[00:00:00] Welcome to the PCOS Fertility Health Podcast, where you will learn how to boost your chances of getting pregnant. You are in the right place if you have PCOS and you are struggling to get pregnant. You are tired of getting dismissive information like, just eat better and stay on birth control. And you want fertility answers.

[00:00:23] Join me, your host, Dr. Angela Potter to learn key steps to optimize fertility with PCOS. I am the creator of the PCOS Fertility Protocol and have also shared the stage with leaders from companies like Microsoft and Google. So get ready for another powerful episode about boosting fertility with PCOS.

[00:00:44] Let's dive in.

[00:00:49] Before we get into today's episode, I just want to say thank you so much for being here. Thank you for showing up every week with me. Thank you for sharing these [00:01:00] episodes with your friends so that they can get access to this fertility information. You are the reason that this podcast is moving forward.

[00:01:10] I am so grateful that you're here. Thank you. So today I am going to share with you one important tip for enhancing fertility if you're trying to get pregnant in the cold months. Right now here in Oregon, we are in full blown fall. It was Just downpouring outside. It is cold. Of course. The leaves are in full blown color.

[00:01:36] It is just magical to be outside looking at all the leaves changing color, but we're moving into this season of cool. It's going to get even colder in the winter time. And so these are. Well, the elements of this one important tip that I'm going to share with you are important to, to start focusing on to support your [00:02:00] body's natural rhythm in order to improve your chances of getting pregnant.

[00:02:04] Okay. And here's the thing. I am guessing your fertility doctor has not talked with you about this one tip. And the reason that is, is because it's not a medication. I'm not talking about weight loss or dieting. And most doctors, when they are supporting someone with fertility, those are the three tools that they have, weight loss, dieting.

[00:02:30] Fertility medications, but you are here because you want something different and you know that there are more answers out there and there's ways to help your body get back into the rhythm that it's supposed to be to potentially help fertility open up naturally, but help increase your chances of getting pregnant.

[00:02:55] And so that's what you and I are going to be talking about, these different [00:03:00] ways to be supporting your body's holistic fertility health. Okay, so what you need to be focusing on in the colder months when you're trying to get pregnant is Keeping your pelvis warm. Okay, stick with me here. Okay, this is important stuff.

[00:03:20] So Warmth in the body means an increase in blood flow an increase in blood flow means hormones and antioxidants and nutrients to organs, okay Now, of course, your organs are getting the blood flow that they need when it's cold. Okay. I am not saying that if you aren't getting pregnant, that means that your ovaries are just shut off from your body's blood supply.

[00:03:49] New, not at all. Um, but there's a time when parts of your body just get basic blood flow, okay? Just that [00:04:00] essential blood flow to keep things not from going gangrene, okay? And then there's a time when your body gets the blood flow that it needs to be the amazing full expression that it wants to be. In simplest terms, have you ever been cold?

[00:04:20] And then you get your butt outside and you start exercising. Do you notice that your hands start to get a little bit red? Or maybe if you're wearing shorts, you notice, you know, your legs get red. Well, that's an increase in blood supply in that blood flow to your muscles so that they can work really efficiently as you exercise.

[00:04:45] Okay. Are you a fellow skier like me, or do you like winter mountain sports? I have been skiing since I was about, I think, 12 years old, maybe a bit younger, but I love it. [00:05:00] One thing I love about skiing is lunchtime. I do love just going fast down the mountain and all of that, and being actually out there on my skis.

[00:05:12] Um, but even though it's a super active sport, there's a time when your face starts freezing. And even though you've got gloves on, and they're waterproof gloves, somehow with, you know, your falls or the snow falling into your gloves, um, when you're having to Put your, uh, your ticket at the, the ski lift line.

[00:05:40] Your hands just get freezing cold. And so at lunchtime, you go into the lodge and it's really warm in there. You take off your goggles, you take off your gloves, and oh my gosh, just. All of a sudden, your cheeks are bright pink, your hands are bright red, [00:06:00] and what's happening is that circulation is coming back into your face and your hands much stronger, so that you can move your fingers better, right, because when you're outside freezing, and God forbid if you're outside, In a situation where you don't have gloves on and it's snowing, right?

