How to Heal Difficult Periods: Treat the Root Cause // "Treating the cause, not the symptom" is the bedrock of naturopathic medicine. Instead of asking, "what drug or medication do we use?" we ask, "what caused these symptoms in the first place?". Causes are few and symptoms many.

In my experience, the menstrual cycle is a faithful barometer of your overall health. Taking a root-cause approach to cycle challenges is an elegant way to take care of your cycle health and catalyse profound shifts and lasting change.

The five root causes are:

☽ Chronic stress

☽ Gut imbalances

☽ Food triggers and nutrient insufficiencies

☽ Detoxification

☽ Immunity and inflammation

Remember, it takes 100 days for a follicle in the ovary to mature into an egg, ready to be ovulated. So cycle healing is a long game!

Thinking about healing our body in seasonal time (a.k.a three-month chunks) instead of short-term thinking is how we can get ourselves aligned to the mindset needed to re-correct hormonal imbalances.

If you'd like to learn more about how to tend to your cycle with root cause medicine, this week's blog "How to Heal Difficult Periods: Treat the Root Cause" is a juicy one!

Links mentioned:

- How to Heal Difficult Periods: Treat the Root Cause - https://www.clarabailey.com/2021/08/25/root-cause-medicine/

- Fertility Chart - https://www.clarabailey.com/fertility-charts-bundle

Stay in touch:

- Newsletter sign up - www.clarabailey.com/signup

- Instagram - @clarabailey__

My grandpa, a navy orthopedic surgeon turned country GP, always said: “eyes, ears and hands should be the first tools of the physician”. It has always stuck with me. Medicine, and increasingly naturopathy, rely on lab tests to determine diagnosis and treatment. The thing is when it comes to hormones, testing has many limitations:

- Hormone blood levels do not always match tissue levels

- Many hormones follow a cyclical cadence and time of day surges

- False positives and negative are common.

- Female hormones vary in relation to ovulation (this is especially tricky for people with irregular cycles)

- Cost and time involved

In the spirit of my wise grandfather, I’ve put together some simple guidelines. These only need your sensing self to help determine if a hormone imbalance may be at play for you. See these as broad brushstrokes, then work with a practitioner to get an accurate diagnosis from there.

Charting your two main fertile signs, cervical mucus and basal body temperature is my favourite way to understand someone's hormonal landscape. It allows us to get a very clear idea of what imbalances may be occurring, and then from there, inform further testing or adjustments you can make in your diet and lifestyle to help re-correct those imbalances.

If you would like to start charting your cycle and beginning to see what your patterns are, you can download my free fertility chart bundle, which includes an email series that will teach you the basics of cycle charting: www.clarabailey.com/fertility-charts-bundle

Download my free eBook Menstrual Cycle Masterclass: www.clarabailey.com/menstrual-cycle-masterclass-ebook

Read the blog: www.clarabailey.com/blog

Clara on Instagram: www.instagram.com/clarabailey__

Coming off the pill after long-term use can feel like a daunting task. You may be worried about the less than pleasant side effects such as acne, weight gain, hair loss or irregular periods (or no periods). Or you may already have stopped, and you’re experiencing several uncomfortable symptoms.

If you're going off the pill to fall pregnant, you may be concerned about balancing your hormones and getting your fertility up and running ASAP. I've gathered together a checklist of how to safely and smoothly transition off the pill using diet, lifestyle and herbal remedies.

For all women, you can stop taking the pill at any time. You will have a withdrawal bleed, and then the next couple of months will involve your body reawakening the pathways of hormone communication between your brain and your ovaries. This may only take a month for some women; for others, it may take longer.

Remembering what your periods were like before going on the pill is the best place to begin. I recommend incorporating these suggested changes and remedies 6-8 weeks before stopping the pill - this will ensure the smoothest transition. If you have already gone off the pill, these guidelines still apply.

If you would like to start charting your cycle and beginning to see what your patterns are, you can download my free fertility chart bundle, which includes an email series that will teach you the basics of cycle charting: www.clarabailey.com/fertility-charts-bundle

Download my free eBook Menstrual Cycle Masterclass: www.clarabailey.com/menstrual-cycle-masterclass-ebook

Read the blog: www.clarabailey.com/blog

Clara on Instagram: www.instagram.com/clarabailey__

Historically, our culture has not always included men in the preconception conversation. There is a growing awareness around men as birthing partners and paternal post-natal support, but there is a gap when it comes to preconception care despite them playing such a central role.

A considerable part of the work I do in my practice is teaching women how to understand their bodies and to know when they can and can not get pregnant each month using the fertility awareness method.

When we have a language to describe and understand our cycles, it gives the men in our lives a language to participate in that conversation too. It also provides them with an invitation to learn more about their bodies.

When this conversation occurs, it positions a couple within a dynamic of equality and shared decision making as to if and when they wish to have children.

