WHAT IS PRECONCEPTION WORK?!
The time BEFORE conceiving is quite a powerful time. To be in communication with our bodies in a different way, to find oneself daydreaming about baby names and researching baby carriers. For Google to catch on and start advertising to us baby formulas and wildly expensive newborn onesies. Some people feel connected to a particular spirit baby that is guiding them through the process, others just feel deeply a yearning to be pregnant and to be a parent.
An enormous part of the preconception process is the emotional work that we can do.
The other part, of course, is the physical work.
I offer preconception sessions with clients where we can integrate both.
EMOTIONAL WORK:
Are you in a place right now where you are ready to become a parent? Are you able to support a new life? Do you have the support you need to become a parent? This includes financial, emotional, relationships…I do believe if these things are not in alignment, our babies may try to get them to be while we are on our preconception journeys by making it very clear where we need to set and hold boundaries, and how we are sharing our energy. If something or someone is not serving us, it usually becomes obvious that it needs to go.
For some families, whatever the path they thought would “work” is not working. They may have seen an OB and had bloodwork that came back “fine” but still…they are not getting pregnant. Sometimes it takes longer than expected. Sometimes we need to ask for help. And for a lot of us, this is really hard to do.
The emotional work varies with each person, but I do believe whatever we are experiencing emotionally does impact our physical reality and overall health.
“We learn to repress what is not welcome. These emotions get stuck in our body, they become cellular memories; they are stored as body sensations and emotions, feelings and blockages in the body, and can even make you physically sick if you don’t deal with the emotions. The deepest repressed stuff we store in the womb; that is the place where the deepest emotions live.” - Ulrike Remlein
PHYSICAL WORK:
Pelvic alignment - where a uterus is matters. How the pelvic bowl is supported matters. Physical pelvic-focused bodywork is focused on bringing healing on the spiritual and physical levels to the pelvic bowl and the accompanying organs, ligaments, tissues and energy stored there. Improving circulation, lymphatic flow and the physical position of the organs in the pelvis all can support conception and a healthy menstrual cycle. See my blog posts about bodywork to learn more!
How are cycles?
In the women’s health world, we consider a woman’s menstrual cycle to be an extreme revealing representation for how her health is doing.
How are her cycles? Are they consistent? Are they around the same amount of days each month? Are they heavy? Bright red? Any clots? Cramping? Irritability? What does she use to tend to herself during this time? Ibuprofen? Chocolate? A TENS Unit? There is a wide variability in what a cycle might look like for each woman, but in general, painless, bright-red bleeding that happens every 28 days-ish is indicative of a healthy hormonal landscape. So, if a client is not cycling like this, we tend to that.
I may include herbal supplements in the forms of tea, tinctures or flower essence blends. I will certainly offer some bodywork as well.
Herbs and supplements -
I find clients are often surprised to hear that the efficacy of prenatal vitamins is at its highest during the three months PRIOR to conception- and that mostly the initial development or growing of a baby is pulling from our body’s resources from before a pregnancy begins.
If someone has been on the birth control pill for years, I would definitely recommend beginning to replenish what those pills stripped one’s body of (Vitamins B, C, E, Magnesium, Selenium and Zinc)…!
FOOD is our most easily and efficiently digested form of nourishment, so I recommend prioritizing eating well in the pre-conception period.
Reducing alcohol intake and the consumption of refined vegetable oils is a great start. So is focusing on well-sourced whole-foods, like grass fed butter or ghee (amazing sources of Vitamins A, D, E and K…all superstars when growing and sustaining new life) coconuts, good quality olive oil…all support our immune systems, help to balance hormones and circulation within our beings.
Protein, and with every meal, will help keep blood sugar levels stable and ensure that your system is getting ENOUGH to grow. We talk about this a lot during pregnancy, so preconception is a great time to learn: what feels good in your body? What doesn’t? What does it feel like to have enough calories? Enough food? What does it feel like to not? You know your body the best, so experiment with different foods (meats, eggs, beans, organs, nuts, lentils…etc.) and see what works.
I’ll do another blog post on foods one day…I am very passionate about fueling our bodies with good quality nourishing foods.
Here are some really Wonderful resources:
Awakening Fertility: by Heng Ou
My Preconception Flower Essence Blend- sold on my website!
A spirit baby reading with Sarah Naia Soleil
Taking Charge of Your Fertility- Toni Weschler - a wonderful resource for being more aware of our body’s fertility signs and messages
I can offer much of this work virtually too, if you or someone you know might resonate- please be in touch!
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