Practically Fertile: Recent Episodes
Adrienne Wei
We've moved!!!! Come join us at Fertile Me Radio :) If you're tired of being sold coaching programs or courses that costs hundreds if not thousands, come over to Fertile Me Radio! We'll teach you our trademarked methodology for free.
Listen to the welcome episode from Fertile Me Radio. We hope to see you at our new home :)
Hey Fertile Friends,
The Practically Fertile Podcast has been moved to Fertile Me Radio. We're on a mission to make it even bigger and better and more valuable than before :)
We've decided to offer all of our knowledge, and the best of fertility education for FREE for you.
If you're tired of being told to spend thousands on a coaching program or a course, come join us at Fertile Me Radio. We'll teach you everything you need to know about our proven method to get pregnant for free.
See you soon :)
XOXO
Adrienne
I'm head over heels in love with this versatile supplement.
It has so many uses: PCOS, pelvic pain, male fertility. It has even been used to help with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, asthma, Parkinson's disease.
It is one of the most powerful antioxidants out there in the universe.
For more information on how to purchase, visit www.2elefants.com
You started out on this journey thinking it would be easy... and now the expenses are piling up and even a Starbucks latte seems expensive these days. Forget IVF...who has the money for that?
The good news is, I’ve brought an expert on the show today to help you find the money that you need to finance your fertility journey. And these are crazy way to find money that you have never thought of.
The expert today is our resident finance expert Devon Baeza. You may have seen her around inside our FB group. She has been through it all. The emotional rollercoaster from dealing with endometriosis, to being told the embryo is not good enough only for it to become a beautiful little girl, to being in debt and paying off IVF and additional 50,000.
She knows her stuff about money. What’s really interesting though is that Devon always says to me that when we’re stressed about money, it’s never about the money. So you’re going to hear us first talk about:
- the stigma about talking about money
- why money brings so much stress and anxiety
- and how to navigate those feelings.
And of course she’s going to share the 5 crazy ways to find and make money so you can use it to finance your treatments, buy more supplements, organic foods, and maybe coaching that you need.
Thanks for patiently waiting for the next new episode of the podcast.
I talk to so many of you about taking time for yourself and how taking a break can really re-energize you.
Well, that's exactly what I'm doing :)
Don't worry, I'll be back real soon with new episodes to help you reach your goal of getting pregnant. Until then, join us in our private Facebook Group to get support and advice.
To join the group, just search for How to Get Healthy and Get Pregnant and ask for permission.
See you all very soon.
XOXO
Adrienne
This is episode a lot of you have been waiting for.
Keto diet is all the rage right now. Everyday, I receive many emails from women who are trying-to-conceive and wondering if the Keto diet is the right diet for them.
I want to you to meet Carrie Jackson, Registered Dietician and MS of Nutrition.
I invited Carrie on the show because she's a nutrition expert first and foremost. And I want to discuss the keto diet because I think there are misconceptions about the diet, its purpose, and also its benefits and risks.
Let's dive into the conversation with Carrie Jackson on the Keto diet.
You know how I'm always talking about the trifecta to getting pregnant? Nutrition, lifestyle and mindset? So many of you ask me for tips and tricks on how to improve your body physically, but no one ever asks me for advice on how to get into the right mindset.
Yet, mindset is ⅓ of the pie, a crucial piece of the getting pregnant pie.
But how do you get into the right mindset? Is it simply practicing gratitude and meditation? Is it simply just think positively? If you’ve followed me long enough you would know that the answer to that last question is a "no."
So today, I have brought a very special guest to the show to talk about getting into the right frame of mind through being present, setting intentions and meditating.
Meet Jane Ritz, other wise known as Jane the guide. Jane is an energy healer and sonic meditation expert.
Now don’t make the mistake of turning away from this episode and thinking that it’s way too esoteric and "woo woo." There is nothing "woo woo" about this episode because we’re going to be talking about real action steps that you can take to get into the right mindset and I guarantee that you’ve never heard anything like this before.
To sign up for my free mini-course, Your Complete Blueprint To Getting Pregnant, click HERE.
This topic is an especially hard one to talk about because it has to do with my perfectionism because, I like to be perfect all the time. In fact I feel like I have to be perfect all the time.
I want to really highlight this today because It’s taking me a super long time to realize that my perfectionism could be standing in the way of my own success. And perhaps you’ll resonate with some of the things that I’m going to talk about so bear with me.
And I always say that self awareness is the first step. If you’re not self aware then it’s going to be hard to take action. So I think this episode will apply to a lot of you if not all of you who are listening out there.
Links Mentioned:
Free Mini-Course: Your Complete Blueprint to Getting Pregnant
It doesn’t seem fair but we all know someone who was so frustrated, then says screw it all, I’m going to party like a rockstar this month, eat what I want, do what I want...and they end up getting pregnant.
So is there some truth to just relax and it’ll happen?
I know so many of you love the tips and tricks but I keep noticing over and over again inside the private group that a lot of you are stuck on the mindset piece.
