Amy Jovita Murray

Are you currently on your fertility journey? Feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, stressed, anxious, you name it?

Join me on Tuesday as I’ll be interviewing about how to manage all your emotions that can come up when you’re TTC.

Meryl Hayton is a Transformational Coach helping women reclaim
Their self worth, trust and confidence by healing their stress, how they avoid difficult situations and ways they hold back so they create the magical relationships, life and/or business they want!

>> Join us live on Instagram Tuesday, February 21st @ 2:00 PM CST!

I had been interested in EFT for a while when I met Meryl through a networking event and I knew immediately that I wanted to work with her and find out more about EFT both for myself and also to better help and refer my clients.

Trying to conceive can be such a stressful time for so many couples, and it’s so important to be able to manage your emotions as they come up, so that they don’t build up and create other issues in your body.

After only two sessions with Meryl we uncovered so much stuff that was keeping me stuck, causing stress, nervousness, and anxiety (and I bet it would have been even more a few years ago when we were TTC).

Meryl’s work is so powerful and I know you’ll find our conversation on IG live SO helpful!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 21st @ 2:00 pm CST!

Will you join us live?
🗓 got it on my calendar!
📺 will be watching the replay :)
Comment below!

Are you currently TTC? Are you already feeling stressed thinking about this month’s TWW? Do you feel anxious about when it comes to getting pregnant?

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 21st @ 2:00 PM central time for an IG live with !

During this IG live you will
✨ learn how to identify and manage your stress or anxiety you might have around trying to conceive
✨ learn to release your emotions
✨ identify your unresolved emotions that might be keeping you from getting pregnant

We will also cover
➡️ What is EFT and how can it help you manage your emotions?
➡️ The basic recipe for EFT
➡️ how stress can affect your menstrual cycle

Are you going to be there?

Comment below:

🙋🏻‍♀️ absolutely!
❓ not sure yet!

22 years of life, 13 years of public school, and 2 years of college did not teach me a single thing about my menstrual cycle, except that I’m supposed to bleed every 28 days, and I vaguely remember some mentioning of ovulation.

After chucking the pill in the trash mid-pack I stumbled upon a blog post about Fertility Awareness which turned my whole life upside down: I discovered that I was NOT fertile EVERY SINGLE DAY of my cycle.

I had no idea.

Here’s the deal: You’re only fertile for 6 days in each menstrual cycle.
5 days prior to ovulation + ovulation day itself = 6 days. That’s it.

You may have been trying to conceive for many months or many years, but unknowingly have missed your fertile window.

You might feel like you try all the time, because every act of in*******se feels like a “try”. The good news is that now that you know you’re only fertile on 6 days of your cycle, you can enjoy the rest of your cycle for “just for fun” in*******se, rather than feeling like you “have to” all the time if you want a chance at getting pregnant.

We cover how to identify your fertile window and so much more in tomorrow’s FREE Masterclass ~ Conceiving Naturally!

There will be a special giveaway involved if you’re able to attend live! But a recording will also be available :)

Just make sure you register by going to amyjovitamurray.com/conceivingnaturally to get access to the call and/or the recording!

📅 4 DAYS LEFT!! 📅

Our FREE Masterclass ~ Conceiving Naturally ~ is coming up in 4 days!!

In this class we’re going to dive into
✨ which days of your cycle are fertile and infertile
✨ which days are optimal for conception
✨ helping you gain confidence in observing your fertile sings

We will also cover
➡️ How male & female reproduction actually works (aka everything you were never taught in s*x ed)
➡️ If or when you should be using OPKs
➡️ Optimal nutrition for a healthy menstrual cycle (that will help you build up nutrient stores for a healthy pregnancy)

🤫 Psst: There will also be a giveaway involved if you’re able to attend live!

>> Register by going to amyjovitamurray.com/conceivingnaturally

Are you falling into one of these traps while TTC?

➡️ Timing
➡️ Using apps to predict fertility
➡️ Having s*x on CD 14
➡️ Relying solely on ovulation predictor kits (OPKs)
➡️ Thinking they’re fertile every day of their menstrual cycle, and thus every act of in*******se feels like a “try”

Which of these traps have you fallen into?

