How Does Acupuncture Help with Fertility?

How Does Acupuncture Help with Fertility?

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re searching for every possible way to boost your chances of conceiving—and acupuncture for fertility is probably at the top of the list. You’re not alone. Many women turn to acupuncture as part of their fertility journey because they’re done with feeling powerless and are ready to try something that doesn’t just throw another pill or procedure at them.

And I get it. Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years for a reason—it works with your body’s natural intelligence instead of fighting against it. But here’s the thing: while acupuncture is amazing, it isn’t the only energetic modality that can help you get pregnant. There’s another path that’s equally powerful but often overlooked: Reiki. And unlike acupuncture, Reiki doesn’t require you to leave the comfort of your home, and is already included in my Fertility Coaching package—so you get one-stop support for both your energy and your mindset.

Let’s start by answering your questions about acupuncture (because I know that’s what you came for), and then I’ll show you how Reiki offers a similar—needle-free—path to conception.

Acupuncture and Fertility

Acupuncture and fertility are often talked about in the same breath, and for good reason. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that when your body’s energy (or “Qi”) is blocked, physical symptoms—including infertility—can show up. Acupuncture points for fertility are carefully chosen to restore balance, increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, and regulate hormones.

In fact, many acupuncture and infertility studies point to improvements in menstrual regularity, ovulation, and stress reduction. While research results are mixed (because, let’s be real, it’s hard to measure subtle energy shifts in a lab), there is acupuncture fertility evidence that shows women who use acupuncture alongside IVF often see better outcomes.

And let’s not forget the bigger picture: acupuncture is about supporting your whole body, not just your ovaries. It’s rooted in the same philosophy as all natural fertility info: your body isn’t broken—it just needs the right environment and support to thrive.

Sound familiar? That’s exactly how Reiki works, too. Both acupuncture and Reiki release blockages and restore balance—it’s just that acupuncture uses needles, and Reiki uses energy channeled through gentle touch or even no touch at all.

How Does Acupuncture Help Fertility?

Here’s what you probably really want to know: how does acupuncture actually help you get pregnant?

• Many women use acupuncture to get pregnant because it reduces stress, balances hormones, and improves circulation to the uterus and ovaries.

• Curious about where do they put needles for fertility acupuncture? Common points are on the abdomen, legs, ears, and even wrists—places connected to reproductive and hormonal function.

• Research suggests acupuncture for infertility success rate is strongest when combined with IVF, but many women also ask: can acupuncture help me get pregnant naturally? The answer: yes. Acupuncture helps regulate your cycle, supports ovulation, and creates a calmer, more receptive environment for conception.

• In short: does acupuncture improve fertility? Absolutely, especially when stress and energy imbalances are at the root of the struggle.

But here’s the renegade truth: everything acupuncture does for fertility, Reiki can do too—without the needles or in-person contact. Reiki helps calm your nervous system (goodbye, fight-or-flight mode), opens up stuck energy patterns in the body, and creates alignment between your mind, body, and spirit, so your body is ready to receive and grow new life.

So, if you’ve been asking what does acupuncture do for fertility?, think of Reiki as its soul sister. Different tools, same goal: creating the healthiest, most fertile version of you.

When to Get Acupuncture for Fertility

One of the most common questions women ask is: what’s the best time to do acupuncture for fertility? The answer varies. Some practitioners suggest starting three months before trying to conceive (so your body has time to shift and regulate), while others recommend scheduling treatments around ovulation or alongside fertility treatments. If you’ve read some of my other blog posts, you already know I am a huge proponent of working with your body’s natural regeneration cycle of at least 8 weeks, which is why my program includes 8 sessions of reiki.

Another big one: how many sessions of acupuncture for fertility are needed? Often, women commit to weekly sessions for several months. Which brings us to the next question: how long does acupuncture take for fertility? Again—it depends. Some women see changes in just a few cycles, others take longer.

So, does acupuncture help with infertility? Yes—especially when infertility is linked to stress, hormonal imbalance, or poor circulation. But acupuncture isn’t the only way to remove those roadblocks. Reiki works along the same principles: the more consistently you practice, the more powerful the results. And unlike acupuncture, Reiki is already built into my Fertility Coaching support—so you don’t have to run around piecing together a dozen different practitioners just to cover all your bases. Being your fertility one-stop-shop is one of the many ways I support your nervous system regulation!

The Loving Renegade Truth

Here’s what I want you to know: you don’t have to choose between acupuncture, Reiki, or coaching. What matters most is that you’re finding ways to regulate your nervous system, release stress, restore balance, and open your body to receiving, so whether you conceive naturally or through IVF, your body knows now is the perfect time.

Acupuncture may have brought you here, but Reiki can take you further. And when combined with deep, holistic fertility coaching, you’re not just managing symptoms—you’re transforming your entire experience of trying to conceive.

This isn’t about hustling harder or chasing the “perfect” fertility hack. It’s about aligning with what you want (a baby!), healing the patterns that keep you stuck, and finally feeling safe, powerful, and ready to receive the life you desire.

Ready for Your Next Step?

If you’re tired of guessing and Googling—and you’re ready for a clear, personalized plan for YOUR body, heart, and future—let’s talk. You deserve more than scattered solutions. You deserve freedom, clarity, and a plan that actually feels like you.

Schedule your Free Conception Strategy Session with me today. Together, we’ll map out the best path forward based on your unique situation, past experiences, goals, and timeline.

👉 Book Your Free Conception Strategy Session

Pregnancy and the Impact of Past Abuse or Trauma

Pregnancy and the Impact of Past Abuse or Trauma

What No One Talks About But You Deserve to Know

You’ve done everything right. And yet it feels like you’re always doing something wrong.

You’ve tracked your menstrual cycle, taken the supplements, followed your doctor’s advice, eaten all the “fertility-friendly” foods. You’re healthy, successful, and on paper there’s no reason you shouldn’t be pregnant by now.

And yet…month after month, the pregnancy test is still negative.

It’s hard not to wonder: What’s wrong with me?

Here’s what I want you to know: there’s nothing wrong with you. But there may be something from your past quietly influencing your present.

The truth is, conception isn’t just about having the right egg and sperm meet at the right time. It’s also about your body and nervous system feeling safe enough to say yes to pregnancy.

If trauma of the past—whether little t or Big T, whether you consciously think about it or not—still lives in your body, it creates an invisible block. This isn’t weakness. It’s simply how the body protects itself.

Sometimes, unresolved feelings from when you were younger and childhood trauma resurface in adulthood, in surprising ways. And pregnancy can stir deep layers of memory and emotion you didn’t even know were still there. That’s why trauma in pregnancy, or even before pregnancy, can be the missing piece that no amount of “doing everything right” can fix—until it’s healed.

This is the part no one talks about. But it’s the part that changes everything.

Why Do These Memories Come Back in Pregnancy?

You’re not imagining things.

Memories you haven’t thought about in years. Feelings you thought you worked through. Patterns you thought you had outgrown. They start circling back—and it’s terrifying.

You might be wondering: Why now? Why does this old stuff suddenly feel so alive again?

Because preparing to become a mother doesn’t just awaken your body—it awakens your inner child.

Your subconscious knows what it means to carry a child, and it remembers what it felt like to be one. That’s why pregnancy and PTSD often go hand in hand—even if you’ve never had a diagnosis or your experiences may not categorically .

If you’re trying to get pregnant with emotional baggage or starting to feel repressed memories coming back as you try to conceive, it’s your nervous system waving a flag: “Let’s clear this out before we bring a baby into the world.”

And here’s what’s essential to realize: the emotions that are surfacing now aren’t random. They’re poking at the unresolved experiences from your past—the times you felt you had to work hard to have your needs or desires met, when you were never perfect enough no matter what, when you had to put on a happy face and hide your pain because it felt too vulnerable to share.

Maybe you learned early on that trusting others with your truth was risky, or that showing “weakness” meant you’d be met with judgment instead of genuine support. Those old patterns still live inside you, even if you’ve long buried the memories.

The good news? What’s happening now, as uncomfortable as it feels, is actually an invitation. It’s your chance to access and clear this energy once and for all.

When you resolve it, the past no longer has power over you. You’ll be able to lead your life from a place of wholeness—free to conceive, nurture new life, and grow your family in a way that’s authentically you.

Without this healing, even if you do conceive, you may find yourself constantly battling the fear of recreating your childhood. No one tells you how much time parenting can be spent trying not to repeat what you didn’t like about your own upbringing—but without knowing what “not that” actually looks like.

Through this work, you reconnect with yourself in such a profound way that you can hear and trust your internal voice. You won’t need to control every outcome—you’ll be able to allow, embrace, and even enjoy the ups and downs of life and parenthood.

How to Deal with Trauma While Trying to Get Pregnant

There’s a reason traditional fertility treatments don’t always work. Because trauma is held in the body. And if your body is still carrying the weight of old pain, it doesn’t feel safe enough to say yes to pregnancy.

This doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It means you need support—not just from a doctor, but from someone who can show you how to untangle emotional trauma and create space for new life.

This is the deep work we do together in my fertility coaching program. It’s not just about how to cope with past trauma or manage having flashbacks from childhood. It’s about transforming the relationship you have with your story, your body, and your power.

When you learn how to respond to unresolved emotions from your past, not with shame, but with compassion, you stop letting the past run the show.

When you heal the effects of emotional trauma on fertility—even before you conceive—you’re not just preparing for motherhood. You’re reclaiming the version of you who was always worthy of ease, joy, safety, and feeling content in life.

