Dr. Masha, ND

Naturopathy

infertility

Improving Fertility Naturally For Women and Men

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In my practice, I see women and men, couples (heterosexual and same sex couples) for natural treatments to improve fertility. I work with couples who would like to conceive naturally as well as with those who are seeking assisted reproductive technology to help them achieve their dream of having a family.
The best approach is to prepare for conception, healthy pregnancy and delivery. We call it in naturopathic medicine –Pre-Conception. Pre-Conception should be initiated a few months before intended conception or Assisted Reproductive Procedures (such as IVF, IUIs, etc).
What does Pre-Conception include?
-Identifying possible causes of fertility challenges in both partners (hormonal testing, general health testing, thorough history during extended visits)
-Implementing treatment after identifying the causes to improve fertility naturally for women and men (it can include herbal formulations to balance hormones, antioxidant/nutrient dense formulation to address sperm quality, nourishing and improving the quality of the female egg reserve, etc)
Low ovarian reserve and low sperm count and quality can be improved through the diet, exercise, correctly formulated botanical, vitamins, minerals, and finding emotional balance. And many other fertility challenges (thyroid imbalances, low progesterone/high estrogen state, PCOS, anovulatory cycles, just to name a few) can be improved through naturopathic protocols.
I have been through fertility struggles myself with my partner. It took us 7 years to conceive our first baby. We ended up doing IVF in Vancouver, Canada. The first course of IVF worked for us. We started preparing for IVF 6 months before the procedure. My husband was taking high quality supplements to improve his sperm quality and count, I was taking herbal/mineral/vitamin supplements to improve my endocrine system (hormones), take care of my follicle health (there are nutrients that follicles use as food), weekly session of acupuncture. Our diet was anti-inflammatory, we both had a routine for exercise.
I see it so often that families who are pursuing assisted reproductive technologies are not informed by their physicians or fertility specialists about the importance of caring for their bodies, their hormones, their reproductive health (including health of the sperm, ovaries, follicles, uterus, etc) before the IVF is initiated, thus, IVF may not have a high success rate and couples end up going through more in-vitro fertilizations many times spending a large amount of money and getting frustrated.
Couples who try to conceive naturally can benefit tremendously from adding natural medicine as part of pre-conception care.
As you can see this topic is vast and very individualized. Improving fertility naturally for women and men is what natural medicine is very good at.
If you have questions about natural approach to fertility, please do not hesitate to schedule a 15 Minute free Phone Consultation.

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Fertility Through Natural Medicine

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Challenges with fertility have been increasing around the world. Couple who are trying to conceive sometimes feel that they are very alone in their journey. Females who are pregnant can be noticed easily due to their adorable bellies but nobody sees females who are trying to get pregnant. By some estimates 1 in 7 couples are affected by fertility issues.[1]  Although female and male factors can usually be identified through testing and imaging techniques,  sometime the cause of difficulty remains unknown.

 

Male factors can include low sperm count, low sperm motility, morphology and diminished testosterone production. Female factors may include anovulatory cycles (cycles that do not have an ovulation time when ovaries release a follicle to be fertilized) and other disorders of menstrual cycles (prolonged menses, short cycles, and others). Some of the other conditions can also contribute to the issue with successful conception, such as endometriosis, blockage of Fallopian tubes (uterine tubes), diminished ovarian reserve, history of STIs in both partners, surgeries and procedures done on pelvic organs (ovaries, uterus, testis, penis). Difficulty conceiving can be due to low or high thyroid function, MTHFR mutations (lack of active folate available) and other hormonal dysregulations (PCOS, for instance).

 

Naturopathic medicine has a large toolbox to offer patients trying to conceive naturally and through assisted reproductive technologies (IVF, IUI).

 

 

During their visits, naturopaths consider the following aspects:

 –Detailed nutrition of the couple

-Their exposure to modern day toxins (BPAs in plastic and aluminum cans, phthalates, xenoestrogens, heavy metals)

 -Life style (high stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, being overweight or underweight)

– Any other chronic conditions (thyroid imbalances, autoimmune disorders)

– What testing and imaging have been completed in order to identify the cause of the challenge to conceive

In this article, I am not using the word “infertility” on purpose.  I personally believe it is a very negative and derogatory term that puts a mark on couples by its mere semantics.

