Three years ago, Esther Rohr and her husband decided to start thinking about pregnancy. The 26-year-old Oregon-based wedding photographer made small but intentional lifestyle changes—going to bed earlier, drinking more water and less alcohol, dialing in her fitness, loading up on protein, and taking supplements like beef organ capsules and Vitamin D3. They started charging their phones in the kitchen for better sleep and unplugging their Wi-Fi at night, because her research suggested it might affect cellular health. Concerned about their exposure to reproductive toxins, Rohr began the slow, painstaking task of swapping out all their synthetic workout clothes, nonstick pans, and scented personal care products that might contain phthalates or other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. She bought an air purifier and hopes to eventually replace their LED bulbs with incandescents, because she worries they might be affecting her circadian rhythm.
Rohr has never tried to conceive before. To her knowledge, she doesn’t have any health problems that would make it difficult. But nonetheless, she’s dedicated to optimizing her health to give their baby the “best chance at a healthy start in life.” Learning from accounts like @vitallymelanie, and @innate_fertility, what began as a curious interest in “crunchy, healthy, fitness, baby mama” content turned into a timeline filled with guidance for easy, breezy, positive pregnancies—and the tools she should use to get there.
One of the accounts recommended reading 9 Months Is Not Enough, a book premised around the idea that women are plagued by a “fertility gap,” but not to worry because “you can do something about it.” That resonated with Rohr. After changing her house and her habits, Rohr also decided to go through extra hormone testing and a controversial OligoScan, which measures minerals and heavy metals in your body through a light-frequency-based hand scan. For the next year, she tried to lower the levels of mercury that showed up. Rohr and her husband completed two rounds of Dr. Daniel Pompa’s “cellular healing diet,” essentially a keto diet, and taking six to eight supplements each day.
“It was a brutal, brutal year,” Rohr says. But it was all for a greater purpose. “I need to be focused on giving my body building blocks. Because right now, it's a huge, pivotal time to be giving it what it needs.” In late December of last year, after three years of preparation, Rohr finally feels like she’s on the precipice of being “ready.”