‘Tis the season
As the holiday season is now upon us, a blend of excitement and apprehension fills the air. Thoughts of festive gatherings, reunions with family and friends, and the promise of cherished moments await. However, for those navigating the path of fertility and conception, this time of year can bring a unique set of emotions and challenges, adding a layer of complexity to the traditional holiday hustle and bustle.
The season is a tapestry woven with the threads of joy and celebration, yet it can also be woven with threads of uncertainty and stress. The pressures of social expectations, well-intentioned curiosity about family plans, and the anxiety surrounding potential pregnancy announcements can create emotional strain.
The delicate dance between the desire for celebration and the need for self-care requires a mindful approach, and that doesn’t always come easy—a commitment to embracing the magic of the season while safeguarding one’s emotional and physical well-being.
Our team have crafted this guide to help you navigate the intricacies of this festive time, offering insights on reducing stress, maintaining focus on fertility health goals, and savouring the joy of the season without compromising the hard-earned progress you’ve achieved. If we could gift you anything this Christmas it would be the ability to create space for celebrations whilst truly caring for yourself and nurturing your wellbeing. We hope that the following words of advice will go some way in helping you achieve that space for yourself:
Positive self-talk
Let’s be honest. We all talk to ourselves. Sometimes, we talk out loud, but usually, we do it in our heads. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “everything will be OK”) or negative (“I’ll never get better” or “I’ll never get pregnant”). Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk can help you calm down and manage stress. With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones. For example:
- Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” say, “I’ll do the best I can. I’ve got this.”
- Instead of saying, “I hate it when this happens,” say, “I know how to deal with this – I’ve done it before.”
- Instead of saying, “I feel helpless and alone,” say, “I can reach out and get help if I need it.”
- Instead of saying, “I can’t believe I screwed up,” say, “I’m human, and we all make mistakes. I can fix it.”
- Instead of saying, “It’s wrong to feel like this,” say, ‘It’s normal to have these feelings, I acknowledge them and let them go”
- Instead of “I ate chocolate for lunch, now there’s no point eating healthy for the rest of the day/week’, say, “I enjoyed chocolate for lunch, that’s ok, my next meal is my next chance to get more nutrients into my body”
Maintain helpful nutrition practices without overthinking
Focus on nurturing your body with simple yet impactful habits that are easily maintained, even in amongst all the festivities. Aim for three balanced meals a day, enriched with a variety of vegetables and fruits, giving you the flexibility for a festive treat or two in between without straying from your wellness goals. Think about realistic balance and not restriction or joyless rules.
Don’t forget the power of hydration. Ensure you drink plenty of water and treat yourself to a nutrient-packed ‘Super Smoothie’—blend half a banana, a cup of frozen berries, a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds, a handful of spinach leaves, and a pinch of cinnamon with water, almond, or coconut milk; a delicious and fertility-friendly option. If you indulge in alcoholic beverages, balance it out with glasses of water or explore festive non-alcoholic alternatives like kombucha or non-alcoholic beers and gins.
Tune into your body’s cues and distinguish between stomach and mouth hunger. If you’re not truly hungry, give your body a break. Providing your body with the rest it deserves by spacing meals 4-5 hours apart and embracing a 12-hour overnight fast will support your digestive system. For example, if your evening meal extends into the night, consider starting your next day’s breakfast a bit later, and when you do eat, savour each bite mindfully.
Protect your boundaries
Safeguarding your boundaries is crucial during the Christmas season, whether you’re on a journey to conceive or simply seeking a peaceful break. Embrace a firm “NO” to anything that doesn’t resonate with your desires. Decline invitations or visits that you’re not keen on, and prioritize activities that genuinely make you happy. Remember, you’re not obligated to spend time with family if it doesn’t bring you joy. Allow yourself the freedom to rest and not succumb to the chaos of the season. Always know that you have the power to change your mind at any time. This Christmas, prioritise self-care, put yourself first, and assert your autonomy over your choices. Sometimes, especially during the holiday season, it can be challenging to remember this simple truth.
Practice Breathwork
Aim to block out a portion of each day over the festive season, even if just 10 minutes, where you can sit quietly and take some deep breaths. Deep breathing, especially when the out-breath is longer than the in-breath, helps to place the body in a position of safe calmness, what’s known as the ‘rest and digest’ phase. It is in this phase when the body feels most at balance and can thrive. Even if your diary is jam-packed, you will be able to find 10 minutes of calm and may benefit greatly from prioritizing that time for yourself. Follow this simple practice, and you may emerge feeling in a much more peaceful state than when you started.
3–4–5 Breath
Breathe in for three seconds, hold for four seconds and breathe out for five seconds. When your out-breath is longer than your in-breath, you reduce the activation of your stress state and encourage your body to move into a thrive state. You can do a few rounds of this breath or extend it to take five to ten minutes. Listen to your body and see what works for you.
Keep your feet warm
Christmas can be such a manic rush, but don’t forget to make some time for yourself, pop your feet up and snuggle on the sofa with a nice blanket or a hot water bottle. Not only will this do wonders for your soul, but it can also support your fertility!
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is thought that warm feet are associated with better blood flow to the pelvic area, creating a ‘warm’, more fertile uterus. Chinese medicine is by no means my speciality, but I love this association between warmth and fertility, and from a scientific point of view, it makes absolute sense. Cold temperatures, or being cold, cause our blood vessels to constrict, resulting in reduced blood flow throughout the body (think cold hands and feet!), and that includes blood flow to the uterus.
When trying to concevie, good blood flow to the uterus is critical because we want to make sure that all the important nutrients reach their destination in order to help prepare the uterus for pregnancy. So do yourself a favour this festive season and plan some ‘me time’ to warm your feet and relax. Is it too late to put some cosy new slippers on the wish list!?
Achieving the balance between festive celebrations and fertility goals required mindfulness, resilience, and a commitment to wellbeing.
Ultimately, we encourage you to put yourself first and treat yourself as you would a friend or loved one – with extra care and very well-deserved support.
And don’t forget why this is important. The essence of the Christmas period lies not only in the external festivities but also in your internal moments of self-love and reflection. Whether you found solace and relaxation in quiet moments or breathwork, you master the art of planning amidst the chaos or discover the simple and empowering art of saying NO, every single step taken contributes to the tapestry of your health and well-being, and you deserve that very, very much.
Merry Christmas! We are thinking of you always and wish you all the best for 2024.
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