 

In my practice, I encourage partners who are trying to conceive to think more positively about their chances to have a baby and to be open minded and patient when using naturopathic therapies to achieve desired parenthood.

 

When the diagnosis of the challenges with conception has been established, a naturopath develops a protocol. For instance, if a female has anovulatory cycles, there are a number of herbal combination and homeopathics (organotherapy + seed cycling) that over the course of several months can balance out the hormones in the body to stimulate regular monthly ovulation for optimal conception.

 

If the issue is low progesterone and estrogen ratio, then using herbal tinctures can restore a natural production of these important hormones. Possibly the issue can be connected with ovarian health, then glandulars, homeopathic combination, homeopathic drainage therapies (UNDA numbers) and specific herbal formulas can be used to help stimulate ovaries to produce healthy follicles on monthly basis.

 

Visits with naturopaths are usually longer which allows to always look at the whole person not just health of uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, sperm and testes. Pelvic floor therapy (gentle way to restore the muscular tone and healthy energy to the pelvic organs) can be utilized to help couples get pregnant and stay pregnant.

 

Working together with acupuncturist, chiropractors, endocrinologists, gynecologist and other specialists unites care for the sake of the patients and their goal to become parents.

 

If you have any questions about how naturopathic medicine can help with fertility, you can contact Dr. Masha, at drmashand@gmail.com.

[1] John A Robinson, NMD. Male Health in Trouble? The Global Decline in Testosterone and Sperm Count. NDNR, Nov 2017,  p.20

Balancing Your Hormones: Naturopathic approach

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Hormonal Imbalance: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

A bit technical but helpful!

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered the most common endocrine disorder of premenopausal women (5-10% occurrence » 3 million in US).  According to 2012 study it affects 5 million women in US.[i]

Signs of excess androgen stimulation (high amount of sex hormones, in particular testosterone) can range in severity from mild (such as increased acne production) to severe (male-pattern body hair distribution). Darker pigmented areas over the skin and multiple upper body skin tags.  Weight gain is a frequent (though not universal) part of PCOS. Menstrual irregularities such as long menstrual cycles, absence of menstrual cycles, sometimes heavy uterine bleeding are also common. On ultrasound imaging, multiple (over 10) small ovarian follicles (2-10 mm diameter) and overall enlargement of the ovary can be seen.

Hormonal blood or saliva testing can show elevated estradiol and testosterone hormonal levels. Insulin resistance is common in women with PCOS, and insulin stimulates ovarian androgen hormonal production. The increased hormoneal levels cause the developing ovarian follicles to be arrested leading to the cycles that lack ovulation (release of follicles from the ovaries during ovulation).

 

PCOS is a metabolic syndrome now seen as encompassing two interrelated metabolic phenomena: insulin resistance and high levels of androgens (sex hormones). Complex metabolic, hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian and adrenal interactions characterize the syndrome.[ii] Fertility challenges (inability to conceive) can be part of the condition.

 

This condition is usually addressed through the use of Metformin (to decrease insulin resistance and high glucose levels), Spironolactone (to decrease testosterone production) and other pharmaceuticals to manage different symptoms of this metabolic condition.

In naturopathic medicine, naturopathic doctors focus on the whole person. Life style factors are addressed along with specific diets that were researched for patients with PCOS. There are a number of nutritional supplements that can be of assistance to help ovaries release follicles and improves ovarian function (myo-inositol, folate, and melatonin combination). Menstrual cycle is also balanced with the helps of herbs and homeopathics. Insulin resistance and high androgen production can be mediated with the help of herbal/nutritional supplements along with the PCOS specific diet.

PCOS patients are usually encouraged to see natural medicine practitioners to help address the condition along with conventional treatments. Patient with PCOS can balance their hormones and conceive naturally.

  1. [i] Rizza R, Johnson. PCOS Criteria Clarified; Name Must Change. Medscape. 2013.
  2. [ii] Rizza R, Johnson. PCOS Criteria Clarified; Name Must Change. Medscape. 2013.