The 3 most common reason why women have trouble getting (& staying) pregnant

In my next three blogposts, I am going to share the 3 most common reason why women have trouble getting (& staying) pregnant. 

The reason I am not just dishing them all out at once is because I want to explain a few things to you in each post and really provide education as well as clear action steps for you. 

I know this is a sensitive issue, but I believe that knowledge is power and as women, we must know and understand our bodies and how we function so that we can create fulfilling lives that work WITH ourselves and not AGAINST our own flow.

This is true for having babies, but it is also true for creating a fulfilling career and a loving, supportive relationship that is, after all, the backbone of your family. 

We cannot create anything of value and essence when we are imbalanced, are running on empty, and are not at home in our own bodies and minds. 

Each of the 3 points I will tell you about has a physical/ biological reason, but also an emotional/spiritual one. I will tell you about each because body and mind are in constant communication with one another and in order to create true health, the two have to be in harmony.

As a women's health AND life coach, I am not only passionate about connecting body and mind, but I am convinced that this joint approach is what will move the needle for women's health and happiness.

* Note: I am focusing on helping women, but please don't forget that our men also play a crucial role. It takes two to make a healthy baby and paying attention to male fertility is just as important.

Before I get started, the most common hormonal imbalances I see in my clients include: 

• Estrogen Dominance
• Luteal Phase Defect
• Adrenal Fatigue
• Excess Androgen (ex. PCOS)
• Low Thyroid (ex. hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's)

While all of these imbalances are different in nature and manifest in your body and life in various ways, they share similar causing factors, triggers and healing approaches. In order to re-create hormonal harmony and prepare for the best possible pregnancy, the three issues I am about to share with you must be taken into account.

Here are the #1 biggest issue that are preventing women from conceiving successfully: 

1. Stress.

Surprise! Surprise! Not what you thought, right? Jk ;) This is probably what you are tired of hearing and what you know you need to change already. 

The physical why: 

When your adrenals are working in relentless overdrive, your body is so busy producing stress hormones to keep up with your busy life that your sex hormones are being sacrificed. 

This is called pregnenolone steal: pregnenolone is the "mother hormone" that gives rise to both cortisol (a key stress hormone; think: adrenals) and progesterone (a key sex hormone; think: ovaries).

When physical or emotional stress rises and stays high for a prolonged period of time, your body has the ability to turn progesterone (which is essential to get & stay pregnant!) into cortisol.

The reason your body does this is not to spite you, but to ensure your survival -> hint: your body will always think it's more important to help you run away from the tiger than to have a baby.

In addition, these two hormones also have the same receptor sites, meaning they are competing with each other for cell absorption, which is bad news for you especially if you want all the progesterone you can get to have a healthy pregnancy.

Here is how all of this impacts your fertility: 

When you have insufficient progesterone resources, the luteal phase of your cycle (which is the phase that begins after you ovulate until right before you menstruate) becomes too short, which is a phenomenon called Luteal Phase Defect. As a result, you almost certainly become estrogen dominant, which drags with it a whole slew of aches and pains. 

When this happens your body is much less likely to sustain a pregnancy and you are more likely to miscarry, which of course, nobody wants. 

The emotional why: 

When your life is overly busy and packed with things that need your attention and drain your energy, there is no emotional space for a baby. 

Something that I have come to believe in is the idea of spirit babies who know when is the best time is to come into your life. 

In other words, you have to make space for your baby in your life first and then she/he can arrive when you are ready to take the best possible care of her/him. 

Key take away:

Learning how to manage your stress is not only essential in order to have balanced hormones and a healthy pregnancy, but it is also the best possible preparation to become the amazing, calm, grounded, and playful mama you want to be.

Before turning towards women’s health coach, I spent years as a life coach helping women create fulfilling lives. 

Hands down the primary reason why women weren’t living the lives they loved already was because stress, perfectionism, and stringent self-expectation had taken over to such a degree that these women had lost their magical connection to themselves (some had never experienced it). Getting that magic and that self-love back was foundational in order to create a live that wasn’t dominated by stress and pressure. 

For women who want to conceive, stress, pressure, and perfectionism is oppositional to the flow they need in order to live in hormonal harmony and in emotional balance. 

So, love, if you are wondering where to start healing and preparing your body for an amazing pregnancy and give your baby the best possible start into his/her life, start here. 

Start with exploring your relationship with yourself. 

Start with assessing your self-expectations and where you are applying more pressure than necessary. 

Start by asking yourself what and who makes you feel smaller, less vibrant, and less like the amazing, beautiful, radiant mama you want to become. 

I’ve talked to hundreds of women about the issue of stress, overwhelm, and self-worth, and I know it’s not always easy, but I know you can do it, love!

In my next blogpost, I will outline the second most common issue that keeps women from getting and staying pregnant successfully. Stay tuned. You don’t want to miss it ;)

Warmly,