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Fertility is a reflection of your overall health, wellbeing, vitality, capacity.

I think it's common to pigeonhole "trying to conceive" as all about hormones, but actually our body's reproductive resilience is a mirror of what else may be going on in our bodies.

There are so many factors at play, from nutrition to movement to environmental exposures to stress levels to blood sugar to egg and sperm health and beyond.

Yes, sperm too! They are 50% of the equation after all.

And contrary to common perception, male partners actually have a HUGE role to play in the fertility journey (it's NOT just about menstrual cycles and womb care).

Infertility is more of a thing than it's ever been these days, but there's an incredible amount you can do to prepare for an optimal preconception environment which is what clinical nutritionist Alexandria DeVito shares all about in this week's episode.

Combining her clinical practice and extensive research into current scientific literature, she wrote a book called '9 Months is Not Enough." And our conversation explores some of the most poignant topics covered in it.

Something I appreciate is how she embraces both the importance of preconception lab testing AND the immense information our menstrual cycles tell us, too. Learning to listen to your body wisdom can be equally as powerful as test results.

And she also speaks to the distinction between chronological age and biological age, which is an essential factor in the fertility puzzle whether you're 29 or 43 years old.

Listen to learn:

• how the fertility rates have changed over time
• why sperm health should ALWAYS be considered part of the fertility picture
• the difference between chronological and biological age
• Alexandria's thoughts on essential nutrition for fertility
• why preparing a year or more before TTC is extremely helpful
• how fertility is not ONLY an age or hormonal issue

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get links to Alexandria's book + lab testing company
• Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally using FAM
• Episode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it matters
• Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign - learn to listen to what it's telling you
• Episode 66: What are your irregular cycles telling you?

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.

And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.

Support the Show.

Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)

What comes up for you when you think of offering yourself gentleness?

I think for many of us, we don't feel time for things like slowness, soothing, gentleness, tenderness, caretaking our own selves.

We're often preoccupied with any number of other roles and responsibilities in life, and as women and folks with wombs, we've often been socialized to place ourselves at the bottom rung of importance.

Even when we DO have time to tend to ourselves, we often choose distraction or stimulating activity over quiet self time that truly offers our own bodies, hearts, minds and spirits a form of gentleness.

Many of us don't even believe we deserve that. It's just something we give, not something we receive.

I want to shift the frame around all of this and turn the mirror onto you and invite you to explore what gentleness can look like and feel like in your own life.

What herbs may be supportive for you to release tension in your tissues, or soften what feels hard, or soothe and calm your mood and mind?

And what other practices are available to you that you could easily incorporate into your daily or weekly or monthly routine to help you soothe and tend yourself?

In today's episode, I invite you to consider what a "gentleness practice" could look like and feel like for you -- and encourage you to make your own "gentleness in a bottle" tincture with some of the herbs that help to calm, soothe and nurture your unique needs.

Listen to learn:

• what a gentleness practice could mean for you
• herbs to soothe tension in your tight tissues and achy muscles
• herbs to soften and moisten your GI, vaginal and urinary tract
• herbs to calm your mood and mind
• my favorite herbal oil to use for belly massage (+ why belly massage matters)
• several simple practices you can adapt into your OWN gentleness practice
• a song to include in or inspire your gentleness practice :)

Resources:

• Today's episode: Get link to Rosalie's poem and more
• Free guided meditation: Womb connection + clearing meditation
• Episode 18: Uterine tonics (to nourish + support your womb)
• Episode 19: Pelvic softening wisdom w Chaya Leia Aronson
• Episode 32: Motherwort love - an herb for every season of your womb
• Episode 49: How to create a sacred window in transitional times

Support the Show.

Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)

What's the difference between body positivity and body neutrality?

I think this is a really important distinction that today's guest - strength coach Kali Perry - gives insight into surrounding her own journey in her body as she eventually found her way to finally having a breast reduction she'd been considering for many years.

The concept of body positivity kind of requires us to be psyched on our body no matter what form or concerns we have. While body neutrality is more about acceptance and embracing from a neutral lens.

It's interesting to me because this concept reminds me of how I've come to acceptance and eventually falling more in love with everything from my own partner in our 18 year relationship, to our home, to the community we live in and certainly also my body.

For me, it's all "good enough" -- as in I feel generally okay with it all, and sometimes really love it. It's how I've found my way to falling into deeper love. Not needing anything to be perfect.

I think so many of us fall into the trap of seeking perfection -- inside or out.

This said, I love Kali's story of how she came to a place of choosing her breast reduction to feel more at home -- and have more physical capacity -- in the body she's in. Not about perfection, but about feeling better in her body.

And her holistic and integrative approach to preparing for and recovering from her surgery is really inspiring, and I think a great resource to learn from for any planned surgery -- especially breast/chest surgery.

To me, this conversation was a fascinating glimpse into a world I have no awareness of and Kali shares in an embodied and practical way.

Listen to learn:

• how the practice of body neutrality helped Kali choose breast reduction
• the basics of preparing for an recovering from breast/chest reduction surgery
• the lack of solid information on this topic and where Kali found her best info
• how to find a good surgeon and why you should "shop around"
• ways to prepare for the surgery + recovery
• what Kali didn't expect (even though she researched a TON beforehand)

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get Kali's links here
• Episode 26: How to ease cyclic breast/chest tenderness
• Episode 77: Myofascial release for breast, chest, pelvic care
• Free guide: Womb connection and clearing meditation

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.

And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.

Support the Show.