There’s no shame in this either!

I see these challenges all the time when talking to women online.

We have very little to no education when it comes to these topics, I know I certainly didn’t know any of this until I fell into the world of Fertility Awareness and then started seeking this knowledge on my own!

This is just one of the topics we will be discussing at next week’s FREE Masterclass ~ Conceiving Naturally.

Wednesday, January 25th, at 2:00pm CST - there will be a giveaway for those who are able to attend live!

(and YES, there will also be a recording!)

REGISTER AT amyjovitamurray.com/conceivingnaturally

I’m hosting a FREE Masterclass ~ Conceiving Naturally ~ on Wednesday, January 25th on zoom!

In this masterclass you will
✨ learn which days of your cycle are fertile and infertile
✨ discover which days are optimal for conception
✨ gain confidence in observing your fertile sings

We will also cover
➡️ How male & female reproduction actually works (aka everything you were never taught in s*x ed)
➡️ If or when you should be using OPKs
➡️ Optimal nutrition for a healthy menstrual cycle (that will help you build up nutrient stores for a healthy pregnancy)

Mark your calendars for >> Wednesday, January 25th at 2:00pm CST!

I was put on the pill at age 13 (just one year after getting my first period) to “fix” my acne.

After almost a decade of going on and off different hormonal contraceptives I ditched the pill mid-pack in my early 20s because I knew deep down that the pill was messing with my body (I had no idea at the time how the pill actually worked) and that I wanted to give my body the chance to cycle naturally for a while before trying for a baby, which at that point was a timeline of 5-10 years.

I happened to stumble upon several articles about using the fertility awareness method for birth control after googling “natural birth control options” - and knew instantly that that’s what i wanted to do, not just for myself, but that other women needed to know about this too.

A few more articles, a book, a group course, and a 2 year degree later, I’m still as passionate as on Day 1 (pun intended ;) ) to educate women about how their bodies actually work; everything we DIDN’T learn in s*x ed, and how to chart their cycles to avoid pregnancy, get pregnant, or balance their overall hormones.

I became especially passionate about helping women to conceive after my own (short-lived) bout of secondary infertility.

After having my first daughter in 2018 my cycles were so wonky - I was sleep deprived, not eating the best (to put it nicely), neglecting all my supplements, and just generally in a bad place. It came to no surprise that, when we tried for #2, it just didn’t happen - even though society tells us we can get pregnant any day of our cycle, regardless of what’s going on in our cycles!

We need to avoid pregnancy at all cost - until we’re ready to get pregnant. And for so many women it’s just not that easy.

Three months after taking myself through my own protocol I use with clients who are trying to conceive, we got our positive pregnancy test and had our second daughter 9 months later.

Are you ready for personalized support on your TTC journey in 2023?

I’ve got 1 spot left in my 4 month 1-1 coaching program for January and February!

PM me a 💜 if you’d like to chat more about what this could look like for you.

⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️
Mention of miscarriage
Miscarriages can happen for many different reasons, and we might never know for certain WHY this particular pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

One common reason for early miscarriages is low progesterone.

Progesterone (pro-gestation-hormone) is the hormone produced in the ovaries after ovulation. As the name indicates, it is essential to keep the pregnancy.

There are several things that influence your body’s ability to produce sufficient progesterone:

➡️ Are you eating enough food overall? (PSA, women’s bodies are not designed to live on 1500 calorie diets…)

➡️ Are you getting enough protein? (80g-100g on average, closer to 120g on workout days)

➡️ Are you getting enough fat, especially saturated fats? (yes, you read that right. Your body needs saturated/animal fats to produce hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone)

➡️ What does your exercise routine look like? (Do you work out too much? Do you make up for the calorie deficit with an extra snack or meal to get those 120g of protein?)

➡️ Are you deficient in certain nutrients? (see above for eating adequate amounts of food, and also a reminder that organ meats, especially liver, are nature’s multivitamin)

➡️ Are you exposed to xenoestrogens? Xenoestrogens disrupt your body’s natural hormone balance. They are found in plastics, pesticides, any “fragrance” in personal care & beauty products, parabens, phthalates, non-stick cookware, and so many other places.

