The challenge is now over. If you’re interested in the information used, most of it is compiled into my book Naturally Knocked Up.
You can also join the Natural Fertility and Wellness chat group on Facebook.
Natural Fertility is an active approach to fertility that does not involve medical intervention, but instead takes a different course of action through a commitment to dietary and lifestyle changes. It’s about leaving the control of our fertility in the Lord’s hands yet doing all we can within our own power to create an environment within our bodies that is hospitable to new life.
This active approach to fertility uses nutrition and supplements, exercise, charting fertility signs, and making use of holistic health professionals. It’s about changing the way we view our bodies, treating the root cause and not the symptoms. And it’s changing how we think about food as well as how we prepare it.
But making changes by yourself is hard. The support from others trying to learn the same healthy life habits is pivotal, which is why I’m launching the “Naturally Balanced” 30-day challenge to balance your hormones.
I need this as much as you do.
I know what I’m supposed to be doing, yet have a hard time living it out when most everyone around me eats the Standard American Diet. It gets hard to keep cravings for junk food at bay when no one else seems to care about what they put in their mouths. And those of us eating to balance our hormones have some specific dietary needs that others don’t have. Supporting each other is crucial.
This 30-day challenge isn’t about me teaching you – it’s about coming together to share what we’ve learned and implement the changes.
The Challenge begins on Thursday, November 24th!
Yup, you heard that right, we’re starting the challenge on Thanksgiving Day. Am I trying to set myself up for disaster? Of course not! But the place I’m coming from, after a miscarriage just weeks ago, is that I have no set cycle. And since I believe in the power of lunaception to balance the cycle – we start on November 24 with the new moon. (don’t know what lunaception is? We’ll cover it soon)
Who this fertility challenge is for:
- women looking to balance their hormones and regulate their cycle (or those who have that want to inspire others and stay encouraged)
- women looking to increase the odds of conception
- all women of childbearing age, whether you’re looking to conceive or not, and
- women looking to learn more about how their bodies work
Challenge Basics
I’m still in the planning stages (yup – totally a last minute thing as I realized I didn’t want to wait for the next moon cycle) but so far the challenge will include:
- Sample menu plans – both from myself and other health professionals
- Blog posts based around aspects of balancing hormones; diet, lunaception, supplements, etc
- Guest posts from alternative health care providers
- Weekly goal and update posts from me as I blog about what I’m doing for myself.
- A short, downloadable ebooklet to give you basic guidelines and a place to write your own goals
- A community forum, where everyone can join in and discuss what they’re doing and what their goals are, ask questions, and most importantly, receive support as they work to better their health.
How to Sign Up
Any woman can sign up no matter her diagnosis or where she’s at in her cycle. Even if your particular fertility issue is male factor and you want support for making healthy changes for you and your husband! Even if you’re not looking to get pregnant right now.
Everyone who reads the blog posts will be able to follow my journey through this challenge as I blog about my experiences and post relevant information, but those who really want to get involved, sign up on the forum, and receive the free “Naturally Balanced” ebooklet need to sign up for either the daily, or weekly blog e-mail newsletter. Once you do, you’ll get all the info you need to become part of this challenge.
The challenge is sponsored in part by:
- Beeyoutiful – where our goal is to assist you in bridging the nutritional gap between our modern diet and our bodies nutritional needs.
- and
- Fertility Flower – Give the gift of Natural Family Planning this holiday. Buy year-long or half-year gift memberships to ‘smart and beautiful’ FertilityFlower.com for your best friends this holiday season.
Donielle Baker
Emotions after miscarriage – breaking the ice
Am very excited about this! It’s been a year since my miscarriage and while there have been several month stints of being on a regular cycle… I’ve been struggling for awhile. Thanks for doing this!
I am very excited about this. I am breastfeeding a 3 month old so could you please include what is safe to do while breastfeeding i.e. what supplements are ok? Thank you for setting this up.
What a timely post. Yesterday I saw a holistic nurse about starting supplements for breast specific estrogen dominance. I think that this challenge would be a great tool to get started on the right path regarding changes to my diet and lifestyle to get my body in balance.
Yay! Both my husband and I have hormonal imbalances, so I’m really excited for this challenge. You’re right – it is hard to always stay motivated when you feel like you’re the only one eating a certain way. Thanks for doing this!
I am so looking forward to this! Support is critical, and I feel like I am in a constant battle to keep my husband on track. At 41 and TTC, we have no time to waste!
This is very timely for me too. It was just confirmed that my hormones are way out of wack. It IS so hard to eat right when no one else cares how they eat and I have a sweet tooth. 🙁 I want to join, but oh Thanksgiving Day!?? That would be SO hard for me. I’ll think about it. Maybe ya’ll could persuade me. 🙂
Looking forward to learning and changing my lifestyle! Had hormone imbalances when TTC our first child (now 15 months) and still trying to regulate my cycle after having weaned my Munchkin a few months ago. Thanks for this!
This is great! Count me in! We can all support each other. I already receive your newsletter, so I look forward to joining you all!
Hi! Has anyone out there gotten pregnant in their 50’s? Count me in for this hormone balancing challenge!!
such great timing….I have been thinking about hormonal imbalances in myself the last few days – what a great way for me to delve into changing that!
Will this work for those of us who already have restricted diets (ie gluten or dairy), will there be supplements or other items to buy, or is it mostly about the foods you choose to put IN? Is this something you see as realistically achievable with all the travel & such that comes during December?
@zebe, I’ve got a few sample menus that will be posted, but nothing about this challenge is a “you HAVE to” type of thing. It’s more about giving ideas and learning from others as we support each other making healthy changes to balance our hormones.
The biggest thing with hormone balance is that everyone will have to do different things to get where they need to be! There aren’t any specific as to what everyone would have to buy as everyone is going to need different things, and we can allow ourselves grace when life gets hectic.
I so need this right now, I’m in. I have had three miscarriages and I am just drained from it all. I am sorry for your recent loss too.
I am wanting to try this out. I am 6 weeks this week, so hopefully this will help me carry to term in many ways.
I’m late to the game and want to sign up but no longer have the email from earlier in the week. Can you post a link, or email me at the address provided for this post? Thanks so much!!
Thanks, Donielle! Looking forward to the accountability and community with your other readers. This challenge is timely for me as well. I have an appt with my OBGYN this coming Wednesday in the ongoing quest to figure out whats going on in my body and to balance these hormones so that I can clear the brain fog and ‘funk’ that happens during my cycle. Thanks again!! And SO saddened to read about your miscarriage 🙁 No words seem appropriate, but I am sorry for your loss.
I have looked and looked and looked and I cannot find the e-booklet. Am I missing it somewhere?
@Molly, You have to sign into the forum – all of the downloads are on the main page. As long as you signed up as a subscriber, just look at the top of your emails, you’ll see a little “click here to sign into the forum” link.
How did this challenge go? Was it beneficial? Are you going to be doing something like this again, perhaps in the new year?
@Erin, I thought the challenge worked well for me, helped me stay on track and I definitely felt better when we were done! I may do something like this in another month or three if I can put it together again.