grounding habits
what feels good and preparing for egg retrieval
I talk to other people about their healthy habits all day long, and while there are general tenets that may be applicable for some, the emphasis is most often on individualization.
And yet it doesn’t leave much time or energy to revisit this topic for myself.
I’ve acquired a few habits of my own over the years that feel best in and for my body. Sometimes I have the energy to practice them on a daily basis, and other times they’re distant cousins, waiting for the next family reunion.
In this post, I’m discussing the habits for my individual body that feel good, and how I’ll be highlighting these habits over the next 3 months as I prepare for freezing my eggs.
This will NOT be a post about restrictive diets or behaviors, but much more about incorporating softer self-care behaviors. It is also not a post to follow as strict rule, as some of the things I do may not at all be a good fit for someone else.
On the specific topic of egg freezing, it feels impossible to mention reproductive health without acknowledging the larger conversation and context in the US.
I live in a state where I don’t worry about either my own or my patients’ reproductive health freedoms. I have abundant access to reproductive healthcare, both for myself and my patients.
Other states don’t have that same luxury or privilege.
Just this week, I saw a video from a TikTok creator who mentioned that at 18 weeks, she learned her pregnancy was no longer viable. Due to restrictive laws in Texas, she couldn’t have a legal abortion. As a result of having to wait, she went into septic shock, thereby reaching the point of ‘medical exception,’ and was then able to have an abortion. As a result, one of her fallopian tubes is permanently damaged due to the scarring, and she won’t be able to carry another pregnancy.
This could’ve been entirely prevented, though after Roe v Wade was overturned, this is increasingly more common.
Furthermore, IVF has become a part of this politicized conversation after a ruling in Alabama in February - that stored embryos are afforded the same legal protection as children under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act of 1872. Within the first week after the ruling, two of the eight fertility clinics in Alabama paused their IVF treatments. More on that here.
Abortion, contraception, IVF, and egg freezing may all feel like entirely separate topics. Though all reproductive health access is at risk.
Some will still posit that being in the health, wellness, and medical space should be apolitical. Though there is an absolute increased politicization of medicine over the recent years (and frankly always has been).
It is likely quite obvious where I lean politically on this issue - I am firm in my stance that abortion care is healthcare. And have undergone training for medication abortion as part of my medical practice, given I work in a state and facility with a strong emphasis on improving access to reproductive healthcare.
Though as someone who went to Catholic high school, grew up with strong pro-life influences, in a Republican household, and in a predominantly white town with upper middle class privilege, it hasn’t always been this way. After widening my lens and exposing myself to experiences that are different than my own, my opinion drastically changed.
It is essential these rights be protected for the health and safety of all of those undergoing reproductive healthcare - egg freezing, IVF, contraception, and/or abortion. The only way to ensure this is by voting for constituents who will increase, preserve, and protect access to this vital part of healthcare.
I have previously and will continue to vote blue. And I also donate monthly to the National Network of Abortion Funds.
I absolutely understand if this shifts your opinion of me and my content. This is a very heated conversation and topic; I know first hand through conversations with those I am close to.
I share the above to highlight that my own influences were very different than how I feel now. I have compassion and understanding for those who feel differently than me. Often opinions and stances seen online about this topic seem formed and made, with no description of how they got there. The reality is - it is usually a spectrum of gray, rather than an entirely black and white color palette.
The above provides a bit more context, which felt like something that needed to be addressed under the umbrella of this week’s topic.
Mentioned in this post:
to freeze or not to freeze? egg preservation in the age of reproductive indecision
birth control 101: an integrative approach to contraception counseling
to all the fads I’ve tried before: on being in the social media “wellness” space for 9+ years
day in my life as a family med PA: mediocre mindfulness + if I regret this career path
unhinged chaos of a hard week: a voice note to my zesty besties
Last week, I had my first appointment for egg freezing.