So this is not going to be an episode where I tell you that you can’t feel a certain way because that’s not how I do things. But what’s really interesting is that in Chinese medicine, each emotion is tied to a certain organ system. And each emotion can absolutely have an impact on the functions of each organ system, and ultimately fertility.
Links mentioned:
Private FB Community
Episodes mentioned:
Episode 47
Episode 52
Today’s podcast episode is all about money- or rather deciding which blood work panels and diagnostics are TRULY WORTH the financial investments that come with them.
Today’s episode kicks off a new mini-series I’m doing called, “Where Should I Spend My Money?” For today, we’ll talk about:
----> The standard tests you should ALWAYS ask for…
----> The test to get if you haven’t had your period in 3+ months…
----> When a uterine biopsy makes sense… and when it doesn’t.
----> What tests your partner should be getting...
----> And you’ll get my thoughts on the HSG test, sonograms, laparoscopies…
Listen, I know it’s overwhelming just to read that list above… and depending on your insurance or the type of test, you’re probably seeing $$$ all over the place.
But this is important- and with new advice, information and “internet experts” coming from all aspects of your life- I promise this episode will help break it down CLEARLY and CONCISELY so you spend money on the right things at the right time.
It’s hard to let things go sometimes- especially when we’re looking for answers. You’re not getting pregnant so CLEARLY it’s something you’re doing wrong, right?
Well… no, not always.
Sometimes it simply is just the timing... and has absolutely nothing to do with what flavor tea you’re drinking.
Yes, you do need to pay attention to lifestyle habits…
Yes, you do need to cut certain things from your diet…
And HECK YES, you do need to understand your cycle…
But still, there are just some things that you can officially toss in the “WHO CARES BUCKET!”
And that’s what we’re going to gab about today!
On today’s episode I’m going to:
----> Break down the top 4 things I hear people worrying about most…
----> Explain why they aren’t worth becoming a worry-wart over…
----> And there’s a little bonus “ah ha” moment about spleen energy and digestion I think you’re going to like…
Quit pulling your hair out over every little thing and join me to catch a breather.
TTC is exhausting
Angie and I met over 10 years ago when we shared a mutual working space. Basically, as a fertility acupuncturist I helped women get pregnant and then as a massage therapist- with a focus on fertility and prenatal care- Angie helped them through their pregnancies.f
She was like the PB to my Jelly <3
And now she’s here to talk with us today! She’s basically a self-care guru and today we’ll be talking about the things you can do to help increase fertility and decrease pain or discomfort throughout the pregnancy from home.
In today’s episode of the How to Get Healthy and Get Pregnant podcast you’ll hear us dishing on:
---> All things massages: how it works for fertility, why to get them while pregnant, and how to find a massage therapist who specializes in them near you.
---> Castor Oil… and how to use it most effectively.
---> And of course more #selfcare hacks so you can take care of your body before, during and after baby!
Links mentioned:
Bellies and Babies
Private Facebook Group
There’s nothing worse.Like literally… nothing.
Here you are doing EVERYTHING you’re supposed to be doing: eating healthy, tracking your cycle, keeping your stress as low as possible and reading- or listening- up on #AllTheThings… and yet, there it is AGAIN!
So much for that stress.
It’s almost like it’s mocking you- telling you you’re not worthy
My guest today is Jocey Rodriguez, my right hand person. She has been on show multiple times and if you’re part of our private Facebook group, you certainly have benefited from her expertise.
A couple of weeks ago, Jocey and I were discussing cases, and we got on the topic of fertility urban legends that people believe to be true and how we wish these urban legends didn’t spread like wildfire.
And you know what I’m talking about. “Eat pineapple and drink pomegranate juice.” “Use Robitussin to thin the cervical mucus.”
Listen we totally get it, when nothing is happening the way you envisioned, you want answers and you want to know what you can do today to fix it all.
I asked Jocey to be on the show today because 1) It gets lonely sometimes flying solo and 2) I wanted a little extra help to debunk some of the popular fertility legends that are out there.
These urban legends, while none of them are harmful, and in fact they might help some people, they are not the best way to approach your fertility.
OK, so we’re going to:
- Debunk the top 6 urban legends when it comes to TTC
- The alternatives and practical actions you can take instead.
Links mentioned:
Private Facebook Community
If you’re not pregnant right now I still want you to listen to this episode because here is the thing, setting a solid foundation for a healthy pregnancy and also post-partum, directly impacts your abilities to get pregnant in the future.
We have a lot of mamas in the private group that are trying for a second or third child. And while they didn’t have any problems the first time, this time around seems harder. Well, that’s because the kidney energy is a bit more depleted. So while we can’t replenish the kidney energy, we can preserve it better. And how you take care of yourself during pregnancy and post- partum can affect how well you preserve that energy.
I will go over in detail:
- Considerations for diet, exercise and self-care throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy.
- How to induce labor naturally.