This is the work. And yes, it’s deep. But it’s also the greatest liberation you’ll ever feel. And you get to pass that along to your child.

You Can Be empower yourself to be Free—and to Be a Mom

It’s okay if you’ve spent months or years trying everything, pulling your hair out, and are just now realizing that what’s holding you back isn’t a diagnosis but unhealed energy. That awareness is the first step and deserves to be celebrated! (Give yourself a hug!)

You are not your trauma. You are not your parents. You are not your past.

And you don’t have to carry it any longer.

You can heal. You can reconnect with the part of you who still believes in this dream! You can become the mother you know you’re meant to be—one who leads from power, not pain.

Let’s talk about how.

👉 Schedule a free Conception Strategy Session here to explore your unique story, and how we’ll work together to gently (but powerfully) break you free from what’s been holding you back.

“After 2 years, a miscarriage,

all the acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and fertility treatments, it wasn’t until I met with Sarah and worked through stuff that I got pregnant and my little girl is just perfect…”

-Nichole

What Is Secondary Infertility and Why Does It Happen?

What Is Secondary Infertility and Why Does It Happen?

You thought you’d be holding your second baby by now. You’ve given birth before—so why does getting pregnant feel so much harder this time?

If you’re exhausted from tracking ovulation, holding back tears around other moms, or blaming yourself for not “getting it right” again, this is for you.

Because secondary infertility doesn’t just mess with your timeline. It messes with your trust in your body, your sense of identity as a mother, and your belief that the life you envisioned is still possible.

Let’s get something straight: this struggle is more common than you think—and it’s not the end of your story.

What Is Secondary Infertility?

You already have a child. Maybe pregnancy came easily the first time—or at least felt straightforward enough. So when you decided it was time for another, you figured your body would cooperate just like before.

But now you're trying for a second baby and not getting pregnant.

You're googling "what is secondary infertility," wondering what changed, and if something might be wrong with you.

Let’s break it down. The definition of secondary infertility is the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after previously giving birth to a biological child. It’s just as real—and just as valid—as primary infertility, yet it often goes overlooked.

Women in this situation often wonder:

• “How long do you stay fertile after giving birth?”

• “Why am I struggling to get pregnant with a second child?”

• “Is something wrong with my body now?”

It’s a uniquely disorienting experience. Because you’ve done this once before, there's often a misplaced pressure to “get over it” quickly or figure it out alone. The outside world doesn’t always offer much sympathy, and even healthcare providers sometimes dismiss the struggle if you already have a child.

But infertility after your first child is a real thing—and so is the grief, shame, and anxiety that can come with it.

You’re Not Making This Up

Secondary infertility is far more common than people realize. According to the National Institutes of Health, it accounts for up to 50% of all infertility cases. Yet because it’s rarely talked about, many women feel isolated and misunderstood—especially if well-meaning friends or relatives keep reminding you to “just be grateful” for the child you already have.

You can love your child and still long for another. Both truths can exist at the same time.

'Unexplained' Doesn’t Mean Unfixable

Maybe you’ve received a diagnosis like unexplained secondary infertility. You’ve had the bloodwork, the ultrasounds, the sperm analysis. And everything looks “fine.” But you’re still having trouble conceiving your second child.

This can be maddening. But in my work, this kind of diagnosis is often the doorway to deeper healing.

Because when there’s no obvious medical reason, it’s often a sign to look below the surface—to explore the role of emotional stress, subconscious beliefs, trauma patterns, or nervous system dysregulation that’s quietly affecting your ability to conceive.

Your Fertility Timeline Isn’t Broken

If you're wondering, how long am I fertile after giving birth?, know this: fertility of course doesn't shut off after you become a mom, but postpartum healing is often more complex than we’re taught.

Hormones, nutrient depletion, sleep deprivation, unresolved birth trauma—it all adds up. And it can affect your ability to conceive again in ways you may not realize.

Why Can't I Get Pregnant Again?

This is one of the most painful, disorienting questions a woman can ask herself.

You may have found yourself Googling things like:

• “Why is it so hard to get pregnant?”

• “Is it harder to get pregnant the second time?”

• “Why haven’t I gotten pregnant?”

• “What causes secondary infertility?”

• Or even, “Can you get pregnant without a period for 2 years?”

Even if you’ve been trying to conceive for 2 years and still not pregnant, you are not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong. But your body may be trying to tell you something.

Your Nervous System Is Part of the Picture

One of the most overlooked contributors to secondary infertility causes is a woman’s nervous system state.

When you're constantly worried about ovulation timing, fertility windows, supplements, losses, or your biological clock, your body can’t tell the difference between emotional stress and a physical threat. It goes into survival mode.

And a body stuck in survival mode doesn’t prioritize reproduction. Because reproduction requires safety. Openness. Trust.

This is where so many women find themselves: exhausted, anxious, over-efforting, and secretly afraid it might never happen again. You might be feeling like you’re doing everything right—but inside, your nervous system is saying: “No, not yet. It’s not safe.”

That’s not your fault. It’s your invitation to soften.

A Quick Note from Someone Who's Been There

I’ve worked with so many women walking this exact path. One client came to me after two years of trying for a second child, multiple losses, and a “nothing’s wrong” workup from her doctor.

She felt broken. Panicked. Over it.

What shifted wasn’t just what she was doing—it was what she was feeling. She stopped micromanaging and doubting her body. She stopped second-guessing her choices and what they meant. And with support, she started regulating her nervous system, connecting with her body, and creating space for something new to unfold.

Within months, she was pregnant. And more importantly—she was ready.

How to Start Healing Now

You don’t have to wait until you hit a breaking point—or until you “deserve” help—to start healing.

Here are three powerful starting points you can use today:

1. Create a Daily Nervous System Ritual

Even 5 minutes a day of breathwork, self-touch, or grounding movement can help shift your body from stress mode into a space where conception is more possible.

2. Ask the Deeper Questions

What am I afraid might happen if I never get pregnant again?
What am I making it mean about me?
What does my body need to feel safe and open again?

These questions unlock new awareness that can begin shifting everything in the direction you desire.

3. Stop Blaming Yourself

This is not your fault. Secondary infertility is not a punishment, a sign you’re unworthy or that something’s wrong with you. It’s an invitation to meet your body with more love than ever before—and that alone can begin to change things.

FAQ: Answers You’ve Been Searching For

Is it harder to get pregnant the second time?

Not always—but when it is, it’s not always for the reasons you think. Emotional burnout, hormone shifts, or unresolved birth or childhood trauma can all play a role. It’s not about age or worth—it’s about what your body needs to feel safe.

When should I stop trying?

That’s a deeply personal decision. But before you stop, ask yourself: have I really tried supporting my body and nervous system the way it needs to be supported? Will I be satisfied that I did what I could, or could I have gone deeper?

You’re Not Failing—You’re Awakening

This season of your life might feel like a detour. A heartbreak. A big cosmic “why not me?”

But I want you to know—this experience is shaping the mother you’re becoming. More intuitive. More grounded. More powerful.

You don’t need to hustle harder. You need to come home to yourself.

Ready to Reclaim Your Body and Support Conception Now?

You don’t have to keep waiting or guessing or trying everything under the sun. You can start now—on your own terms, with proven steps that get results.

Conception Accelerator Essentials is my self-paced online course designed to help you support your nervous system and create the inner environment your body needs to conceive. You’ll learn simple yet powerful practices to regulate stress, build trust with your body, and shift from force into flow.

Because conception doesn’t require control—it requires connection. Let’s get you back in your power.

Conception Accelerator Essentials Digital Course

Everyone Is Pregnant But Me: Navigating Pregnancy Envy

Everyone Is Pregnant But Me: Navigating Pregnancy Envy

Let’s get real: When you’re trying to conceive, pregnancy envy can feel like it’s everywhere. Your best friend is pregnant. Your coworker posts her gender reveal. Another friend’s pregnancy announcement hits your feed before you’ve even had your morning coffee.

And you? You’re sitting there wondering: “Why do I want to be pregnant so bad?” Followed closely by: “Why is getting pregnant so hard for me when it’s so easy for everyone else?”

If you’ve caught yourself jealous of a pregnancy, or spiraling after yet another pregnant friend’s big news, you’re not a bad person. You’re human.

It’s normal to feel a gut punch when you see someone else with the very thing you’re working so hard to create. It’s normal to feel sadness, frustration, anger, or even resentment—especially if you’ve been silently wishing on pregnancy month after month and nothing’s happening.

But here’s the part no one talks about: The problem isn’t the pregnancy jealousy itself. The problem is what you make it mean about you.

What is Pregnancy Envy?

Pregnancy envy happens when someone else’s success in getting pregnant kicks up your own unmet desire—and the painful fear that maybe it’s just never going to happen for you.

It can sound like:

• “I must not be doing enough.”

• “There’s something wrong with me.”

• “I have to work harder than everyone else.”

• “If I were worthy, I’d be pregnant by now too.”

• “I’m a terrible friend for feeling this way.”

Sound familiar? That spiral is actually the biggest thief of your power—not the best friend’s pregnancy, not the friend’s pregnancy announcement, and not the fact that your feed is full of pregnant friends.

Here’s the truth: Envy is not a sign you’re broken. It’s a sign you have a desire that matters. That’s all.

