In the United States alone, more than 5 million people of childbearing age are struggling with infertility. That’s larger than the population of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Cincinnati combined. That’s one in every eight couples. That’s a LOT of people. Sure, there are the fertile Myrtle’s of the world who can’t even flirt with their husband without getting pregnant. And yet the World Health Organization predicts that infertility will be the third most serious health condition after cancer and cardiovascular disease in the 21st century.
This growing crisis became a professional focus for me 19 years ago when I met Beth Heller and Tami Quinn, two fertility patients who’d pioneered the multi-disciplinary holistic fertility center, Pulling Down the Moon. Since that partnership began, I’ve worked with thousands of women and couples trying to conceive (naturally as well as through medically assisted means). I used massage, myofascial release, and lymphatic drainage to unlock tension and scar tissue in the abdomen, promote organ alignment, increase pelvic bloodflow, help the body to detoxify, and oxygenate the reproductive organs. Though education about fertility massage was limited in the early days, the clinical monitoring my clients were undergoing allowed immediate access to results-driven data. This ultimately led to a nationally recognized approach to fertility massage, and a Pioneer Award from the American Massage Therapy Association.
Though I loved working hands-on with my clients, I also prioritized building a mental database of fertility struggles and solutions, lifestyle factors, and nutritional approaches (since I had access to the experiences of thousands at my fingertips). And so my career took on two aspects: hands-on bodywork and insight-led counseling. And when I found myself facing my own fertility challenges, the quest to dig deep for answers went from a passion to an obsession. My compassion and empathy for what my clients were going through reached new levels. I’d heard that the grief levels of those experiencing infertility rival the grief levels of cancer patients - and yet no one seemed to talk about it. But this very privateness compounds the grief – because in addition to all the doubts, fears, marital stress, financial stress, questions of self worth and insecurities, it’s easy to feel so very, very alone.
I’ve watched the fertility crisis grow through a lack of awareness, discussion, and support - I know from my own journey that there is a huge void of information and accessible solutions. That’s what prompted me to create A Path to Pregnancy: 14 Day Fertility Prep, an at-home holistic fertility program that combines powerful hands-on self-care techniques, a food-based and supplement supported dietary detox, and articles to raise your fertility IQ. It is my prayer that this program can fill the fertility void by empowering couples to take control of their fertility challenges, both in their own lifestyles and in more educated conversations with their doctors.
You are not alone, and you don’t have to give in to doubt. There are millions of others who have faced the hardest of struggles, but ultimately found their happy ending. Nothing compares to the love a parent has for their child. And nothing comes close to the passion of a parent who has fought for that child.
Want to learn more about our 14 Day Fertility Prep Program? Join me and co-founder of Pulling Down the Moon Beth Heller for a webinar where we talk about the program and how it can holistically help with your fertility journey.
Monday, February 13, 6pm
healthwebinar.live