Links mentioned:

- What Do We Know of Men and Preconception Care? - https://www.clarabailey.com/2021/07/14/male-preconception-care/

- Holistic Pregnancy Checklist - https://www.clarabailey.com/pregnancy-prep-checklist

Stay in touch:

- Newsletter sign up - www.clarabailey.com/signup

- Instagram - @clarabailey__

A new generation of women can reclaim the missing piece of women’s healthcare: using their own knowledge of their body as to when they can and cannot get pregnant each cycle.

Knowing the best time to get pregnant has been made unnecessarily complicated. Aside from IVF and other artificial reproductive technologies (ART) there is a sleuth of products out there from ovulation test strips to calculators, to apps to salvia microscopes. Women intimately understanding their fertility just ain’t a good business model (for economic gains that is). It can’t be patented, commercially scaled or controlled.

I now use fertility awareness as my method of birth control and teach any women who want to know about it (I’ve also written a number of articles on it too). Today I’m going to explore specifically how you can use knowledge of your high fertility window to maximize the chances of you and your partner conceiving. It is a very simple set of principles that has helped many couples conceive, even those with subfertility.

Download your Holistic Preconception Checklist: www.clarabailey.com/pregnancy-prep-checklist

Read the blog: www.clarabailey.com/blog

Folate, MTHFR, Preconception & Pregnancy Explained

Folate supplementation is one of the first recommendations made by health professionals to any woman planning to have a baby or who is in the early stages of pregnancy. It’s a nutrient involved in many body processes.

One of its most important roles is in the development of baby’s nervous system. When it comes to choosing a folate supplement, there are a lot of options out there. Many ask what the difference between folic acid and folate is and whether they can get enough in their food. So I thought I would wrap all up into one snappy podcast post for you.

Download your Holistic Preconception Checklist: www.clarabailey.com/pregnancy-prep-checklist

Read the blog: www.clarabailey.com/blog

There is much more to pregnancy preparation than folate alone!

I've been buried in preconception research this past couple of weeks for my workshop, Nourishing Your Fertility. I'm in one of my favourite places when I can do a 360º immersion on a topic, cross-pollinate, distil, alchemise old with new, take research findings and transpose them into practical, actionable steps. I particularly love those moments when it all really comes down to a handful of robust strategies that cover the most amount of bases.

If you and your partner were to do just 3 things to make it much easier for you to become pregnant and reduce the risk of miscarriage and birth defects, they would be:

1. Adopt the Mediterranean Diet as your nourishment system of choice.

2. Take a GOOD QUALITY prenatal multivitamin that includes sufficient iodine, zinc, selenium, methyl folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.

3. Learn how to identify your fertile window via your cervical fluid.

Holistic preconception care prepares your body, mind, and spirit to bring a new human into the world. When approached with intention it can be a powerful way to nurture your whole family’s wellbeing with compassion and thoughtfulness.

It's an area of healthcare that is not given enough time and attention; however, it's well documented to have significant impacts on the health of both baby and mum, as well as the relationship dynamics in which the baby is being born into.

It takes approximate 100 days for eggs and sperm to go through a full maturation cycle; thus, this is the guiding timeline for a holistic preconception plan. Holistic preconception recognises that because each partner donates only one cell to a potential baby, both partners must be doing the work as a team. Remember, it's equally important to prepare yourself biologically as well as spiritually so you're in the strongest and healthiest place to bring a new human into the world.

I see holistic preconception as encompassing six primary areas so that you're providing the best ingredients possible to create a new life. I hope this framework allows you to reflect on what areas of your life, health and relationship are asking for your gentle attention to.

Links mentioned:

- What is Pregnancy Preparation and Why Is It Important? - https://www.clarabailey.com/2021/06/23/holistic-preconception-plan/

- Holistic Pregnancy Preg Checklist - https://www.clarabailey.com/pregnancy-prep-checklist

Stay in touch:

- Newsletter sign up - www.clarabailey.com/signup

- Instagram - @clarabailey__

The Spiral path can feel unattainable in its ambiguity, out of reach with its mystical riddles, feel too grand and big and epic for one human being to take on. This is where the faithful guide of your menstrual cycle can come to your aid.

It's a midwife to your body and soul, and within it, it contains all processes of birth, death and rebirth. It contains seasons of decay, growth, fulfilment and loss. Your menstrual cycle offers you an opportunity every cycle to step through the threshold of the 13th step into the unknown. When approached with a conscious attitude, you can approach even the most intimidating mountains with the knowledge that cycle by cycle, you can take one step at a time.

By becoming aware of your inner experience throughout your cycle, you will begin to see a map that was invisible before. Your curiosity will be attuned to catch the cues that ask you to tend and befriend what is going on within instead of reacting with dread, fear, shame or embarrassment that instinctively makes you want to numb, hide and forget. When this awareness is unveiled, welcomed and nourished, a shift occurs, and you're able to develop a deeper relationship between your body and your mind. You're able to align your will to the service of the wisdom of your heart. You learn to seek refuge and stillness in the depths of chaos instead of being overwhelmed by it.  

Read the blog post: https://www.mediatrixwellness.com.au/chaos-surrender-menstrual-cycle/

Navigating Chaos & Surrender Through Your Menstrual Cycle by Clara Bitcon Bailey