The trick is learning how to keep the desire alive without letting it morph into fear, scarcity, or self-judgment. Because the moment you let jealousy of pregnancy turn into “There’s something wrong with me,” you disconnect from the very energy that helps create what you want.

Where Does Pregnancy Envy Come From?

Let’s talk about the root of this whole thing.

When you’re deep in your TTC journey, there’s a special kind of heartbreak that hits when it feels like everyone is pregnant but me.

You start to ask questions like:

• “Why is everyone pregnant and I’m not?”

• “What did I do wrong?”

• “What’s wrong with my body?”

• “What’s wrong with me?”

If you’ve experienced the emotional impact of infertility or pregnancy envy after miscarriage, the stakes can feel even higher.

Your nervous system gets wired into survival mode: You’re not just grieving a pregnancy journey that isn’t going the way you hoped—you’re also battling old stories from your past. Stories like:

• “I’m not good enough.”

• “I have to work harder to be worthy.

• “If I’m not perfect, I don’t get what I want.”

So of course someone else’s success can feel like proof that you’re failing. But it’s not. Their path is not your path.

Your job isn’t to replicate what worked for someone else. Your job is to honor your own unique process, to stay connected to your desire, and to trust that your journey will unfold the way it’s meant to.

How to Deal with Pregnancy Envy

Here’s where your real power kicks in.

Learning how to cope with jealousy in friendships and how to deal with envy isn’t about forcing yourself to “think positive” or pretending you don’t care. It’s about knowing how to work with your own mind, body, and spirit in a way that feels real—not performative.

And I get it. I’ve been exactly where you are.

Both of my daughters came after my own messy, heartbreaking, transformative fertility journey—complete with pregnancy losses, gut-wrenching comparison, and those raw moments where it felt like everyone was pregnant but me.

I know what it’s like to cry in the bathroom after a friend’s pregnancy announcement while silently wondering if you’re ever going to get your turn. I also know what it takes to get out of that loop without abandoning yourself.

This is why I do the work I do now—because it’s not enough to just “stay positive.” You need real tools to move through the triggers, break free from the lies that keep you stuck, and reconnect with your own magic. 

That’s where your power is.

Here’s how you start:

1. Catch the envy in real-time.

If you notice the pregnancy envy rising up, pause. No shame. Just awareness.
“This is envy. It’s normal. And I get to decide what I do with it.”

2. Feel your disappointment AND your desire.

It’s okay to be sad it hasn’t happened for you—yet. It’s okay to want to throw your phone across the room after another friend's pregnancy post. But here’s what I’ll help you practice: letting those feelings move through you without letting them build a home in you. Grieve, and then shift back into trust. Let their pregnancy remind you of your desire—not of your “failure.”

3. Learn what you can—without throwing yourself under the bus.

It’s smart to ask: “Is there anything about their pregnancy journey I can learn from?” But it’s equally smart to remember that your path is yours. Not everything that works for someone else will work for you—and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re forging your own way.

4. Practice feeling now how you think you’ll feel when it happens.

This is the part most people skip—and it’s the key to manifestation. If you’re stuck in fear, stress, and shame, you’re cutting off the very energy that helps you create life. When you can reconnect to how you want to feel, before the positive test shows up, you change everything.

5. Get support that actually works.

If you’re wondering how to deal with infertility when everyone is getting pregnant or how to cope with waiting when everyone is pregnant, you don’t need another pep talk. You need someone who can hold space for the real, raw parts AND help you break up with the BS stories that are keeping you small.

That’s exactly what I do as a holistic fertility coach. I help high-achieving women like you work with the old wounds this journey brings up—so you’re not just coping, you’re actually healing, expanding, and creating the life (and the family) you want.

Ready to Stop Letting Envy Run the Show?

You’re allowed to want this. You’re allowed to be human and messy along the way. And you’re allowed to get support that actually moves the needle and accelerates your progress.

If you’re ready to shift from stuck and spiraling into powerful and grounded, let’s talk.

Book your free Conception Strategy Session and let’s map out your next steps—together.

Schedule Your Session Here →

How to Heal Emotionally After Pregnancy Loss

How to Heal Emotionally After Pregnancy Loss

The Truth About Healing After Pregnancy Loss

Let’s just get to the truth: Miscarriage is common. But that doesn’t mean isn’t also incredibly devastating.

Maybe you’ve heard people say things like:
“At least it happened early.”
“At least you know you can get pregnant.”
“You can always try again.”

And while their words might come from a good place, they miss the point. This hurts.

Pregnancy loss is real loss. And the grief that comes with it? It’s not something you can intellectualize or hustle your way through. It’s not something you can journal away or meditate out of existence.

You have to feel it. You have to let it move through you—not to wallow in darkness forever—but to free yourself from the fear that the sadness will own you.

This is the key to healing emotionally from a miscarriage: allowing yourself to feel, grieve, and integrate what happened. So you can move forward. So you can trust yourself again. So if you choose to try again, it won’t be from a place of fear—but from love.

In my recent post, Does a Miscarriage Affect Your Fertility?, I shared the truth that most women can still get pregnant again after loss—but before you even think about “next steps,” your heart deserves attention first.

This post is about that healing. The deep kind. The kind that changes you—for the better.

Let’s go there.

Is Miscarriage Grief Real?

Short answer? Hell yes, it’s real.

But here’s the problem: Most women feel like they are expected to experience grieving a miscarriage quietly. Behind closed doors. Alone.

Some people minimize it. Some people avoid talking about it altogether. And you? You’re left wondering if you’re allowed to feel what you’re feeling.

You are.

The emotional reality of miscarriage isn’t just sadness. It’s complex. It’s the surge of miscarriage anxiety that creeps in when you think about trying again. It’s the days when you feel fine—then suddenly you’re crying in the grocery store parking lot because someone walked by with a baby stroller. It’s the miscarriage emotions that don’t always make sense but refuse to be ignored.

Coping with a miscarriage is messy. And it should be. You’re human. And what you lost was real.

But here’s something most people don’t talk about:

If you were already carrying the weight of self-doubt, fear of abandonment, or unworthiness from earlier life experiences—this loss can hit differently. Pregnancy loss doesn’t just bring grief about the baby you didn’t get to hold. It often rips open old wounds you’ve spent years trying to bury.

Maybe you’ve gotten really good at pushing those feelings down. At pretending you’re fine. At managing life so nothing touches the parts of you that still feel fragile.

But here’s the thing:

Those well-worn protective habits? They might get you through the workday. But they’ll keep you stuck when it comes to fully healing from this kind of loss.

The truth is, your nervous system can’t heal from a miscarriage if it’s still running the old trauma playbook: suppress, numb, control.

It takes courage—and know-how—to stay present in the discomfort without drowning in it. That’s what I help women do: lovingly stand in the hard stuff so they can process it fully, heal, and move forward feeling powerful again.

You’re dealing with a loss and dealing with the pressure to act like everything’s fine. You’re dealing with miscarriage grief while the world keeps spinning, while work meetings pile up, while your friends announce pregnancies on social media.

This isn’t weakness. This is real life.

Miscarriage and grief go hand in hand. Not because you’re broken, but because you loved. You hoped. You dreamed. And you’re allowed to mourn those dreams. It’s essential.

This grief isn’t something you can bypass—it’s something you must integrate. That’s the only way to move forward without carrying invisible armor everywhere you go.

Can You Get Postpartum Depression After a Miscarriage?

Another thing people don’t talk about? Yes—you can absolutely experience postpartum depression after a miscarriage.

Your body doesn’t ask for your permission before shifting hormones. Your mind doesn’t check whether or not you’re holding a baby before it spirals into miscarriage and depression.

Sometimes dealing with depression after miscarriage feels like complete numbness. Sometimes it feels like rage. Sometimes it feels like exhaustion so deep you don’t know how you’ll get out of bed. 

If this is where you are right now, please hear me clearly: you are not crazy, and you are not alone.

Is it possible to have postpartum depression after miscarriage? Yes.

Can you have postpartum depression after a miscarriage even if it was early? Yes.

Does this mean you’re destined to stay stuck or childless forever? Absolutely not.

Your body went through a pregnancy. Your heart went through a loss. You deserve the same compassion, support, and care you’d give to anyone who just survived something life-altering.

Postpartum depression after miscarriage is real. And you deserve real support.

How to Heal Emotionally From a Miscarriage

So how do you actually heal emotionally from a miscarriage without getting stuck—or pretending you’re fine when you’re not?

You stop fighting the truth.
You stop bypassing your emotions after miscarriage.
You stop trying to “think positive” your way out of grief.

And instead, you allow yourself to process what happened. Fully. Courageously.

But here’s the deeper truth most people won’t tell you:

Healing from miscarriage isn’t just about healing this one loss—it’s about breaking the lifelong habit of pushing pain down and pretending you’re okay when you’re not.

For many women, this loss unearths much older wounds. Feelings of unworthiness. Fear of abandonment. Self-doubt that started long before trying to conceive.

These parts of you matter, a lot. And if you’ve been keeping yourself safe by staying small, controlling everything, or suppressing your real feelings, this is your moment to break free from that old pattern—for good.

Miscarriage healing starts when you give yourself permission to:

• Feel every messy, complicated emotion without judging yourself

• Stop asking, “How long should I rest after miscarriage?” as if there’s a one-size-fits-all answer—and start asking, “What do I need right now?”

