Intentional Fertility

So…it’s been a good eight months since I last dropped by the blog for any length of time.

You may not realize this unless you are a blogger yourself, but writing blog posts is just one tiny, tiny piece of the puzzle of running a blog. It has been nice to let everything go on autopilot for these last few months.

I just felt like if I was going to take a break, then that break should be legit. A clean break from computer screens and self-inflicted deadlines. And that is exactly what this blog hiatus was all about.

Though I left you with a blog post about entering a season of rest, I have to be utterly honest with you… these past eight months haven’t just been relaxation for me. Rather, what used to be time spent working on Country Wife Chronicles quickly transitioned into time researching and implementing major lifestyle shifts in the name of #intentionalfertility.

These past eight months have been about change and growth, learning and knowledge. Wildland Man and I have completely overhauled our lives in a desperate attempt to find fertility.

Intentional Fertility

I believe God desires to make me a mama. So, my focus for the moment is my health and my fertility with the hopes of being able to conceive our very own miracle baby.

Wildland Man and I are still relying upon God to fulfill this desire of our hearts, but we feel it is important to do our own part in the process. God created me with this amazing body and brain. He gave me the ability to decipher information and make informed decisions concerning my health and wellbeing.

Yes, He created this amazing body…and though it doesn’t always quite work the way it was designed to, it can heal miraculously given the right circumstances and opportunities. So, I’m choosing to do what I can to get my body in tip-top shape for conception.

And in the meantime, I’m praying. Hard.

A Time for Change

I am hoping to make a more consistent showing here at Country Wife Chronicles in the coming months. After almost 9 months of taking on major lifestyle shifts I finally feel like I can keep my head above the water.  Dare I say, I finally feel like this is my new normal?

So, while I’ll beg you to not hold me to it, I do actually feel like I will have some allotted time that I can put energy back into CWC. But, I’m going to be honest with you; I’m not going for major commitment right now. I’m simply dipping my foot back in the waters of blogging, but my priority is still growing my family. And if this becomes too much to manage with all the other responsibilities I’ve taken upon myself to improve my health, I’m not afraid to take a step back again.

I believe God wants to use my story. I believe He wants me to share all that I’ve been learning and doing these past few months in an effort to help others struggling with infertility. But I don’t believe He wants me to do this at the expense of my own health and fertility.

So, here’s the deal, as I slowly make my return to CWC, I intend to share much of what Wildland Man and I’ve been doing during this blog hiatus to improve our chances for natural conception. When I stop to think about all of these changes and intentional actions we’ve been making, well, it is a lot.

To give you a quick synopsis of the changes we’ve been making in our household, here is a rundown of a few of our efforts, mainly the ones I can think of in this moment, towards what I’m dubbing #intentionalfertility:

• Cleansing our home of all things plastic. Which has consisted of purging, researching, ordering and replacing all plastic containers and food items with glass or stainless steel options.
• Improving our bath, beauty, and cleaning products in order to reduce our exposure to phthalates, parabens, and sodium laurel sulfates, among other things. This task requires more research and replacing, ditching some things all together, and even learning to make my own products in some cases. Not a small undertaking.
• Replacing any and all toxic cookware with their nontoxic equivalents. Again, more research, more comparing, more spending, and replacing.
• Shifting our meal plans and preparations to include more fertility super foods. This “little” change includes revising our current grocery list, saying no to little splurges I’d been allowing (goodbye coffee and chocolate 🙁 ), and placing more online orders with Amazon and Thrive Market when I can’t find replacements at our local grocery store.
• Boosting our water filtration system. We upgraded our Brita pitcher system with an under-the-counter drinking water system and we added a shower filter, too. Of course, this was a larger investment, so it required even more extensive research before installation.
• Upgrading our fabrics. We’ve replaced our vinyl shower curtain with a cloth one. And we changed out our sheets for nontoxic dyed organic cotton versions. The same with our mattress pad and pillow protectors.  And I even invested in some organic muslin facial cleansing cloths, as well as one set of organic bath towels for our bathroom. I’m hoping to eventually upgrade all of our towels to organic.
• Starting to make my own products. In choosing to make some of my own household cleaners and bath and beauty products I’ve had to research and invest in a few more essential oils, carrier oils, castile soaps, glass bottles, and storage containers. Did you know people actually go to school to create their own all-natural, non-toxic skincare lines? And I’m attempting to learn it all on my own…I’ll just blame this on my over-achiever complex.
• Upgrading our bug repellant and sunscreen with all-natural options. We live in the great state of Louisiana. Mosquitos exist year-round down in these parts. I didn’t realize the toxins I was putting on, almost daily, with my use of sunscreen and bug spray. I considered making my own concoctions, but alas, I discovered Badger Balm!
• Overhauling our already anti-inflammatory diet to be even more fertility friendly. We are also trying to increase our green veggie intake by drinking a daily (well, almost daily) fertility smoothie, and adding in fertility boosting seeds and nuts, herbal tea, seaweed, bone broth, kraut, and an avocado on a regular basis. We are currently adhering to the Whole30 approach as our foundation for meal planning with a few of these fertility booster additions.
• Trying to be more consistent with my daily supplements. I sometimes struggle getting all my prenatal supplements in, so I’m really making the effort to take everything and then some. I know it is easy to go overboard in this area, but if I’m going “all-in,” then I’m going “all-in.” In fact, not long after initiating my blog hiatus I started working with a functional nutritionist and chiropractor who took an even closer look through diagnostic testing and created a very specific supplement protocol for my body’s needs. I won’t lie, this customized approach has led to a bit of supplement overload and burn out on my end. More to come on this front in future blog posts…
• Adding in fertility-based practices and movement. I am implementing various practices to improve fertility, like fertility massage, lymphatic drainage massage, detox baths, daily walks, fertility yoga, conception meditation, and castor oil packs. I’m slowing down my exercise regimen and sleeping…a lot. I’m attempting to reduce stress, get a support system in place, and so much more.

Essentially, I’ve turned into a natural, holistic wanna-be-mama. And there is a lot for me to learn in that realm.

I’ve always been a country girl. I choose to live a simple life. And I’m certainly a fire wife. But now, I’m taking on a new passion—Intentional Fertility.

For those of you that have been here since the beginning, thanks for sticking around. For following my story through all the twists and turns that has led me to here. For checking back in after an 8 month hiatus. For rooting for Wildland Man and I’s vision of a family. For your prayers. Thank you.

Country Wife Chronicles is a blog that chronicles my life, the Country Wife, and while I innocently started this blog thinking my life would only ever consist of rural-living tips, simplicity seeking, and bonding with other fire wives, the good Lord had a different plan in mind. A plan of Intentional Fertility that I never saw coming.

I hope that you’ll stick around for more from me in the future here on Country Wife Chronicles, but I need to be honest with you. I see a directional shift in CWC’s future—one that aligns with my current priorities. I would love to have you stick around and be a part of this Intentional Fertility movement. 

But I also get it if that’s just not your thing, or if you find yourself in a very different season of life right now.

My life is Intentional Fertility now. This is my story. For His glory.

Oh, and to those of you who are newbies around the blog, I welcome you to this community. I hope to be sharing more soon about our Intentional Fertility journey, giving you a sneak peek into our lives at the moment and what we’ve tried, what we’ve liked, and what is or isn’t working for us these days. 

I’ve done all the homework, and I want to share what I now know with you, too. I’m no expert, but I can tell you what has worked for me. I can share my favorite tips and techniques. And if you are just starting this infertility journey and searching for hope in the hardship and a place to start, it is my goal to do my best to help you find that starting place. To walk you through the transitions of this valley as gently as possible.

There is simply so much more to come…

In the waiting, Be Still and Know…