- The one mistake most women make post-partum and the most important thing you need to do to take care of yourself.
Remember, we inherit a limited amount of Kidney energy from our parents. So, the healthier you are, the more you have to pass down to your baby and future generations.
Links mentioned:
Private Facebook Community
I’m going to talk about something I love dearly, and that is acupuncture.
I talked about how specifically you should go about looking for an acupuncturist before, but there are still lots of misconceptions surround acupuncture itself.
So in this episode, I want to go into detail and:
- clear up some misconceptions
- talk about about what a typical acupuncture treatment should look like from beginning to end
- what you can expect to feel during the treatment and after the treatment.
I hope to ease your fears about acupuncture because it is such a powerful tool to help you get pregnant. I don’t want you to stop treatment or have your fears get in the way because of misconceptions, or because someone didn’t take the time to talk to you about what to expect.
Links mentioned:
Private Facebook Community
This week is National Infertility Awareness Week.
I know a lot of organizations are raising awareness this week about this with activities and inspirational stories, and we’re doing the same at the office. But one thing I refuse to do is to use the word infertility and call this a disease. It’s not a disease.
Just saying infertility makes me cringe because I do not like that word at all. I avoid it at all cost, like a plague.
Every woman is practically fertile, period.
But infertility has become an identity for so many women.
What you don’t know is that our identify drives the stories that we’re telling ourselves. An identity is created based on some type of experience that we encounter, and we interpret the experience and ultimately form a belief around the experience. Then we craft stories based on this belief that become our identify, and our identity fuels our stories. It’s a loop that goes round and round and round.
And it is exactly why in this loop, a lot of self sabotage happens.
Links mentioned:
Private Facebook Community
In today’s episode, I interview Sarah Kaminski. You may remember her from an honor coaching call episode #61. I coached Sarah on how to recover from her most recent miscarriage. And most recently when we talked, I’m happy to report that her hormones levels have improved dramatically I’m just so excited for her because I truly feel pregnancy is just around corner for her.
But today, I specifically wanted Sarah to come on the show because Sarah is Certified health coach with a passion for plant-based diet. And today, we’re going to talk all about plant based diet for those of you who are trying to conceive and are vegetarians.
Although you’ve heard my spiel about animal protein vs. plant based protein in episode #46, I never try to force or persuade anyone to ditch their vegetarians diets because I’m respectful of the reasons why someone might choose not to eat meat, whether it’s ethical reasons or whatever.
But what I’m finding is that a lot of vegetarians, especially those who are trying to conceive do not balance their meals to optimize fertility. And since I’m not a plant-based diet expert, I’ve asked Sarah to help me out and talk about how to thrive on a plant based diet.
Don't forget to download Sarah's freebie!
Links Mentioned:
Private Facebook Community
Freebie
Episodes Mentioned:
#61: Honor Coaching Call: I Help Sarah With Her Pathway to Pregnancy
Remember the “Now What Series” way back when, I went through the popular conditions and what you can do if you were diagnosed with PCOS, unexplained infertility, endometriosis, High FSH. But I have talked about this one condition.
There comes a time on every woman’s fertility journey when you start to get discouraged because nothing you’re doing is working. Many of you will eventually consult a medical doctor, hopefully a Reproductive Endocrinologist. The doctor will run a standard set of bloodwork and do an HSG. HSG is what’s known as the dye test, or hydrosalpingogram. This procedure is useful to look at the uterus and tubes to see if they’re healthy and connected.
Many women discover that there are blockages in their tubes after the HSG. So on one hand, it’s a relief to know that there’s an answer as to why things are not happening. But on the other hand, it can feel like your fate is sealed...if the tubes aren’t open, how is the sperm going to get through.
Everyone’s situation is different. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you. But today, I want to talk to you about:
- Common causes of blockages in the fallopian tubes
- What you can do if you’ve found out that your tubes are blocked.
- Should you be moving on to medical procedures in this situation
Links Mentioned:
Private FB Community
In our private group, I get this general feeling that there’s so much information out there and it’s hard to figure out who to listen to or what applies to you. But a common theme that I’m sensing is that many people are putting stress on their bodies without even realizing it.
If you remember from a previous episode, we went over the idea of the kidney energy reservoir and how genetics, lifestyle choices can seriously impact how quickly we use up the energy in the reservoir. Even though I think people get this concept that if you withdraw from a savings bank without depositing back in, you’ll end up with a deficit...I don’t think the message really hit home because Chinese medicine concepts can be a little abstract.
So today I want to approach this from a functional medicine perspective and talk about stress, the different types of stress, and how it seriously damages your HPA axis and therefore can affect your chances of getting pregnant.
In this episode, I will:
- Explain the concept of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
- The four common stress triggers that can cause HPA axis dysregulation
- My top tips on how to rebalance the HPA axis
I’ve also created an assessment for you to gauges your risk for HPA axis Dysregulation, and it will quickly give you an idea of where you fall on the spectrum.
