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Talk of fertility clinics has been making headline news on a near daily basis in recent weeks. Sensational news stories such as the debates surrounding the “Octo-mom,” and the apparent build & customize your own baby ploy are stealing the spotlight and distracting people from the important, day to day issues surrounding infertility. Many women and couples struggle to have a baby, but why is infertility assumed to be the automatic culprit behind any delay in becoming pregnant? This is not to say that infertility is not a very real, and very heartbreaking issue that many people struggle with. However, in our increasingly technology-aided culture, where immediate gratification has become the norm, it seems that more and more women are turning to fertility clinics to solve their fertility problems before trying less invasive strategies. There are many natural solutions available for women to try to increase their fertility of their own accord, before visiting a fertility clinic.

Instead of our media culture’s fixation with the darker side of fertility clinics (aka Octo-mom), why can’t stories of how to understand a woman’s natural fertility cycle make national headlines? It is anxiety inducing for women who are trying in vain to become pregnant to hear numerous stories of other women who are unable to get pregnant. Business cards are exchanged offering the best doctors who can inject women with hormones and perform In vitro fertilization without first trying less invasive avenues.

Women should take into account that their stress levels, health and environment are major factors that influence their fertility. Oftentimes, women are perfectly healthy and fertile, but they are unable to get pregnant because they are not ‘doing the deed’ during the correct time of the month. The scare-tactics of grade school sex-ed classes foster the impression that a woman can get pregnant every time she has sex. This is simply not true. The truth is that there is only a 12-72 hour window every month in which a woman is able to conceive. If you are not having sex during this 1-2 day ‘fertility window’ you are not going to get pregnant – no matter how many times you try. Seems obvious if you think about the biological details (the journey of the egg and all that), but surprisingly many women aren’t aware of when they are ovulating, and thus able to become pregnant.

If after a few months of trying to get pregnant, you are unsuccessful, do not automatically think that you must resort to fertility treatments. Reconnect with your body, attend local workshops, and educate yourself on the other options and possible factors influencing the state of your womb.

Here are 5 potential solutions to help you create a more fertile environment:

1. Stress reducing Activities (i.e. yoga, acupuncture, getting enough sleep, guided meditation) 2. Maya Abdominal Massage 3. Change of Diet 4. Reduction and Elimination of Environmental Irritants 5. Reconnecting with your fertility cycle

For more information on these techniques and areas of practice, contact your local practitioner or provider in that field. Some holistic OBGYN practices can provide you with a wonderful list of resources as well.

If you are in New York, on Wednesday, March 18th, Nurture New York will be holding a Fertility Awareness workshop given by Katinka Locascio, LMT, and CBP. The workshop will inform women about their fertility and teach them how to chart fertility signals and learn when they are fertile. For more information, click here. Admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door.