• Remember that life after miscarriage isn’t about getting back to “normal.” It’s about stepping into a new version of yourself—one that’s wiser, more compassionate, and ready to live fully again, scars and all

• Reconnect with your body, even if you feel like it let you down

• Learn how to move on from a miscarriage in a way that honors your loss and your life

• Get support for your mental health after miscarriage, because your heart deserves healing just as much as your body does

In the article I wrote for MANTRA WELLNESS print magazine, I shared this truth: Healing from loss is not about forgetting or protecting yourself—it’s about becoming someone who can hold both joy and sorrow, and still move forward with love.

And for many women, that means not just healing this loss—but healing the parts of yourself that have been quietly suffering for years. This is your chance to release the old story of “not enough” and start living as the woman—and mother—you truly are.

If you’d like to have that article and keep it close as you walk this path, you can download it here.

Ready for Real Healing? Let’s Do This Together.

You don’t have to figure out how to heal from a miscarriage on your own.

And if you’re here reading this, I’m willing to bet that what you’re actually craving isn’t just healing from this one event. It’s freedom from the patterns that have kept you playing small, doubting yourself, and questioning your worth for years.

This is about more than pregnancy loss. It’s about breaking free from fear, fully trusting yourself again, and stepping into the woman—and mother—you desire to be when the time comes.

If you’re ready for deep, lasting healing—without spiritual bypassing, toxic positivity, or pretending you’re fine—I’d love to support you.

Schedule a free Healing After Pregnancy Loss Consultation here.

Or, if you’re looking for a self-guided option, check out Healing Essentials, my online course for healing after pregnancy loss, here.

This is your time. Not to erase the grief—but to learn to move forward, fully embodied, fully empowered, with your whole heart again.

Is Your Mindset Preventing You from Getting Pregnant?

Is Your Mindset Preventing You from Getting Pregnant?

Short answer: If you have to ask, the answer is hell yes—and it’s more powerful than you think.

What if I told you that your body creates what your mind believes—whether consciously or not?

It’s not just a cute mindset mantra. It’s biology. Your nervous system is constantly scanning for one thing: Am I safe? If the answer is no—because you’re stressed, overwhelmed, doubting yourself, or subconsciously bracing for disappointment—then even if you’re doing “all the right things,” your body might still interpret pregnancy as a threat.

It’s estimated we have 60,000–90,000 thoughts per day—but only about 5% of those are conscious. The other 95%? They’re habits. Old beliefs. Emotional reflexes. Stuff you picked up before you were even seven years old. Think about it: when you were five, how much of the world did you really understand?

And yet, your most foundational beliefs about love, safety, effort, self-worth, and motherhood were already forming.

Even if you had the most loving childhood, you were internalizing unconscious patterns, as all humans do. Add in big or little “T” trauma—divorce, a parent who worked long hours, emotional neglect, perfectionism in the home—and suddenly the way you relate to yourself, your dreams, and your body may start making a lot more sense.

Especially on your fertility journey.

So many of my clients come to me struggling to get pregnant, filled with self-blame, doing everything they possibly can—and still wondering why is it so hard to conceive? They’re high-achieving women who are used to figuring things out. But this journey? It doesn’t respond to force. It requires something deeper.

And the truth is, your mindset might be one of the biggest reasons you're feeling stuck.

Overcoming Depression on Your Fertility Journey

(Yes, your thoughts and emotions are affecting your ability to conceive.)

If you’re feeling disheartened, discouraged, or downright depleted…you are not alone.

So many women quietly wonder:

• Why is it hard to get pregnant even though I’m doing everything right?

• Why do I want to be pregnant so badly it hurts, but it’s just not happening?

• What are the reasons why I can’t conceive—and why does no one talk about the emotional ones?

Here’s the thing: it’s not just a physical journey. It’s an emotional, mental, and spiritual one. And most women give far too little credit to how much infertility mental health plays into the experience.

That overwhelming urge to get pregnant can become a full-blown identity crisis. It can make every month feel like a loss, every negative test a personal failure, every “just relax!” comment an emotional gut-punch.

And you might not realize it, but carrying that grief, self-doubt, and pressure month after month—without support or processing—actually keeps your nervous system stuck in survival mode.

And survival mode is no place to grow a new life.

That’s why some women find themselves trying but not getting pregnant year after year. Because while they’re focused on charts, supplements, and protocols (which have their place!), they’re overlooking the deeper truth: your thoughts and emotions are powerful chemical messengers. Your body listens. Your cells respond.

And when you're constantly flooded with cortisol, anxiety, fear, and grief... your body gets the message: Now is not the time.

The good news? It doesn’t have to stay this way. You can clear the static, come back into your body, and create the safety and freedom your nervous system needs to say: Yes. Now is the time.

Will Stress Stop Me Getting Pregnant?

(Only if you let it run the show.)

If you’ve ever asked yourself,
Can stress cause infertility?
Can stress delay ovulation?
Can stress prevent implantation?

You’re asking the right questions—but probably not getting real answers. So let me give it to you straight.

Yes. Stress can absolutely mess with your hormones, delay ovulation, and signal to your body that it’s not safe to conceive. But it’s deeper than that.

Stress isn’t just a fleeting feeling—it’s a full-body chemical event. When your mind spirals in anxiety about becoming pregnant or your heart sinks every time your period comes, your body responds with a flood of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Those chemicals tell your system: brace for impact. Tighten up. Conserve. Protect.

And do you know what’s the opposite of that?

Conception. Which requires openness. Flow. Softness. Receptivity. Trust.

So when you’re stressing about pregnancy symptoms, micromanaging your cycle, or locked in control mode trying to “do it right,” your nervous system can’t relax long enough to let your body do what it was born to do.

And I get it. You want this so badly. You're doing everything you can. But trying harder isn’t the answer here. Trying differently is.

Here’s the analogy I use with my clients: Trying to get pregnant while gripping tight to control and resisting every low moment is like standing up in a canoe. You’re tense, hyper-aware, overcorrecting every little wobble—because deep down, you’re afraid of falling in. But all that effort to stay upright is exactly what makes you tip.

The only way to move with the current is to sit down, soften your grip, and let the canoe do what it was built to do: carry you forward. Yes, the water might get choppy. There will be highs and lows. But when you’re grounded in your center, you can stay steady without fighting every ripple.

Can You Get Yourself Pregnant with a Positive Mindset?

(Only if it’s the real kind—the kind that rewires you at the root.)

There’s a lot of noise out there about positive thinking and staying hopeful. But let’s be honest—when you’re exhausted, discouraged, and feeling like your body’s failing you, telling yourself to “just think positively” feels like a joke. Or worse, a punch in the gut.

So let’s reframe it.

You don’t need to slap a smile on your face and pretend everything’s fine. But you do need to understand how powerful your thoughts, emotions, and energy are when it comes to your fertility.

Because real positivity isn’t about pretending. It’s about presence. Nervous system regulation. Learning how to sit in the canoe and let the journey bring you steadily and safely toward the destination you actually desire: pregnancy.

When you work with me, I show you how to work with your body, not against it—so you can stop spiraling in stress and start embodying a mindset that truly supports conception.

This is where fertility self-care and fertility counseling meet your biology.

Here’s how it works: Your cells are listening. Always. They literally grow more receptors for whatever chemical messengers they’re receiving the most.

So if you’ve been flooded with cortisol and adrenaline (the stress chemicals), your body becomes more sensitive to stress. You’ll react faster, worry more, and have a harder time calming down—not because you’re broken, but because your cells are literally wired to feel that way.

But here’s the magic: When you begin to regulate your nervous system, allow stress to move through you instead of owning you, and start feeling even small doses of safety, joy, and calm… your body listens. You start producing more of the “positive” chemicals—like oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine—and your cells build more receptors for those instead.

And it gets even better: Every 8 weeks, your cells divide. So the more you create a healthy inner environment now, the more your body literally replicates that state at the cellular level. You’re not just shifting your mindset—you’re changing your biochemistry. This is how you stimulate ovulation naturally. This is how you maximize your chances of getting pregnant. This is why the best time to start this work… is today.

Not when you “hit rock bottom.”
Not after the next failed cycle.
Now.

Because the sooner you align your energy, clear your emotional patterns, and reconnect with the real you—the one beneath the fear—the sooner your body will follow.

Forget the generic fertility hacks and soul-draining symptom tracking. What helps fertility the most? Feeling safe in your body. Connected to your truth. And ready to receive what’s already meant for you.

This is about natural ways to get pregnant that honor all of you—body, mind, and soul. This is conscious fertility. And it’s available to you right now.

You’re Not Broken. You’re Becoming.

(And now is the time to take your power back.)

You weren’t meant to live in panic, overthinking every symptom or blaming your body for something it hasn’t done yet. You were meant to feel free, grounded, and powerful—before you get pregnant, during pregnancy, and as the mom you’re meant to be.

But let’s pause here for a second—and be really honest:

✨ That pressure you feel to work harder, do more, control every detail?
✨ That constant inner voice saying “I have to figure this out”?
✨ That tendency to put on a happy face even when you’re crumbling inside?

You know this feeling. This isn’t new.

It didn’t start with trying to conceive. It’s been with you for a long time. And if you don’t address it now—it will follow you into pregnancy, into motherhood, into every chapter of the life you’re working so hard to create.

That’s why this work matters now.

Because when you finally stop trying to “fix” yourself and start meeting yourself with compassion and curiosity instead—that’s when everything changes.

This isn’t just about getting pregnant faster. This is about building the internal foundation that allows you to experience motherhood in a whole new way. One where you’re not at the mercy of stress or fear or pressure—because you’ve already come home to yourself.

