So you’ve been working on growing your family yet it isn’t quite happening as fast as you thought. You’ve gone to visit your doctor and they think a round of Clomid will do the trick. Whether you’ve given it a try and it didn’t work or you are doing your own due diligence first, we have gathered the 12 things we recommend doing first before
Clomid is not a quick fix
It is easy to think of Clomid as a quick fix because doctors are fast to prescribe it and it is often much more affordable than other treatments. However, clomid has a laundry list of side effects. Some of these are nausea, bloating, breast tenderness, hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and headaches. Yet, more alarmingly, Clomid has been known to thin the lining of your uterus making it less ideal for implementation. Additionally, Clomid can decrease the quality of your cervical mucus which can dramatically impact how sperm move through your cervix and actually fertilize your egg. Clomid has also been known to increase pain in those struggling with endometriosis.
Where to start
Before starting Clomid or any other fertility treatment, we recommend doing these 12 things first for two reasons. First, taking these steps are likely to dramatically increase your chances of pregnancy success and second, if you don’t get pregnant from these, your body will be much more prepared to accept whichever treatments you choose to explore.
- Foundational Supplements - start by taking high quality supplements that will nourish your cells and allow your body to function optimally. We specifically recommend everyone start with 6 that have the biggest impact on your fertility, including one that supports nearly 800 processes in our bodies yet 85% of people are deficient in. These 6 are: prenatal/men’s multivitamin, omega-3, vitamins d3k2, probiotics, magnesium and CoQ10. Learn more behind the why on each in this podcast episode. Use LAUNCH15 to save 15% on our Fab For Life Naturals Fertility Collection.
- Fertility Diet - We know there are millions of suggestions on what you should and shouldn’t eat when trying to grow your family and even more when it doesn’t happen as easily as we hoped. However, most of them are not focused on you and your body! Start with our 5 day fertility diet challenge to learn not only which foods we see having the biggest impact but how you can easily feed yourself foods that will support your fertility.
- Semen Analysis - Many couples come to us only having tests done on the woman, yet fertility is 50/50. Oftentimes there is room for improvement with sperm health and nowadays there are very easy at home test kits like Give Legacy that provide insights on many missed healing opportunities.
- Basic Blood Chemistry - There is a good chance if you are being recommended Clomid that you have had some basic fertility testing done, but when was the last time you and your doctor looked at your full blood panel? Has your blood work ever been evaluated from a functional perspective? There are likely many missed healing opportunities in your blood work that not only will improve your chances of getting pregnant but also help you experience a healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Dig into why your blood markers matter and what you can do to improve them here.
- Improve Your Sleep - Did you know we need sleep more than we need food or water? Our bodies can survive fasting for far longer than they can go without sleep. However, in our hustle culture. We often are not prioritizing or getting good quality sleep. This is one of the very first foundational things we do with our couples, work on getting a full night’s sleep (8-10 hours) and making sure it is a sound a restful sleep.
- Drink Enough Water - Are you drinking enough water? Is it clean filtered water? Is it free from plastics? Ideally, we should be consuming 50-75% of your body weight in ounces every day to allow the best hydration and proper cell function. And, the quality of that water matters. If you are drinking out of plastic water bottles, stop and switch to a glass or stainless steel bottle. Are you drinking tap water? Switch to a filtered water option. We love using Berkey Water Filters but there are plenty of excellent options.
- Track more than your LH - Taking ovulation tests and tracking basal body temperature and pretty standard when trying to conceive. We encourage you to consider taking a different approach. Inito is an easy at home urine test that tests for LH, FSH, Estrogen, and Progesterone! These four different markers give you a much fuller picture on what is going on with your hormones. Learn more about how Inito could change your fertility journey here.
- Relationship with partner - Are you dating each other? How is your romance? Is your fertility taking a toll on your relationship? Trying to conceive can be challenging and the fun can easily fade as the months pass by and you are constantly watching your BBT and tracking ovulation. Take some time to love on your partnership and check out our many resources on intimacy, specifically love making vs baby making.
- Relationship with self - Are you prioritizing your self care? Are you practicing self love? How do you feel about your body? Not only is self care one of the best things you can do to improve your body's stress response, it also is an incredible practice as you become a parent. Children learn from what they see. Spend some time reflecting on what brings you the most joy and happiness and focus on adding more of that into your life. Consider reading this blog about why self care isn’t selfish at all.
- What Are Your Symptoms - How do you feel in your body? How do you respond to stress? Do you feel good after you eat? Is your sleep restful? Do you feel busy all the time? Take a moment to really be in your body and do a scan. From your head to your toes, how are you really feeling? Your body wants to let you know what it needs, but are you listening?
- Evaluate your mindset - Do you believe you will get pregnant? Do you believe you can get pregnant naturally? Do you believe you deserve this child? Many couples we work with don’t 100% trust in their bodies ability to grow a baby. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you believe? Henry Ford once said, “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” If this is you at all, listen to this podcast about how to trust that you can get pregnant and have your baby.
- What needs to change to make space for your baby - Many times when conception hasn’t come easily, we fill our time with other things to distract ourselves. This is often a protection mechanism. However, are you protecting yourself or telling yourself and the universe that you don’t have space for your baby right now? If you got pregnant today, what would you need to change? What would you want your ideal weekend to look like with your child? Instead of distracting yourself, start to build the life you want to raise them in! Show the universe and your child that you are making space for them, that you are ready for them to arrive!
Most of all, go with your gut! If you are reading this, chances are you are doing your due diligence to see if Clomid or another fertility medication is right for you and truthfully, you are the only one that holds that answer.
If you feel like you want to explore our approach more, check out our many free resources, including the Ultimate Guide To Getting Pregnant This Year With Low AMH/High FSH as well as what it looks like to work with us in our couple’s coaching program.
