Ep 70: Growing Nutritional Knowledge to Reduce Stress During Your Fertility Journey with Erin Parekh
Fertility Forward Episode 70:
Today, we speak with holistic nutritionist and women’s wellness expert, Erin Parekh, who specializes in guiding women to nurse themselves on their journey to and through motherhood. You’ll hear the story of how Erin’s own fertility journey sparked her special interest in women’s wellness and the pivotal moment when she realized how little clinics offered to those on a fertility journey. We touch on stigma and the role of communication to connect people, Erin’s self-care tools, and reframing the all-or-nothing mindset. Erin believes that mindset is an essential part of building holistic wellness and we talk about the importance of a gratitude practice, looking at the whole picture, and finding what works for you, personally. We talk about the role that nutritional knowledge can play in reducing stress during your fertility journey, and Erin reveals that the time she’s had to herself while her husband is on a business trip has been grounding and necessary. We hope you join us to learn from Erin’s theoretical and personal knowledge today!
Rena: Hi everyone. And welcome to Fertility Forward. We are part of the wellness team at RMA of New York, a fertility clinic affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Our fertility forward podcast brings together advice from medical professionals, mental health specialists, wellness experts, and patients, because knowledge is power and you are your own best advocate.
Dara: Erin Parekh is a holistic nutritionist and women's wellness expert who specializes in guiding women to nurse themselves and their bodies on their journey to and through motherhood. Since 2017, she has supported hundreds of patients to feel balanced and thrive in their bodies using real food, nutrition, and simple self-care rituals. In her private coaching practice, she’s supported women through challenges and fertility, postpartum depletion, menopausal symptoms, gut health, and stress management. Her expertise has been featured in New York Minute Mag, Palm Beach Illustrated, and Nutritious Life. Erin, we are so excited. I know I'm thrilled to have you on today as I know Rena, who also loves to discuss food and health and nutrition, we're happy to have you on.
Erin Parekh: Thank you for having me. I'm so glad we connected.
Rena: Well I feel like we should tell people how, because I find it fun story. So I connected with Erin because I was doing this meal delivery and I liked the plan that Erin’s name was, was on. So all the meals I got delivered, like for weeks, said Erin Parekh on them. So I was like, let me check out this Erin Parekh. And so I went to her website and of course the universe, I'm like, okay, we have so much in common. And she went through fertility treatment. I'm just going to now fan-girl email her and see if she wants to connect. And she so kindly did. And I'm so, so happy to have made this connection and have you on so you can share all your wisdom with our listeners.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. It's, I love it. It's a small world and I'm so glad you reached out.
Rena: Well, thank you for receiving it. So I guess before we kind of launch into food, I think this will be a good segue. Do you want to maybe tell listeners about your journey and how you got into the niche that you're in now?