[00:06:17] Like, you literally can't start moving your fingers. Well, that's because you're not getting the blood flow you need in order to keep those fingers moving. So, your reproductive organs feel similarly. Now, they sit under your skin, of course, they are in your abdomen, they are part of some of your essential organs where the blood flow is really important.

[00:06:45] So I'm not saying, again, that if, that I am telling you that your blood flow to your reproductive organs is not sufficient. When in the colder months, when our body [00:07:00] naturally cools down, we're moving blood flow around the body to parts that need it. Your brain, uh, when you eat food, your digestive tract takes a ton of blood flow, things like that.

[00:07:12] And so we want to be sure that your reproductive organs, your uterus, your ovaries, They are just getting that juicy blood flow that they need in order to keep antioxidants, proper hormones, and nutrients in that area so they can be doing what they need to be doing to help you get pregnant. And because your If your ovaries and your uterus are under your skin, you can't just notice them getting cold like you can your hands, but one very simple way to check is to just put your hand on your skin on your lower belly.

[00:07:55] Um. and feel that area. Is it cold? Move your [00:08:00] hand directly on your skin over other parts of your belly, your abdomen, and see, like, does the temperature of your skin change? And that's just a really simple way to see. For so many people, it's cooler. It's cold on that area, on that lower belly, like underneath your belly button.

[00:08:25] And so that's just a sign that that area of your body needs that increase blood flow. So you may have gotten to this part of the episode and you are still thinking, blood flow, fertility, why are we talking about this, Dr. Potter? Increasing circulation is so important. It is why exercise is recommended for just basic Vital health because exercise increases circulation that helps with lymphatic drainage [00:09:00] throughout the body.

[00:09:00] It gets your lymph system moving. It helps with natural detox to keep toxins out of the body to keep your skin fresh and for a variety of other reasons, and it helps boost metabolism, of course. Because when you just sit around your bodies, don't efficiently do those kinds of jobs as well as they do when we're exercising.

[00:09:25] Okay. So increasing circulation is powerful and making sure during these colder months that things don't just slow down for your body is important to help improve your fertility. Okay. Okay, so here are four ways to support your body during the colder months in order to help increase that circulation to your pelvis to help increase those nutrients and hormones and vitamins to [00:10:00] get where they need to do to be to help you make a baby.

[00:10:04] Um, so tip number one, which is by and far. the most important one. And that is to avoid eating cold foods. So what happens is that when you eat like raw, a raw salad or a cold smoothie is that it goes into your digestive tract, but then your body has to warm it up in order to then digest that food to get those nutrients.

[00:10:39] And your digestive system requires a significant amount of your body's blood flow. So if you're eating foods that are really cold, that requires more of your body's blood flow to run into your digestive system rather than being in other places like your [00:11:00] reproductive organs. So when the weather is cold, this is when I recommend you not to be eating cold salads or cold smoothies, foods that are coming directly from the fridge.

[00:11:13] Let things warm up at least to room temperature. Um, but this is a time to be really focused on Warm foods, right? I mean, of course, we kind of naturally go to this during colder seasons, but soups, stews, uh, roasts, uh, vegetables that are roasted or stir fried, things like that, to help warm up your body. So tip number two to help keep your circulation optimal during the cold months when you're trying to get pregnant is to eat really warming spices.

[00:11:55] Um, you can eat warming spices or drink them in the [00:12:00] form of a tea, either way works, but the fiery digestive spices to focus on are ones like cinnamon and clove, cardamom. pepper, of course. Turmeric is really good. Ginger. So those types of spices to help improve circulation. And like I said, you could add them into foods, you know, put them into soups, put them into stir fries, things like that.

[00:12:32] But they also work really well in a tea, right? These Spices are the traditional, some of the traditional spices found in chai. And this is a, you know, excellent digestive supportive drink during these colder months and to help increase your body's circulation and blood flow. Usually I'm drinking a cup of chai around now.

