#125 | Why Doing ‘All the Right Things’ Can Sabotage Your Fertility And Won't Get You Pregnant Naturally

Feeling like you’ve done everything right—and still not getting pregnant? That pressure might be doing more harm than you think.

In this quick solo episode, Dr. Katie builds on last episodes guest expert interview with Dr. Priyanka Venugopal and offers a powerful reframe: You don’t have to be perfect to conceive. Learn why the constant need to "fix everything" keeps your body in stress mode—and how small daily habits (or “domino shifts”) can support your nervous system, hormones, and fertility outcomes in a deeply rooted way.

In this episode, you'll discover...

-How perfectionism and stress are secretly sabotaging your fertility

-How to identify your two “domino” habits to align body, mind, and hormones

-Powerful tools like EFT tapping and cortisol-calming techniques to support your cycle

Tune in now for a mindset reset that honors your body, shifts your hormones, and brings you one step closer to your baby—through self-compassion, not self-criticism.

Check out my Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) video to regulate your nervous system and neutralize your fears and doubts on your fertility journey.

🌟Follow and connect with me on Instagram @the_wellness_pharmacist to fast-track your fertility so you can finally get and stay pregnant naturally!⁠

Finally Get Pregnant Naturally is your go-to TTC podcast for holistic fertility support to help you get pregnant naturally by addressing the root cause of unexplained infertility, secondary infertility, and recurrent miscarriage. Hosted by Dr. Katie Wood, a pharmacist and holistic fertility practitioner, this show offers natural fertility solutions for those on a fertility journey struggling to conceive, navigating miscarriage, or dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, low sperm count, or failed IUI or failed IVF. Whether you're trying to conceive, increase egg quality, optimizing sperm health, or healing after a miscarriage, each episode delivers practical guidance to support your fertility journey. Learn how to improve fertility, balance hormones, regulate your fertile window, and conceive naturally through root cause healing, emotional wellness, and mind-body tools—because true fertility starts from within.

DISCLAIMER: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use it as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. This podcast offers information to help the listener cooperate with physicians, mental health professionals or other healthcare providers in a mutual quest for optimal well-being. We advise listeners to carefully review and understand the ideas presented, and to consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. Under no circumstances shall Pharm to Wellness LLC, any guests or contributors to the Rising into Mindful Motherhood podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Pharm to Wellness LLC be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Episode Transcript

Katie (00:00):
Hello and welcome back to your Get Pregnant Now Quickie, your
bite-sized fertility reset to shiftyour body in energy in less time
than it takes to scroll Instagram.
Let's go.
Welcome to the finally GetPregnant Naturally Podcast.
The podcast helping women identifythe real reasons you haven't
conceived or stayed pregnant, soyou and your partner can finally

(00:23):
grow the family of your dreams.
I'm your host, Dr.
Katie Wood.
Let's dive in, shall we?
so today I wanna follow up on our guest episode with Dr.
Priyanka.
Gel Paul on this past Tuesday and offera powerful reframe and just some insights

(00:46):
that I would like to share on my end.
So Dr.
Priyanka is an OB GYN turned mindsetand weight loss coach, and if you
didn't listen to that episode, I highlyrecommend going back and listening
to that and I think two really bigmain themes that I want to highlight

(01:07):
is, one, you don't have to fix.
Everything to make forward progress.
And two small, consistent shifts canbe your greatest fertility medicine.
So if you think about.
Even the small changes that you're makingalong the way, no, you may not see instant

(01:32):
results right away, right in this instantgratification world that we live in.
But if you think about it, they are infact snowballing and they are building
upon each other, and that is wheretrust and patience and surrender.
Can come into your fertility journeyto support you while you're in this,

(01:57):
like this waiting phase or this voidwhere you feel like you're doing all
the things, but maybe you're not seeingthe results that you want to see.
And so let's just
take a breath with thatand let that settle.
You don't have to do it all.
You don't have to do it.

(02:18):
Perfectly to see results because maybeyou've been told by someone, or maybe this
is pressure that you put on yourself from.
Perfectionism patterns or otherpatterns that maybe you have grown
up with that to get pregnant,everything has to be perfect.
Your labs, your diet, yourtiming, your mindset, your weight,

(02:43):
whatever it may be for you.
But what if that
overwhelming need?
For needing things to look justor feeling that things have to
be just so for you to conceive.
What if that's keeping your nervoussystem in a stressed out freeze mode

(03:07):
and fight or flight, keeping you inyour sympathetic nervous system where.
Reproduction goes on theback burner at that point.
So what if chasing this perfectionis the thing that's making your baby
and your body feel unsafe to receive?