Sarah Denio — Fertility Coach, Founder of KindNest

And that starts here.

💫 Schedule Your Free Conception Strategy Session

You don’t have to do this alone. If you’re tired of the stress, the spirals, and feeling like your body is working against you—it’s time for something radically different. Let’s map out a path to pregnancy that’s rooted in peace, power, and possibility—not panic.

👉 Book your free session here.

Conscious Conception Tips for Pregnancy

Conscious Conception Tips for Pregnancy

What if getting pregnant isn’t just a physical process—but a spiritual invitation? 

Conscious conception invites you to stop forcing, start feeling, and return to your center, no matter how long you’ve been trying. 

If you're asking “Can I get myself pregnant—spiritually?” the short answer is yes…but not in the way you've been taught to believe. 

This post explores what spiritual fertility actually means, why nervous system regulation is the true foundation of conception, and how to finally stop hustling and start receiving.

Can You Get Yourself Pregnant Spiritually?

You’re doing all the things: tracking ovulation, optimizing your diet, maybe even manifesting like your life depends on it—but deep down, you’re exhausted. Over it. And secretly wondering…Is there something wrong with me?

Let’s clear this up right now:  There is nothing wrong with you. But the way most of us have been taught to approach “the act of getting pregnant” is deeply disconnected from the truth of what your body—and your spirit—actually need.

Conscious conception isn’t about bypassing your struggles with affirmations or pretending you’re “high vibe only.” It’s about having the courage to feel it all.

Every wave of longing. Every moment of resentment. Every flicker of hope, and every crash of despair. To allow—not resist—the full emotional current of your life. So it can move through you, rather than getting stuck inside your womb, your nervous system, or your identity.

Because the spiritual meaning of fertility is not about perfection or control. It’s about connection. To your body. To your emotions. To your spirit. And to the deeper “why” beneath your desire to grow your family.

When clients ask me, “How can I get myself pregnant as quickly as possible?” or “What are holistic ways to get pregnant that actually work?”—this is what I tell them:

1. Start by getting clear on the feelings you’re really chasing.
   Not the surface-level goal of a positive pregnancy test—but the truth underneath:  Do you want to feel more peace? Joy? Freedom? Connection? Love?

Until you know what you’re truly craving, you’ll keep grasping. And grasping keeps you stuck.

2. Then, heal the energetic baggage that’s in the way.
Unprocessed emotions, outdated beliefs, and dysregulated stress responses don’t just interfere with fertility—they also shape how you’ll show up as a mother.

This is why I say fertility manifestation isn’t about “hacks” or rituals alone. It’s about building the emotional muscle to come back to your center no matter what life throws at you.

Picture yourself in a canoe. The goal isn’t to avoid waves or only ride the highs. The goal is to stay steady and enjoy the ride—to let the current move around you without capsizing your boat. That’s what spiritual fertility actually looks like.

And that steady canoe? It’s built on a regulated nervous system.

Here’s why that matters:  When your nervous system is dysregulated—because of stress, trauma, overworking, grief, perfectionism, even just chronic uncertainty—your body activates a primal biological response. It reroutes blood flow and resources away from the core functions like digestion and reproduction, and toward your limbs so you can fight, flee, or hide in response to a perceived threat.

Your body’s not broken. It’s protecting you.

But when that survival mode becomes your baseline, it’s nearly impossible to conceive—not because your spirit isn’t aligned, but because your biology is doing its job: prioritizing safety over creation.

So while “just relax and it’ll happen” might make your eyes roll (and rightfully so), learning to regulate your nervous system—even when things aren’t going your way—is a different game entirely. It’s not about ignoring your pain. It’s about creating enough internal safety for life to feel welcome in your body again.

This is why conscious conception works. Not because it bypasses the physical, but because it includes it—and integrates your emotional, spiritual, and biological systems into one aligned whole.

Spiritual Rituals for Pregnancy

Let’s be real: If a simple fertility mantra or crystal under your pillow could guarantee a baby, you’d already be pregnant. You’ve likely tried some version of these rituals before—maybe with a side of guilt when they didn’t “work.”

But here’s what most people miss:  Spiritual rituals aren’t about controlling the outcome. That’s the energy that’ll keep you stuck with more of the same. Really, they’re about creating inner coherence—so your mind, body, and energy are actually speaking the same language.

When that happens, your body isn’t just prepared for pregnancy…It feels safe to create and receive it.

That’s why the most helpful ways to get pregnant—spiritually and holistically—are the ones that bring you back into alignment with yourself. Think of them as anchors for your canoe, keeping you grounded even when the waves come.

Here are a few rituals that don’t require perfection—just presence:

🔸 Feel and Process
This is the cornerstone of conscious conception (not to mention meaningful living!). Most people were never taught how to feel their emotions without getting overwhelmed—or how to let them move through instead of running their lives from the shadows. In this practice, I teach you step-by-step how to tune into what you're feeling, process it fully, and let go—without needing to name the story or fix it.

It’s not about bypassing what hurts. It’s about realizing: you’re powerful enough to feel anything and still be okay. Once you trust yourself to do that, nothing gets to have power over you anymore. You don’t need to chase peace, joy, worthiness or two pink lines on a pregnancy test. You just need to remove what’s been covering them up.

🔸 Fertility Meditation
This isn’t about clearing your mind. This is about coming home to your body. Try placing a hand on your womb and one on your heart, breathing slowly into both spaces. As you extend your exhale, imagine releasing pressure, timelines, or stories that aren’t serving you. Let your womb feel seen. This small practice starts shifting your nervous system out of survival mode and into openness.

🔸 Reclaiming Your Energy Through Ritualized Stillness
It feels counterintuitive at first when you’re used to doing more, but stillness is not stagnation—it’s receptivity. Lighting a candle each evening and asking, How can I prepare my body for pregnancy tonight? is a simple yet profound invitation to shift out of performance mode and back into presence.

🔸 Rewriting the Inner Dialogue
You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy fertility altar. What you do need is honesty. Start building awareness of the subconscious mantras you’ve been carrying: It’s taking too long. Something must be wrong. I don’t know if I can do this. And gently shift them into truths that bring you home: My body is wise. I am safe to receive. The timing of my life is unfolding with love.

This is the heart of spiritual fertility. It’s not about doing more—it’s about becoming more of who you actually are.

When you stop chasing and start tuning in, you create space for conception on every level:  physical, emotional, and spiritual.

And that’s when your body begins to say, “Okay. Now. I’m ready.”

Ready to Make Space for the Life You Want?

If you've been white-knuckling your way through your TTC journey, trying to stay positive, do all the right things, and keep it together while your heart quietly breaks month after month—you’re not broken.

You’re just stuck in a system that never taught you how to feel, how to soften, or how to access your power without pushing.

Conscious conception doesn’t require you to “get it all right.” It asks you to get honest. To get still. To get reconnected.

Because whether you’re planning your first pregnancy, grieving a loss, navigating fertility treatments, or doing everything “naturally”—this journey isn’t just about becoming a mother. It’s about becoming more of you.

So if you're ready to stop spiraling, start healing, and reconnect with the version of you who can welcome life from a place of strength, wholeness, and peace—

Schedule your free Conception Strategy Session now.

We'll look at where you're stuck, what your body’s really trying to tell you, and what to shift so you can move forward with more clarity, more ease, and a lot more hope.

You don’t have to fight your way to a baby. There’s another way. And it starts by coming back to yourself.

Does a Miscarriage Affect Your Fertility?

Does a Miscarriage Affect Your Fertility?

Let’s get one thing straight from the start:  No, a miscarriage doesn’t usually affect your fertility—unless you let fear, shame, or unprocessed grief convince you that it does.

And that? That’s where so many women get stuck—not in a broken body, but in the aftershocks of a heartbreak no one taught them how to hold. A miscarriage can feel like everything is slipping through your fingers. But fertility isn’t a math equation. Your body isn’t a machine. And healing—real, deep, transformational healing—is always possible.

Here’s the truth:
You can absolutely get pregnant again.
You can absolutely feel powerful in your body again.
And you can absolutely come out of this more connected to the version of you that’s meant to be a mother.

But first, let’s talk about what can cause miscarriage—and how to know if your body needs extra support now.

I Know This Path Intimately

I know this fertility journey not just as a coach and healer—but as a woman who’s lived it.

Both of my daughters are rainbow babies, conceived after pregnancy losses that rocked me to my core. I know the heartbreak of seeing two lines…and then watching them disappear. I know the disorienting mix of hope and fear, the obsessive Googling, the anger at your own body, and the silence that makes it all feel worse.

But those losses led me somewhere I never expected:
A journey of deep healing.
Radical self-trust.
And a powerful understanding of how manifestation actually works—not just to call in a baby, but to co-create the life you’re meant for.

This transformation didn’t just bring me my daughters. It brought me back to myself. And it’s the foundation of the work I now do with other women—supporting them in reconnecting with their power, processing the pain, and creating space for the future they long for.

Reasons for Miscarriage

If you’ve been frantically googling things like cause of miscarriage, why do I keep having early miscarriages, or even can I cause a miscarriage?—I see you. The pain of miscarriage can create a vacuum where logic and self-trust disappear. You start questioning everything you’ve done. Everything you are.

Let me be clear:
You didn’t cause this.

