Even though the holiday season is supposed to be about joy, togetherness, and celebration, let’s get real about one thing: The colder months can usher in feelings of stress, sadness, and loneliness. Some of those feelings may be a mere consequence of shorter days, colder temps, fewer fun activities on the horizon, and a constant parade of cold-weather viruses. But if your symptoms of sadness feel extreme, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (also known by its very appropriate acronym, SAD).  Contrary to popular belief, SAD can actually present during other times of the...

Life is stressful, and when you add in trying to conceive, it reaches entirely new bounds. Those stressors can impact everything from your desire for sex to your period.  If the stress is short-lived, you may miss a period or be a few days late. But if your stress lingers, it can impact more than one cycle or even tie into other physical symptoms.  How does stress affect your period? "If you go through a time of high stress, your body reacts with an increase in stress steroids and alterations in your hormones that can temporarily...

At 17, I created a five-year plan for myself. It was a Google Doc, color-coded with defined “life categories": school, career development, side hustles, and wellness. Anytime I felt overwhelmed, my knee-jerk reaction was to bullet my anxieties and carefully outline my plan of attack in the “wellness” category.  Something that was not in the plan: blood cancer at 18.  I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma about four years ago. When they told me the news, I opened up my laptop in my hospital bed and tried to adjust the plan. It didn’t work, of course,...

The path to parenthood can be filled with complexities, uncertainties, and challenges. No matter where you are on your journey you deserve to feel supported, empowered, and educated during the process. In seeking additional guidance, two roles that frequently come up are fertility coaches and fertility consultants. While their names may sound similar, these professionals have different levels of experience and offer different types of support.  In this article, we'll break down the key differences between a fertility coach and a fertility consultant to help you make an informed decision about the right support for your...

Every year on October 10th, World Mental Health Day is full of acknowledging that our mental health is an important part of our overall health. The world is having more candid conversations around mental health, but it’s also true that we could always use more open takes — especially in the fertility community where the focus is so heavily placed on physical well-being.   Below are a handful of quotes that speak openly about mental and emotional well-being.  20 World Mental Health Day quotes to inspire you On managing a new diagnosis…  “There is no standard normal....

Bindi Irwin recently shared new details about her road to being diagnosed with endometriosis — and her story will likely resonate hard with the many women who have experienced medical gaslighting. This isn’t the first time Irwin has opened up about living with endometriosis. In an Instagram post shared a few months ago, she shared that she lived with debilitating symptoms of the condition for 10 years. During that time, Irwin went through countless doctor’s appointments, scans, and tests before she was finally diagnosed. Bindi Irwin's endometriosis experience is a frustratingly common one Many, many women...

A fertility journey can sometimes feel like being stuck in the middle of a loud rush hour traffic jam. The noise is overwhelming, but there’s nowhere else you can really go if you want to keep driving down this path.  Since we know external triggers can add to an already overwhelming season of life, we asked Nurse Suzie Devine of Binto to share some insight on how to quiet the noise. It turns out, the things that are in your control can help minimize how much things like social media (or that one family member who...

If you’ve been on the health and wellness side of social media anytime in the past 5 years, you've likely heard of the term “adrenal fatigue." For those of us who have experienced the physical effects of burnout, it feels like a very real phenomenon, but for those who haven’t, it usually results in an eye roll.   The unpopular truth? Adrenal fatigue isn’t a real diagnosis, nor is it a legitimate medical term. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a valid warning sign from the body and a gentle nudge to look within.  Where did the...

Information about hormonal birth control, what type you should switch to, horror stories with IUD placement, and personal anecdotes about the pill making patients anxious seem to come from everywhere except your doctor’s office. The hashtag #depressedonbirthcontrol on TikTok has over 46 million views, with commentary from many people who are not medical professionals.  Even on the scientific side of things, there is conflicting information about how hormonal contraception affects the brain. Some studies seem to support that taking birth control may contribute to mood changes, anxiety, or depressive symptoms, while other studies haven’t been able...

Stress is a sneaky visitor that can show up uninvited and mess with your body's plans. Although it’s completely normal, stress can affect your period and potentially make it harder for you to become a parent.  In this article, we'll explore the connection stress has to menstrual health and fertility and share some helpful ways you can lower your stress levels and enhance your overall well-being. Understanding stress and its health effects If you’re a living and breathing human, you’ve likely experienced some stress in your lifetime.  Stress is unique to each of us, and today,...