FERTILITY

Sometimes our journey of becoming a mother (or parent) doesn’t go as planned. If you have been trying to conceive (TTC) without success and are concerned about your fertility, please know that you are not alone. 1 in 6 couples struggle with infertility in Australia, with up to 30% of these being from unexplained reasons. Unfortunately, the medical model waits until 12 months of TTC (for women <35yo) or 6 months (for women>35yo), and this can be a really difficult period of time. 

Ordinarily, the next steps for couples experiencing issues conceiving is in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, clinically trained fertility naturopaths are an alternate option prior to embarking on an IVF journey if natural conception is really important to you.

There is an overwhelming amount of tools in the naturopathic medicine toolkit for improving one’s fertility and decreasing time to conception. Together, we understand both male and female factors pertaining to the case, with in-depth health assessments including prior health history. We focus on understanding the cycle, fertility signs, and timing intercourse. We implement lifestyle and nutrition practices so that egg and sperm health is prioritised. If there are any menstrual issues, these are also addressed. 

We investigate as to why TTC has been difficult, and target our treatment depending on what presents in our testing. There is a staged approach to fertility support in that there are many ways to discover barriers to conception (from internal ultrasounds, to specific fertility tests) and it’s our role to move at a pace that feels right for you.

Naturopathy also works synergistically with the IVF process, whether you are only completing an egg retrieval or also doing an egg transfer. In any event, there are vital elements that need to be considered to ensure optimal egg and sperm health for improving IVF outcomes. Additionally, having a balanced vaginal environment and uterine receptivity are important, both areas that naturopathy supports.

Recurrent miscarriage carries an enormous emotional burden for women. As above, there are investigations that we carry out as naturopaths to better understand the potential pertaining factors to miscarriage risk. We work together to optimise fertility, explore other areas of health that can contribute (i.e. thyroid and autoimmunity issues) and address what presents to improve chances of a successful conception, and healthy pregnancy.

If you’re feeling the call, I’d love to see you in clinic. To commence our journey together, book an initial consultation here.