Naturopathic Medicine and Fertility
Naturopathic Medicine goes hand-in-hand with your fertility health. No matter where you are in your fertility journey- if it’s something that is starting to cross your mind, if you’re preparing to start trying, or if it’s something that has unfortunately and/or unexpectedly become a stressor in your life - naturopathic care can be a key addition, from preconception, throughout pregnancy, and post-labour.
Future fertility thoughts
If the thoughts of creating little ones has started to cross your mind, or if you’re looking to get pregnant in the next couple years. Now is the time to start thinking about your fertility. Often in the years before this time, our only thoughts of our fertility surrounds how NOT to get pregnant. Unfortunately many couples find that once they start trying, the pregnancy doesn’t come as easily as we were scared into thinking it would.
If you’re on or have been on birth control, if you experience painful periods, if you’re dealing with high amounts of stress, insomnia, fatigue, acne, hair growth or loss – it’s time to take a deeper look into making some adjustments in your health and to your life. These can all have an impact on your fertility.
Preparing to Try
Did you know that the cycle of the egg in preparation for ovulation is 90 days? During this 90-day period before an egg reaches full maturation, the eggs are changing and preparing for ovulation. What you do during this time period affects the health of your eggs! SO, in reality, if you’re trying, or preparing to try – you should be preparing AT LEAST 90 days in advance.
We can't forget male fertility, if it's a factor in your personal fertility journey. Men - you’re not left out of this. Men produce millions of new sperm every day, but these sperm also take 60-90 days to fully mature. They must also be kept healthy as they are subject to whatever conditions the rest of the body is exposed to.
Therefore- in the case of male and female fertility - both men and women should consider making changes to their diet and lifestyle if they are looking to increase the chances of conception. Once these healthy changes are made (such as quitting smoking, consuming caffeine and alcohol in moderation, exercising regularly, eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods), it takes approximately 90 days for these changes to appear in eggs and sperm.
Experiencing infertility
For those who may have started to try with high hopes, only to have them dashed month after month – this can be devastating to mental health, adding stress, uncertainty, and questioning. Infertility is technically the inability to achieve a pregnancy after 6 months if you’re over 35 years old, or after 1 year if you’re under 35 years old. This means that a full fertility workup with your family doctor, or referral to a fertility clinic, is not made until after this time-frame. However, if you’re ready to start a family, you don’t need to wait this long to start digging into what may be going on.
Naturopathic medicine can help in optimizing sperm motility, morphology, overall counts, and DNA fragmentation rates. It can help regulate menstrual cycles, and improve egg quality. Naturopathic medicine can help get to the root of why you may be experiencing fertility issues, by investigating possible causes, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), misinformation surrounding the best time to conceive, thyroid dysfunction, effects of high stress, or luteal phase defects. Naturopathic doctors help to figure out the cause, all while educating you along the way. They key is to uncover what may be preventing a couple from conceiving, and addressing these underlying causes of infertility.
Fertility challenges can have large physical and emotional impacts on both men and women. The conventional approach is often frustrating and can leave people feeling confused, unsure, and like they have no control. Naturopathic medicine can help people face their fertility challenges head on, giving them knowledge, power, and allowing them to take back control over their situation.
Typically the naturopathic approach takes a minimum of three-four months – the time it takes for egg and sperm maturation – and utilizes a holistic approach involving nutritional and lifestyle counselling, herbal medicines, proper supplements and acupuncture. This plan will be based on who you are as a person, and where you are in your fertility journey. You can, and should, add in naturopathic medicine, no matter where you are!
Dr. Lydia Kovacs is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor passionate about mental health, mood, the optimal fertility journey, and healthy, happy digestion. She believes that at the center of many health concerns is stress and her goal is to help with the management and reduction of this in order to impact all other aspects of life: including hormonal balance, sleep, mood, digestion, and pain.
Dr. Lydia uses treatment methods such as nutritional counselling, supplementation, herbal remedies, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as motivation interviewing to provide a truly holistic assessment and treatment plan that works with you, for you.