To get your hands on this assessment, you can download it at adriennewei.com/63download.
Links mentioned:
Freebie Download
How to Get Healthy and Get Pregnant Facebook Community
Episodes mentioned:
Episode 26
Episode 38
Episode 40
Episode 49
Episode 50
So today, I want you to meet Sarah.
Sarah is a mom to a beautiful little boy and she is trying to conceive for the second time but unfortunately suffered two miscarriages back to back.
In this episode, we talk a lot about nutrition because Sarah is a vegetarian and has been for many years. Even though animal protein is my preferred source for proteins, I never ever force anyone to stop being a vegetarian. So don’t worry, I do not try to convince Sarah to switch her eating habits. But I give Sarah a few pointers on how to adjust her diet to boost her fertility.
Sarah is super inquisitive. She asked a bunch of great questions that I think you’re going to love hearing the answers to. Some of these questions I see coming up over and over again in our private group, so it’s going to provide clarity for those of you who are confused about certain concepts.
Links mentioned:
How to Get Healthy and Get Pregnant
It sounds familiar right?
You're doing everything possible to improve your health and get pregnant, but your husband or partner doesn't seem to understand or willing to pull their fair share of the weight...especially when sperm quality issues are the reasons standing between you and your growing family.
In today's episode, I interview licensed counselor Kasandra Wheeler to get her top tips on how to start these difficult conversations with our S.O. without getting into a screaming match.
Kasandra shares her tips on what to do when:
1. Your husband doesn't seem to understand the emotional impact of the BFN.
2. He has poor sperm quality but is unwilling to make the lifestyle changes.
3. He is unwilling to explore other treatment options such as IVF, IUI, or alternative therapies.
Kasandra also shares her "Worry-Period" technique for reducing overall anxiety and depression.
Links mentioned:
www.adriennewei.com
Episodes mentioned:
#58 - The One Thing I'm Scared to Tell You
This past Monday, I did something scary and felt really vulnerable. In the special episode, I talked about how I’m restructuring all my programs hoping to serve you better and help you get pregnant. But if I can be honest with you, it was kind of an emotional episode for me to record.
Before I hit publish for that episode, I went through a range of emotions. I was scared of being judged. In my head I was playing out what other people would say, like “oh there she goes again, wishy-washy, always changing things up.” Or “that was one huge sales pitch and she’s just using this as an opportunity to promote her program.” I also felt like I’ve let other people down. It felt like I had pulled the rug from underneath all the people that were perhaps thinking about joining the membership site. Also I felt like I’ve let myself down, like a failure that after two years here I am back at square one and still figuring things out.
Over the years, somehow I got it in my head that my self-worth is tied to how others think of me. I always feel like I have to maintain a certain image and have to be perfect.
But, I sort of had a moment after I hit publish on Monday for the special episode. As I worked through all my emotions, I said to myself, “wow, how will I inspire others to take action and face their fears if I am not leading by example.”
So that brings me to today’s episode.
I am going to take the first step towards conquering my fear of being judged or criticized by sharing something that I’ve been afraid to tell you.
This is going to be pretty deep, and I appreciate the fact that you’re giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts as I work towards more self compassion and more self acceptance.
So let’s dive in.
Today, we’re going to be talking about a healthy diet vs a fertile diet and I’m going to shock you by talking about one hormone that’s the most crucial for fertility (hint: it’s not estrogen.)
Anytime I post anything about nutrition or diet, the posts always generate the most responses. I think this an area that most people struggle with. Food across all cultures bring up emotions for everyone, whether it’s joy, sadness, anger, fear, whatever. Humans have such deep emotional connection to food because we have to eat to live.
But what I find is that there are lots of misconceptions around nutrition and what’s healthy what’s not. I have a dramatically different viewpoint on nutrition than a lot of other practitioners and coaches. I don’t believe a healthy diet is necessarily a fertile diet, but type in fertiles diets in google, and your eyes might pop out from the number of results and also the different people telling you different things.
So the purpose of this episode is not to convince you that what I recommend is the best, or which diet you should be following. But I hope this episode can really explain how nutrition plays a role to help you get pregnant or how it can actually be preventing you from getting pregnant if you’re not eating a fertile diet. I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power, if you truly understand a concept then it becomes easier to make changes and stick to a plan.
Episodes mentioned:
Ep 55 - Overview of Male Fertility
Links mentioned:
adriennewei.com/freebies
I don’t know if this sounds like you...but, in my ten years of coaching women on how to get pregnant, I’ve seen this plenty of times.
At some point of your journey, you’re going to get to a point where you feel defeated because nothing you’re doing is working. At times you may even question your own will power, maybe I’m just not cut out for this. This happens so frequently, and it’s not your fault.
So in today’s episode, I want to talk about how to regain your motivation when you feel defeated. I want to help you to get back to when you first started trying-to-conceive, to that level of excitement you had before any of the heartaches and disappointments started to take over.
