The #1 Cause of Infertility & How I Overcame My Own Fertility Issues

Last updated on May 24th, 2019 at 04:44 pm

Infertility

This is a story that I’ve never told, or put to words for the public until today. Yes, I’m a very proud mother of two beautiful children and a mommy blogger that talks about my pregnancy journey and shares advice for new mothers on their way. But what I haven’t yet told you is it wasn’t always this way. Believe it or not, I have struggled with infertility for many years leading up to my first pregnancy. It has been hard for me to admit for many years, but I realize now that there is absolutely no shame in discussing this, as many of you may be struggling yourself. My husband and I for several years were trying like bunnies to get pregnant, but no matter our efforts, nothing ever came of it. I was living this life for years, miserable, alone, creating problems in my marriage all because I wanted a baby that I could never seem to have. But one day I woke up and realized that I was the issue.

The reason for today’s blog post is because we are opening up on mybabycare and we are going to be sharing more stories on fertility and infertility. I have struggled with fertility issues before and as you will read below, someone very close to my heart is aswell. And the more that you seek to find advice on the internet, it doesn’t take long to find out that there is thousands (if not millions) of parents worldwide that are not only going through infertility, but feel exactly the same way as you. Hence, we are spreading our wings here at mybabycare and we are now excited to include a new fertility section on on our blog to address an issue that I know first hand, is so incredibly frustrating and emotionally draining for both yourself and your partner.

Not only will we be talking about infertility, but we will be talking about fertility in general, aswell as sharing different experiences of couples trying to conceive (TTC), the delightful news of baby and pregnancy announcements, aswell as pregnancy updates, doctor appointments and weekly pregnancy appointments.

Why?

Like I mentioned above, the reason I bring up this topic today is because my very own baby sister (bless her heart) is going through the exact same thing I did. All she’s ever wanted since she was little was to be a mother, and she has given up hope of it ever happening because of several failed attempts. But ladies, what we all need to realize is that there is hope. And sometimes, the problem is a lot simpler than what we think, and has a lot to do with our own personal choices everyday.

anunciar-embarazoOne huge motivator to me that helped me stay hopeful throughout my struggle was reading about in-fertility blogs. Blogs of women going through exactly what I was going through. As I am trying to help out my sister at the moment, I’m encouraging her to do the same. One incredibly awesome blog is, Waiting For Baby Bird.  The reason I adore this page so much is because of the incredibly thorough and heart-touching articles that not only help to teach about the steps of becoming a mother (which includes struggling with infertility), but Elisah also helps teach you to overcome the struggles you may face along the way and remain hopeful for the future. Her post, Infertility and Miscarriage: A Letter To My Husband deeply touched my heart and helps you realize you are not alone in your struggle. She captured the very essence of everything I was feeling, and what I went through emotionally with my husband when we couldn’t get pregnant. Her honestly and openness on her own infertility is currently helping my sister feel strong again and hopeful for her future baby that she is building up the confidence to know it will come, in it’s own time. I recommend her page to anyone feeling hopeless and lost on their pregnancy journey.

Change Your Life

Something else I feel the need to mention that was told to me by my doctor, is that your diet, stress levels, and lifestyle can be a contributor to infertility (crazy, right?). Looking back now, I believe a leading cause to my infertility was not only all the stress I was carrying from my day job and everyday life, but also the stress of not being able to get pregnant. When I was trying for my first baby, thinking about that baby was all I could do night and day, and my whole world was beginning to revolve around it. Little did I know this is one of the things that was causing me such destruction internally. My little sister is another example. She is a very petite and skinny girl who doesn’t have too much weight on her body. The doctors have told her that she needs to work on getting healthier, eating healthier, and gaining more weight before her body will allow her to carry a child. It has become quite apparent to me that there’s so many simple little things in everyday life that we can do to help ourselves become more likely to have a baby. 

Pre-Natal Vitamins

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Of course, we all know that to fall pregnant and help our fertility journey, there is pre-natal vitamins we should be taking. Most of us are quite familiar with prenatal vitamins. I personally used “Mama Bird”, that costs only $30 and are very excellent for helping you conceive and that give your body extra nourishment to increase fertility. There is literally endless number of brands available that generally all include the same thing. If you are unsure, always consult your doctor before taking anything. As I read about below, it’s not always a good idea to just be taking any supplements prior and during pregnancy.

What Vitamins Are Dangerous

There is however, ‘supplements’ you need to look out for that are not so good for assisting your fertility that many of us don’t know about. It wasn’t until I started looking into infertility a little more to help my sister out recently, I came across Plateful Health that I have recommended to my sister and also any of you that really need to get a ‘health check-up’. Vivian is a health coach and if you read through her blog, she actually shares very practical health, diet and lifestyle information. This information is not focused on fertility, but what you need to be aware of is that in order to increase your fertility you need to be looking after your body the best you can through a healthy diet and lifestyle. I don’t believe there is a one size fits all when it comes to fertility, hence those ‘fertility diet’s that people talk about. Everyone is different, hence if you are ensuring that you are the healthiest you possibility can be, you are giving yourself the best chance to support a little life. One in-particular blog post of Vivian’s that caught my attention (as I think one of my children may an allergy), but more so, she mentioned about Vitamin A and pregnancy. As soon as I read about this, I warned my sister to ensure Vitamin A was not included in any multi-vitamins she was taking. It’s easy to overlook certain vitamins if you take a multi-vitamin, any supplements that you are currently taking – always get them checked by a doctor.

Usually quite healthy for women, when pregnant it has been proven to cause many different kinds of birth defects. While I have not experienced this myself, I do have a couple friends of mine who have warned me about this from their pregnancies — so be careful ladies! Vitamin E is another example. While healthy otherwise, trust me when I say, when you are pregnant, it is best not to take this vitamin because it can cause you a lot of severe pain. I speak from experience when I say taking Vitamin E with my first baby caused me a dangerously huge increase in abdominal pain. Telling my doctor this, she recommended not to take it anymore because it can actually cause premature rupture! Yikes! 

Make sure you always do your research before you begin taking any vitamins or supplements as they may have a completely different effect of you when pregnant than when you are not! 

Overall, there is many ways you can help to increase your fertility. You just have to remember that properly taking care of yourself is the first step and more important factor when it comes to pregnancy. Remember to stay hopeful, as it took me 2 and a half years, nearly 3 years to finally get pregnant! If I can do it after all that time, so can you, and in the end, the arrival of your little sweetheart will make all the waiting worth it!

Anna About Anna

Hi Moms and Dads, Anna here and welcome. I'm a relatively young mom, in my early 30's and my husband and I have 2 young (and incredibly cheeky) children. With my first child, I was confused about absolutely anything that had 'baby' written on it. I felt flustered and overwhelmed. For some Moms I believe it comes naturally, for others it takes a bit of work and patience, and the latter was me. With my second child, all those first round nervous flusters were gone and I approached everything ease, although I do admit, in between 2 children, baby products and my needs and wants had changed and in the baby/infant world, things change very quick and products that were suggested a few years back are now out of date, recalled or just not suitable no more. So it's not only your little bub that grows; products change and the needs and wants of your baby and you change also.

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