We Give the Fertility Glow a Go

In high school, the sex-ed curriculum felt light on education and heavy on ominous warnings. Getting pregnant seemed like an inevitable outcome if your boyfriend gave you so much as a wink or sneezed in your general direction. We were taught to avoid instead of understand and, in the process, put pregnancy on a high mental shelf until the time came to seriously consider it. But for many women, when that time finally came, making a baby wasn’t as easy as it was made out to be.

Fertility Facts

In February, the CDC released statistics stating that 6.7 million women in the United States have impaired fecundity, which is defined as an inability to get pregnant or to carry a baby to term. That is approximately 12 percent of the female population ages 15 to 44, or one in eight couples. The rate of infertility is dropping overall, but the dip is due to scientific advancements in this field. Last year alone saw a record number of women seeking fertility treatments.

If you are already on this path, you’ve probably read many articles debating whether age is a contributing factor. (It is, though it isn’t the only one.) And if worrying about the clock isn’t enough, the outside world is hot on your heels: stress, environmental factors, dietary concerns. The details and logistics are enough to make any hopeful mom-to-be’s head spin.

Getting the Glow

So how does one take a step back while taking a step forward? We recently enrolled in the Fertility Glow: an eight-week online fertility program created by Kim Sjoblad, a certified nutritional practitioner and holistic fertility expert. The course stems from Sjoblad’s personal experience with infertility and her passion for educating and coaching women on how to improve their overall health and provide options for preconception.

Throughout the program we watched themed weekly presentations narrated by Sjoblad, such as “Creating Balance” and “Sustainability.” Each full module clocks in at under an hour and is designed to educate and guide you through the elements that impact and encourage fertility. Whether she is investigating water, sugar or electromagnetic fields, Sjoblad gets down to the nitty-gritty while covering each topic in a thoughtful, caring manner.

Appropriate for fertility game first-timers or veterans, the information ran the gamut from the new to the familiar, but we picked up some valuable tips along the way. (Turns out vitamin D supercharges sperm!) And as time-strapped New Yorkers, we loved the extremely useful resource guides that outline recipes and grocery checklists. Sjoblad also emphasizes accessibility: A private Fertility Glow Facebook group allows participants to ask her questions directly and provides a tight-knit community atmosphere.

Each week’s lesson gave us the space to focus on our own personal health, as well as our connection with our partner—fertility is a team effort, after all. And whether the information was new or a refresher, it made us slow down, set goals and develop an action plan. And that alone seems like progress to us. kimsjoblad.com.