You don’t know what you don’t know - it’s not your fault if you didn’t know how nutrition and other external factors affect your menstrual cycle and your hormones.

But now that you know, you have the power to make those changes and optimize your chances to conceive!

For more info on how to increase your chances of getting pregnant check out my completely revamped freebie, My Top 5 Tips to Conceive Naturally

If you have more questions around these topics I’d love to answer them! Send me a DM and let me know

Why does my phone autocorrect to “mens trial” instead of “menstrual” when I type “menstrial” even though I talk about menstrual-everything all day long??

I think this one goes a little deeper...

What are the most bizarre autocorrect words your phone has produced so far?

>> My Top 5 Tips to Conceive Naturally

⌚️ The day I decided to ditch my smart watch [3 takeaways that simplified my life]

When my oldest was a few months old I decided I REALLY needed a smart watch.

I had my phone on silent all the time so I wouldn’t wake her when she’d just fallen asleep and the phone would ring. I’d be sitting down to nurse her when the phone would ring in the other room.

Our tree business phone was redirecting to my phone and it just meant I was missing so many calls. The perfect solution to this problem was getting my watch, where I was able to not only be alerted to phone calls but also be able to answer them right on the watch.

However, in the last 6 months I’ve found more and more downsides than the initial upsides I had when my girls were really little.

I started getting really annoyed at the notifications. Even though I’d shut most of them off, I was still getting dinged at when I was focused on something else.

I started obsessing over my activity levels; being down on myself when I didn’t complete the “exercise ring” or had taken less steps than usual because it was a busy day at work/the computer; and probably the silliest thing of all - I got so annoyed at it only lighting up for a certain amount of time. Or lighting up when I didn’t want it to light up.

I think the bottom line is, I was just ready to downgrade to a “dumb” analog watch. To simplify things. And boy have I felt the effects of it!

1️⃣ I’m less stressed overall // there’s just something about not being available 100% of the time
2️⃣ I’m less distracted // I can play with my kids and don’t feel like I *have* to look at the email that just came in
3️⃣ I’m less obsessed with tracking things in general // yes, I’m less active during my 3 workdays and that is totally fine

Do I miss some phone calls or texts? Yes I do, and that is absolutely OKAY.

And don’t get me wrong, I loved my smart watch when my babies were really small, and definitely used it a lot. But as my needs change I’m fine to acknowledge that and don’t have to go with the latest trend just to have it.

Can you resonate?
Are you a fellow simplifier?
Do you love your smart watch?
Share your experience with me in the comments!

Final day to apply! 🎉

I would love to invite you to fill out a scholarship application to my 4 month program Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness - Fulfill your dream of starting or expanding your family ❤️

In this program we get to the bottom of whatever is holding you back from conceiving.
My approach is a holistic focus on your overall health through the lens of the menstrual cycle.
You’ll walk away with 100% confidence in charting your cycles, feeling stronger, healthier and more in tune with your body and also having your BEST possible chance at a positive pregnancy test and fulfilling your dream to be a mama!

And I can’t wait to support you on this journey 💜

Head to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to apply for a FREE spot in this program!

4 DAYS LEFT TO APPLY!! 🎉

There are only FOUR days left to apply for a FREE space in 1-1 coaching with me: Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness - Fulfill your dream of starting or expanding your family ($1,800 value)

In this program we talk about charting your menstrual cycle with the Justisse Method of Fertility Awareness and using your menstrual cycle as a fifth vital sign to help guide you conceive.

You get:

> (7) 1-1 sessions during our 4 months together

> In-between session support via slack

> Lifelong access to my 5 part Fertility Awareness Intro video series

I can’t wait to help you get to the bottom of whatever is holding you back from getting pregnant so you can leave this program not only with 100% confidence in charting your cycles, feeling stronger, healthier and more in tune with your body but also having your BEST possible chance at a positive pregnancy test and fulfilling your dream to be a mama!

Go to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to learn more about the program and fill out a scholarship application!

DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 15 at 11:59 pm CST!!!

How long should I wait AFTER I get off the pill to try and get pregnant + opportunity to work with me FOR FREE!

How long ago did you stop taking hormonal contraceptives?
If you’ve ever talked to your health care provider about the pill and if there was anything to consider when you’re ready to start your family, you most likely heard something like “take the pill until you’re ready to get pregnant”. Which can have two very unpleasant consequences:

The pill depletes many nutrients, most of which are considered the most essential for early fetal development (such as folate). Depletion of those nutrients can lead to many pregnancy complications.

Your fertility may actually not return immediately and even if it does, your cycles WILL be compromised in some way or another for a period of time (short luteal phase, limited cervical mucus, etc), which could greatly impact your ability to get pregnant.

Most of us are told growing up that we can get pregnant any single day of our cycle (which is why we do the responsible thing and stay protected with hormonal birth control) and that as soon as you come off the hormones you’ll end up pregnant. Which CAN BE a reality for some, but unfortunately not every woman. Research shows that it takes an average of 9-12 (cycles, not months) for post pill users to have a cycle similar to those who have never used hormonal contraceptives.

So depending on how long you were on hormonal contraceptives, which type you were taking, and how much time has passed since you came off, your body might still be recovering.

I would love to work with you In my 4 month 1-1 program Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness where we address these areas of concern and help you shorten the time it takes for your body to resume cycling and for your cycles to fall into normal parameters (read: having the best possible chance to conceive!!)

Head over to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to apply for a FREE SPACE in my program!

📅 ONE WEEK LEFT TO APPLY!! 📅

//

The liquid gold of conception

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, chances are you’ve heard me talk about cervical mucus and why it’s so important for getting pregnant!

Cervical mucus….
👌 is produced inside the cervix in response to estrogen (dominant hormone before ovulation)
👌 alkalinizes va**na (outside of your fertile window your va**na is quite acidic)
👌 Allows s***m to survive up to 5 days in the female reproductive tract, without mucus s***m die on contact
👌 Filters out defective s***m
👌 Shuttles s***m into cervical crypts and then into uterus when ovulation is imminent
👌 Dries up after ovulation in response to progesterone (dominant hormone after ovulation)
👌 Can look like sticky white toothpaste; creamy white hand lotion; clear
raw egg whites; or anything in between
👌 Is an indicator of your menstrual cycle health and your overall health

We focus on cervical mucus and so many other things in my 1-1 program Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness!
And I’m giving away ONE FREE SPACE in this program this month! Head to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to apply 💜

Have you filled out an application to win a free 1-1 coaching space with me in my program??

In Get Pregnant with Fertility Awareness - Fulfill your dream of starting or expanding your family we talk about charting your menstrual cycle with the Justisse Method of Fertility Awareness and using your menstrual cycle as a fifth vital sign to help guide you conceive.

You get:

> (7) 1-1 sessions during our 4 months together

> In-between session support via slack

This program is valued at $1,800 but you have the opportunity to work with me FOR FREE!

I can’t wait to help you get to the bottom of whatever is holding you back from getting pregnant so you can leave this program not only with 100% confidence in charting your cycles, feeling stronger, healthier and more in tune with your body but also having your BEST possible chance at a positive pregnancy test and fulfilling your dream to be a mama!

Go to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship tp learn more about the program and fill out a scholarship application!

One of my top 3 fertility superfoods that helps you to optimize your chances to conceive

You probably guessed it - liver. I talk about liver any chance I can get! Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods, meaning you get a ton of nutrition in a small amount of food, which is why it’s also nicknamed “nature's multivitamin”.

It’s very high in the bioavailable form of iron (not the kind that makes you constipated) as well as folate. Iron is important to build up a healthy endometrial lining. Ironically, iron deficiency can cause heavy menstrual bleeds, which in turn contribute to iron deficiency.

You’ve probably heard that folate plays an important role especially in early pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, but it is also important for overall fertility and a healthy menstrual cycle. Again, the type of folate found in liver is the bioavailable form - that your body just knows what to do with - unlike folic acid which many prenatal vitamins as well as fortified foods contain, that the body has to convert into folate first.