Erin Parekh: Totally. So I think, you know, I'm a holistic nutritionist and we always think I'm not going to have any problems like getting pregnant or having, you know, those it's like, I eat well, like all it's going to be good. It's going to be easy because that's the way it should be. And when my husband and I started trying to have kids, like, we were not like old but old for fertility standards, like 35 when we started trying and trying for like six months. And I was kind of like, you know, like, let's just like, get stuf, checked out, like I'm into like the science and all that. I'm like, let's just kind of see what's going on. Like, I'm a Virgo, like let's just like, impatient, you know, like get this show on the road. So I'm like, let's just like go. And I had a friend who went to a fertility clinic and she was like, this doctor’s amazing. You have to go. So I'm like, I'll just go, get the tests run. Like, I'm sure everything will be fine. And then it turns out that there were some issues that I had to deal with. Physically I had a septate uterus, which is basically, there's like a septum that runs up the middle of your uterus that can prevent like the embryo from implanting. So I would have had to, I did surgery to have that removed. And then I'm like, okay, great. It's physical. Like totally fine. Not a big deal. Everything else was fine. Like, my AMH was totally normal, all of that. And then, did like, but I'm a Virgo. Like let's just, lik,e get out of the surgery, do a couple IUIs, see if that works. Didn't work. And then we noticed I had some issues with like my lining and my husband had some issues on his end too in terms of just like counts. So we kind of made the decision to do IVF. So then we did IVF. The first round was like toilet bowl, nothing, no embryos at all from that. And it turned out to be like an egg quality issue or like, from what we could basically tell cause like my numbers were okay, but nothing just like made it to like blastocyst stage or like past a certain number of days. So that was kind of like a wake up call too like, but I eat well, I exercise, I'm healthy. I don't eat. Like McDonald's like, why are my, is there like an issue with my eggs? Right? Long story short, then second round IVF, that worked. We got some embryos and I'm pregnant now actually due in October. So it's, it's been quite the journey, but I think, you know, with everything, there's always a reason you go through things and what really upset me going through it was like, I at least had the tools to like support myself in doing it. I knew what to eat. I knew how to support myself after retrieval, you know, in terms of food. I was going to acupuncture. I knew what to do and how to support myself like physically, yes, but like mentally, too, I think is just a huge factor when you're going through fertility issues and treatment. And it really just kind of pissed me off, like how little they like the clinic gave you to support yourself besides like give yourself these shots and, you know, come in for the retrieval and we'll call you in five days and let you know how many blastocysts you have. Right? So that's actually kind of the pivotal moment was this whole thing. Like going through all of this, I really shifted my practice into fertility and motherhood and just how to nourish your body to not only support like a pregnancy, but just to support yourself too because I think that's something that often gets neglected.
Dara: Erin, I can totally relate to you. I can't believe we are just meeting now. I had a very similar story and I felt the same way when I was going through my fertility struggles. I felt like this is something if I'm feeling this way and it seems like we, you know, you have the tools, you have the knowledge, the interest in learning. But so many people, I feel like, don't have that support. And I feel like there's so many people out there who just want to be supported and want to get the knowledge and how lucky for people to have you to be able to, to get that support. And also it sounds very healing to yourself to, to help other people while you're pregnant as well.
Erin Parekh: Yeah, totally. You know, that's, again, we're all going through our own journeys and I, and I look at it as like a service, you know, to others. Like I've gone through this for a reason and then how can I serve other moms or wannabe moms and make their journey a little bit easier because I've already gone through it.
Rena: I love when you were talking earlier and I was like, maybe I'm a Virgo too, because you know, of course I think, you know, they totally bothered me things going through my own experience and, you know, for so many patients and you know, of course I love that you touched upon the importance of mental health and sort of the collaborative care, you know, that we still haven’t talk about on this and how important that is for patients, you know, just to be told, like, okay, yeah, we'll call you in five days, you know, it's, you know, how are we supposed to deal with that? It's so hard.
Dara: That piece often gets left out. I feel like, you know, in terms of self care, are you finding time for yourself outside of the fertility realm? Outside of work?
Erin Parekh: Yeah. And just the body changes too, like the bloating and, and the heaviness and the tiredness and just feeling, you know, out of just completely out of control of so much, you know, I think for anyone is just, you know, it's again, IVF and all that isn't even isn't guaranteed. So just to, to not have that guarantee and then to just feel out of your body, it's really challenging.
Rena: So difficult. And so then after your experience, it sounds like you've really kind of pivoted or really tailored your practice to, you know, other women struggling?
Erin Parekh: Yeah. I'd always been focused on sort of women’s health, but then this just really kind of shifted to what I wanted to talk about and, you know, sharing, too, on social media again cause I think there's a bit of a stigma with fertility too, you know, we're just told, like you go off birth control, you're going to get pregnant or that it's just not the case. Right? So you have to talk about it. And then the more that you talk about it, then just the more that all of those channels opened up and, you know, the ideal clients who I wanted to work with sort of started coming through the door once you just start sharing.