Miscarriage is incredibly common, especially in early pregnancy. Most often, the causes of miscarriage stem from genetic or hormonal factors—not anything you did, said, ate, thought, or forgot to do. Despite what the internet might imply, things like lifting something heavy, having sex, or going on a run aren’t to blame. And while the question “Can sperm cause miscarriage in early pregnancy?” pops up a lot, the answer is essentially no—unless there's a very specific medical condition involved, which is rare.

So if you’ve been searching for answers about the causes of recurrent miscarriage, know this: yes, sometimes there’s something concrete and addressable, like uterine abnormalities, autoimmune conditions, or thyroid imbalances. But often, miscarriage is your body’s heartbreaking way of protecting you from a pregnancy that wasn't viable from the start.

Still, it’s essential to ask deeper questions—not to place blame, but to uncover what’s trying to come into balance now.

So why do recurrent miscarriages happen?

There are medical factors that can contribute to repeat pregnancy loss. Common causes of recurrent miscarriage include:

• Uterine abnormalities (like fibroids or a septum)

• Immune system disorders (such as antiphospholipid syndrome)

• Hormonal imbalances (like low progesterone or thyroid dysfunction)

• Chromosomal issues with one or both partners

And even then, it’s not always black and white. Sometimes testing reveals answers. Sometimes it doesn’t. That doesn’t mean your body is broken—it means you’re human, and fertility isn’t a formula.

Still, if you’re wondering things like how can I cause a miscarriage? or blaming yourself for things outside your control, please know:  This is your grief talking. Not the truth.

Unpacking the Shame

Let’s address the elephant in the room: shame.

Society often treats miscarriage like a taboo. Something whispered about. A personal failing. You’re told not to announce your pregnancy until 12 weeks, “just in case.” And when a loss does happen, the silence is deafening.

But here’s what no one says loud enough:  Miscarriage is incredibly common. You are not alone. And you are not to blame.

This culture of secrecy only deepens the wound. You’re allowed to grieve, rage, cry, question everything—and still believe in your body’s wisdom. Healing starts when you let your truth exist, even if it’s messy.

Signs of Hormonal Imbalance After Miscarriage

Now let’s talk about your body. After a miscarriage, your hormones shift dramatically. Depending on how far along you were and how the miscarriage happened (naturally, with medication, or surgically), your system might need time to recalibrate.

These shifts can be confusing—especially if no one’s told you what to expect. Common signs of hormone imbalance after miscarriage include:

• Irregular or missing periods

• Mood swings, anxiety, or depression that don’t ease

• Fatigue that feels deeper than grief

• Sleep disruptions or night sweats

• Difficulty tracking ovulation

• PMS that feels more intense than usual

So let’s look under the hood.

Key Hormones to Watch

• Progesterone – This is the big one. Low progesterone can contribute to difficulty maintaining early pregnancy. It also impacts mood, sleep, and cycle regulation.

• Estrogen – You might be wondering, can low estrogen cause miscarriage? The answer is: yes, it can. Estrogen supports the uterine lining and plays a critical role in the first half of your cycle.

• Thyroid Hormones – Undiagnosed thyroid issues are a sneaky culprit behind many fertility struggles and miscarriages. They affect nearly every system in your body—including your ability to conceive and carry.

• Cortisol – Your stress hormone. Elevated cortisol from prolonged stress, trauma, or burnout can disrupt your entire hormonal ecosystem.

When people ask, what hormone causes miscarriage?, the real answer is: it’s never just one. Your hormones operate in a dynamic, interconnected dance. If one is off, others often follow. And in the case of chromosomal abnormalities, your hormones aren’t the culprit anyway.

How to Balance Hormones After Miscarriage

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to jump into invasive pregnancy loss treatments to begin healing.

There are deeply effective, body-honoring ways to bring your hormones into balance—without overriding your intuition or outsourcing your power.

This might include:

• Nutritional support to stabilize blood sugar and support hormone production

• Supplementation with high-quality vitamins and minerals (based on testing, not guesswork)

• Nervous system regulation through breathwork, embodiment, and nervous system repair

• Cycle tracking (the right way) to understand your hormonal rhythms

• Trauma-informed coaching or therapy to help process the emotional layers that get stored in the body

Your body is wise.
She knows how to heal.
But she does need you to listen.

You’re Not Fragile. You’re Becoming.

This part of the journey might feel like it’s breaking you. But what if it’s breaking you open?

Miscarriage is not the end of your story. It can be the start of your true alignment—the version of you who’s not just checking boxes or following protocols, but deeply connected to her power, her purpose, and her intuition.

I didn’t just survive my pregnancy losses—I alchemized them. I stopped obsessing over what more I could do and started asking who I needed to become. I healed at the root, realigned with my truth, and watched my life expand beyond what I ever thought was possible—including the babies I thought might never come.

That version of me? She’s the one who became a mother. She’s the one who gets to guide other women into their own becoming now.

You are not fragile. You are being forged.

This grief? It’s sacred.
This pain? It holds wisdom.
This moment? It’s asking you to remember who you are—not just who you’ve been.

You get to mother yourself through this before you mother someone else.
You get to create space, not just for a baby, but for the life you actually want to live.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

Ready to Reclaim Your Power?

If you’re ready to stop spinning in fear and start creating clarity—for your body, your hormones, and your path to motherhood—I’d love to support you.

I’ve walked this path. I’ve sat in that dark place. And I know what’s possible when you’re finally held, seen, and supported at the root.

👉 Schedule your free Conception Strategy Session and let’s uncover what’s really going on beneath the surface—then build a customized, holistic plan to move forward with confidence, compassion, and power.

You are not broken.
You are becoming.
And you are so much closer than you realize.

Are You Fed Up Enough to Claim What You Actually Want?

Are You Fed Up Enough to Claim What You Actually Want?

I’m Sarah, an Inner Alignment Coach and Energetic Healer. 

I have 20+ years business experience. I’ve worked for everything from not-for-profits to startups to Fortune 500 companies…I literally circled the globe conducting leadership development training.

On paper you would’ve thought I had it all figured out. 

But when my husband and I started trying for babies, things didn’t go as planned. Suffice to say my fertility journey led me down an unforeseen path of personal and professional growth and transformation. Odd as it may sound, even with all the heartache I endured, looking back now I honestly wouldn’t change a thing because I feel like I’d be a shadow of the person I am now without it.

It led me here. 

I’m now a renegade who’s super connected to herself and what she wants, who gets her kicks seeing women heal and get what they really want.

Yes, I help women have the babies, partners, business ventures, beachfront homes, saunas, meaningful friendships, and all the money and success they’ve always dreamt of.

But what I really help them do is feel the way they want — ease and trust that they can relax, because everything is lining up naturally. Feeling the way you desire manifests all the other things you’ve dreamt of having, naturally.

3 Things to Know

1. You have to be fed up to create change.

The very first thing you need to understand is that you must be fed up with the way things are in order to show up for yourself enough to create sustainable change. Fed up with how things have been, to the point you feel like screaming “I can’t do this anymore!” Fed up with feeling the same old exhausting way, and with the rule-following (all those arbitrary rules imposed by society, family, and “The Man”...what’s normal, what’s expected, what you look like, how to act, what you feel, how much of it you express and when…). Overcoming the inertia of how things have been takes significant effort, so you have to know in your bones you were meant for more, that you have a life worth fighting for. 

2. Your current feelings always create your future reality.

The second thing you must embrace is that your current feelings are always creating your future results, your future reality. When you understand this, the important question becomes “how do I really feel”? I’m not talking about how you respond when someone says “hey, how are ya?” I’m talking about inside, how you really feel inside. Are you anxious, frustrated, resentful, sad, go go going through the motions or on high-speed all the time, exhausted from working so hard to keep it together? If you’re experiencing these emotions more than you care to admit, it’s impossible for it to not be reflected in your life. When you’re ready for things to change, the key is to focus inward. Focusing inside yourself is the only way things will change out there.

3. Your body is already ready already! You Just Need to Leverage it to your advantage.

Once you’re fed up and ready to embrace that you want more, it’s pretty easy with my Inner Alignment program, because you’re leveraging the natural regeneration process of your body (what’s literally already happening anyway!) and utilizing it to shift things to create what you actually want. 

The cells in your body always have more receptors for the chemicals they’ve been flooded with in the recent past. If you’re like most women who have been anxious and overwhelmed, you currently have more receptors for stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and you’ll feel those emotions more readily. As you learn in my program to pause and let the stress chemicals wash through your system, you’ll have more moments of calm which of course feels better n the moment AND builds more receptors on your cells for the “feel good” hormones (e.g. oxytocin and endorphins). It gets exponentially more powerful when your cells divide as they naturally do every 8 weeks – for each you now have 2 cells with more receptors supporting you feeling calm and at ease.

Neurological rewiring works similarly. They say “neurons that fire together wire together” meaning whatever thoughts you’ve practiced in the past (intentionally or not!), your brain is currently wired to support thinking habitually. Therefore, you’ll keep thinking the same old thing that will keep your life feeling the same until you put in the work to support thinking what you actually want. You need to wire together new neural networks that align with how you want to feel. As in my program you learn to spend time focusing on what you actually want, you create a brain/mind that automatically supports feeling the way you desire. 

Your cells and neurons are already regenerating in this way every 8 weeks – why not use this process intentionally to support the change you’d love to experience in your life?? I can show you how.

This is what makes it possible (inevitable, really) to experience a tremendous shift in what you think, how you feel and therefore what you create in your life in a very short period of time, and how the results you’re creating are innately sustainable because you’ve wired them in at the physiological level.