Another important nutrient is choline, which has only been subject to research the past two decades. Choline is equally important to folate in preventing neural tube defects.

Liver is also one of the few foods to give you significant amounts of vitamin D, which most people are deficient in.

It’s also a great source of vitamin A. Which, again, comes in the bioavailable from retinol and does NOT pose any harmful side effects in high doses in contrast to high doses of beta-carotene.

If you’re looking for other strategies to optimize your cycle for conception I would love to work with you in my 1-1 program Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness - FOR FREE!

You read that right. Head to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to learn more & to fill out an application!

Are you struggling with infertility and have a question about YOUR unique situation?

About that mucus you’re seeing (or not seeing)?

Why your temps are all over the place?

Maybe you’ve been wanting to work with a fertility awareness educator but the timing wasn’t right?

I would LOVE to invite you to fill out a scholarship application for a FREE space in my 1-1 coaching program Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness!

This program is valued at $1,800 and we cover topics like cervical mucus, BBT, chart interpretation, lifestyle practices that promote a healthy cycle, and so much more so that you can have the BEST possible chance to fulfill your dream of becoming a mama!

Go to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to apply!

The #1 thing holding you back from conceiving naturally + opportunity to work with me FOR FREE to start or grow your family!

Have you been trying to conceive on your own for a while?
Maybe you’ve downloaded some apps or talked to your ob/gyn about trying to conceive.
--But now it’s cycle 3, cycle 10, cycle I-don’t-know-I-lost-track-years-ago and you’re still not pregnant.

It's okay and it's not your fault- they don't teach this stuff in school!

Now it’s time to start charting your cervical mucus.
Yes that’s right, not your period, not how long your cycle is, not ovulation predictor kits, not apps telling you when you’re fertile even though they know nothing about your body - but cervical mucus.

As women growing up, we’re always told that we can get pregnant on any given day in our cycle. So we do the “responsible thing” and get on the pill, which suppresses normal hormonal function, gives us a fake bleed, and when we come off to get pregnant and it doesn’t happen right away we think there’s something wrong with
us.

In fact, you’re only fertile an average of 5 days in your cycle!!
And it’s cervical mucus that allows for this window of fertility.

Cervical mucus keeps s***m alive for up to five days. It channels the s***m into the cervical crypts, the uterus, the fallopian tubes where they wait to fertilize the egg.
Without cervical mucus, s***m die within minutes of ej*******on.

When you’re outside of your fertile window, the cervix is closed with a thick mucus plug that leaves it impenetrable to s***m and any other foreign matter. After all, if there’s no egg to fertilize, there’s no reason for s***m (and potentially any pathogens) to get in.

Cervical mucus is one of the many things we talk about in my 1-1 program Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness - and I’m giving away ONE FREE SPACE in this program next month! Go to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship to apply 💜

Hi ladies!

Is getting pregnant on your list of goals for 2023?

I am so excited to announce that I am doing a scholarship offer, giving away a FREE spot to my program, Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness! In this program we get to the bottom of whatever is holding you back from getting pregnant so you can leave this program not only with 100% confidence in charting your cycles, feeling stronger, healthier and more in tune with your body but also having your BEST possible chance at a positive pregnancy test and fulfilling your dream to be a mama!

It’s such an honor to be able to walk alongside women on their fertility journey, grieving the lowest lows and celebrating the highest highs and I am so grateful that I’ve been able to help several of my TTC clients achieve their goal of not only getting pregnant, but actually holding their miracle baby in their arms. I can’t wait to support you on this journey too (also, getting pictures of positive pregnancy tests never gets old!)

Get Pregnant With Fertility Awareness (valued at $1,800) includes:
• (1) 90-minute Intake Session
• (6) 45-minute Follow Up Sessions (FUS)
• in-between session support
• Welcome package including the Justisse Method User Guide and other useful resources
• 4 months of free charting with the Read Your Body app OR 4 months worth of paper charts
BONUS: access to my 5 part intro to fertility awareness video course

Click the link in my bio to learn more and complete the application or go to amyjovitamurray.com/scholarship. All applications must be submitted by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022 AT 11:59PM CST.