Rena: What were some ways that you were able to support yourself, you know, going through your journey? You mentioned, okay. I felt lucky because I had the tools, I knew what to do. What did you find helpful?
Erin Parekh: So self care practices have always been something that I've really just leaned on throughout my life. And that's like having a really solid like morning routine to ground my day, I think is super important. You know, even if you're going through fertility treatments or you already have kids, or you just have a really stressful job, like having that moment and creating some type of structure in your morning. So I always try to just get like some type of fresh air or sunshine in the morning and it's easier cause I live in Florida and so I don't have to deal with like the cold winters that you lived in the Northeast, but just getting out and like moving your body. Cause I think too, what I've found and I used to have the stigma of you're going to work out and it's, you know, for like weight maintenance or like calorie burning. But as I've gotten older, I really learned that movement is such a great way to process your emotions too. So I always try to get in like some type of movement, even when I was going through like, you know, day 10 of stims, I was like, okay, I'm going to get out. I was going to go for like a half a mile walk around the block or like something because it just makes me feel good and it helps me reconnect to my body. So I really think movement is such a crucial tool to have and to look at it as again, like a way to like, connect your brain and your mind and your body and like to nature versus like a way to, you know, use weight or burn calories or, or anything like that. So that's a big thing that I have. I always did, I'll do like some meditation. Breath work I think it's really great. I have to remind myself a lot, but like coming out of the appointments, you know, you either like leave like super ecstatic or you're like, you know, oh my gosh, like I had horrible news. So like having like a breath work or a practice. I'd put some mantras on my phone. One of my favorite ones, it's those who are certain can afford to wait and wait without anxiety. And I would have that just like pop up on my phone every hour when I was going through it all. And it was just, even if I didn't acknowledge it, then it was just kind of like always there at on the top of my mind to just kind of let know, like, okay, like I know this will work eventually, like I'm in it. So those are some of the main ways I really supported myself in addition to obviously just trying to eat as well as I could, too.
Dara: I think that's great that you mentioned like starting your day off on the right foot. And it's interesting because most of us think food, how you nourish yourself, can set a great foundation for the rest of your day, but it's so true. That's a perfect opportunity for self care practices, whether it's grounding, whether it's some sort of mindfulness meditation, even like breath work, the idea of breathing, which I'm with you. Sometimes it's hard, even though it's such a simple thing, even that, that, you know, whether it's a, a 4, 7, 8 breath or just even one big inhale, exhale, it's amazing what it can do to your overall body and your wellbeing.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. And we forget like sometimes it's like, oh my gosh, I haven't, I haven't breathed today. Like why do I feel so tight and tense? You're like, cause I'm depriving myself of oxygen, you know?
Dara: Yeah.
Erin Parekh: Yeah.
Rena: And I love that you mentioned too the importance of movement. You know, even I think, you know, something I myself struggled with, you know, I know a lot of people struggle with is the exercise modification, you know, that you have to make when you're stimming. And you know, I always say, but it doesn't mean you can't walk. You know, you can walk as much as you want. Walking is amazing both for mind and body. And it's so important to kind of, you know, especially if you're someone that's used to doing like these intensive, whatever spin class or, you know, running for 20 miles a day to reframe your thinking, you know, it's a finite period of time, get out there and walk, move your body, eat well, you know, and this is, I say, I always say, don't get on the scale, get some bigger clothes. You are going to be bloated, but that's because your body's doing what it's supposed to be doing or this. So go easy on yourself, go gentle. Again, this is it. It's temporary. You know, once you're out of it, you can resume whatever your activity level was before. But it's so important to not go from like a hundred to zero as I see a lot of people do and just say like, screw it. I'm not leaving my house. I'm going to fill my body with sugar and crap because I can't exercise. That's gonna make you feel so much worse.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. The all or nothing mentality is something I see, you know, a lot too with my clients and it's just it's you just have to reframe it. And I'm like, even, you know, pregnancy motherhood is like the ultimate surrender. So it's like just kind of, you're just starting a little earlier in terms of getting those like self-care practices sort of ingrained in, in what you need personally.
