Belinda Davis

5 Ways to boost your Fertility

Maybe you’ve been trying to fall pregnant for a while, or maybe you just want to get off on the right foot to begin with. Either way here are 5 simple things you can do right now to increase your fertility!

Sleep
How much sleep are you getting? Did you know the amount you sleep has a direct affect on your fertility!
In fact the same part of the brain that triggers your awake, sleep cycle is the part that triggers ovulation.
You guessed it, if you’ve been going without sleep for a while your fertility is most likely being affected.

One thing you can do to get enough sleep is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Aim for at least 8hrs of sleep everyday.

Food
Pretty simple yes, but you’d be surprised how many people are confused by what’s good for them!
I grew up watching my mum eat “low fat” and I can’t convert her!
The aim is to eat whole foods as close to natural as possible. So for example whole grain is better than wholemeal and wholemeal is better than white.

Here are 5 foods to include in your diet to boost your fertility.

Wild Salmon
Wild salmon is a cold water fish that is high in omega-3, a healthy fat that is the building block of hormones. It helps regulate hormones and is also great for memory and brain function. If you are not a fish eater you can also find omega-3 in flaxseed oil and walnuts.

Greek yogurt
Not the low fat kind either! Full fat Greek yogurt, not only does it have more calcium than milk, it also has vitamin D, which helps the follicles in your ovaries mature, the calcium also helps strengthen bones and teeth.
Plus the probiotics in the yogurt is great for your gut health!

Kale
This dark green superfood is packed full of all your prenatal nutrients such as calcium, iron and folate, which is essential for reducing your chances of birth defects. Kale is great to add to smoothies, cooked with a bit of garlic or toss it in your omelette!

Walnuts
All nuts are great but walnuts are the only nuts that have omega-3 in them. They are also packed with magnesium which helps produce progesterone and increases the supply of blood to your uterus.

Berries
Antioxidants baby! Blueberries in particular can protect your body from cell damage and aging. You know what else is a cell? Your eggs!
Berries are also low in sugar and are packed with vitamin C and folate.

Avocado
Did you know that avocado is the closest food in nutritional value to breastmilk? Crazy right! And they are great for fertility. In addition to having monounsaturated fatty acids (the good fats) they are also packed with folate, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants.

Exercise
Whether you're an avid athlete or a couch potato there are a few things you need to know.
Moderation is key!
Sedentary lifestyles and being overweight have been linked to infertility, so even if you just get outside for a 30 mins walk you will boost your fertility, plus you’ll be getting fresh air and vitamin D!!

Now to the other end of the scale, exercising too much can impact your reproductive system and stop ovulation. Especially if you are underweight.
Just dial your exercise back a touch and you’ll find your body will be under less stress and willing to cooperate more. If your BMI is under 18.5 your body stops “non essential functions” and your reproductive system is generally the first thing to get impacted. Aim to get your BMI back in to the healthy range of 18.5-24.9

Caffeine
Reduce your caffeine or even better cut it out! I’m sure I don’t need to say this but if you’re still drinking energy drinks, please stop. They are trash for your body at the best of times. They increase your stress hormones which is pretty much the opposite of what we are trying to do. Even just one coffee a day impacts fertility, so if you are trying to increase your fertility and I’m guessing you are because you're reading this, cutting caffeine out would increase your fertility almost instantly.

Relax
As your stress levels increase your fertility decreases. I know it’s easier said than done. Especially when you're trying so hard. Almost too hard? You’ve heard the stories of people falling pregnant on holidays after trying for ages. They were just relaxing, their stress levels were down and their happy hormones (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Estrogen and Progesterone) were up!
So what are ways to relax? We can be on a holiday every month.

Mediation
Meditation stills the mind. Brings us back to the now to what’s important. It reduces your heart rate and breathing and puts you into a state of relaxation.

Walking
Try walking somewhere in nature for an added bonus! But if not walking anywhere is a great way to get out into the fresh air and relax. Plus the exercise is great for fertility anyway. Double win!