I know how hard it can be to keep charging forward when you feel like the odds are stacked up against you, when you feel alone, when you feel sad and depressed.
There is no magic pill that you can take to go from” one minute laying on the floor crying” to “the next minute you’re ready to conquer the world.” But I’m going to share with you my tips and tricks to help you get back on the horse, and keep moving forward towards your goal.
Let’s dive right in.
Episodes mentioned:
#26 - Ask this one question if you feel defeated
#49 - How to overcome limiting beliefs that are preventing you from pregnancy (Part 1)
#50 - How to overcome limiting beliefs that are preventing you from pregnancy (part 2)
Links mentioned:
www.adriennewei.com
www.practicallyfertileclub.com
Today, we’re going to talk about male fertility because guess what, it still takes two-to-tango, and you need a sperm and an egg to get pregnant.
Male fertility sometimes gets overlooked. And I don’t know if it’s something deeper but when a couple is having trouble conceiving, the woman is the presumed person with the problem. But here is the scary thing, male fertility issues now account for 40% of all infertility cases.
So in this episode, I’m going to give you an overview of male fertility, from a western point of view and from a chinese medicine perspective. When it comes to male fertility, the nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement requirements are slightly different than female fertility. We’re going to get to all that eventually in upcoming episodes, but today we’re just going to be looking at the bigger picture of male fertility. I also get a lot of questions about how to read semen analysis results so I’m going to go over that as well.
I firmly believe that the more information you have, the more empowered you will be and the better decisions you will make. So let’s dive right in.
Links mentioned:
www.adriennewei.com
www.practicallyfertieclub.com
Today’s guest is Hilary, a member of the Practically Fertile™ Club.
Hilary reached out to me on one of our group coaching calls, and I decided to offer her the honor coaching opportunity because I needed more information about her situation to be able to answer her questions. I also thought it might be helpful to some of you who are in the same situation.
Hilary has been trying-to-conceive for 5 years. She’s currently in between IVF cycles and her major challenge is getting the uterine lining to the optimal thickness for a frozen embryo transfer.
In this coaching call, I help Hilary make tweaks to her nutrition plan and exercise plan to boost the amount of blood flow to the uterus.
Keep in mind that even though everyone is different and Hilary’s plan isn’t necessarily the right plan for you, you’re still going to gain new understanding and learn tips and tricks whether you’re on the IVF journey or you’re trying to conceive naturally.
Let’s dive into my live 1-on-1 honor coaching call with Hilary.
Links mentions:
www.adriennewei.com
www.practicallyfertileclub.com
I’m so excited for 2018 because there are just so many things to look forward to.
This episode is a facebook live interview that I conducted with Shannon Schultz-Wooten. Many of you are familiar with Shannon. She is a life coach with a speciality in helping others with fertility challenges move the blocks out of the way that are preventing them from moving forward and achieving future goals. She is also the author of “Infertility sucks, you don’t.”
Shannon was my guest for episode #29 where we talked about how the fertility journey has so many similarities with the five stages of grief. I thought the facebook live interview I did with Shannon would be the perfect episode to round out the year 2017. As we head into 2018 and as many of you reflect on the year 2017, you might be feeling a bit down on yourself if you didn’t get pregnant this year. You may feel like a failure. I don’t want you to head into 2018 with this type of mindset.
As mentioned before, Shannon is known for taking the 5 stages of grief and applying that to the TTC process. In this interview, Shannon and I specifically discuss the final stage which is acceptance.
Here are some of what we discussed:
- What it means to accept your situation and/or yourself and how it’s the beginning of a world of possibilities and opportunities.
- Why acceptance is not failure.
- Why our self-worth is not dependent on our ability to have children.
- Why you shouldn't rush the process to get to acceptance.
My purpose with this episode is to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel whether or not pregnancy is the outcome. When you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, it seem like it’s never going to happen. But I want you to trust yourself, trust the process, and know that you’re going to be OK no matter what happens.
Episode mentioned:
#29 - Interview with Shannon Shulz-Wooten: Infertility Sucks, You Don’t
Today’s episode is part 2 of How to overcome limiting beliefs that are preventing you from pregnancy.
To quickly review, limiting beliefs are show stoppers. They stop us in our tracks and prevent us from moving forward. Just by having these beliefs, we do not think, do or say the things that the beliefs prevent us from thinking, doing or saying and we totally sabotage ourselves.
Limiting beliefs can be “I am not very good at this,” “this is too hard,” “I can never do this,” “I’m never going to get pregnant,” “ I’m that annoying person,” “people are going to laugh at me.”
And the ways we come up with these limiting beliefs is through life experiences, what others have said, our fears, and our assumptions that we know what others will do, think or say .
So in today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to actually overcome limiting beliefs whatever they might be.
Let’s dive right in.
Links mentioned in this episode:
www.practicallyfertileclub.com
Episodes mentioned:
Episode 49: How To Overcome Limiting Beliefs That Are Preventing You From Pregnancy (Part I)
Do you ever find yourself saying things like “I’m infertile,” “I don’t have the willpower,” “people think I’m annoying,””I can’t do this,” “this is too hard.”