Dara: And also you said, mentioned like the mind body connection of having a mantra. And I think even starting your day off with that mantra can really connect you. Make you actually physically feel good and that, you know, can help your relax. And ultimately it connects to like even digestion. So when you do start your morning off with what you eat, if you're starting off your day calmer and a happier mood that can even help you metabolically and digestively.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. No, one of my favorite things to do is just like hand on heart, like hand on your belly, like before you're eating and just like take like a couple of beats and a breath because you're exactly right. It's going to calm your parasympathetic nervous system down and you're going to digest and you know, you're putting all this effort into making yourself this like nourishing meal, but if you're not digesting it properly, you know, kind of lose, you lose out a little bit.
Dara: And that's even part of the mindfulness practice. I think a lot of people, when, you know, when you talk about intuitive eating or mindful eating, I think that term sometimes can make people nervous, but just even the act of taking a deep breath or even like, you know, I sometimes admire people who are religious and like say a prayer before they eat. Just the idea of being like saying gratitude for like, for the day for the, for the meal, that in itself, you're right, can, can change your chemistry in your body. And I mean, mentally make you feel good, but physically also make things work better.
Rena: I read a really good meditation the other day for before eating and it was about visualizing a clementine where it comes from, how it gets to you and then peeling it and all the layers, and then thinking about, you know, eating it. And it going into your belly and the whole process of kind of like peeling this fruit to help you kind of slow down, you know, before you eat. I know sometimes I'll find a very bad habit. I'll go the whole day without eating cause I'm just so busy and then be so hungry and just stuff my face which is so not mindful. So when I read that, I was like, I should do that next time I'm so ravenous. You know, relax and I like the hands on your belly and your heart to, to just kind of slow down. Take a pause.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. I think a lot of times people think mindfulness practices are like, I don't have 20 minutes to read, to do something in the morning. Right? But it doesn't, it doesn't have to be this like, big thing. It can be a breath.
Rena: Totally. And you can do it moving. You don't have to sit somewhere and have some perfect calm environment. Do it walking. Do it in the shower. I love to do it when I first wake up in the morning and I'm just kind of lying there to really set my intentions for the day. Do some breathing, think about what I want to accomplish, some things I'm grateful for, you know, just the first two minutes of my day, lying in bed.
Dara: I love that. I'm with you too. I think if you could start off with something small and you could keep something small, it doesn't have to be complicated or 20 minutes, but I think if anything, it's creating that ritual or that habit that you can repeat every day that can bring you that, just that, that fresh start, that clearer mindset going into your day. And then I think as equally as important, perhaps at the end of the day, that reflection, that breathing, whether it's a, you know, a sleeping meditation or some sort of something to help you ease into sleep can also be helpful.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. I always try to sort of end the day with just like a quick gratitude or even just like kind of a negativity sweep, you know, just like removing all of the, just like kind of a physical movement from like all the energies that you may have picked up during the day, kind of dismissing those and reclaiming yours and just saying what you're grateful for is how I kind of, I usually end my day. It takes two minutes. You know?
Rena: I love that. A negativity sweep. That's good.
Dara: I love that too. So I do gratitude, but I think the idea of the negativity sweep, cause I don't know about you guys, but sometimes when you go to bed, that's when your, your mind is, everything's quiet and that's when you can often get in your mind and the negativity and the things you need to do tomorrow, or the things that didn't go well today, often can, can pop up. But if you do have that gratitude practice, it's nice. It's a nice way to end your day with something really positive.
