Reducing toxins to increase your fertility

Let’s just start by saying upfront – I am definitely not an expert on toxins, chemicals, pesticides and the impact that they have on our body.

And up until recently I naively assumed that the people in charge (whoever they are) were looking after us.  Surely “they” wouldn’t put anything that would harm us in our food, cleaning or beauty products, would they? 

I also figured I’d deal with the fall-out from whatever chemicals I put into my body later.  Later arrived when my fertility struggles started, however I ignored it once again and put it into the “too hard basket”.

And to be honest, trying to delve into the idea of living a toxic free life was daunting and overwhelming.  So, I pushed it aside.

However, over the last year I have been privileged to speak to a number of people who know a lot more about this subject than I do, which motivated me to do my fair share of research.  And it really has demystified a few things for me.

It has also shown me how much of an impact chemicals and toxins really DO have on our body INCLUDING OUR FERTILITY. 

Could this have contributed to my unexplained infertility diagnosis?  Perhaps.

We usually just assume that our irregular cycles, painful periods, erratic hormone levels and our lack of energy is just normal.  But it’s not normal.  It’s common.  And common definitely does not mean it’s normal.

At the end of the day, we want to know that we’re doing all that we can to have a baby, sustain a pregnancy AND make sure that we’re feeling the best that we possibly can. 

So, I’m going to give you some facts about chemicals and also some solutions so that you too can make the switch, in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you.

Because this is all about balance.  And if you’re an all or nothing kind of girl like me, you’re probably thinking that you have to do this perfectly.  But you don’t.  Small tweaks can make a huge difference.

FACT #1 – In the last 50-100 years there have been approximately 85,000 chemicals introduced into our environment and products.  90% of them have never been tested.

Like, WTF??  I don’t want to alarm you, however this shocked me. 

FACT #2 - Did you know that whatever you put on your skin, including any chemicals or endocrine disrupting chemicals (which are known to cause hormone imbalances), are absorbed into your bloodstream in about 26 seconds?

FACT #3 – the toxins we are exposed to, affect our fertility and our ability to get pregnant and have a healthy baby.  Boom!!

This isn’t meant to scare you, but make you aware and educate you, so you can take action and make informed choices.  Just like your fertility, you need to advocate for yourself and do your own research from a place of curiosity.

 As part of my Infertility Unfiltered series over on YouTube, I spoke to Crystal Leochko, Fertility Doula & Coach at Fertility Blooms as well as the founder of Bloomiss, a clean natural line of beauty, aromatherapy and skincare products to help women kick the toxins out of their daily lives.

We discussed the top 3 chemicals you should avoid in your personal care products.  These chemicals have been known to cause miscarriage, cancer, hormonal imbalances in both men and women and birth defects.

You can watch our full interview HERE.

Fact #4 – Not all labelling on products is transparent or providing you the whole truth.

Some time ago, there was a documentary I watched on Netflix called STINK.  It talks about the lack of control and transparency in product labelling.  Especially when we’re talking about fragrance.  There is a major loophole when it comes to anything with a perfume. Manufacturers can hide dozens of chemicals in one ingredient because it’s trademarked.

Don’t believe me?  Go and have a look at any of your products – washing powder, shampoo, deodorant.  I bet they have FRAGRANCE or PERFUME listed on the ingredients. And who knows what’s included in there!

Anyway, I’m not going to go into it too deeply here, but I recommend you watch the documentary. 

Now, if I ever see fragrance listed in the ingredients on a product, I try to avoid it.

So, if you can’t trust the consumer watchdogs, and you don’t have a degree in chemistry or toxicity (if there is even such a thing), what do you do?

This was another barrier of me looking into changing my products.  How on earth are we supposed to know what is safe and what isn’t?  If you look on the shelves, products may be labelled as organic, or paraben free or vegan, but what else is included?

FACT #5 – you don’t have to be an expert to find out what is safe and what is not.

Find a store or a brand you trust. I have found a couple of eco and environmentally sustainable stores who I trust to only stock toxic free products.  It takes the stress out of it, and you don’t have to read the labels. Empower yourself and do your research.

You can also use these websites to see how your products rate, and for recommendations – www.ewg.org or www.chemicalmaze.com

Another great option is to make your own products, which will save you a stack of money in the process. There are a whole stack of YouTube videos and recipes on the internet. 

I now make my own room spray using distilled water, witch hazel and essential oils.  It smells a whole lot better than those fake synthetic fragrances. AND I clean my toilet with baking soda, vinegar and essential oils.  It’s easier than you think!

FACT #6 – you don’t have to switch everything all at once.

One of the other reasons I resisted looking into how I can reduce the level of toxins I’m exposed to was because I saw it as such a huge and overwhelming task.  But it doesn’t have to be.

You can start slowly. Substituting one product at a time.  One room at a time. As something runs out, switch it for something safe.

It is important that we empower ourselves with the correct information to make informed decisions about our bodies.  This information will get you started on your way to living a toxic free life, balancing your hormones, improving your fertility and increasing your chances of a healthy pregnancy.

And even beyond that, this small change will have a huge impact on your mindset.  When we know we’re looking after ourselves, it starts something inside us. 

Something that says I AM IMPORTANT.

I AM WORTHY.

I DESERVE TO PUT MYSELF FIRST.