Assessment
Work out what’s going on and what is stressing you out? If you are in a stressful job you might be able to reduce that stress by delegating some of your workload? If it’s your mother in-law maybe just distance yourself for a while. Or practice a breathing technique of 4 seconds in, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds out, 4 seconds hold, repeat. It’s my favourite of a “reset”

Great! I hope this helps and you're holding a bundle of joy in no time! If you have any questions drop a comment below, I’d love to help!

With love and support
Belinda # # #

When am I fertile?

Firstly congratulations on trying to have a baby! It’s such an exciting time. I remember googling this quite a lot when I was trying to conceive. Especially with my second child. We had been trying for a few months and I was so confused why I wasn't pregnant yet?

The first thing you need to understand about fertility is your cycle. Without understanding this you could be trying all you want but unfortunately at the wrong time!

Let's talk about a “normal” cycle. It's 28 days in length, you have your period for 3-5 days and you ovulate and day 14. Simple right? You’d start trying to conceive on day 12 because you're more likely to conceive if you have viable s***m literally waiting for the egg to be released!

But what if you had a 32 day cycle and you were trying to conceive on day 14? Well there would be very little or no viable s***m at all to greet your egg! S***m can live up to 5 days in the right environment, however your egg will only be viable for 12-48 hours. That’s why it’s best to have s*x before you ovulate and the day of ovulation.

Ok so let me break it down for you some more! You have 4 different stages to your cycle. The first one is when you have your period, your “menstrual phase” . This is when you shed last month's uterine lining and it usually lasts for 3-7 days.

The second one is your follicular phase, this starts when your period has stopped and lasts until you ovulate. In this phase your uterine lining will thicken in preparation to support a pregnancy.
Your body will release FSH follicle stimulating hormone, this hormone stimulates the follicles to mature your egg ready to be released at ovulation.
During this stage your maturing follicle will continue to rise your estrogen until it hits its peak and sends the memo to your brain and pituitary gland to release a surge of LH luteal hormone and your mature egg or two get released!

That brings us to the big O.

24-48 hours after you have your LH surge your egg will burst out of the follicle and float down the fallopian tube towards your uterus. If you are actively trying to fall pregnant this LH surge is what is detected by an OPT ovulation predicting test.

Luteal Phase, this one seems a bit boring because all the action has already taken place but if this phase is too short your egg won't have time to implant into the uterine lining and create the hormones necessary to stop you getting your period! A normal luteal phase is between 12-14 days. Anything less than 10 days is considered too short.
This is why if you do a round of IVF they will give you progesterone suppositories to hold off your period and give your embryo a better chance of survival.
In a normal cycle the follicle your egg burst out of will release progesterone and small amounts of oestrogen for the next 12-14 days to keep your lining prime for the incoming egg and prevent you from getting your period.

If your egg is fertilized it’s cells will be rapidly multiplying creating your future baby. Once your embryo has made its way down to your uterus it will find a nice place to implant and will burrow into the lining, this is where it will get all the energy it needs to grow until it’s placenta is formed at around 8 weeks.

If all goes well you can get a positive pregnancy test as early as 5 days before your expected period. I don’t recommend testing that early though as sometimes you can get a false positive. I like to wait until 2 days before I'm due to take the test, some people say to wait until you miss your period but I just can’t wait any longer. It kills me!

So, did you understand all that? If not drop a comment below and I’ll try and help you some more.

With Support and Love
Belinda # # #

I’ve always been fine at home. In fact I love my own company, you always get the right answer when you’re asking yourself. However when someone tells me I “can’t” go out that’s a whole new ball game! But I will listen for the safety of my family, friends and every. Stay safe everyone 🤍

So, it’s that time again. The time if i don’t get some alone time i’m going to lose my stack!
I don’t know if it’s the full moon just making my kids supper chatty, the nearing of the school term or the uncertainty of the coronavirus but seriously they are driving me insane with their questions, school drama and stories!

Now, I'm not sure how well you know my story but I have 5 children. Yes 5, and i’m obviously only one person. So Having 5 kids telling me stories and asking me questions all at once can become very draining, especially If I don’t take care of myself and fill my cup.

So, what do I mean by “fill my cup?” I mean doing things that you enjoy, things that bring you a sense of peace, happiness, or even energise you. Things that you do for yourself!

