Fibroids are non-cancerous benign growths that form inside or outside a woman’s uterus. Fibroids occur due to excess estrogen in the body causing the body to be estrogen dominate. Fibroids are treated like they are not a big deal and if they get too big its a simple fix, just cut them out or lose your uterus.  But they are a big deal when they begin to affect your every day life and mental health. The things I share in this post  may be TMI for some but this is something I have been struggling with as of late and is information I wish my doctor could have shared with me.

Earlier this year I decided to pay my gynecologist a visit after having a sudden change when aunt flow came to visit. I started to have severe cramps and abnormally heavy bleeding. The pain that I experienced caused going to work and managing every day tasks near impossible.  At the same time my husband and I are trying to have a baby so I wanted to make sure my baby factory was in working order. At this appointment I just had my routine check up done and had to return for an ultrasound. After returning for the second appointment, my ultrasound revealed that I had at least 6 small fibroids that could be clearly seen.  This isn’t the worst news, but not the news I wanted to hear.

After getting a diagnosis as to what was causing the problem, I asked my doctor,” well what do we do next?” His answer was,  “Since they are small we will  just leave them be and watch them for growth. Normally the next course of action is birth control but we can’t do that because you want to become pregnant. Just take over the counter pain meds  during your cycle and keep trying to conceive.” I was not completely satisfied with his answers.  Don’t get me wrong my doctor is awesome at what he does and I continue as one of his patients, but I left his office feeling like I didn’t receive any answers to help me figure out why I had these growths or what else I could do to cope with my symptoms. After doing my own research I found these methods of coping with my symptoms and shrinking my fibroids naturally.

Diet– Fibroids are linked in part to your diet. Cut soy, GMO (genetically modified) foods, processed foods, and water from plastic bottle from your diet. I cut down on my intake of starches, sugar, fast food, and over processed ready to eat meals. Eat organic fruits and vegetables when possible,  and free range, grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free meats if you choose to eat meat. I have been eating a mostly plant-based diet and I am seeing positive results.

Herbals–  I am not a physician so always consult with your doctor before taking herbs as a course of therapy especially if you are already on other medications. Many people think that herbs are not useful as natural therapy. Many herbs are discarded by most as weeds, but they are more powerful than you might think. Below are a handful of the herbs that I have incorporated into my diet or in supplemental form.

• Vitex (chaste tree berry) – Works with your body by acting on your pituitary gland to help it produce its own progesterone and hormonal  balance.
• Bladderwrack- A sea kelp that gives your body essential vitamins and minerals as well as enough iodine to help the thyroid gland (which regulates your hormones) to function properly.
• Red Raspberry Tea- Helps to tone and strengthen the uterus and relieves pain.
• Nettle-  Reduces inflammation in turn helping to reduce pain. Nettle also is a very nutritive herb being high in iron, folic acid, various B vitamins, vitamin A, potassium, and magnesium. Nettles also help to boost your immune system, works on the body as a blood purifier, and acts as an antihistamine if you are a allergy sufferer.
• Dandelion Leaf/Root- I blend this simple weed into smoothies and drink tea made of the leaf and root. This herb helps to support healthy liver function which aids the body in getting rid of metabolic waist.
• Burdock Root-  Burdock root is high in iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. Burdock is a mild diuretic helping to flush toxins out of the body. Burdock is also a blood purifier and helps the liver to detoxify excess estrogen from the body.

Stress Management– The hustle and bustle of day-to-day life can bear  down on us. Try to find ways to de-stress. Stress only makes fibroids grow larger and takes a way from your overall health and well-being.  Take out time to meditate, do some yoga or exercise, catch up on your favorite Netflix show, or what ever you need to do to relax.

At this current time I am not fibroid free. I have been using the all these things to not only get some relief from my fibroids but also to improve my overall health and lifestyle. I will keep you all posted along my journey to becoming fibroid free and I hope that the information I have provided helps you in your journey as well.

Disclaimer: I am not a physician and all the information in this blog post is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.