We probably all have said something similar. These are what we call limiting beliefs.
Limiting beliefs are show stoppers. They stop us in our tracks and prevent us from moving forward. Just by having these beliefs, we do not think, do or say the things that the beliefs prevent us from thinking, doing or saying. And we end up totally sabotage ourselves.
Having a fertile mindset is as important as having a fertile cycle and a fertile lifestyle.
Today's episode is part 1 of a two part series on how to overcome limiting beliefs that are preventing you from getting pregnant. We learn what limiting beliefs are and where they comes from.
Let's dive in.
Links mentioned:
www.practicallyfertileclub.com
I touched on the core principle of Chinese medicine in episode #43. In that episode I talked about how the guiding principle of Chinese medicine is to always strive for balance.
But specifically what do we try to balance? You hear me tossing around the terms qi stagnation, qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, what do these all mean?
In today’s episode, we are going to talk about the four substances, Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang.
These four substances power your body by working together. When one of them is out of whack, it will affect the rest.
Let’s dive in and find out why they’re important and how they affect your balance.
Episodes mentioned:
#43 - The Core Principle of Chinese Medicine
#40 - Why Was It Easy For Her, But Not Me
Link mentioned:
www.adriennwei.com
www.practicallyfertileclub.com
How To Get Healthy and Get Pregnant Facebook Group
Today, I actually want to revisit an old topic that we’ve talked about a lot this past year. And that is gut health.
I want to revisit gut health because since episode 3 aired, the responses and questions have been overwhelming because it’s a new way of looking at nutrition, and how specifically it affects fertility.
In the US, salads are the go to "health" foods. And most people grew up drinking milk. So cutting out dairy and ditching the smoothies and salads for most people, presents a huge lifestyle change.
Through working with clients and talking to women in our private Facebook group, I see three main obstacles that people are encountering when they make this shift to no raw foods and no dairy.
So let's dive in and talk about how to overcome these obstacles.
Links mentioned in this episode:
www.adriennewei.com
www.practicallyfertileclub.com
Podcast episodes mentioned:
Episode 3 - Why Gut Health is So Important for Fertility
What if you’ve never had a natural cycle for almost 10 years? What if you were bouncing around from doctor to doctor looking for answers and the best advice they can give is to take medicine?
Meet Susie...
This is the incredible story of Susie who was diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhea and PCOS. She went from feeling hopeless to getting pregnant.
You’ll hear from her talk about:
- Her journey to restart her cycle three years after coming off the birth control pill
- What finally made a difference for her
- How she overcame emotional challenges of seeing others get pregnant and wondering it it was ever going to be her
I hope Susie’s story will leave you feeling a bit more inspired, a bit more hopeful knowing that you too can overcome your obstacles because there is no such thing as infertility.
Susie mentioned working with me 1-on-1, but you also have the option to join the Practically Fertile Club, a membership site where you can get courses, workshops advice and support to help you get pregnant.
I’m looking for Founding Members now and Founding Members enjoy a lifetime rate that never changes no matter what. To get on my waitlist please visit adriennewei.com/memberswaitlist.
I always talk about how Chinese medicine is really different than Western medicine. Because one medical system looks for the root cause of diseases and the other is about putting out fire and treating the symptom. But yet, these two medical systems have a lot of similarities.
I mentioned last week that I really want to break down the information into bite sized pieces so it’s easier to understand and grasp the concepts. Especially when it comes to Chinese medicine.
To many of you it’s a fairly new way of looking at the human body. In today’s episode, I’m going to start with the very, very basic and talk about the core principle of Chinese medicine and its approach to wellness, which is to always strive for balance.
Links mentioned in this episode:
www.adriennewei.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/howtogethealthyandgetpregnant/
Ahhhhh, yes, the Two-Week-Wait, or 2WW...
The Two-Week-Wait is the time between ovulation and when you test for pregnancy.
You’ve done everything you could up until this point.
You tracked ovulation and you did the baby dance and now….you wait.
You find yourself “symptom checking.”
Ohhhh, is that an implantation cramp?
Do I feel slight nausea?
Did my boobs get bigger?
You also can’t help it but hop onto fertility blogs and forums to see if anyone else out there is feeling the same way.
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
The two weeks wait feels like an eternity, it feels like two years instead of two weeks. This anguish and anxiety comes from the unknown and the fact that you’ve done everything you could up to this point, and there’s little you can do now except just waiting and waiting.
Many people will tell you don’t stress...yeah right. That’s the worst advice ever. It’s important for you to understand that you’re not a crazy person, you’re not over-analyzing, what you’re feeling is completely normal. So why fight it? Telling yourself not to think about it is going to cause more anxiety and stress.
I’ve been through thousands of 2WWs with patients and clients.
While what’s done is done and you can’t change your egg quality at this time, there are things you can do to ease the anxiety and stay positive during this time.