(03:29):
So here's what I want you to takeaway today, and if you're feeling
overwhelmed by everything youquote unquote should be doing,
so I kind of Wanna tag off of what Dr.
Priyanka was sharing in her episode,
ask yourself, what are my two dominohabits that I could start today?
Two simple things that if I consistentlydid them, would shift how I show up in my

(03:54):
body, in my energy, and in my fertility.
So maybe it's finally eating areal breakfast focused on protein
and fats within an hour of waking.
Maybe it is connecting back to your body.
Listening to your, your body's cues.
Again, your hunger cuesor whatever it may be.

(04:16):
Maybe it's even yourintuition or your emotions.
A lot of times we suppress thesethings and we don't listen to our body.
I.
Maybe it's deciding, okay, I'mgoing to turn off screens an hour
before bed and get to bed earlybecause I know that that's gonna set
myself up and my body for success.

(04:39):
Or maybe it's putting your handon your heart when you feel like
you're spiraling in all the whatifs in saying to yourself, like Dr.
Priyanka shared, this isjust me experiencing fear.
I.
This is just me wanting this so deeply,and this is just my human experience.

(05:00):
And remembering that your hormonesdon't shift overnight, okay?
They shift when your nervous system feelssafe, and when your energy is grounded,
and when your daily choices alignwith trust, not doubt, and not panic.
So here's your action steps for today,and if this really resonates with you,

(05:22):
please reach out to me on Instagram withwhat you come up with, because I would
just love to support you through this.
Number one name your two dominoes.
What are the two habits?
If you practice daily, wouldgently realign your body, your
mind, and your spirit to helpyou on your fertility journey.

(05:44):
Two, talk back to the whatifs or the wies that Dr.
Priyanka creatively termed, right?
What if your brain is saying,what if I never get pregnant?
You can take a pause and answer,then I will keep exploring.

(06:07):
I'll keep digging.
I'll get support.
I'll honor what I need or.
Maybe you're realizing that if I don'tget pregnant, I will still find a way to
have a fulfilling life, and that in itselfcan take so much pressure off of you.
And I also want to sharea resource with you.

(06:32):
I have a video on my YouTube channel.
That tells you exactly how to dothe emotional freedom technique
or EFT, and this is where you cancome up with your top three to
five greatest fears or doubts.
And it could just be your fears or doubts.
I.
In that moment, right?

(06:52):
It might not be like your life's greatestfears or doubts, but in that moment
when you're experiencing it, and thenthe video is gonna show you the exact
process on how to do it, the steps togo through, you're gonna be doing some
tapping and it's gonna help neutralize.
This feeling for you.
So I'll share the link forthat in the show notes.

(07:14):
And then again, just practicingradical self-compassion in
a no judgment zone, right?
And it's, it's not BS andFluff, it's physiology.
This is going to help calm your cortisol,boost your oxytocin, the hormone of
love, trust, and yes, fertility as well.

(07:34):
So for a quick recap, your thoughtscreate real chemical shifts in your body.
So what you believe and what yousay to yourself, either in your mind
or out loud, really does matter.
Your body is listening.
Chronic stress and cortisoldysregulation can interfere with

(07:55):
ovulation and your hormone balanceand mindset Shifts aren't just a like.
Nice to have.
When I'm feeling good,that's when I'll practice it.
No, this is a core part of yourfertility strategy and it's something
that you wanna be in the habit of doing.

(08:16):
So when you are like in the thick of it,you're able to implement these tools.
Okay?
And compassionate awareness and love foryourself and regulation, not perfection.
Is going to lead to real results for you.
So this is just your reminder.
You are not broken, you are becoming,and let it be enough for today that you

(08:40):
are going to promise yourself to takeone to two small domino steps forward.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a great restof your day, and I'll see you
on next Tuesday's episode.
And just a quick disclaimer, thispodcast is for educational purposes only
and does not replace medical advice.

(09:02):
Please speak with your licensedprovider before beginning any new
health routines or supplements.