Green Child Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 25

natural Tips Fertility In our “instant everything” world, it’s not always easy to have the patience to handle things that are beyond our control. So when we make the decision to have a baby, it can be frustrating and confusing when it doesn’t happen on our own terms. The perfect conditions to make a human life are intricate. You can’t rush a miracle. But through diet and lifestyle changes (and just a better working knowledge of natural fertility) you can make a huge difference in your overall health and likelihood to conceive. know your body If you haven’t become familiar with your own cycle, now is the time to do so. Taking Charge of Your Fertility is truly the definitive guide to reproductive health. This book can help you navigate the fertility waters, whether you hope to conceive, avoid, or just become more familiar with your own body. ovulation Charting is a great way to get to know your body, but it does require some discipline (there are apps to help with that!) Simpler methods, like using ovulation test strips or Cycle Beads can help you identify your fertile days. Keep in mind that while these simpler methods may help, they cannot give you a “big picture” look at your cycle. If you find that your cycle is erratic, short or long, you may want to chart to get a more detailed look at what’s going on. A “smart” fertility monitor, such as Daysy, learns and tracks your menstrual cycle on it’s own and makes charting simple with the help of an iOS app. whole health Set yourself up for success by starting with a healthy, well-functioning body. Eating more organic vegetables and fruits while avoiding added sugars and processed food is key to good health. Paying attention to your diet, along with the following factors, can also lead to greater odds of getting pregnant. sleep Sleep is a natural hormone regulator. Women with low levels of melatonin and serotonin were found to have a shorter luteal phase (time between ovulation and menstruation). Take 25