[00:12:59] [00:13:00] I am saving mine for this afternoon. Uh, but go over, check out my Instagram because I showed how I made a chai concentrate this weekend that, uh, is really great for right now to help with circulation. Tip number three is to use an electric blanket or a warming pad specifically around your pelvis. Now, huge, huge, huge warning here.

[00:13:31] Please do not leave it on for an extended period of time while you're sleeping or anything like that. If you see any, uh, significant redness on your skin, you want to turn that temperature down. Okay? But if you have something that's just mildly warm, keeping you nice and warm for a little bit, that is perfect.

[00:13:54] And again, just keeping it over your pelvis or over your lower belly, [00:14:00] that's helping just draw that nice, healthy circulation. Not so much that you are burning your skin, okay? Your heating pad will give specific recommendations on how to not burn your skin, okay? And tip number four is to do some uterine visual visualizations.

[00:14:21] And before you think, Oh, come on, what are you talking about? Dr. Potter, have you ever laid in bed and your feet are freezing cold and it's too cold that you don't want to jump out of bed and run over and grab some socks. You're just like, I'm just going to stay in bed and. Get my feet to warm up and you sit there in bed under the covers and you think about your feet warming up and you just sit there and you think about them dipped into the hot sand in Hawaii and how warm your feet are in that sand and in the heat of the sun and.

[00:14:59] [00:15:00] After a minute or two, your feet start to warm up, right? There's power in our visualizations just directing blood flow in the body. So do just some simple uterine visualizations. There's some really beautiful ones out there. Um, Tammy Kent has some wonderful books about this. You can just simply put your hands over your lower belly, over your pelvis.

[00:15:27] And start doing some deep breaths and you're just imagining your breath drawing so deeply down that it's hitting those reproductive organs. And that also just helps you get a really strong belly breath into your body, which helps lower stress. This is a little, uh, side note. I wasn't even planning on talking about this, but we're here.

[00:15:52] Okay. Um, because for many of us, I'm going to just talk about breath for a second and the importance of it, because for [00:16:00] so many of us, when we think we are taking a deep breath, we, if you're not watching the video right now, what I'm doing is I'm shrugging my shoulders and we think, So Oh, that's just such a nice deep breath.

[00:16:12] But what you've done is actually taken a very shallow breath. You've just allowed your, your oxygen, that, that breath that you took to get into your upper lungs. And a true deep breath is actually when your breath goes all the way down into your, well, into your lower lungs, of course, but which pushes out your belly.

[00:16:34] So in order to take a truly deep breath, what you do is put your hands over your lower belly and you breathe in. And so, you know, if you, again, if you're not watching the video, I just took a deep breath and my shoulders did not move. Okay. And that literally changes how our brain talks to the rest of the body because taking a true deep breath where your belly.

[00:16:58] Pushes out that [00:17:00] activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is your rest and digest nervous system. When you're taking a deep breath and your shoulders are shrugging and your breath is actually really shallow, that's activating your Sympathetic nervous system, which is your fight or flight, your, Oh my gosh, I need to be nervous right now.

[00:17:21] I need to be anxious. Let's go, go, go. Uh, that is not helpful for fertility. Um, so focusing on having that nice, deep breath, pushing your belly out with each breath, and then also just, you know, thinking about that breath going even further down into your ovaries. into your uterus to help create just that juicy blood flow, that really just wonderful environment that it wants to be in to get all the nutrients and vitamins and antioxidants and hormones that it needs to do what it's supposed to in order to [00:18:00] help you make a baby.

[00:18:02] Well, if you are loving this podcast, please head on over to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast place to give me a positive review because reviews are what helps keep this podcast moving forward. Thank you so much for being here. If nobody has. told you this today. You are absolutely amazing and the dedication that you are taking to figure out how to improve your chances of getting pregnant is admirable.

[00:18:35] Okay? You are wonderful and you have amazing gifts to give this world. I'll see you next week.

[00:18:42] Thank you so much for being here. It is such an honor to be on this platform with you and to have you in this community. So thank you. As we wrap things up today, I want to share the legal language with you. This podcast is for [00:19:00] informational purposes only. It should not replace the medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment given to you by your doctor.