But in this episode, I want to share with you my best tips on how to boost your chances of implantation while maintaining your sanity and staying positive.
I received a personal message yesterday after a long day at work. And it’s my favorite type of message - a pregnancy success story.
One of my listeners wanted to let me know that she has been following me for a few months and she incorporated my diet advice as part her daily routine. She is now pregnant and planning her gender reveal party.
It was so amazing to receive this message. First, she took the time out of her day to write me a note, and secondly, I’m so happy that I was able to make a difference on her journey.
For many of you, hearing about success stories is a double edged sword. It can certain give you a ray of hope, that “if she can do it, I can too.” But it can also cause the comparison blues
“Why is it so easy for her, but not me?”
Sure the FOMO Syndrome might be partly to blame here. We see Facebook and Instagram posts of cute pregnancy selfies, baby bump pictures and baby nursery decor. It’s hard not to feel like we’re missing out on all of those things.
But today, I want to actually address your burning questions “why her, not me.” Yes, there is a very real explanation why it maybe easy for some but others to get pregnant. At the end of this episode, you’re going to feel a whole lot better because you can actually do something about it.
Links mentioned in this episode:
www.adriennewei.com
Episodes mentioned:
Season 3 Episode 9: How to Avoid FOMO and Be Happier
Today’s episode is going to be on FOMO, have you ever heard of that word? FOMO, fear of missing out. That grass is always greener feeling, and there’s always something better out there.
Have you ever had this uneasy and anxious feeling that everyone else’s life is better than yours? Are you the type of read at least 10 reviews before buying a toaster just to make sure that there’s nothing better than this one toaster you’re thinking about getting?
Or how about this, you’ve heard about this big party, and you’re not really sure if you want to go but at the same time you’re thinking well what it’s super fun, you don’t want to miss out, but you really would rather stay home and watch a movie.
FOMO actually made it into the Oxford dictionary in 2013, and by definition it mean the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you’re missing out – that your peers are doing, in the know about, or in possession of more or something better than you.
Suffering from FOMO has real consequences. My goal for this episode is to open up the dialogue and conversation about FOMO because I feel like most of us who suffer from FOMO don't realize that it's alive and well.
So we're going to talk about how to avoid FOMO so we can all make better decisions and feel good about those decisions.
In Chinese medicine we talk about energy flow and how important it is for your energy to flow properly. If it gets stuck, you’ll have problems. But what about the energy flow of your environment?
What if you’re living in a super cluttered space, what if you’re working with a toxic person every day? Have you ever wondered why some plants keep dying in certain places, why you walk into a room and the air just seems stuffy?
You’re not crazy, it’s not in your head. It’s all about Feng Shui.
If you have heard of feng shui before you kinda know a little bit about what I’m talking about. You might start thinking arrange furniture a certain way, placing good luck charm in certain place, and using certain colors to bring in good energy and good luck. If this is the first time you’ve heard the words feng shui, you are not alone.
Feng shui is an art and science. It’s more than just energy placement, it’s about creating a harmonious environment where your health, your relationship, your finances will all flourish.
I want to properly introduce our guest for today’s episode. Her name is Kelly Jones. She is a Feng Shui expert, healer, author and speaker. Kelly is going to debunk some myths around Feng Shui and then give you some action items so that you can harmonize the energy around you to boost your fertility.
If you are interested in Kelly's consultations, please visit her website: www.kellysjones.net
And you can also call Kelly directly at 919-200-8686
I’m so excited, let’s dive into the interview.
In this episode, we’re going to talk about how to know if you’re ready for medical intervention.
I love the fact that reproductive medicine has advanced so much now because 30 years ago, IVF wasn’t even an option. And now many women are able to get pregnant and become mothers because of it.
But I think because IUI or IVF is a readily available option, many people are jumping into these procedures pre-maturely, at least in my opinion.
I totally get it, it’s so disheartening to get that big fat negative every single month, and when everyone around you is getting pregnant except you, of course if there’s an easier way, why not?
But today I want to specifically talk to you about why even if you’re considering IUI, IVF you need to make sure that your body is ready because guess what, IVF is only a 46% success rate.
I’m going to talk about the steps you need to take before you even think about IUI or IVF. And for some of you who are on the fence about IUI or IVF, this episode is going to also help you make the decision.
To download the freebie checklist for this episode, please visit www.adriennewei.com/podcast
So, you have this life plan that you’ve mapped out that by a certain age, you’ll be married and have two kids, a dog, and a cat, maybe a hamster. You then meet the right guy and you thought your plan would start to unfold like it should. When that doesn’t happen, you realize that it wasn’t as easy as you thought it was going to be.
After years of searching for answers, you are handed a diagnosis of infertility. Your whole world is now turned upside down, your plan seems impossible to execute. Where do you go from here? What will happen if you try everything and pregnancy is still impossible? Who would you then become? Would you still be you? Would you feel like a failure? These are all the little voices inside of you that are nagging you constantly.
