Fertility is a hot topic for a myriad of reasons. For some, it is because they yearn with all of their heart to have fertility, and try for years to achieve it. For others, it is the exact opposite. They do not want to be fertile because they cannot fathom the idea of bringing a child into this world.
This word tends to only be associated with pregnancy and child rearing.
I am here today to tell you that there is so much more to fertility than this. In fact, it is a vital sign of health, and the lack thereof points to a myriad of other health issues.
Today you will learn what fertility is, why it matters, why masking it through the form of birth control or sterilization could do more harm than good, and how to truly understand your own fertility.
What is Fertility?
Simply put, fertility is one’s ability to produce, grow, and nurture offspring internally. For today’s purposes. The menstrual cycle is a key component of fertility, with ovulation being the star of the show.
How Does Fertility Relate to Health?
Fertility relates to health through the menstrual cycle, which I prefer referring to as the ovulatory cycle. I prefer referring to it as such, because as stated above, ovulation is the star of the show.
What is Ovulation?
Simply put, ovulation occurs when the ovary releases an egg into the fallopian tube in preparation for fertilization to occur.
How Ovulation is a Vital Sign of Health and Not Simply Fertility
To understand why ovulation is so key to health, it is important to take a step back, and understand how ovulation occurs is the body.
Ovulation occurs through a beautiful cocktail of hormones inside the brain and reproductive system.
First, the brain releases the hormone FSH. This stimulates follicles living inside opf the ovaries to produce estrogen.
As the estrogen increases to a certain threshold, it signals the brain to release the hormone LH.
When LH is released, it signals the follicle to release the egg.
After this, the follicle (now it is called the corpus luteum) produces progesterone.
Menstruation occurs if the egg is not fertilized and does not implant on the uterine wall. This causes progesterone to fall, and for the uterine lining to shed- which is how a period occurs.
The reason I laid this all out is to show how much communication happens in the body in order for ovulation to occur. In a healthy female body, these hormones all reach together in order to rise to the perfect thresholds, and fall to the proper amounts. These events have to occur in a perfectly synchronized manner. When this does not happen, communication between the brain and reproductive system is off, leading to a myriad of health problems.
The female body is specifically designed to go through this process from puberty up until menopause. So it would make sense why shutting this process down could lead to so many health issues both short term and long term.
Without even considering the potential health issues of long-term ovulatory issues or birth control, it is important to discuss why it even matters that women understand their body’s signs of fertility.
In fact only 3% of women worldwide understand how to determine when they’ve ovulated, among their other signs of fertility. This statistic is CRAZY to me because of how much signs of fertility can tell women about their overall health.
In this study, various reasons are discussed as to why it is beneficial for women to understand their fertility:
- Women can identify the different stages of their reproductive life.
This means that they can predict the different stages that they are entering into from puberty to menopause, which can allow them to support their bodies in the best ways possible.
- Women can identify various hormonal issues and disorders.
Many cases of PCOS and endometriosis are left undiagnosed and untreated for years. Understanding fertility and ovulation biomarkers allows a woman to be able to see for herself if these are health issues that she struggles with, in order to get the best help possible.
This monitoring of the cycle can allow for the prevention and early treatment of many disorders.
It can also prevent issues from being masked (and worsened) through birth control.
How to Understand Fertility
Fertility can be understood through learning body literacy. This essentially means that you are going to take charge of your own fertility and learn how to read your own body’s signs (biomarkers) that you are approaching ovulation and have ovulated. Learning this will allow you to see how your different hormones are working together in harmony, or in dysfunction. If you find that your hormones are not working together to ovulate within the realm of normalcy, this is where you are able to go seek professional help in order to heal.
The four things you can use to spot the body’s signs of fertility are:
- Cervical Mucus
- At-home LH Testing (among other hormonal testing)
- Basal Body Temperature
- Cervical Positioning
You can read about all of these signs in great detail here:
Fertility Awareness Method: The Complete Guide with 4 Biomarkers
Fertility/hormonal issues are not unfixable. In fact, there is so much that can be done to fix these issues! There are lifestyle and nutrition changes which can be made, as well as medical solutions.
For some simple nutrition tips that could aid in balancing hormonal imbalances, check out these two posts.
5 False Nutrition Beliefs that You Need to Rewire
Nutrient Density- Arguably the Best Way to Eat
Recap
The first thoughts about fertility should never be how to stop it for the sake of family planning. Instead, spotting signs fertility should first be learned in order to get a full health picture.
When the body is working harmoniously towards ovulation and menstruation, this means that communication channels throughout the body are in sync.
The ovulation/menstrual cycle is the fifth vital sign of health.
Learning how to read the body is essential to life-long vitality.
Learn more about fertility awareness here, or by reaching out to me.
