I had a question about what I did differently the cycle that I actually got pregnant versus the time that I was trying and did not get pregnant.
I want to touch on this because I don’t personally have a whole lot that I did the cycle that I got pregnant. I was doing a little bit extra that cycle, though. I was doing Mayan Abdominal massage and Seed cycling. Do I think that that is what helped me? Not particularly. I think the main reason we got pregnant when we did was my husband abstaining from the hot tub.
But the reason I don’t think these tiny things did anything special for me is because I already have perfectly healthy hormones based on my cycles, which I know because I have been charting them for over 5 years. Charting your cycles is by far the best way to get an idea of what’s going on with your hormones because your fertility signs can tell you so much.
Since I have been charting my cycles and getting intimate with what’s going on with my hormones for these past years, as well as being baby crazy for a while when I was about 25, I’ve spent a good portion of the last 5 years making sure that my hormones were in tip-top shape.
So, instead of telling you the few things that I did that helped me get pregnant (because I don’t think that they really helped me) I will instead tell you what I had been doing to make sure that my hormones were the best they could be.
- I had a healthy diet. what is a healthy diet? I think this can vary from person to person but I think that the most important piece of a healthy diet for those working on their hormonal health is eating a variety of whole foods, eating organically, not restricting yourself (Either of calories or macronutrients. Eat your fats and carbs!), and ensuring that if you have any issues with sensitivities you are not eating those foods to reduce inflammation. Can you occasionally eat foods that aren’t whole foods? Sure, you won’t die, but they should be the minority of your diet. If you have any issues with gut health you should also try to correct them.
- I avoided endocrine disrupting chemicals. Yes, this included eating organically as above, but it also included not using plastics (especially not to store or cook food), trying to stay away from perfumes and cosmetics that are conventional, using vinegar-based cleaning products and more. Unfortunately, endocrine disrupting chemicals are everywhere and you can’t really escape them, but you can get rid of a lot of your own personal use of them, which is going to be a bigger factor in your overall exposure, anyway.
- I sleep. I know, everybody sleeps, but I prioritize sleep. Most nights I’m in bed before 10 p.m. and I usually get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. In addition to actually sleeping, I make sure that my room is as dark as possible when I am sleeping. the reason I do this is because artificial lights can screw with your hormonal balance.
- I make sure to not be sedentary. As hard as it is for me sometimes, I always try to get out and move my body. Yep, it’s much easier to stay at home and surf the web or re-watch Gilmore Girls on netflix for the 5th time (Yes, I actually do really like that show. Guilty pleasure.), but getting movement everyday is essential. It doesn’t need to be a crazy work out or anything, just go on a walk, do active things with friends and/or your partner, occasionally ride a bike to do errands, etc.
- I don’t drink any caffeine and don’t drink much alcohol, either. My main beef with caffeine is that it enables you to sleep less and still function. When I don’t sleep, I do not function, so I make sure to get my sleep. The other problem is that caffeine can increase your cortisol levels (which is a hormone) and throw off hormonal balance. Do you need to not drink it at all? Nah, but try not to be reliant on it. Regarding alcohol, alcohol takes precedence over anything else being broken down in the liver, so your liver has less capacity for clearing out your excess hormones. Again, you can drink alcohol, but if you drink a lot and/or often, it might be something you want to cut back on to see if that helps your hormones.
- I try to control my stress. Again with the pesky hormone cortisol. If you are constantly stressed there is a good chance your hormones are not going to be in a happy place. Everyone’s stress reduction looks different, but a lot of people love meditation, yoga, exercise, time in nature, or reading (real) books.
These are my “Top 6” for making sure your hormones are in good working order. Usually, if you have a hormonal health issue, you can focus on one or two of these and see a huge difference.
Possibly obvious, but if you are doing these basic things and still have any issue, you can take it to the next level and supplement, cut things out, try out random things like mayan abdominal massage and seed cycling, and more. I always recommend starting with the basics, though, because you need these things not only for your hormonal health, but your overall health, too.
What have you tried to help balance your hormones and did it work for you?