Erin Parekh: I mean mentally, we focus on the negative or what we can't control. So I think again, just like reclaiming that energy of yours being like, actually this really did well and I'll have my clients do that too. Like if I know they're going through a lot, I’ll be like I want you to just text me your win from today. Cause like, and just declare it, you know? Cause I think just saying that like you forget and our brains naturally just go always towards the negative and like what went wrong. So when we can sort of reclaim that it's I think it's very powerful.
Dara: There's, I don't know where I found it because I'm not sure I think it was on YouTube, but there was an interesting a teacher who actually posted it and she basically had a piece of paper with a dot in the middle of it and she asked her students what they saw and they all unanimously said that they saw the dot in the middle of the paper. And she replied by saying, what about the 99% of the other space around that? That it's interesting how we hone in on that one thing that went wrong as opposed to acknowledging the 99% that was there. That was great. Interesting perspective.
Rena: I think it is all about perspective and that's where sort of the positive psychology to help you shift perspective. And sometimes, you know, it's so hard to get locked in our thoughts in our heads and you know, that's, you know, we need people to help us, help us get outside of that and help us shift our perspective.
Dara: So I wanted to ask you in terms of how you came to, what, what was the impetus in terms of starting something more holistic? Which I have to say personally, I was trained Western medicine and only in the last maybe five to eight years or so the Eastern side, the more holistic side, has taken my interest. But how did that start for you?
Erin Parekh: I think I was just always into again, the mindfulness and the whole body approach. It's funny, like nutrition is actually kind of my second life. I did, I worked in the art gallery world for a little bit after college and then switched gears. And I think just because maybe I came to it sort of a little later, I already had a bit of perspective and because I was interested in, I'd done a lot of reading and, and I just connected to the Eastern side of things a bit more so then when I went through my training, I made sure that there was always that more holistic component. And just like personally, you know, I just knew how much things like acupuncture and therapy and those types of things really helped sort of change my relationship with food, like eating disorders I had in college and all these different things. So I just knew when I entered nutrition, I really wanted it to be this well-rounded experience and learning.
Rena: Well, I think this will be interesting because now we have someone who's more Western and someone’s who's more Eastern and I know, you know, you kind of both have sort of both approaches, but just for, for this, let's see how it kind of compares. So like the holistic nutrition side which I feel like a game show I need cards. So like the holistic side, you know, kind of super foods that you've found helpful or would recommend and then let's compare to see what Dara would say.
Dara: I bet you they’re the same.
Erin Parekh: I love science though. I'm like the nerd who, yeah, I love my like studies and reports and all of that, but yeah, in terms of just like foods for fertility and pregnancy support and all of that, I mean, in my mind, it's like proteins, lots of healthy fats, and all of the antioxidant support, right? As many like fruits and veggies as you can like muster and really controlling your insulin levels too, I think is incredibly important. So that's kind of what I focus on with clients when I'm working with them and then kind of coupling that like starting with the nutrition and the diet change and then bringing in those like mindful holistic practices and like the intuitive eating and the breath. And it's like, again, like we were saying like, okay, great. You're having like a salad with this beautiful piece of wild salmon, avocados and kale. You had some chia pudding for breakfast, but if you're like stressed to the max, again, you're not digesting it. Your hormones are going crazy. So you're not maximizing that. So it's like, how can we look at like the whole picture in terms of like what you're eating, but also your lifestyle habits and really meshing them together so that you're functioning as like optimally as possible.
Dara: I think that's great in terms of, I love that you said working with insulin, you know, managing your insulin levels. That for me was like the key thing, which I think is really important that I think a lot of people don't when it comes to overall health and wellness, that's not always the first thing that people speak about, but specifically I think it's important for everyone. But specifically when it comes to fertility, keeping your, your blood sugars more stable, not overworking your pancreas to produce the insulin can definitely be helpful. So I'm thrilled that you said that. I'm, for me comparison, I would say the exact same thing as you, the protein, the healthy fats, the fruits and the vegetables, especially like foods that are high in fiber, which can be found in the fruits and vegetables and the chia seeds. And I think to take it up or to add, which I know, I know you would agree as well is also, are you enjoying those foods and also how are those foods making you feel? So even, you know, I see a lot of people eating salads and afterwards and say number one, does it fill you up? And number two, how does it make your body feel? And it's so amazing that so many people I see report it gives me stomach aches. So, you know, even though it could be helpful for many people, it doesn't work for everyone. And I think what you said is, is finding what works for you.
