While there are many studies that prove that ancient womb wisdom, including acupuncture, plant medicine and womb massage do indeed promote fertility, many women still question how and why they work. I’ve created this four-part post to familiarize you with each phase of your menstrual cycle. You will learn how Wisdom of the Womb can help to promote fertility during each phase, as well as gain tips and pointers that you can implement yourself to help to increase your own fertility.
While I do recommend some common herbal formulas for each phase, please note that each woman has very specific needs. I highly recommend that you take our free fertility assessment to give you personalized recommendations based on your specific diagnosis.
Yin:
With Wisdom of the Womb, the Yin Phase is the time in your cycle, after your period, during which your follicles are developing. It roughly corresponds to the follicular phase of your cycle, or about Days 5-12. Yin is considered the cooling and nourishing and more feminine aspect of your body, corresponding to estrogen in Western Medicine. During this phase, it is important to keep cool, emotionally and physically. Focus on nourishing and nurturing your body. If we’re really stressed or agitated, we might see a spike on our basal body temperature charts, which can indicate sporadic follicular development. If we’re perpetually stressed, we might even have a shortened follicular/ yin phase and premature follicular development. The uterine lining is also being rebuilt after being shed in phase 1, so again, we really need to nourish our body to promote that growth. If you’re over 35, it is especially important to focus on balancing your body during this phase of the cycle. Our estrogen levels decrease with age, and this is the part of the cycle where we often see this depletion of estrogen affecting our fertility.
How Wisdom of the Womb Improves Fertility
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Nourish the blood and yin to allow for later growth of a thick and juicy uterine lining.
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Increase blood flow to the uterus.
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Improve quality of follicles (Lowering FSH levels – Yes, it is VERY possible)*
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Increase number of follicles developed in an IVF cycle.
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Replenish your body’s blood and yin that is lost during The Blood Phase.
Yin Phase 2 Tips:
1. Chill out.
Literally and figuratively. If you’re taking your basal body temperature, it’s ideal to see temperatures that are all at least .5 degrees cooler than temperatures in your luteal phase. Recognize that agitation, stress and anger can all cause a release of cortisol that can definitely impede fertility. Take long walks, practice deep breathing and meditation. If you’re finding it really difficult to relax and let go, Catecholcalm is one of my favorite supplements to help your body balance your Cortisol levels and relax without the use of sedatives. I also developed Fertile Mama Tea, which is a highly effective blend that supports the female reproductive system, especially for those looking to increase fertility and become pregnant. Rich in calcium and magnesium, it strengthens the uterus, balances hormones, soothes and cleanses the liver, promotes circulations and tonifies the blood.
2. Slow down.
While it’s always great to encourage the flow of qi, this phase is really about building — both the uterine lining and healthy follicles. I wouldn’t encourage running or any high intensity exercise during this phase. Exercises that promote and increase Qi and Yin, like Tai Qi, Qi Gong, and Yin Yoga are best for this phase. These exercises can also increase blood flow to the uterus.
3. Sleep!
Please sleep! This is probably the most important thing I can suggest for you. The night is considered the yin time, and in order to replenish and support our body’s yin, we need to sleep. If we’re awake and active and doing a more yang activity during the yin time, instead of replenishing yin, we’re burning up more of our body’s yin reserves. Sleep sleep sleep. Please sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours a night.
4.Nourish
During the Yin Phase, it is important to try to replace some of the nutrients lost during the Blood Phase of our cycle. It’s the perfect phase during which to eat some grass-fed red meat, but any dark meat is great — duck, dark meat, leg poultry meat. If you’re vegetarian, eat an abundance of Go Ji Berries and Golden Berries, and consider taking a supplement that boosts Yin and blood, like Energizing Iron.
Learn more about the energy of the Yin Phase and Follicle Health.