How To Get Pregnant With Help From A Fertility Naturopath

Last week, I was asked the question of how do I actually help fertility clients in clinical practice. They asked, how to get pregnancy with help from a Fertility Naturopath? Naturally I thought it was a fantastic question. I value transparency and also education. So I thought I’d take the time to break down the two arms of what I actually do in clinic with my 1:1 clients to help them get pregnant.

First, It’s important to address that the role of a Fertility Naturopath is different to that of a General Practitioners (GP) or Fertility Specialist. We all have different pools of knowledge and a collaborative approach can really improve fertility outcomes. 

Investigation Infertility

As a Fertility Naturopath my role is to investigate contributing factors to infertility and improve IVF outcomes. I do this by conducting a thorough hormone assessment, metabolic, and nutritional assessment which includes:

    • – Testing particular hormones in both phases of the menstrual cycle

    • – Checking thyroid function

    • – Check Inflammation

    • – Assessing blood sugar metabolism and cholesterol

    • – Checking micronutrient status (iodine, vitamin D, B12, Folate, Homocysteine, Zinc, Selenium, Iron)

These tests are what constitutes the basis of ‘preconception care’ and are beyond valuable when experiencing infertility. I recommend these tests be conducted at least 3 months before attempting to conceive naturally, if you have experienced pregnancy loss, or are commencing IVF treatment in the near future. I also help investigate contributing lifestyle factors that can impact your hormones and infertility.

Test Findings

When I get a copy of your tests, I look for hormone imbalances such as low progesterone and other contributing factors to infertility. The findings of these tests can then be used to drive dietary and lifestyle changes. They can also help to identify very specific supplements and herbs that can help you improve the chances of getting pregnant naturally. As well as improve outcomes when undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment such as IUI and IVF.

Case Example of How To Get Pregnant With Help From A Fertility Naturopath

Meet Mary. Mary and her partner had been trying to conceive for 14 months without success. Mary came to see me for help with her fertility. First I swapped Mary off of Elevit to a better quality prenatal supplement. After taking Mary’s case, I thought she could have high oestrogen levels. We decided to test her oestrogen on day 2 of her cycle and then again on ‘day 21’. We found that she has high levels of oestrogen that can negatively impact a fertilised embryo from implanting. Resulting in infertility. I supported her with oestrogen detoxification and in 3 months she conceived naturally.

How to get pregnant

How To Get Pregnant With Help From A Fertility Naturopath During IVF

As a Fertility Naturopath, I can also support you during IVF treatment. Recent studies have shown that improving preconception health care will more than double your chances of success when using undergoing IVF. This is because they can help identify underlying factors that are commonly overlooked by both GP’s and Fertility Specialist, such as nutrient deficiencies.

IVF can also be an emotional rollercoasters and medications can have nasty side affects. Some of which can actually negatively impact IVF outcomes. Herbs and nutrients can help with these side affects too.

IVF Support

There are multiple points in which naturopathic medicine can help improve IVF outcomes, as well as reduce the negative side affects of IVF treatment. When you see me as a client in clinical I can support you this the following:

    • Optimising egg and sperm quality 

    • Improving ovarian response in Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)/Premature ovarian Failure (POF) or advanced age

    • Supporting oestrogen clearance after egg pick up (EPU)

    • Reducing symptoms of Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)

    • Increasing endometrial lining during frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle

    • Improving endometrial receptivity 

    • Optimising implantation of embryo

    • Promoting progesterone production during two week wait (TWW)

Case Example of How To Get Pregnant With Help From A Fertility Naturopath During IVF

Meet Nicole, Nicole was commencing her second round of IVF with a frozen embryo transfer. With the help of herbal medicine and lifestyle modifications we were able to encourage Nicole’s endometrial lining to grow to 10mm which is important for implantations, and also reduce her blood sugars and insulin levels which contributed to an unsuccessful IVF round. 

Where to from here?

Look for for more Fertility tips? Learn my top 3 Fertility tips for getting pregnant. If you have questions about how I can assist you with your fertility then you can send me a message. If you’re ready to drive right in and get help with your infertility you can book an appointment here.

Lesley O'Connor Naturopath Blog