It’s literally impossible for things to stay as they were when you’re fed up with how things have been and begin showing up for yourself in this new way.

It’s a whole new way of existing in the world

Allowing Inner Alignment to be the “work” you do to have what you want really simplifies things – you have one place to focus to create what you want in your life. You create the feeling you desire inwardly, and what you want out there in the world manifests naturally. If it sounds too simple to be true, that’s probably your brain trying to keep things the way they have been, because change is scary. Are you fed up enough? If yes, call BS on that safety-seeking stuff and join me anyway!

Inner Alignment is THE way, and why I’ve created a movement of women who are ready to break the mold, ready to embrace a new way of “working” to have what we’ve dreamed of. It becomes your way of living, not a task you’re checking off a list. 

I’m here, ready to show you how. Are you fed up enough?

Get started here >>

What Does It Mean to "Take Your Life Back"?

What Does It Mean to "Take Your Life Back"?

To answer this question, we need to look at what or whom “took it away.”

Is it a general sense of being out of control (stress, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, etc.) for  you by now?

Or do you know exactly when it began and what happened? 

Either way, the symptoms are often the squeaky wheels that get the grease – therapy and pills, “to-do” and “maybe someday” lists that linger, supplements and endless appointments…all intending to address how “feeling out of control“ is manifesting in your life. 

The real question is: What’s beneath, at the root? 

The answer is often elusive because it got buried over time.

Experiences and people (and resulting beliefs) that began stimulating the thoughts and feelings that have disconnected you from yourself…

Things that hurt so much when you experienced them you couldn’t fully process it at the time – for safety or survival, because you didn’t know how, or you resisted because it was just too much to handle…

And now those old thoughts and feelings feel SO engrained, like they’re who you are. 

It’s like the real you is being held hostage by the past that hasn’t been healed.

“It’s like the real you is being held hostage by the past that hasn’t been healed.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. It can actually be quite simple to “take your life back” when you know HOW.

Maybe you’ve been living this way for so long you don’t even know what it would be like to be free from that old baggage. 

This is where my Renegade Daughter course comes in ($222). 

Not only will you learn simple techniques for releasing the past that holds you back, you also get the exact steps needed to reclaim the true you that’s been waiting underneath. 

When you follow my program, in 4 week’s time you’ll feel more like the real you than you have in a very long time AND you’ll know how to make it sustainable for life (or you get your money back!).

This is what I mean by “take your life back”. You can learn to fully feel and process anything and everything that happened and set down that old baggage, so it can no longer disconnect you from your true self. From there you can move forward, free to be you and live the life you choose.

Grab my Renegade Daughter course right now to get started.

Working with Uncomfortable Emotions

Working with Uncomfortable Emotions

When something doesn’t feel good, it’s natural to try not to feel it — who wants pain and suffering? So you tend to try to look the other way, distract yourself from the thought/circumstances/etc that triggered the uncomfortable feelings.

You think about something else, DO something to stay busy enough so you can forget, at least for a little while.

You numb out with alcohol, food, drugs, sex, binging Netflix… It can work!

Problem is, you have to keep doing it for it to work.

But when it’s quiet and still, the unwanted feelings come right back.

“But when it’s quiet and still, the unwanted feelings come right back.”

They’re always waiting.

There’s no amount of sweeping them under the rug that will ever make the pain go away.

It’s what we do, most often, because we haven’t been taught how to fully feel at all AND still be okay.

Once you learn this skill though, the skill of feeling it all and being okay, NOTHING gets to have power over you any longer because you know that, even though you may not have chosen it, whatever happens you can allow it to move through you.

This way you don’t have to keep doing more, distracting yourself, numbing out…

You have that time, energy, resources back.

Life gets easier.

You are free to do what you actually want, not what you must in order to avoid feeling crappy.

Ready to learn how?

Grab my Renegade Daughter course for $222. It’s a four-week plan with the EXACT STEPS that will get you to that freedom of feeling.

Always Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop?

Feel Like You're Always Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop?

Even when things are “fine”?

I see you.

I see you. Sad. Frustrated. At your wits end BUT putting on a happy face.

You’re not sleeping well. You’re burnt out. Sometimes you’re short with people around you. And you’re really hard on yourself.

Your heart is heavy. You went through something really hard and it’s Dragging. You. Down.

Even though you’re strong…That hard thing that happened feels like a tether that holds you back no matter what you do, how much you accomplish, or how much time passes.

You’ve tried everything you can think of but moving forward with genuine peace in your heart is an elusive goal you’ve begun to wonder if you’ll ever achieve.

No more.

It’s time to heal what’s been holding you back so you feel free.

My Renegade Daughter OnDemand program will teach you how in just 4 weeks.

This course consists of the most valuable, life-changing lessons, practices and guides from my private 1:1 program in a condensed, unedited 4-week on-demand format.

Here’s what you’ll get:
👉​​4 Weeks of Empowering Virtual Lessons and Deep Self-guided Inner Work (~30-40 mins/week)
​👉Holistic Body, Mind, Spirit Approach
​👉Simple Step-by-Step Guides
​👉Powerful Guided Meditations
​💥FREEDOM!

If you have been weighed down by life, I want you to have my Renegade Daughter program so you can begin feeling better TODAY. You’ll learn simple, powerful strategies and tools that will empower you to create real, lasting changes in your life.

The cost is $222 and it may be the most valuable thing you’ll ever do for yourself.

Get started NOW

Are you fed up with the past weighing you down?

Are you fed up with the past weighing you down?

How to Heal Your Past So You Feel Free

HERE’S THE THING: I can spot you a mile away – you’re weighed down by life. You’re showing up on the outside but inside you’re hurting badly. You’re burning so much energy just getting through the day with a half-smile pasted on your face. I can see through that facade and want to know more because – I can help. I can show you how to help yourself.

And I’m fed up with not helping enough.

Recently I was reading the description of a book I’m considering reading this summer and it had a few quotes, one of which stopped me in my tracks. It said: “I imagine it would feel wonderful to be good at something that mattered…” (from The Women, by Kristin Hannah).

“I know that feeling!” I thought. It does feel wonderful to be good at something that matters.

Healing the past so we can be free matters.

I can say that from my own first-hand experience, as well as from others I’ve supported in empowering themselves to heal the past, so they can be free both in the present and for the rest of their lives. I’m really good at it!

BUT I’M NOT DOING ENOUGH OF IT.

I hold this tremendous ability to help people heal and be free, but not enough people know it. The clients I have had the privilege of supporting will gladly tell you quite enthusiastically how their lives have been forever changed. BUT I’m just one lady and I want to help SO many more — thousands, even millions, I dream — and since as a coach I can only work with a very small number of private clients at one time, I’m just not reaching enough people.

So I’ve decided to cut myself out as the middle-person and make the most valuable, life-changing lessons, practices and guides from my private 1:1 program available in a condensed, unedited 4-week on-demand format.

If you have been weighed down by life, I want you to have my Renegade Daughter program.

GET STARTED HERE

Heal what’s holding you back so you can be free!

What a failed past relationship has to do with your fertility

What a failed past relationship has to do with your fertility

Remember that relationship where you were devastated when it ended because you thought that person was “the one“? The one where you worked hard to stay together because you thought at the time it was meant to be?

If you had held onto that person, would you have met the love of your life? Would you now be with someone you’re hoping your baby will take after?

I ask this because we’ve all been there and, when we look back, we see how things had to go down exactly as they did for them to work out as they have now. 

So…what if everything IS working out on your fertility journey? I know you wanted to be pregnant last month and it’s not frustrating to get your hopes up and then get your period. But what if it’s possible there are factors at play that are working FOR you even when it seems like they’re not? Just like that old relationship you wouldn’t go back to now if someone paid you $100K.

It can be so hard to trust that things are working out as they’re supposed to when we can’t see into the future. 

I’m here to remind you your job is to keep your eye on that future and trust that it’s on its way BEFORE it happens, that the path there lies in spending your time in the feeling of that future NOW. 

Try this to put it into practice (and then comment below w/your questions/observations):

1. Open the Notes app on your phone or grab a sheet of paper and write down 5 things you’re looking forward to about being pregnant and/or having a baby

2. For each, identify the emotion you’re looking forward to experiencing

3. Lastly, ask yourself: how can I experience those emotions in my life (exactly as it) TODAY?

(P.S. My private Conception Accelerator Coaching program supports you in going deep in the trust and releasing what gets in the way of staying there – set up a free Strategy Session if you want to empower yourself with a proven framework to get your positive pregnancy test.)

Wondering which fertility-boosting foods are right for you?

Wondering which fertility boosting foods are right for you?

One of my favorite comedians is coming into town. My life is so full at the moment between work and family and special events, logistics, meals and cleaning and… You get the idea, we’re all there in our own way.

So when I saw one of my favorite comedians was coming to town, I went pretty quickly from “yay!” to “I’m too tired to make that happen.” But then this little voice popped in my head and was like “wait a minute, I’m too exhausted from daily life and the things I do for others that I’m not going to make plans to go share some laughs with a friend?”

This is where the value of my daily self-connection practice comes in. It’s possible I am literally too tired, or logistically it would be too challenging or for whatever reason going to the show may not serve me. And that would be ok. When I make that decision from the place of allowing the possibility, it feels entirely different than if I simply say I can’t, I can’t go, which feels limiting. If I don’t go, it’s because I’m choosing not to go based on what feels best to me.