Erin Parekh: Definitely. And I think again, like we were talking with the movement too, you know, when you're going through this whole process and you’re stressed, like you're not going to be digesting as well. Your body needs like warming foods and bringing in that Eastern medicine too. It's like, okay, maybe salads aren't going to be good for you. Maybe you need the cooked foods and you need some like bone broth and you need that really like nourishing, easy to, you know, assimilate like, like comfort food in a way, you know? And sometimes maybe you do just need like the cookie, it's again, it's like checking in with yourself and it's all about the balance.
Dara: For sure. And it's, it's interesting when I, I remember years ago when the acupuncturist used to say the warming foods and I was like, warming foods? And it's, you know, I guess my science brain was like, okay, how can I make this work for my science brain? And it's the fact that it isn't broken it's it is easier to digest for many people, you know, it's less effort to digest something that's cooked than something that's raw. So it can make sense for many people.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. And I think it just, again, comes back to listening to your body and like kind of knowing the tools and it's like, okay, well, you know, we think that salads are healthy and they can be, but it's, but we don't want to just like keep eating them if they don't make us feel good because we think we should. Right? So it's having that like food knowledge and like, okay, but I can have something cooked or maybe I need like a soup or something like that. I think that's where someone like you or myself come in and it's about like educating you that it doesn't just have to be these, like this handful of things that work. There's like a whole range of like options to nourish, to nourish your body.
Dara: But don't you think, I think this is where it could be tricky is I feel like a lot of us, including myself sometimes is we're not always in tune with how we're feeling. We eat things and we don't necessarily know if we don't feel great an hour or two later, we don't always connect it with what we eaten or where our mindset was. And we kind of push those feelings down or justify them as, oh, this is how I always feel.
Erin Parekh: Yeah. I think a lot of people think like feeling bloated after a meal is normal on some level and it's, you know, it shouldn't be, but you're completely right. It's like we don't connect the dots. And I think that's where working with someone, or even just like doing like a little bit of like a food mood journal, or just kind of paying attention to like, okay, I ate this and I'm not one for like no calorie counting or anything like that. But I think there is something that even for like three to five days, if you just kind of write down what you were eating and like how you felt afterwards, physically and mentally, it can really do a lot for your relationship with food and understanding kind of like what what's working for you and what’s not.
Rena: And I love how you said it's not a one size fits all approach. And you know, if it's not going to make you feel good, don't eat a salad. And I have so many patients who beat themselves up and they say, oh, I was as bad today. You know, I had pizza and I had a cookie. And as you said, sometimes you just need a cookie and that's okay. That is not going to derail you and it's really about listening to yourself and finding the balance. You know, I think it goes back to that kind of like all or nothing approach, like, you know, and don't because you had one cookie now go have two boxes, but listen to your body and, you know, try and find that balance and moderation and having a cookie or having a piece of pizza is not going to mean that your cycle doesn't work. You know, and it's more about being in tune with yourself. And, you know, I'm also very big into sort of this mood based eating too. Like keep a journal and figure out, okay, well, were you craving sugar because something really awful happened in that moment before and that elevated your cortisol and, you know, you felt stressed and so you, you reached for sugar. Well then let's look at this stressor because if we can eliminate the stress or help you figure out how to tolerate that, your craving for sugar will go away.