I want you to meet Shannon Wooten, my guest for today’s show. Shannon is an author, speaker and life coach. Her passion is to help women struggling to conceive to shift their mindset and find their self-value amidst a diagnosis such as infertility that makes you question who you are, what value you bring to the world now that you’ve been diagnosed with infertility, and how you can go on living in a reality that is not what you thought it would be.
Now, full disclosure I’ve known Shannon for quite some time. She is a patient of mine at Inner Peace Acupuncture. Through helping her on her journey, we’ve become close friends and business mastermind buddies. She is definitely a success story, but not in the way most of you think of success.
Just to warn you ahead of time, Shannon doesn’t hold anything back, she tells it like it is so there maybe some words that are inappropriate for young children, so I suggest that if you like to listen to my podcast in the car, please either put ear muff on your little ones or listen to it with your headphones plugged in.
And also I want to make it very clear that Shannon is not telling you to stop trying, nor is she saying that you don’t need a baby to be happy. On the contrary she is saying try your hearts out, but just don’t lose yourself in the process because you deserve to be happy, you are not defined by your diagnosis.
So often, we make up stories for ourselves because we all hate to fail and hate to be disappointed. But the stories trap us and prevents us from taking action.
In today's episode (a shorter one than usual,) I talk about the one question you should be asking yourself when you feel defeated and unmotivated, and finding yourself derailed. This question is something that people don't think about but it's exactly this questions that's going to set you up for success when times get tough.
Happy Thursday!
I've been working hard on Practically Fertile, my online fertility-boosting program. I have an entire module dedicated to emotional well-being in what I call the Happiness Formula. I give you techniques on how to overcome some challenges such as self-sabotaging and repeated negative behavior patterns as part of the formula. I’m not a psychotherapist so my techniques are based on taking action to reprogram and reframe your way of thinking.
But, I’ve been noticing that over and over again in my practice and the private facebook group, that many people are struggling with things such as, how to say no to a baby shower, how to handle pregnancy announcements, how to create you own support system, how to deal with people who tell you “relax and it’ll happen,” How to deal with negativity from others without spiraling into a depression with them, and how to deal with all the emotions that come after a miscarriage.
And I thought these are real struggles people have, many people get into a funk or a downward spiral and either cant get themselves out of it, or don’t know how. There are some real and raw emotions that come with infertility and it’s hard to sort through them all. So the reprogram and reframe techniques might not work because sometimes you need to deal with the emotions that come up
I knew I needed some extra help. So I thought as an added bonus, I would interview my good friend, and fertility counselor Johanna Hyland, LCSW to add an extra layer, to give another perspective and actionable tips to help people overcome these emotional challenges.
Johanna is an expert in the field of fertility counseling and she has received extra training to incorporate mindfulness techniques into her practice.
We had an amazing interview and it was one of the best I’ve ever done. And after the recording, I just thought the information was too good not to share with my listeners. We really dug in deep and she gave such valuable tips. So I thought I would take a portion of my interview with her and share it on the podcast. I’m not going to share the entire interview because I want to be fair to my future paying clients but I think you’re still going to get so much value and insights from what I’ve shared.
Some of the link I mentioned in the podcast are:
-
How to get healthy and get pregnant Facebook group
-
Johanna's website: http://www.healingheartcharlotte.com/
Enjoy and have a great week!
So everyone knows that you must have a period in order to get pregnant. But what about those who suffer from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea or HA?
Hypothalamic amenorrhea is a condition where a period is absent for longer than 6 months and usually caused by stress, under-eating, over-exercising, etc. Logan suffered from HA after the birth of her second child, but she had this incredible drive and determination to get her health back on track.
You'll find in this interview:
- How Logan discovered that she may have HA
- The one thing that ultimately made a difference for her and helped her conceive
- Her mindset through the TTC journey and how she found support, came to terms with her condition, and took action.
- A glimpse into her healthy lifestyle that she credits with her success, and her obsession with essential oils and Beautycounter, which is a non-toxic skincare brand.
Here is some of the link mentioned in the show:
- Logan's contact info: logan.hamrick@gmail.com
- Logan's private Facebook Group (Living Well With Logan): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069842096463551/
As always, don't forget to review us to help others find this podcast!
Have a fantastic week! See you next time.
Welcome to episode 001 of the How to Get Healthy and Get Pregnant podcast. In this very first episode, I’m going to share a bit about me so you get to know me better, and also talk about what this podcast is about, who it’s for and why I’m so passionate about the topic.
I'm a holistic fertility expert with a background in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. In this podcast, I'll be providing practical tips from a Western and Chinese medicine perspective to put a fresh spin on the topics related to women's fertility issues.
For those who are ready to dive in deeper, and super charge their fertility, please visit my website at www.adriennewei.com and check out my online course Practically Fertile, a 5-Step system designed to help you zone in on exactly what you need to do to get pregnant.
Be sure to subscribe and tune in every Thursday morning for a new episode.