I have second guessed myself all week about writing this blog post.
It’s a personal subject, and I’ve been wondering whether I should go ‘there’. Or not. Plus, I can be a bit of a worry-wart, and I would hate to think that I am seen as being self-indulgent, or an over-sharer. Because that is so not my style at all.
My reason behind writing this post is a simple one. I hope, hope, hope that it might help someone. Either you, or someone you know. Now, or perhaps further down the track. I love that the blogosphere provides such an accessible platform to share information.
A blog post I read earlier this week was the catalyst that finally got me writing today. If you haven’t had the pleasure of discovering Amy Crawford from The Holistic Ingredient yet, please check her out. She is fabulous. And oh so incredibly inspiring.
Her blog post in question is entitled, ‘How to be your most fertile self.’
It is relevant to women of all ages. Not just those wanting to fall pregnant. Amy says in her introduction …
“Being fertile is a whole lot more than kids –
it’s about being at your optimum health.”
So much of Amy’s post resonated with me, which is why I stopped second guessing myself, took a big deep breath, pulled up my superhero-brave-girl-pants (on the outside, of course), and started writing …
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I am a long-standing advocate of alternative therapies. Since my early 30’s I have had great success using a variety of natural treatments to heal and manage a diverse assortment of different issues. Most notably, I can unreservedly credit a wonderful naturopath I was treated by with the arrival of our darling daughter Kate.
In traditional medical terms, Kate’s conception was ‘unassisted’. Meaning I didn’t undergo IVF treatment or use fertility drugs. I was very much assisted though, by a highly trained professional who prescribed me a carefully tailored blend of supplements and essences that balanced my hormones and prepared my body for pregnancy. She also insisted that I follow a fairly strict gluten free diet.
Having suffered through the physical and emotional pain of a miscarriage only weeks earlier, I must admit, I was a tad sceptical at first. I mean, I was very much the wrong side of 40. The odds of me falling pregnant again were not good. Right?
Within five short months, two little blue lines appeared on the pregnancy test.
I was pregnant. Naturally. At the grand old age of 42.
My faith in the abilities of professional naturopathy practitioners is therefore, understandably, very strong.
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I have already blogged about how 2013 was far from a stellar year for me (here). It was around October that I pretty much hit rock bottom, and a lovely friend of mine recommended a Melbourne-based naturopath to me.
There was no hesitation on my part. I contacted her straight away.
She tested my saliva and my urine for hormonal imbalances. My oestrogens and progesterone, and my serotonin and dopamine levels were checked (amongst many, many others). Via blood tests, my GP had already established that I’m not pre-menopausal just yet. The very precise saliva and urine test results confirmed this, but they still came back showing imbalances all over the place. No wonder I was feeling so hideously out of whack. No wonder I felt so miserable and I looked like such a mess.
No wonder.
I started taking my daily handful of hormone-targeting supplements on January 2nd. I felt no real change during the first week. Although I did notice that I was sleeping better than I had done in ages.
It was last week that I started to notice a tangible difference.
My skin seemed to clear up overnight. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I have been suffering with acne and rosacea quite badly since Kate was born. It’s been painful and very distressing. Particularly for someone who has never had to deal with it before, even as a teenager.
I also felt much less agitated and aggro. I felt so much more calm and better able to cope with, well, everything. My mood lifted. My stress levels dropped. I suddenly had more energy. I actually felt like smiling. Genuine smiles too. Not just because it was the polite thing to do.
The best way to describe it, I guess, is to say that I felt like me again.
Me. Not some miserable imposter my body was playing host to.
I cannot tell you the relief I felt. Such blissful, overwhelming relief.
A massive part of balancing my hormones also involves restoring my gut health. One of the comments in Amy Crawford’s post that resonated with me the most was this one …
“If we can figure out what our bodies are actually telling us, then we can treat
the root cause – which is most often gut health. i.e acne, period pain, irregular
menstrual cycles, PMS etc are all signs the body’s hormones are imbalanced.”
It’s not simply about swallowing a handful of naturopathic supplements each day either. It’s about making sure that I nourish myself with the right nutrients through the foods I eat. Whenever possible, it is whole foods and clean eating all the way for me now. Intuitively I have eliminated coffee, gluten, most dairy and refined sugars, and already I’m feeling so much better for it.
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I think it’s important that I point out that I am also working closely in conjunction with my GP. Along with the supplements, it is necessary for me to take a low dose hormone prescription medication as well at this stage, but I’m hoping that won’t be for long.
Since I turned the corner last week, I keep asking myself the same question. How many poor women are there out there who feel miserable and unhappy for no obvious reason? Women who are struggling to cope? Who feel agitated and aggro all the time? All because their hormones are dancing to the beat of a very different and wrong kind of drum. How many? I wonder how many relationships and marriages suffer unnecessarily because hormones are wreaking their insidious havoc? I honestly dread to think.
If you (or someone you know) is struggling with what you think might be hormonal issues, please get help from whichever type of practitioner you feel most comfortable with. I strongly recommend involving your GP too.
Because you don’t have to feel the way you do. You honestly don’t.
Have you had success with natural therapies in the past?
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