Dara: Yeah. And I think also why you're eating it to begin with, but also how you feel afterwards. Like I was bad. That food is bad. I am shameful. And that in itself, it's like, if you eat something, I'm hoping you enjoy it. I think the guilt and shame only perpetuate that cycle of eating it and then having the shame, eating it, having the shame or depriving yourself and then craving it more.
Erin Parekh: And I think, you know, too with, you know, fertility taking it back to that, it's, we're already going through so much and there's already so much shame and guilt for being, you know, for going through this and, you know, wondering like why is my body doing this? And, and you know, it's not like working for me and it worked for someone else or, or whatever. And then you throw like the food guilt on top of it. It's, it's just too much. It's, it's overwhelming, you know? So I think having and going into the process, like knowing, and feeling empowered with like how to nourish your body and kind of knowing what foods work for you is just one way to kind of like help take at least that stress off of you cause you're already dealing with so much.
Rena: Totally. Well, I'm so glad we had good insight and this was such a great conversation, especially to delve more into the mindfulness. I feel like you shared really good tips and tricks that we haven't talked about.
Erin Parekh: Good. Yeah. This is a really fun conversation.
Dara: I love that we touched upon the mind-body connection because a lot of times, you know, we've spoken about the mind, we've spoken about, you know, food and the body, but bringing it together I think is really important. And I, I know we're going to be seeing a lot more out there in terms of research and support with the mind-body connection, especially as it relates to fertility.
Rena: Yeah. Well, thank you so much for sharing your time and I know we're all on the same page about the power of positivity. So the way we like to end our podcast is by sharing a gratitude. And, but today I'm going to add also the, the negativity sweep to it as well. New thing I learned today from Erin. Who wants to go first with a gratitude?
Dara: I'll go first. I am grateful, I was chatting with Erin right before we started recording that I'm in Miami for the month working from here. And I'm grateful for the chance to be able to ground, ground in the sand, ground in the grass with my bare feet. It's amazing how that little shift in my, in my morning routine has really brought on more calm and more happiness. So I'm grateful for that. What about you, Erin?
Erin Parekh: Yeah. So I'm actually grateful and I hope my husband doesn't listen to this, but he actually had his first business trip over the last, like two days. And while I miss him terribly, I'm actually kind of grateful to have had like two days to myself. I haven't had that in like our home in a really long time. And I think that just sort of, again, having that time to myself and to reconnect and to do exactly what I want and to not have to worry about sort of anyone else, even my husband and have these couple of days before our baby comes was just kind of really nice. And I tried to really just kind of, again, ground down into that experience. So that's kind of what I’ve been grateful for.
Rena: I love that. I think yours sort of sparked similar gratefulness that my daughter, you know, after being home doing zoom school, sharing my New York City apartment with her for the whole year is now off at summer camp. And I didn't even like when I was in it, I knew it was very stressful to have her around all the time, but it wasn't until she started getting up and going somewhere every day. And there's no risk that she's going to come home. Like she is out, it has been really nice to have my space back and just be able to work in peace and not have to constantly try and juggle everything because it was just too much. And so to be able to have this now, oh, today mark's actually a month since she’s been going into camp and I'm just so grateful that to have that normalcy and be able to breathe and focus, and then be able to spend really good quality time with her.
Dara: Nice
Rena: Yeah. Well thank you so much, Erin. It was such a pleasure and we love your practice and congratulations coming up October. My daughter is an October baby so perhaps your Virgo will have a Scorpio. Oh Rena, you’re daughter’s a Scorpio, yikes!
Erin Parekh: No a Libra if all goes okay. So we'll see but…
Rena: See what astrology brings you.
Dara: Thanks so much for coming on and hopefully we can have you back on the future.
Erin Parekh: Awesome. No, thank you. This was such a fun conversation.
Dara: Thank you so much for listening today and always remember: practice gratitude, give a little love to someone else and yourself, and remember you are not alone. Find us on Instagram @fertility_forward and if you're looking for more support, visit us at www.rmany.com and tune in next week for more Fertility Forward.