Holistic Measures For Supporting Fertility by a Midwife

Fertility is not a binary state it’s not just trying or not trying, fertile or infertile. It's a dynamic expression of overall health. And when it isn’t functioning the way we expect, it’s not a personal failure. It’s an invitation to listen more closely to the body, to bring curiosity instead of fear, and to consider that our modern systems, even the ones designed to help, don’t always offer the whole picture.

That’s where midwifery care can be transformative.

By Hayley Oakes, LM

Midwives have long held a unique role in communities: part medicine woman, part wise elder, part clinical care provider. Traditionally, they were who you turned to for a plant-based contraception brew, menstrual irregularities, pregnancy support, or postpartum healing. We’ve always been intimately connected to the cyclical nature of the body — not just pregnancy and birth, but the full spectrum of reproductive wellness, including fertility.

I am a licensed midwife which means the medical board of California has granted me the
ability to manage and care for ‘low risk’ (and no being over 35-years-old alone does not
make you automatically high risk), healthy childbearing women. The midwifery model is a
distinctly different model of care to that of the more modern obstetrical one. Midwifery
care is an individualized, whole-body approach to health and wellness.

 

Read: Adding Midwife Care Improves Birth Outcomes

 

Understanding Our Bodies Needs

In our mainstream culture we are taught growing up to either fear our reproductive bodies for its potential repercussions and/or be completely humbled when something as ‘natural’ as trying to conceive and/or give birth is and/or was much harder than anticipated. The more Western medicine approach is to fix from the outside ie prescription medication, hormonal contraceptive devices, fertility drugs, induction, cesarean, etc. While those interventions can be invaluable, they should be reserved for individual circumstance and are not the rule. When we meddle too much too soon we may find ourself in a cascade of unnecessary interventions and potentially more serious issues. Thus my approach and that of many integrative health providers is to try and address the imbalances and correct from within the body first.

 

Improving Fertility Holistically

In my practice, addressing fertility wellness with a holistic perspective gives me a clearer
clinical picture of someone’s health (rather than only assessing one’s lab values). I want to know more about the food they eat, supplements they take, how much they move their
bodies and when, what is their stress level and what is the source, how much they are
sleeping and then of course based on those answers, what blood work to run.

For those looking to repair gynecologic irregularities or trying to conceive, the suggestions on this list are to increase egg quality and quantity and encourage hormonal balance.

 

Food

• Protein is so important for iron and amino acids – the building blocks of hormones and healthy blood flow to the uterus. You want to aim for 80-100 grams of protein (same as during pregnancy) as insufficient protein can lead to menstrual irregularities, suppress ovulation or damage the egg preventing implantation.
• High quality meats ideally pasture raised and fish that is wild caught are best.
• Eggs – they have high amounts of choline which is a part of the B-vitamins and crucial for early fetal development.
• High quality unsaturated fat i.e. dairy, avocados and nuts are great for hormone production and are anti-inflammatory, which boosts fertility. Did you know that vegetables are digested better with fat so always add butter! Yum! Bone broth helps build a healthy uterine lining (great for postpartum recovery too).
• Fermented foods ie kefir, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso are great for gut health as it helps to metabolize all of the good nutrients you are putting in your body.
• Dark leafy greens for the B-vitamins which promotes a healthy menstrual cycle specifically by lengthening the luteal phase increasing chance of conception.

 

Lastly, you want to limit processed foods and snacks and decrease processed sugar and
gluten. These are inflammatory and can lead to hormonal imbalance. The latter can lead to a higher glucose load and insulin sensitivity and chemical/hormonal imbalance especially for anyone with symptoms of PCOS.

Also, very common but important to note to eat within an hour of waking for the day. And
coffee is not food, (this is a hard one for many), it’s a food suppressant. It’s job is to
stimulate thus it spikes cortisol which can have a domino hormonal negative effect. My recommendation is to wait an hour to have coffee and/or eat a little something first like a yogurt with nuts or nut butter, avocado toast, or egg muffin.