Drop me a direct message if you have any Qs + it would mean the world to me if you’d share this post to your social feed! ❤️

Thank you for celebrating with me!!

✨ Client Chart Highlight

When Judy (name altered) and I started working together, her first cycle looked fairly normal, with a mucus pattern and a discernible temp shift. (Chart 1)

Then she experienced a big emotional upheaval - she went through a series of interviews and was offered a new job, then she met someone and ended up turning down the job because she did not want to end her new relationship as she would have had to relocate for the new job opportunity.

In her charts, this is reflected by several anovulatory cycles and a continuous mucus pattern, along with erratic BBT readings.
(Charts 2 & 3)

Judy took a break from charting for a couple of months as it was only adding to her stress load at that point.

A few months later, when the situation had calmed down, her cycles fell back into her pre-stress pattern.
(Chart 4)

Have you ever noticed a correlation between stress and your menstrual cycle?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

How does travel affect the menstrual cycle?

When I’m experiencing stress it usually shows up with multiple mucus patches and delayed ovulation.

I noticed that quite a bit when I was in college and always studying for one test or another and working on all the projects at once.

But I was ALSO drinking lots of coffee and a LOT more alcohol than I do now, and staying up late to do homework.

Obviously other people experience stress and everything that comes with it in a different way and their charts will look different, too.

This is an old chart from 2016/17 where I was traveling to Germany from CD 4-19. There were two distinct mucus patches from CD 8-10 and then again from CD 14-19.

Whether you’re currently charting or not, have you ever noticed delayed ovulation or a longer cycle when you were stressed? Went on vacation? Experienced a significant shift in life?

How does stress impact the menstrual cycle?

Have you ever thought about how stress can affect your cycle? Maybe you've noticed a "late" period in the past, or noticed spotting or other bleeding when you weren't expecting it. Maybe even skipped a period?

I feel like stress is such a buzzword, we have way too much of it in general, sometimes we’re aware of it, other times we’re not sure if that’s what we’re really experiencing.

And then there is this rabbit hole of how stress affects our menstrual cycle.

Before we dive in, let’s distinguish between two types of stress:
Acute stress
Chronic stress

Acute stress can be things like studying for/taking a test or preparing a presentation for work; illness; a new job; an argument with your partner or your boss; moving - generally things that most people can recover from fairly quickly. Even travel, a wedding, or some other exciting event can be perceived by the body as stress, since you’re not going about your typical routine or are mentally preparing for the event ahead

Chronic stress on the other hand can be a low-grade inflammation that’s going on in your body, that you might not even be aware of; pressure to make enough money to pay the bills month after month; a toxic relationship or work environment; loneliness or isolation; over-exercising and/or under-eating; just to name a few.

On the chart, stress can show up in different ways, which is due to different people responding differently to stress, but also because stress, especially chronic stress, is rarely an isolated factor.

Think about how you react or behave when you’re under a lot of stress - are you a “stress eater”? Do you stop eating when you’re stressed? How does stress affect your sleep?
Obviously those things will affect your menstrual cycle as well.

Some ways this can show up on your chart are
• delayed ovulation
• double peaks/multiple mucus patches
• less cervical mucus
• lower or higher BBT
• short/shorter luteal phase
• increased PMS
• heavier/clottier/more painful periods

You can find the full article on my blog!

amyjovitamurray.com/blog/stress

When I had my first period as a foreign exchange student here in the US and didn’t have tampons with me, I asked a classmate for one - and may I confess - I did not know how to put it in?? I was used to the O.B. tampons, those that you just insert with a finger. I had NEVER seen a tampon with an applicator before! I ended up having to take the tampon out of the applicator to be able to put it in!! Is this a supply and demand issue? Women don’t feel comfortable touching themselves and think they’re “dirty down there” so companies profit by selling tampons with applicators. Which enforces the notion that we’re “dirty down there” and shouldn’t touch ourselves… Do you see the problem?

What’s your experience with menstrual products been like?
I’d love to know!