One of my favorite ways to unwind and improve my health at the same time is by utilizing detox baths.
Part self care, part HEALTH care - detoxing your body from toxins and ‘yuck’ during whatever healing journey you’re on is an easy, cheap, relaxing way to help the healing process move along.
Think about it: if your body is all gunked up with toxins (official terminology there! ;) ), die off from dis-ease fighting, damaged/dead cells, heavy metals, chemicals, etc,. It's a LOT for a body to keep up on! Especially if your also focused on healing infertility and getting pregnant!
The components of a detox bath can offer additional healing properties beyond just drawing toxins out of your pores.
They can:
*Reduce inflammation
*Provide key mineral nutrition that is hard to get through food
*Balance the pH of your body (necessary for maximum health!)
*Improve immune function...and more!
Here’s a simple Base Recipe for an EXCELLENT detox bath!
Don’t like soaking in the tub? Cut ingredients in half and do a foot soak instead!
1c Epsom salts - a source of Magnesium and other key minerals for your body; hugely helpful detoxer. Yes, you can absorb that goodness through your skin!
1/4c Apple Cider vinegar - helps with inflammation, and helps you sweat out impurities
1/2c Bentonite clay - pH reducer - a good thing!, pulls toxins, heavy metals, and waste
1/4c Baking Soda
4-6 Drops of Essential oils of your choice - for added relaxation, healing, and detoxing benefits (make sure they're labeled for topical use!!!!)
Epsom Salt Made up of magnesium and sulfate, Epsom salts help your body absorb key minerals and draw out toxins. They can also reduce inflammation, improve heart health, and help relieve muscle pain and soreness.
Apple cider vinegar is an effective and natural way to detox your body. When added to a detox bath, it helps reduce inflammation, balance the pH of your body and draw out toxins from the pores of the skin. It can help improve immune function, cleanse the skin, and aid in digestion. Additionally, it's high in antioxidants which provide additional health benefits for your body. Apple cider vinegar is also known for its therapeutic properties and can help reduce stress and relax the mind and body.
Bentonite Clay is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. It's a natural clay that has been used for centuries to help draw out toxins from the body. Bentonite clay is made up of aged volcanic ash that has been exposed to seawater. It absorbs toxins, heavy metals, and waste from the body while also providing essential minerals like calcium and magnesium. Bentonite clay is an alkaline substance which helps to balance the pH levels in your body, making it easier for your body to heal itself.
Baking Soda helps with pH balance, and can help reduce inflammation.
When combined, ingredients like Epsom salts, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils, bentonite clay can create a powerful detox bath that will help you relax while also helping your body rid itself of toxins. Not only does this combination help draw out impurities from your skin but it also helps reduce inflammation and improve immune function. If you’re looking for a way to relax and improve your health at the same time then consider adding a detox bath into your routine!
Want more info about how to boost and support your fertility naturally? Join my support community HERE
Sources
I think I have infertility. Now What? 8 First-Steps to Take | Parents
If you're struggling to conceive, here are eight first steps that can help you find answers and get started on treatment.
Read more...
Don't ASSUME these tests are done/ going to be done before your treatment. In SO many cases these tests are only done AFTER a failed procedure...which means heartbreak, time and money for you.
Speak up for yourself and get the BEST care you deserve.
(trigger warning loss)
Imagine having painful UTI symptoms for 2 years. Aside from the discomfort you have been bounced around from specialist to specialist only to be told in the end your pain is in your head…Until finally, finally! Someone listens to you. Not only does your new REI listen to you they validate that a test should have been done before you had 9 failed medicated cycles, 5 failed IUI’s and 3 miscarriages, all that potentially could have been prevented. You and your husband are each given a $10 antibiotic and the next cycle you’re pregnant with your second child. Fourteen months after that, with no medical intervention you’re pregnant with your third child. This test is urea plasma which sometimes the only symptom is infertility.
Imagine today is the day! Your embryos have been frozen and you are expecting a call from the clinic with the results. Except they never call you …and when you call they let you know both of your last two eggs have perished. You’re devastated and angry. Then the anger deepens when they then suggest a simple blood test. Six IUI’s and two IVF procedures and NOW they’re recommending a simple blood test that you assumed was done with the initial labs. Your husbands results are abnormal. Some, if not ALL of this could have been prevented. With on genetic test for balance translocation.
You are pregnant with twins! You're shocked, but so excited and happy! One morning at 13 weeks you wake up and feel off. You go to the bathroom and realize you’re bleeding. You’re miscarrying your twins. It happens, they say. Time passes and eventually the pain eases. You and your husband decide to try again. One day you get the positive test you’ve been hoping for. At your first appointment they let you know your hCG levels are high. High enough to be twins …again. You're terrified, excited and worried. Twins again, what are the odds? You pass the 13 week mark and then the 18 week mark you begin to relax. At 23 weeks you start bleeding again. You are admitted to the hospital to stop the bleeding and contractions but they can’t. You lose both babies at 23 weeks. While you're still in the hospital the doctors run some genetic screening tests and discover you have factor 5 leiden. A common blood clotting disorder. The babies could have been saved if you were on blood thinners, they say. Next time we’ll put you on blood thinners at the start of the pregnancy. But you are broken, and know there won’t be a next time.
Aside from balanced translocation disorder the other four tests are considered somewhat controversial which means that you as the paying patient may have to advocate for yourself to get the tests ordered. There is no clear answer as to why every REI doesn’t test for them. Each set their own protocol and some will tell you it’s unnecessary and sometimes invasive to perform these additional tests.
The fourth test I recommend having done prior to your first IVF is an extended thyroid panel (even if you're in the “normal” range) which includes not only TSH, TPO antibodies, Thyroglobulin antibodies, free t4, free t3, and ferritin. This will give you a better picture of your overall thyroid health. I also recommend to all my clients to find a previous thyroid level test to compare what their “normal” is to where they currently are. Ferritin stores are very important to pregnancy and are not part of routine testing.
The final test to protect your IVF investment is a blood test for natural killer cells. If the blood test comes back positive your doctor may perform a uterine biopsy.
These real life stories (some taken from Infertility Success, Stories of Help and Hope) might have turned out differently with testing for these conditions at the beginning of the infertility journey or after miscarriage loss. So many women assume (just like these women did) that their doctor/REI will test them for absolutely everything. However, as you can see from these stories, it’s simply NOT the case. Remember, just because a doctor tells you that they can’t help you doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant
We all know that the average age of a first time mom is increasing but what if that’s you? What can you do to prepare your body for pregnancy if your TTC after 35? Despite what friends and even your doctor may tell you, don't take a wait and see approach to your fertility after 35. While it’s true that more women than ever are getting pregnant after 35, it’s also true that more women (and men) than ever are experiencing infertility. While you don’t have to rush to see a fertility doctor you should start to actively establish what your fertility health is NOW and work on things in your control to improve it.
Establish if you’re reproductive system is healthy by getting basic physical and blood panel done, a hormone panel and an extended thyroid panel which includes