I started practicing this inward self- connection when I was trying to conceive. The Internet is full of “helpful“ advice on things women can do to up their odds each month. 

Each of those things has the potential to be helpful, but we are each unique individuals and so what suits each of us best is relative. Only you can determine which activities will feel good to you. And that should be the only filter when determining what supports your TTC goals —does this feel supportive? If so, great! If not, skip it.

Your ability to make that determination comes from intentionally practicing self connection on an ongoing basis, not just when a decision needs to be made. I’m here to give you the exact steps to build that practice for yourself. Schedule a free chat learn more. 

(P.S.this is also the type of stuff we talk about in my free Reconnecting with your Fertility community. Be sure to join if you aren't already a member!)

It’s Okay to Dread Mother’s Day this Year

It’s Okay to Dread Mother’s Day this Year

Yes it sucks that you were hoping to be pregnant by now and you’re not.

Yes it adds pressure that this holiday only comes around once a year.

Yes it’s hard to see others who have what you want (big belly +/or baby) being celebrated.

Yes there’s often a 2nd layer of shame, feeling like a jerk for being jealous of them.

Yes it’s compounded if you were pregnant and now you’re feeling empty rather than celebratory.

Dread comes in many forms.

Some related emotions include:

• Shame

• Abandonment

• Helpless

• Unworthy

• Anxiety

• Anger

• Exhaustion

Don’t pressure yourself to feel something else. Mother’s Day isn’t the time to be looking for the silver lining. I realize that may be unpopular advice.

Some may tell you to search for the bright side. But I’m here to say STAY AND LOOK HERE. Notice this feeling. Follow it.

Follow it like a thread…

Is it possible this dread isn’t as much about whether or not you’re pregnant or a mom yet, as it is about something that happened in the past? It’s okay if you don’t even know what it is. This feeling of dread is giving you access to emotions that got stored up somewhere along the way. By feeling them now, you can resolve them for good (so you don’t have to keep experiencing them). 

Are you open to doing that? 

If so, all I want you to do is focus on the space of your heart as you continue allowing the thoughts and feelings that don’t feel good. Put a hand on your chest to help you focus there. That’s it. 

Why? Without getting into the technical details, know that your heart is a powerful electromagnetic field generator (100K x more powerful than your mind). By focusing here, you are calling upon the natural power of your heart to filter out the gunk of the past as you are experiencing it now. 

In my coaching program I teach specific techniques and practices but you can begin right here and now. 

Bookmark this post and return to it each time something about Mother’s Day upsets you.

I’m not here to try and get you to think differently about Mother’s Day. Not being pregnant stinks. AND… 

What if not being pregnant yet is giving you time to heal and become someone you’re going to be SO grateful you became before you became a mom?

Are You Trying to Conceive After a Loss?

Are You Trying to Conceive After a Loss?

My story may offer hope…

Today is the anniversary of my family becoming a complete party of 4. (It’s my daughter’s birthday.)

After having a surprise cesarean birth with my 1st and then enduring 2 losses before conceiving again, I had a VBAC delivery with her. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. 

Looking back I wonder how I had the courage to not opt for a surgical birth when my age and prior history of loss suggested we could be “high-risk”. 

And then I remember.

In the months prior to her conception and birth, amongst various other healing, grounding, self-loving activities, I had…

• planted a garden for the first time (occupying my mind w/learning about things other than pregnancy, and feeding myself evidence I capable of nurturing life)

• begun my own at home yoga + meditation practices (staying connected inwardly on a daily basis)

• taken measures to heal gut/fungal issues that had plagued my entire life (enhancing my overall wellbeing and nervous system load)

You may notice these were not fertility-focused activities specific to upping my chances of conceiving! They were measures that increased my vitality, overall balance/wellbeing and self-and connection, such that I could ask within and find answers to questions needing answers. 

THIS is how I got pregnant. I was able to conceive and have a relatively peaceful pregnancy and birth, DESPITE the lingering presence of uncertainty from the cesarean and losses I’d experienced. 

That stuff was still there, of course – it always will be – those experiences had simply been integrated into the story of my life, such that I was able to move forward writing it from a place of desire, not fear.

The uncertainty no longer had the power to sway me to doubt myself, because I was connected enough to hear from within what served me.

“The uncertainty no longer had the power to sway me to doubt myself, because I was connected enough to hear from within what served me.”

I kept going when things were dark and hard and scary and maddening, because I wanted to have 2 babies, and I wasn’t ready to give up. And now my world is lighter and easier and more fun and joyful, BECAUSE OF THE PATH I TOOK HERE.

So to my youngest daughter I will always be grateful, both for the honor and privilege of knowing her as her mother, and for the gift she gave me of knowing myself.

Can’t stop symptom-spotting during the two-week-wait?

Can’t stop symptom-spotting during the two-week-wait?

Of course it’s normal to be curious whether this will be your month!

The problem comes in when that curiosity shifts from excitement to stress, and no longer feels good. It feels more like you NEED it to happen.

You find yourself almost trying not to get your hopes up, and you think “what if there’s something wrong?” more times a day than you’d care to count.

THIS is where my fertility coaching comes in. It is the quickest path to motherhood. Yes, I realize that sounds like a sales technique but I promise with all my heart, my belief in this process comes from seeing these EXACT STEPS work over and over and over – in just 8 weeks – for so many women who were struggling to conceive. 

If you find yourself more anxious than excited, worried about the amount of time that’s passing, scrolling to get your mind off whether or not you’ll conceive this month, I’m here to support you.

The first thing you need to understand is I am not a fertility specialist. I am not a doctor who is going to tell you what to eat and which supplements to take and whether or not to take your basal body temperature or use OPKs or track your cervical mucus, or how often to have sex around ovulation or whether you should stand on your head for 10 minutes after doing the deed… 

That’s not what I’m good at and there are loads of resources out there with opinions on that stuff. 

What I AM good at is helping you understand yourself from a holistic perspective, so you can reconnect with yourself in such a way that having the family and life you dream of comes with ease, and quickly.

You already have everything you need to have the family and life you want. My job is to show you how. This is THE quickest way out of overwhelm and into motherhood.

Schedule a free Conception Accelerator Strategy session (phone chat) to learn more about private coaching today.

Losing Your Mind Tracking Ovulation and Pregnancy Symptoms?

Losing Your Mind Tracking Ovulation and Pregnancy Symptoms?

there’s another way…

I assumed when I went off birth control I’d get pregnant pretty quickly.

When it didn’t happen right away, within just a few months I started stressing. I talked to my OB/Gyn at my annual visit and FELT LIKE SHE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND ME (“Why was I worrying?” I was young enough, hadn’t been trying for more than a year, etc. they said.). I left feeling dismissed.

And so I started Googling and trying things the internet says may up the odds of conception. Before long, I was driving myself up the wall, timing and tracking things, taking supplements, putting my legs up after sex, etc…lots of things “just in case”. I didn’t even realize how much anxiety these activities were causing, because I was so focused on doing what I thought was necessary.

💥But there was something deeper at play.

The reason I didn’t feel supported by the OB was I was coming at this whole TTC thing from a place of fear. I WAS AFRAID I WASN’T DOING ENOUGH, that it wasn’t just going to HAPPEN for me, since it hadn’t happened in those first few months.

When I felt dismissed by my doc, it was because I wanted them to affirm I had something to worry about. I wanted them to tell me that putting in extra effort would get me to my goal faster. But they didn’t. Because it’s not necessarily true.

It wasn’t until I started doing the inner work to acknowledge the fear that I began doing what I actually NEEDED to do in order to conceive: Relax.

I know, that’s one of the most annoying things to hear when you’re TTC.

But it’s the only way, and I’m here to teach you HOW.

How to truly believe: “I’m going to have a baby. If more information is needed, I’ll know. I can relax.”

Can you imagine feeling that way? It’s 💯% possible.

The fact is, the more you DO, the more your nervous system stays on high alert. And when your nervous system is ramped up, your body is literally less capable of conceiving. It’s a simple fact of how humans are designed to survive.

When you learn to allow inner work to come first, and let go of whatever led you to believe it’s NOT OKAY to relax, doing less comes NATURALLY.

And so does having the family of your dreams.

Were You Hopeful When You First Started Trying to Conceive?

Were You Hopeful When You First Started Trying to Conceive?

But then things took a turn when you weren’t pregnant by the month/season/holiday you had in mind?

I believe Emotional Unfinished Business (EUB) with the past is THE reason women struggle to conceive and have healthy pregnancies when and how they want to.

If this wasn’t the case, you wouldn’t be stressing about it. You’d trust your baby is on its way and be loving life in the meantime.

Were you hopeful when you first started trying but things took a turn when you weren’t pregnant within the timeframe you had in mind?

Emotional Unfinished Business is why you’re:

⚡️Stressing rather than trusting it’s going to happen (This is a product of your nervous system learning fight or flight as the norm, which can result from a messy childhood, a parent who wasn’t around or expected perfection, a partner who was abusive, etc…)

⚡️Disconnected from your inherent ability to create the life you want with ease (This is often a result of needing to put others needs/desires before your own)

⚡️Feeling stuck. No matter what you do it never seems to be enough (This is because there are old emotions stored in your body, ones that were not able to be processed at the time they were experienced (because for whatever reason it wasn’t safe/available for you to do so)

If this resonates with you, I’m here to show you the path to freedom! Join my Reconnecting with you Fertility group, or schedule a free Conception Strategy Session to get started today.