'It's hard when it doesn't come easy' - A heartfelt song by Dixie Chicks sums up in one sentence what infertility feels like.
If you've been trying to conceive for a few months now and are wondering why your period keeps showing up we'll look at the areas you could be overlooking.
Mind - Body Connection Growing up we were led to believe that even a tiny bit of foreplay can lead to pregnancy.
Many women spend their late teens and early twenties worrying about unwanted pregnancies, switching from one type of oral contraceptive to the next and even resorting to the morning-after pill in emergency cases.
The constant worry and suppression of the creative process may have left your reproductive system out of sync with the rest of your body.
Let me explain.
Suppression of the creative process Although most of us grow up viewing our body and ourselves as purely physical beings - 'what you see is what you get' - there is a growing body of evidence which shows that the age-old eastern healing traditions (Ayurveda, Acupuncture and Chinese medicine) were right all along - we are beings of energy which infuses and makes up the body and the mind.
Our minds are very powerful.
Sayings such as 'Mind over Matter' were coined for a reason.
Indian Ayurvedic practitioners are baffled by the severity and number of women in the west who are out of touch with their menstrual cycle, present with cysts, PMS, fibroids, endometriosis and other hormonal complications.
Isolation and Separation We also have a tendency to view each body system as a separate entity from the rest of the body.
We hear people say things like 'oh she has a heart problem' or 'he suffers from migraines'.
However what we tend to forget is that the same blood circulates through all of your organs and systems, the same nervous system enervates your whole body.
We can not isolate one organ or system from the rest and say the problem is there therefore we must only treat that area.
You are what you eat - Literally The food that you eat gets broken down into individual macro and micro-nutrients - protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
These are the building blocks of your body - the bricks and mortar for cell and tissue growth and repair which takes place every day.
If you eat food that's processed, microwaved, laden with trans fats, saturated fats, artificial flavorings, colorings and sweeteners you can't expect to build a durable and healthy body.
These substances are so far removed from food's natural state that not only is it useless to the body but it's also very harmful, leaving you prone to chronic diseases, cancer and infertility.
Chemical overload Chemicals with unpronounceable names (dis)grace the packaging of majority of cleaning and body care products in the supermarkets and chemists.
These substances have been shown to be disruptive to your hormones and damaging to your fertility.
Yet people are fully unaware of this as they slip and slop body lotions, face creams, body scrubs, or inhale copious amounts of dangerous vapors emitted from the cleaning solutions.
Radiation Laptops, mobile phones, TV, microwaves, air travel, power stations, mobile phone towers, power lines - all emit radiation shown to have negative effects of the rapidly dividing egg and sperm cells and the embryo.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of your pc? Or on the phone? Do you use a microwave? Do you live near a power station? Artificial light Did you know that the word 'menses' comes from the Greek word for moon? Women's menstrual cycles coincide with the lunar cycles - new moon, first quarter, full, last quarter, no moon - corresponds to the journey of the follicle.
First, the follicle is developing (new moon - not fertile) and growing (first quarter - fertility increases) until it reaches maturity and is ready to be released with ovulation (full - most fertile), if not fertilized the egg is reabsorbed after 12-24 hours and the lining of the uterus begins to shed (last quarter), two weeks after ovulation menstruation starts (no moon).
The amount of light we get exposed to orchestrates the levels of hormones in our body, including estrogen and progesterone.
In the past women's cycles used to be in-sync with the moon, these days they are all but in-sync with the natural cycles for most women.
What do I need to do to get pregnant? 1.
Detox your diet and environment from fertility robbing substances and foods and replace them with fertility boosting and environmentally friendly ones.
2.
Eat nutrient dense and calorie poor food - fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
3.
Learn how to time your most fertile time - your egg only lives for 12-24 hours.
If you don't know exactly when that window of opportunity is you are very likely to miss it.
4.
Get involved in a some form of creative expression.
Pregnancy is a creative process.
What were your hobbies or aspirations as a child? Do you like to sing, write, paint, cook or dance? Find out what it is and awaken your creativity again.
5.
Go to bed early and wake up early.
Limit your exposure to TV, PC and artificial light at night.
Try to get more in touch with nature.
6.
Eat microalgae and medicinal mushrooms such as Shitake and Reishi.
They have been shown to absorb some of the radiation we get exposed to on daily basis.
Limit your mobile phone use and stop using microwaves.
7.
Start a mind-body practice such as yoga or Thai-chi or meditation.
This will put you back in touch with your true nature.
We feel strong and empowered when we are in touch with ourselves.
Picture a hurricane; on the inside the eye of the hurricane is still and silent while the body is powerful, traveling at a great speed.
You too can learn to find that inner core which will provide you peace and clam while faced with the storms of life.