Issue #3: speaking my TRUTH
Head into the weekend with your FULL self!
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What makes a life–your life–fertile?
What words, feelings, and ideas come to mind when you sit with this question?
As we head into National Infertility Awareness Week (April 21st-27th) our thoughts are with those who have or are struggling with infertility, miscarriage, or loss. Whether looking to grow your family, grieving loss, or feeling stuck in your ability to produce or conceive in other ways in your life, how might we connect to small things that bring us joy and fulfillment and inspire the feelings of abundance and fertility?
This week’s Five Senses Friday is from Alaska Fresh owner, Adra!
TASTE: Salmon for Fertility. I’ve been eating a lot of salmon- clearing salmon out of the freezer to get ready for the summer catch. I know I need more protein and the health benefits are innumerable: detox, strength, brain fog, heart health, energy... It was one of the staple foods I could eat when I completely detoxed from sugar, soy, gluten, alcohol, caffeine, dairy while preparing for IVF. Here’s a chat I had with my fertility coach, Rachel Bolton, about wild salmon and fertility.
SEE: #Mushroomporn. I am so excited for mushroom season. They are beautiful, unique, mysterious, playful, fleeting. Pretty much my whole Instagram feed is full of mushrooms. It’s the most unexplored kingdom out of all 5. Mushrooms are more closely related to humans than plants! I unknowingly got really into foraging while I was dealing with infertility and depression. Foraging, hiking, drawing, collecting, identifying took me out of myself and into the woods. It’s a wonderfully therapeutic hobby.
SMELL: Carolina Herrera Good Girl Perfume. It’s been about 20 years since I’ve worn perfume and I am feeling sexy, alive, clean, energized. It’s good for my soul. I bought a set b/c I was getting overwhelmed smelling all the testers at the store and this one is the winner. I’m almost out and I’m committing to the big bottle!
HEAR: Origins by Tennis. I’ve been playing Origins by Tennis on repeat for the past month. Getting ready for the day, night on the town, a drive, pump up, depressed, work out. Covers the whole gamut for me. I’m really into creating a radio station on Spotify from whatever song I’m into in the moment. Click the three dots to the right of the song and click ‘Go to song radio.’ This is how I find new music.
TOUCH: Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. 16 months after giving birth I am getting pelvic floor physical therapy. I had a 29-hour labor with a 2nd degree tear. I knew there was work to be done to get back to feeling better (I won’t say “normal” bc there is a new normal now) but I had no idea how much tension I was holding in my root chakra/pelvic floor/nether region. It’s seriously amazing what it’s done. I wish all women, regardless of giving birth or not, had pelvic floor PT at some point in their lives. Countries like France have post-partum PT included in their after-birth rehabilitation program. We need to get to a point in the US where this is routine because this is absolutely 100% necessary and not only helped me physically but mentally.
we are GRATEFUL to share support this season with
Dr Ellen Hayes and her dedicated team are on a mission to transform fertility and family-building care, making it more accessible, intuitive, and empowering – for all. With over 15 years of experience and countless success stories, Dr Ellen Hayes and the Kindbody Milwaukee team are dedicated to assisting patients facing fertility challenges and are thrilled to offer the latest technology and techniques within their new state-of-the-art IVF lab in the heart of downtown Milwaukee!
Season 6 of the INTERWOVXN podcast arrives in May! Intimacy + Sexual Health.
Exploring pelvic floor health, reestablishing a connection with our bodies, embracing our sensuality and sexuality as we age, and engaging in conversations with our partners and children about relationships and sexual well-being are integral aspects of our journey towards personal wellness. Join us this coming season as we connect with experts and women to discuss the ways in which intimacy and sexual wellness can promote overall well-being and bring us closer to ourselves.
Until then, catch up on episodes you missed on our website, here on Substack, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
my (rebecca) WIN: speaking my truth
(even when it may not be a win for the rest of my family)
We lost our dog, Tucker, this past summer. He was 12 and we are still getting used to our home without him. A little background…my husband and I have been together for 18 years and have had a dog (three different ones) over the course of those years. After putting our second dog (the first one we got together) down unexpectedly, we decided that we were going to wait to get another dog. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t imagine another dog taking Bear’s place and my focus was elsewhere… we were trying to start a family and it wasn’t happening.
Fast forward a few months and my well-intentioned husband, encouraged by my mom, presented me with a puppy for my birthday. He realized pretty quickly that this was maybe not the gift that he envisioned. Neither of us had ever had a puppy of our own. Tucker was adorable but a challenging beast with razor sharp teeth. He eventually settled into himself (thanks to training and getting his energy out at doggy daycare).
Six years later, our daughter finally arrived and for the 6 years following, it felt like our family was complete. Losing Tucker has left a void that we are all still processing. My husband and my daughter have been talking lately about wanting another dog. My husband missed the structure of the day and looked forward to his coffee and morning walk. My daughter is 6 and wants a pet of her own.
And then there is me. I want to want another dog, but the truth is right now…I don’t. And sitting with that is hard. The people pleaser in me is uncomfortable denying others what they want. I want to keep the peace, I want others to be happy and find their joy. But what if that takes away from mine?
The reality is that I work from home more which means feeling pulled between spending time with the dog and working (and I finally just got time back for myself with my daughter being in full-day school), I would be the one managing the food, and the vet, and the care when we go out of town. I feel like I am already at capacity and some days struggle to keep the balls in the air.
So this past week, I told them. We were out to dinner and told them that while I understand why they are wanting another dog that I am not at a place where I feel able to take that on. Maybe that will change, but maybe it won’t. My husband sat in silence for a bit. He was disappointed. But I am learning to sit with disappointment and know that tomorrow is a new day. My needs are important and I need to put on my face mask before I can take care of others.
SPRING ponderings…
SPRING CLEANING + RITUALS: Spring simmer pots. 5 things to organize in April for smooth sailing in spring and summer. A mindful spring practice of planting seeds. Spring skincare swaps.
FOOD we are EXCITED to try: 40 fresh & healthy spring recipes. Peachy spring mocktail with thyme and honey. New spring cookbooks for 2024.
SPRING + FERTILITY: Seeding your fertile ground: Why putting in the time is often worth it. Fertility-friendly spring frittata. Sunlight exposure linked to improved fertility outcomes, study finds.
And we leave you with…
our Fertile.Health WOVXN Wellness Guide + a special offer
Have a great weekend!
