Holiday Episode: How to navigate the holiday season- emotionally and nutritionally, when you’ve been trying to conceive?   Remember to be gentle with yourself and prepare for what’s coming. You can rehearse your responses to common pregnancy questions and social situations and have a game plan for whatever might be coming your way. While during COVID, these situations might come up less than in previous years, it’s still helpful to prepare for if they do come up.  Find ways to experience the holiday joy even when there is a lot of pressure around getting pregnant. This is a time of family and celebration! Remember that your feelings are valid no matter what! You don’t need to feel guilty about anything that you feel. Sad, stressed, overwhelmed- that’s all OK. We are here to give you support! You aren’t alone- lot’s of women are feeling these things. While you might be the only person in your family who has had a hard time getting pregnant or the first person who is changing their diet, other women are going through similar things.   Thanksgiving- what comes to mind when you think about this holiday?   Cooking all day, being with family, feeling busy? Feeling bored and hungry all day and then starving when you finally sit down to eat?   Thanksgiving food classics: Protein (ham, turkey, prime rib, tofurkey), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing, corn break, dressing, green bean casserole (fresh, frozen, canned? Pick your poison).    Navigating the Thanksgiving menu   There is a lot of food, which can feel overwhelming. Do you love all the foods? How do you enjoy what you love when you’re trying to conceive? Remember: YOU ARE NOT GOING TO RUIN YOUR CHANCES OF TRYING TO CONCEIVE WITH ONE MEAL! Maybe it will delay your ovulation for a little bit but it’s not going to derail your plans for months if it’s only one or two days of holiday eating. If you love it, go ahead and enjoy it. It’s just one day! Food is not just energy- it’s an experience. Remember that you are celebrating family and love and community.    Nutrition tips for thanksgiving: How to find balance when fertility is your goal:    Eat high carb foods (pumpkin pie) with protein,  Remember how important getting good sleep is,  Don't “save up” your calories for one big meal (this will help you not overeat when the big meal starts) Take care of yourself- going into the day hungry, tired, hungover, etc. can really make it more stressful and might cause you to make further unhealthy choices: set yourself up for success.  Start with a high protein breakfast, lots of veggies.  Feed yourself appropriately through the day. If you haven’t fed yourself, your blood sugar will drop (hint: don’t get “hangry”!)  What if you’re drinking? Make sure to eat! Alcohol might make it more challenging to be around certain family members in an emotionally charged situation.    Making choices about food   Consider dessert- just because it’s available and “traditional” doesn’t mean you need to eat it. If you like pie, eat pie. You don’t like pie? Eat something else. You can say “No, thank you!” That’s totally valid.  Don’t worry about your meals being judged. You make your own choices and you don’t have to validate them to other people.  If you don’t want to go to a gathering- that’s valid too. Especially during this COVID year.  Get some additional help if you feel like you need it! Absolutely go see a therapist and get some tools for navigating the holidays. It helps to just talk it over sometimes.    Holiday drinks- Pumpkin spice lattes, eggnog, peppermint lattes, gingerbread lattes.    Having these drinks day after day can seriously impact your hormones, sleep, blood sugar, and cravings. All these drinks are super sugary- basically a hot milk shake.  You can have them but consider it a DESSERT, not a beverage or a breakfast. There is nothing wrong with enjoying them but consider when and how much you are having.  Tips: choose decaf, get a