If you’re hoping to conceive, you may want to try naturopathy for fertility.
Wanting to start or grow your family is one of the most basic human desires, but for many, it’s sadly elusive. Many naturopathic doctors, myself included, are fertility specialists who work with countless individuals and couples to help them become pregnant.
If you’ve been struggling to conceive despite months or years of trying, know that you’re not alone. This issue plagues many women and has given rise to difficult and expensive fertility treatments.
If you’re not interested in hormone-altering medications or intense treatments like IVF yet, know that a natural alternative exists. Us naturopaths have worked long and hard to find ways to address fertility troubles naturally and affordably.
How Naturopaths Treat Fertility Issues
Working with a naturopath on fertility can be incredibly useful, whether you’re just starting your family planning process or you’ve been trying to conceive for a while.
What separates naturopathy for fertility from the mainstream approach is our intense focus on testing. There are dozens of conditions that can lead to infertility. Traditional medicine often takes a slow approach, testing just a few possible causes at a time.
In reality, fertility troubles are often multifaceted, with hormonal, nutritional, and lifestyle factors exacerbating the issue. When naturopathic doctors treat fertility concerns, we usually start with full panels of functional medicine testing, to gain an understanding of more than your basic sex hormone levels. That’s in addition to thorough consultations to understand your cycle, your history, and your diet.
What follows is a tailored, holistic, and natural treatment plan designed to boost your fertility in every way possible.
Holistic Fertility Treatments
No treatment is one-size-fits-all, but with that said, these are the essential principles of naturopathic fertility treatment.
Cycle Tracking
Whether you’re working with a naturopath or by yourself, tracking your menstrual cycle is fundamental to understanding your fertility.
During ovulation, your ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tube. It’s the best time in your cycle to become pregnant, so knowing when it’s happening is important.
This is easy to tell when your cycle is regular – you can count back from your period, take an ovulation test, look at your body temperature, judge your cervical mucus, or all of the above.
However, many of my patients don’t have a regular menstrual cycle. One of a naturopath’s goals is to help regulate your menstrual cycle and ensure that you’re ovulating.
Supplements
Supplements can be incredibly beneficial to boosting fertility, but as always, I caution my patients to avoid taking supplements blindly. A supplement that could make all of the difference for a person with one fertility condition might totally throw things off for another one.
These are the starter supplements naturopaths often recommend for fertility:
- B12 – usually found in prenatal vitamins
- Folic acid – another vitamin you can find in prenatal vitamins
- Omega-3 – can be taken as a supplement or as part of your diet
- DHEA – an androgen that’s often beneficial for mature women trying to conceive or those experiencing infertility due to adrenal imbalance
- Myoinositol – incredibly beneficial for those with PCOS trying to conceive
- Vitamin D – ideal for patients experiencing vitamin D deficiencies
Diet and Nutrition
What you eat has a massive impact on your overall health, and it definitely impacts your fertility. Holistic fertility treatment will always include a robust nutritional plan that’s based on your body’s unique needs and your personal dietary choices.
In general, I recommend you focus on eating enough healthy fats, a good balance of complex carbs and protein, and a lot of vitamin and mineral-rich fruits and veggies.
It’s just as important to avoid saturated and trans fats, simple carbs, and processed foods.
Lifestyle
Aside from diet, there are many other lifestyle factors that can impact fertility, including your mental health, exercise routine, whether you smoke, etc.
As naturopaths, we take all of that into account and find ways to optimize every aspect of your life to boost your fertility.
The main lifestyle culprits that get in the way are stress and lack of sleep, both of which can severely disrupt your hormonal balance. Your naturopath will help you strategize and find ways to improve your sleep and reduce stress in your life in a way that will work for you.
Working With a Fertility Naturopath
Naturopathic fertility treatment can be a complement or an alternative to traditional medicine, depending on your unique condition and personal desires. As naturopathic doctors, we also keep in mind that male fertility plays a role.
No matter how long you’ve been trying to conceive, working with a naturopath will help you with the process. I often work with patients who have been trying to conceive for years, as well as with patients who are just getting off birth control and want to ensure quick hormonal recovery.
Beyond just treating fertility, naturopathic doctors can also support you through your pregnancy, post-pregnancy period, and beyond.
If you’d like to discover the benefits of working with a fertility naturopath, feel free to get in touch with me to schedule your consultation.