5 Daily Rituals to Support Your Fertility Naturally
Hi there, welcome back! Let’s start with this week's update on my fertility journey.
This past week I had to do two different tests for my next IUI journey. In October of 2024 we had talked with a fertility specialist to see how we were going to move forward in our journey to motherhood. We put it off during the holidays and then picked it back up in March of 2025. After I had gotten my bloodwork and transvaginal ultrasound, and everything came back perfect, we decided to try IUI at home one last time before moving forward with the clinic, because they told us everything looked really good and I had good egg quality. They had told me that I had to get an HSG scan. An HSG, or hysterosalpingogram, is a fallopian tube test where they ensure that your fallopian tubes are open and that your uterus looks normal. I had heard that it was incredibly painful, but I still didn’t feel prepared. Hearing how painful this test was was truly the reason I decided to try at home one more time. I just did NOT want to do it.
Well, this week I did. If you have not had an HSG, this is done by using a speculum to open everything up, insert a catheter, and then putting dye into your uterus through your cervix, then taking x-rays to see how the dye flows through the fallopian tubes. If the dye goes through and spills out, good news, it's open. If it gets stuck, there may be a blockage. It is a really quick test, 10-15 minutes, that feels like 45 minutes. The insertion of the catheter is painful but tolerable, although I did take a 600 mg ibuprofen before the test. Then the dye goes in, which I didn’t think would be the worst part, but most definitely is, the pressure is unreal! Imagine you are on a road trip, and you drink your entire 40 oz Dr. Pepper from the gas station, and the bathroom isn’t for 2 hours and you can’t stop. The pressure in your lower abdomen is so intense and so uncomfortable. I had heard that this test makes people fly off the table. Thank you to my genetics for a high pain tolerance, but it was still awful. All of that to say, I didn’t have any blockages. Thank goodness! The second test was genetic testing for when we choose our donor. That was a quick and painless blood draw and I should know more in 2 weeks.
Now I want to share with you 5 Daily Rituals to Support Your Fertility Naturally!
I have become a firm believer in book ending your day. There is so much research behind the benefits of this. Some of the books I have read and podcasts I have listened to are listed below if you want to learn more.
Books:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
Podcasts:
The Mel Robbins Podcasts
Transform
The Huberman Lab
The Skinny Confidential
So here is what I have found to be the most beneficial for me.
First thing when I wake up (after I brush my teeth and let my dogs out), I come downstairs and start my day with either warm lemon water with celtic sea salt or a glass of Beauty Salt (from the Skinny Confidential) with either lemon, lime, or an orange wedge. Hydrating first thing in the morning with electrolytes helps support your liver function and hormone balance. This is a gentle detox that helps your body process excess estrogen and support a healthy cycle. I can be a bit of a busy body, so stack this with unloading my dishwasher so I feel like I am being productive.
2. Next, I eat a fertility focused breakfast. I am a creature of habit, so I can truly eat the same thing every single day. But I do try to mix it up depending on what phase of my cycle I am in. For more information on cycle-syncing, I suggest reading In the Flo or WomanCode by Alisa Vittti. I like to include healthy fats (like eggs or avocado), protein, and fiber to balance my blood sugar. A stable blood sugar helps keep your hormones in sync. I used to skip breakfast all together, and now I couldn’t imagine it. On busy days when I need to get out the door I enjoy a protein shake, it is honestly my favorite breakfast.
My Go-To Protein Shake:
- ⅓ scoop of Ritual pregnancy/postpartum vanilla protein powder
-½ cup frozen wild blueberries (antioxidants to support healthy egg health)
-½ of a banana
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
-¼ tsp of cinnamon (helps stabilize blood sugar)
-1 spoonful of either flaxseed or chia seeds for omega-3s and fiber
My Go-To breakfast:
-2 soft boil eggs (rich in choline - which is important for egg quality and early fetal development)
-½ cup cottage cheese
-½ avocado for extra folate and fiber
-drizzle of hot honey or chili onion crunch oil from Trader Joe’s
3. Everyday I like to get at least 30 minutes of daily movement. In the cooler months, I start my morning with an outdoor walk and then do a strength training workout. Now that it is getting warmer, I usually do my strength training first and then walk on my treadmill. During windows of my menstrual cycle or when we are in an insemination window, I focus on more low impact workouts. This is often walking, yoga, and stretching. I love the FORM and the PVolve apps for guided workouts. I also am currently training with Coach Ariana with Liza Marie Fit for all my strength training workouts. Even 20 minutes a day makes a big difference. Daily movement helps increase blood flow to your reproductive organs, reduces stress, and supports regular ovulation.
4. When it comes to supporting my fertility journey, I am intentional about what I am putting in my body. Ritual’s prenatal is one of the few supplements I fully trust. I take their essential prenatal, omega-3 DHA and Choline. Their supplements have an evidence based formulation, the prenatal includes 12 key nutrients for preconception, pregnancy, and beyond - which is backed by science not fluff. It also has methylated folate (not folic acid), which is its most bioavailable form, which is important if you have an MTHFR gene mutation. My favorite part of all of their supplements is that it is gentle on the stomach and tastes like citrus. They are vegan, non-GMO, and traceable, you can truly trace each nutrient to its source. Omega-3s are important for supporting brain health for both me and baby (to-be), balances inflammation, and improves egg quality. Choline is a must for fetal brain development and neural tube health. Taking quality supplements has helped me fill the nutritional gaps while also focusing on eating whole, real foods. Additionally, I also take Her Package by Heart & Soil. This supplement is made from desiccated grass-fed ovary, uterus, fallopian tube, liver, and kidney organs. This supports women's hormonal balance, menstrual wellness, and fertility. It also provides naturally bioavailable peptides, growth factors, and nutrients like zinc, B-vitamins, and selenium.
5. Lastly, I like to end my day with a screen-free self-care routine. Lowering stress is key for fertility. Creating a calming bedtime routine about an hour before bed helps support your natural melatonin and hormonal balance. This is what my bedtime routine looks like. Between 8:30 pm and 9pm I make myself a cup of either peppermint or sleepy time tea, then I go upstairs, turn down all the lights and light a non-toxic candle. I take a hot shower and use lavender scented body wash. I then do my non-toxic, pregnancy safe, skincare routine and brush my teeth. I am not always in the mood to read or meditate. But I always do one or the other, not always both, for about 20-30 minutes. If I eat a heavy dinner I will do a tummy massage and do some stretching. By then I am starting to feel tired. Sometimes I will put on the Harry Styles bedtime story of the Calm app and I’m out in at most 15 minutes. My Oura ring says it typically takes me 7 minutes to fall asleep.
By now, you can probably sense that each of these rituals reflects a deeper intention - I am treating my body as if I am already pregnant. This mindset shift is more than symbolic; it is a way to align my choices with the future I am trying to create in motherhood. In the book 9 Months Isn’t Enough, we are reminded that the environment we create before conception - nutritionally, emotionally, and physically - has a lasting impact on the health of our future child. I don’t garden, in fact, I have a brown thumb. But here is what I do know, preparing the soil before the seed is planted matters. Whether it is sipping lemon water at sunrise or winding down screen-free at night, these rituals are not just about fertility - they are about honoring this sacred season and supporting the life I hope to welcome one day.
