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Cindy Bailey of The Fertile Kitchen™
www.fertilekitchen.com
At age 40, after trying to get pregnant with my husband for over a year, I visited a popular reproductive endocrinologist who gave me the hard news: I had a two percent chance of conceiving on my own.
In that moment, my heart dropped. I felt frustration, panic and deep sadness. But I also had another reaction that day: I flat out refused to accept the doctor’s grim prognosis. I just decided I was not a statistic and could make a difference in my own fertility. I had already begun researching natural, holistic methods of aiding fertility, and knew in my gut this was true.
Bolstered by research, I put myself on a strict fertility friendly diet, among other natural healing regimens, such as yoga and visualizations. Four months later, to the astonishment of my doctor and to my own breathless amazement, I got pregnant naturally and later delivered a healthy baby (our son, Julien).
That experience taught me a lot! During that period, my husband—an amazing cook—created a wealth of simple-to-make, tasty dishes to make the diet easier. We wanted to share all we learned in hopes that it could help others struggling with fertility issues. The result is The Fertile Kitchen™ Cookbook, due out in early October, 2009. We’re very excited about it! In its pages we share these flavorful recipes, along with the dietary guidelines that helped us succeed—plus additional tips. We hope it will inspire and make a difference.
What is your top tip for balancing it all?
This is what I try to do: Take it one day at a time, plan and set priorities, and stay focused. And try not to multi-task: When you work, focus on working, when you’re with family, be fully engaged in that. In that way, one activity doesn’t rob from the other. This helps to make you feel more fulfilled in all areas. It is also important to accept that you’re not superhuman. There is a limit to what you can do, and naturally, as a mom you have to stay flexible. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just do what you can, and at the end of the day, call it a day and let it go. (Easier said than done, I know!)
I also think it’s important to find the balance between work and family time that is exactly right for you and try to support that. For me, working four full days a week and having a full day off for one-on-one time with my 3-year-old is perfect for both of us. Sometimes I can do that, sometimes I can’t, but it’s my goal.
How has being a mom impacted your success?
It has made me more focused in what I do, because my time is limited in a whole different way than before, and it has made me much more relaxed about my work (as a corporate, professional writer)—because I now have responsibilities that are “bigger” or more important than my work. I’m also more relaxed because I’ve had to be more flexible. I may have a huge project with a tight deadline, but if my son is sick and has to stay home from school with me, I juggle that work responsibility somehow and find it always works out fine in the end, so I don’t sweat it, like I used to.
What is your best mommy moment?
Mine is a series of moments. My son is very affectionate and first thing almost every morning when he gets up he wants to cuddle, so we sit on the couch, the two of us, and cuddle for about fifteen minutes. No matter how busy I am, or how late he is for pre-school, I always take time for this, because those moments fuel my whole day, and who knows how long they will last.
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