For me I find the best form is massage, I’m not sure why but I describe it as “my brain break” It’s one hour to myself that I use to process all the thoughts that come into my head. Thoughts that aren’t interrupted, I actually get to explore them! I often come up with the best business ideas while getting a massage because my brain has the space to “think”

Here are a few other ideas so you can get your brain break too!! Some of these ideas are for relaxation, while others are to energise you. Whatever you feel you need.

Meditation - it’s kind of like a full shutdown of your phone. Thought will pop into your head and you just thank them and move them to the side, you can deal with them later. It takes practice and to be honest my brain wanders a lot, but i do try. You can find all different guided meditations on youtube and there are even apps like mindspace.

Sound healing - I had heard of this but never knew what it was until recently. Then two people in one day recommended I listen to a “heart vibration” sound healing. It was a 1:11:11 video of a tibetan singing bowl on the 528Hz frequency of love. It was beautiful.
You Can listen to it HERE

Yoga - I love yoga, you surrender your body to the pose. So you are still thinking but not about external things like “what you're going to have for dinner” more like picturing the pose in your minds eye and trusting your body. They usually do a short meditation at the end too so it’s a double win!

Walking - This is like getting a massage, you still get the space to think and process your thoughts, just without the hot stones! I do find walking to be incredibly peaceful, something about the breeze and sun and If you can find a beautiful place to kick your shoes off and walk barefoot or sit against a tree you’ll have the added benefit of grounding yourself too.

Journaling - This is by far one of my favorite things to do! Whether i’m writing a gratitude list, writing my “be, do, have” or just pondering a problem it always seems less stressful once it’s out of my head and on paper. Even just writing this blog post has made me less stressed!

Warm bath - What about a nice warm bath with bath salts and essential oils? Um, yes please! My favourite is some hymilan bath salts with dried rose petals and some geranium essential oils drops. Geranium is great for your skin and helps relieve stress. Tell me when was the last time you had a bath without the babies? Just remember that if you are pregnant keep the water warm not hot and stand up carefully in case you get light headed or become off balance.

Exercise - I love a good combat class. This is completely different to my other suggestions but there is something about the upbeat music, the power of a punch and thinking about nothing besides the combos that makes me feel energised! Plus it releases endorphins that just make you happy. My husband will often ask “how’d you go” I tell him “Man, I kicked that airs ass” lol

There’s heaps of other things too, like colouring, floating, dancing, having a bath or shower, reading, gardening, writing and many, many more!

Does that make sense? So it’s things that give your brain the space to just be. Things that make you feel like you can keep being the amazing person you are!

I hope this helped you get some ideas to fill your cup. You must give from the overflow of your cup, otherwise you get drained both physically and emotionally.

Is there anything you do to fill your cup I haven’t mentioned? I love to hear it!!

If you have any questions please ask, I’d love to help.

