“Fertile” and “infertile” get thrown around a lot–what do they really mean?

We often use the word fertility (or its opposite infertility) to describe our ability to get pregnant. But what does that really mean?? What is fertility and what does it mean to “be fertile?”

At its most literal, “fertile” means “abundant, fruitful, or productive.”

Basically, being fertile means we have creative capacity. We are literally able to create and produce life.

Infertility, on the other hand, is used to mean “barren, unproductive, or sterile.”

This is why I don’t like to use the word “infertility.” It connotes a final and permanent state of being–when in fact our ability to create and be fertile is very dynamic and mutable.

Fertility is a process.

Creation is a process.

If we use nature as an example, there’s a season of fertility: the growth and abundance of spring and summer. This is followed by a season of emptiness, where the earth and plants lie fallow: resting, preparing for the next fertile season.

This is how I like to think of fertility–sometimes we’re in a fertile season and sometimes we’re not.

But even if we’re not at our most fertile, it doens’t mean we’re infertile–as in barren and sterile. It often means we’re simply in that fallow season. Our bodies are resting, storing up energy, waiting for a season of creation again.

Fertility as a continuum

Fertility is also a continuum. You can get pregnant even if you’re not ultra-fertile. Fertility isn’t an either/or–it’s a spectrum. It may take longer if you’re close to one end of the spectrum, but it can still happen.

Fertility simply means our ability to create and produce–which can wax and wane, or be easier or harder at times. Fertility is dynamic and ever-changing.

This also means we have the ability to influence our fertility through our lifestyle, our mindsets, and our actions. And this, my friends, is powerful.

It means our fertility isn’t a fixed state, and we have the power to change things.

Sometimes it’s not enough, but I’ve found that often it just takes a little nudge on that fertility continuum to help women conceive.

When we nurture ourselves and connect with our dynamic feminine creative powers, we can make a difference.

That’s why my signature program, Flourish Fertility, is all about helping you embody FERTILITY. What it means to be fertile in mind, body, and energy.

And stay tuned for my next blog on how to embody fertility in the rest of your life—not just your reproductive system—and why that’s important for conceiving.