I am a certified sports nutritionist myself. I'm no stranger to nutrition, and I wholeheartedly believe IT IS POWERFUL stuff. However, I also realized quickly how much I didn't know.  The type of diet that is healthy for conception is not the "bikini body diet" I'd practiced myself for years prior or that I used with my own clients, all of whom were looking to lose weight....two entirely different ballgames! (more on the dietary changes later)

I learned a lot about how all of our hormones function AND dysfunction together. Ros pointed out many things I was doing right, but also a lot of things I needed to change. My main issues addressed were annovulation, hormone production, and reducing miscarriage risk. I got a list of supplements to help get my body back on track, and I wanted to share those with you here...

Now, I know what you're thinking; That looks like a lot of stuff! Before you label me some pill popping princess read on. I thought the same thing at first too, but once I learned what each of these supplements do, I felt confident they could help. There was nothing that could harm me, and they are all organic whole foods based products. And just as an FYI, the supplements weren't some sort of way for the ACN to make money, because she doesn't even sell them. I buy them from a specialty pharmacy....just wanted to be clear on that! Oh and btw... feel free to contact Ros if you look at her website and can use any fertility nutrition guidance. Tell her Emily recommended you!

Low and behold, after taking these supplements for one month, I began to ovulate on my own for the first time ever in 3 years! So yes, I'm confident they are beneficial, and are working exactly as they're supposed to in re-balancing my whacky hormones. Here's a rundown of what I have going here:

-Standard Process ProSynbiotic- calms immune system, improves digestion...both of which can affect reproduction more than you might realize

-Standard Process AF Betafood & Standard Process SP Green Food- clear old estrogens out of the body, increase production of new hormones, contain DIM (phytonutrient important to this process)

-Standard Process Zinc- reduces risk of miscarriage, improves brain to ovary communication, immune modulator, strong antioxidant

-Medi Herb Chaste Tree (Vitex)- balances hormones and endocrine system, promotes healthy menstrual cycle, promotes better sleep, reduces PMS

-Vitamin D3- critical for immune function, reproduction, fertility & pregnancy

-Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA- supports proper development of babies, supports nervous system and mood in women

-New Chapter Organics Perfect Prenatal- A good prenatal vitamin is a MUST for anyone TTC, but is great for any woman really. This is the creme of the crop when it comes to pre-natals. Plus, my fingernails have never looked so good!

-Standard Process Vit. B- Taking this daily, in addition to using iodized sea salt on foods and eating 4 brazil nuts daily (selenium) to treat my subclinical hypothyroid naturally. Btw, this was yet another thing my RE missed in my blood work, but that my ACN uncovered! Being hypothyroid, even at subclinical levels, can absolutely affect fertility. Good to know now! Geez dr.'s, get with the program!

I knew this supplement regimen was only going to work if I was consistent, and I'm a big believer in making things as "automatic" as humanly possible. I bought these handy little pill dividers, and now I don't even think about. Just grab 'n go!

I do have to laugh when I travel. I feel like a 90 year old with all these pills. Hopefully my hip replacement won't go off in the metal detector too! ;)  Hey, at least I know what I'm putting in my body is truly good for it, with no harmful side effects. Plus, it's working. I've now ovulated 5 out of 5 cycles since starting this routine, and I feel healthier than ever. I've done other things to help, such as gaining weight, scaling back on exercise, dietary changes, acupuncture and a couple Chinese herbs (which I will get to in another post) but this was the first stepping stone that I took, and I really feel it's giving me the foundation for a healthier, more balanced body. Most importantly, I have the peace of mind to know that WHEN I do become pregnant, I'll be giving my baby the healthiest environment to grow and best foundation for life that I possibly can.

Anyone else using supplements? What has worked, or what do you take or do to get your body baby ready?