For over a decade, I faced my own health struggles daily. I had hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure, & digestive issues. I went to countless doctors. Through conventional medicine, I did everything I was offered and more. Somehow requesting more left me feeling like I was heard less. I was on hormonal birth control for a decade trying to manage hormonal issues while dealing with my other symptoms.

The good news? I was the picture of health! My labwork was normal! Nobody could find anything wrong! Everything was fine! The problem? I felt like shit.

I reached my breaking point when I was told that my only options were to stay on hormonal birth control, start blood pressure medication, take acid blocking medication, and come back in a year. I also got a word of caution about my hormones. I was told that when it came time to get pregnant to “just try for a year, but you’ll probably have to do IVF and you’ll definitely need to be on blood pressure medication” as the answer to my question about my future fertility.

I felt like a medical anomaly. I turned to alternative medicine because I was out of options. Here, I found functional medicine and comprehensive healing in a way that fundamentally changed my health and my life. There was no overnight miracle. But I began uncovering answers where I thought there could be none. I realized that my hormonal birth control had side effects that I thought were just part of the deal, but had been creating secondary symptoms that I hadn't been informed about in the beginning. I got off the pill, but since my hormone issues were only covered up and not actually addressed, they were right there waiting for me as soon as I stopped hormonal birth control. My health worsened as I dove deeper into uncovering the underlying causes of my symptoms. 

And then something shifted. I began mindfulness practices like meditation and breathwork. For the first time in my life, I learned to actually prioritize my health and interpret what my body was trying to tell me. I created an entirely new system of habits. I found clinicians and a support system that were willing to listen and help me find my voice. I built out my village. I did functional lab testing that came back with answers to underlying issues. I got treatment tailored to the root causes of my health struggles. I changed my lifestyle, removed underlying food triggers, and changed my relationship with food as a whole. I learned the importance of how each body system affects the other and how my environment had drastically impacted my health. This took time and patience, but my blood pressure normalized. My digestive issues resolved. Within months, my periods were no longer painful. I had changed my relationship with my health and finally felt like I was not just the sum of my symptoms and they no longer dictated my quality of life.

I began practicing the Fertility Awareness Method as a form of natural birth control to better understand my cycle. It was giving me more insight than I ever thought possible. I began holistic preconception care, with the “you’ll just do IVF on blood pressure medication” warning from years past in the back of my mind. I got pregnant with my daughter very shortly after, using the comprehensive protocols and support that I now use to help women balance their hormones and achieve their fertility goals without “just try for a year” being the medical advice that leaves them navigating their fertility without the support they deserve. 

I realize that for many women, there is no fertility support and IVF is often first line after a year of “trying”. We were never taught that our diet, environment, digestive health, nutrients, toxin exposure, stress levels, energy levels, and lifestyle can all play a critical role in getting pregnant. We have left women alone to fend for themselves in one of the most vulnerable times, and then society wonders why women feel alone, have skyrocketing rates of postpartum depression, and continue to measure their worth by the checkmarks on their to do list.

This is how Whole Womanhood was born. 

My journeys through my own health struggles, into all the nooks and crannies of women’s health, mamahood, and working in the conventional, alternative, and functional medicine worlds have all shaped the way I work with clients. I’ve been the patient and the clinician. I’ve been through the system and I’ve been told to minimize my symptoms and just keep going. I’m here to tell you it’s not in your head. Do not minimize. Stop believing the narrative that parts of you don’t matter. They do. They all do.

I work with women who see themselves reflected here. For those who have felt stuck. For those who want answers. You are seen; you deserve to be heard. And most importantly, you deserve to live a life of pleasure. 

It would be a privilege to work with you on your journey. 

xo

Lera