With Love & Support

Belinda # # #

When you find out your pregnant and it’s not planned it can be a huge shock, thoughts run through your head like “how could this happen?” “I won't be a good mum” “what if there is something wrong with the baby because i didn’t eat properly or drunk alcohol because i didn’t know?” And worst of all “i don’t want this baby” which just makes you feel like a complete as***le, we’ll that’s how it made me feel anyway!
I’ll never forget when i found out i was pregnant with my 5th child, there were so many emotions running through me and it wasn’t just because i was hormonal. I had recently sold my salon, just gotten my last child off to school and was really enjoying my freedom, you know the kind of freedom you have going into bed, bath and table knowing your terror in the pram isn’t going to knock s**t off the shelf!!
I told my husband I couldn't possibly go there again, pregnancy, birth, carrying a f**k ton of s**t everywhere, I was so used to “up and going” my mind just screamed NO!! But my heart was like “meh, what’s one more?” but seriously who in their right mind has 5 kids?
We booked an appointment at the clinic to see about “fixing this problem” I nearly walked out so many times just because they were taking too long! As we waited I think we already knew that we wouldn’t go through with it but there are some people who are faced with this reality and it’s such a massive guilt trip.
All of these feelings are completely normal and the hardest thing is sorting through the noise to work out what YOU really want! A baby might not be the right thing for you right now, they are A LOT of work and unlike a puppy you can’t give them back (which is exactly what i did with our puppy!! I don’t even know what i was thinking) But this is something only you and your partner can decide. So here’s what I want you to do, grab a notebook or a piece of paper and write down the answers to these questions. Don’t overthink it just write down everything that comes to mind!
Can I afford to support a baby/child? If not, can I find a way to make more money? There are some seriously amazing opportunities out there in the online space to work from home but that's a whole other post!
Do I have a support network? This is important, it's so hard trying to be everything to everyone without help. We have never had an amazing support system but we do have my father in-law, one thing he is good at is watching the kids when everything gets on top of me so i can have “me time” its sounds so cliche but you’d be surprised how draining it can be being asked a million questions a day, while picking up the same f**king lego pieces day!!
Would my baby be brought into a safe home? I guess there are a few factors here, like do you have a dog that’s not used to baby’s? If so what will you do?
Is your house safe for kids? Maybe you have a farm with a dam, balcony in an apartment building. Or is there a history of physical abuse from a partner or even family member that lives with you?
Do I have any health issues that could affect the pregnancy? This could be as simple as I fell pregnant while on the pill and need some extra tests, you've had a bad back or something as serious as a heart condition or a history of blood clots.
How does my partner feel about having a baby? He might be all on board and you're not or vice versa, whatever the circumstance it's paramount you are both on the same page because whatever path you choose you will need each other.
Can I emotionally handle having a baby? If you have a history of depression I’d be seeking some medical advice whichever decision you make. I myself have had postnatal depression and the feeling of despair can be very overwhelming. There are so many things you can doubt yourself over so a strong support network is a MUST! Even if it’s just your partner and a good friend.
How will my other children react? Some kids will be thrilled at the idea of having a sibling, provided they get the gender they want. Others will be worried that they won’t get the attention they want.
Can I live with myself if I abort? This question is huge! And it’s the main reason for these questions. Guilt is such a heavy feeling and it can stay with you forever. You do not want to spend the rest of your life wishing you hadn’t aborted, but at the same time you shouldn’t be guilted into doing something you’re not ready for and your heart is not in.
Am I a high risk for birth defects? You’ll know if you are through your age, weight and family history however this is just something to take into account, there is no reason to send yourself into an unnecessary panic for nothing!
Am I really ready for my life to change? The biggest thing I found about going from 4 kids in school to a new baby was the preparation it took to just walk out the door. Gone were the days I could grab my handbag and leave. I had to make sure I had nappies, wipes, bottles, check my pram was in the car?, I also needed to dress my extra human in weather appropriate clothing, and the mental capacity it takes going to the shopping centre with a pram is incredible “will my pram fit down that isle” “why do people walk that slow” “no, no don’t grab that, or that” “where is the elevator?” And that’s just to go to the shops, there’s a million other simple things that just become “harder” like going to the toilet or unstacking the dishwasher. I’m making it sound glamorous I know!
Am I too old or too young? Now this is up to you! No one can tell you you’re too young (within reason of course)
I was 18 when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. My mother in-law wanted me to abort, Mark and I had been together for 1.5 years but to be honest the thought never crossed my mind. The looks we used to get while walking our pram were horrible!! I am not even 5ft and marks over 6ft, I have a baby face too so I may have looked younger than I was? But at the end of the day people will judge you for the stupidest things and that’s more of a reflection of them than you!
The next thing I want you to do is write down all the reasons why you shouldn’t have this baby? Anything that pops into your head write it down. Now ask yourself is this TRUE? Some of the fears we have are absolutely ridiculous but until you see that they seem as true as the fact we breath air!!
Here’s an example
I shouldn’t have this baby because I’m scared I’ll be a bad mum.
Is this true?
Well I might get angry and smack them.
Is this true?
Well I’ve never smacked a child before so probably not.
And you know what? I often feel like a bad mum, but I remind myself that I love my kids with all my heart, I try my best and that’s all I can do.
Ok, so how did you go? It can be a bit confronting getting that all out of your head and onto paper, I really hope you gained greater clarity and feel better about the decision you’ve made whatever it is.
I believe you have everything within you right now to make the right choice!
With love and support,
Belinda # # #
P.S. If you’d like to see more of me or need any further help you subscribe to my email list at www.belindadavis.com.au