 

Read: 5 Best Foods To Improve Vaginal Health

 

Supplements

• Coq10 is great for boosting egg quality.
• A prenatal multi-vitamin is important to take especially when trying to conceive. You want one with folate to decrease risk of chromosomal abnormalities and iron to ensure rich blood stores for a healthy uterine lining.
• Evening primrose oil encourages healthy cervical mucus (before ovulation).
• Inositol is an amazing supplement for those struggling with PCOS as it helps to promote ovulation which is often suppressed or irregular. Also inositol helps improve insulin sensitivity.
• Probiotics are great for gut health especially as back up in case it was a day deficient in fermented foods.
• Adaptogenic herbs ie ashwagandha and rhodiola are very helpful at regulating cortisol and adrenaline and is best taken in the morning.

 

Exercise

• You want to engage in heart-pumping physical activity at least 3 days a week for 30-60 minutes. My go-to as it’s the most accessible, affordable and convenient form of exercise is walking and at a pace that can sustain an elevated heart rate. This will help regulate hormones, glucose, and your blood pressure.

 

Stress and self-care practices

• Having a regular practice to ‘recharge’ is vital. Everything in the body is connected to your overall health – mind and body.
• Acupuncture is an amazing and effective modality to help balance hormones by
  unblocking qi (vital energy) thus encouraging fresh blood and nutrients to flow throughout the body and offering restorative balance. Acupuncture can also help with coping and relieving the hormonal side effects of pregnancy and postpartum.
• Mental health and addressing any stressors, triggers, emotions and patterned behaviors can be supported in the form of meditation, breath work, journaling and talk therapy. 
• Body work in the form of massage and chiropractic care can not only feel restorative but release a lot of tension and kinked wires so-to-speak allowing everything to function more normally thereafter.
• Pelvic floor physical therapy can help engage uterine ligaments and balance the pelvic floor, so the pelvis is stable in supporting painless sex, future
  pregnancies, and vigorous exercise.

 

Add Body Care To Your Stress And Self Care Practices

 

Lifestyle

• You want to try and sleep at least 7-8hours/night (within the hours of 8 pm to 8 am) to help process nutrients and detoxify. Sleeping any less or out of the window of the natural circadian rhythm increases cortisol and you start to feel like you’re running on empty.
• Avoid household toxins by switching to green products including cleaning supplies and detergent. Limit the use of plastic storage containers, utensils or travel mugs by switching to stainless steel or glass. When plastics and other environmental toxins come into contact with your skin and body, they can enter your blood stream and interrupt hormones. 
• Decrease recreational toxins ie cigarettes, marijuana and limit alcohol and coffee.
• Regularly apply an abdominal castor oil pack on the day you stop bleeding until ovulation this helps your liver discharge extra toxins or hormones.
• Think of this balancing process in spans of trimesters when trying to conceive or heal. Give yourself at least 3-6 months. You want to give your body time to recover, repair, and strengthen to its optimal hormone health.

 

Fertility isn’t just about ovulation windows or lab values.

Whether you’re actively trying to conceive, healing after a loss, or simply getting curious about your cycle, the path toward balance is deeply personal and rarely linear. The body holds so much wisdom when we give it time, nourishment, and support.

As a midwife, my role is not to “fix” you, but to walk with you, to help you understand your options, restore connection to your body, and reclaim trust in its ability to heal. There’s power in approaching fertility with compassion instead of urgency. Give yourself permission to slow down, get quiet, and ask what your body truly needs. 

 

Shop Holistic, Organic Pre and Postpartum Care

 

Related Reading

A Gut Feeling: How Stress Affects Your (Vaginal) Microbiome

How To Plan For Childbirth by Hayley Oakes

6 Postpartum Tips and The Fourth Trimester

How Your Hormones Change From Puberty To Menopause

 

Hayley Oakes is a licensed midwife based in Santa Barbara, CA. She has been attending births since 2010 as a doula, midwife assistant, apprentice and midwife, witnessing and supporting birth in all settings: home, birth center and hospital. Hayley is the host and creator of Milk Trails -- a podcast dedicated to the out-of-hospital birthing experience. In February 2019, Hayley became a mother herself and welcomed her second child in January 2022. She currently offers private consultations for expectant mothers planning hospital births who desire holistic medical support. As a midwife, educator and mother, she is committed to supporting childbearing folks in having a safe and satisfying pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience to help grow healthy, happy babies.

If you would like to book a private prenatal and/or postpartum consult please email hayleyfoakes@gmail.com.