Natural Fertility Treatment
Natural fertility treatment is a drugless, noninvasive, approach to infertility that identifies and treats the underlying cause of the your fertility struggles using herbs, acupuncture, vitamins and minerals, nutrition and mind-body medicine. Common conditions that can be addressed through naturopathic treatments include:
PCOS and other ovulatory disorders
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition affecting 4-6% of reproductive age women. Polycystic ovaries develop when ovulation is absent or irregular for a length of time. Because there are many reasons for irregular ovaluation, there are many causes of polycystic ovaries. PCOS is a complex disorder, where a number of genetic variants and environmental factors interact, combine and contribute to the pathophysiology.
Many women with PCOS suffer from obesity, insulin resistance and difficulty with weight loss. They are often plagued by acne, hair loss, and unwanted facial and body hair due to excess androgens. Because ovulation is disrupted or absent, many women diagnosed with PCOS have difficulty conceiving if left untreated. These symptoms are often masked by birth control pills and are only discovered after the pills are discontinued.
Naturopathic medicine is ideally suited for the assessment and treatment of PCOS. Furthermore, the first line therapy for treatment of PCOS includes diet and lifestyle modification. Because the syndrome affects every level of the reproductive system, a thorough investigation regarding the root cause of the ovulatory dysfunction is often key to successful treatment. While diet and exercise programs are an important step in the recovery process, many people with PCOS are unsuccessful in the long term until the underlying cause is addressed.
Male factor infertility
Despite decades of declining sperm counts, men (and their doctors) tend to neglect the male contribution to infertility problems. As most “male factor” infertility is silent the only way to diagnose the issue is through testing.
The first step is often a semen analysis. This analysis evaluates the count (number, movement and shape), motility, and morphology. For those attempting natural contraception or intrauterine insemination (IUI), advanced testing such as the DNA fragmentation test is useful as this test will help diagnose idiopathic infertility even when semen analysis is normal.
Oxidative stress, the stress on the body that is caused by the cumulative damage of free radicals that is not adequately neutralized by antioxidants, is a main contributor to sperm DNA fragmentation. Sperm DNA fragmentation can be linked to infections, drug use, cigarette smoking, exposure to environmental and occupational pollutants, advanced age, varicocele, illnesses with high fevers, elevated testicular temperature (laptop computers, hot tubs), chronic diseases, diabetes, cancer and cancer treatment, obesity, and poor diet. Optimizing sperm function through nutritional supplementation, diet and lifestyle changes can improve conception probabilities in as little as 3 months.
Diminished ovarian reserve / Poor egg quality
Traditionally, the leading explanation regarding age-related decline in egg quality has been that the highest quality eggs are selected first during early reproductive years, leaving the poorer quality eggs for more advanced age. However, recent research suggests an alternative theory that provides hope that our fertility potential is not determined solely by our chronological age. It suggests that the process of aging itself may exert an unfavourable influence on the eggs that remain dormant in the ovary before being selected for ovulation. Aging and age-related diseases are frequently associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. This is thought to be the same process that ages the ovaries.
Mitochondria can be thought of as the battery pack found in all of the cells of the body and are concentrated in oocytes. As women and their ovaries age and oocyte mitochondrial energy production decreases, many of the normal processes of the oocyte become impaired.
Dietary interventions and supplementation that support mitochondrial function may have a positive impact on pregnancy outcome for older women that have been diagnosed with either low ovarian reserve, high FSH or been told they are poor responders. Several promising studies published in recent years suggest an important role for these new supplemental therapies when used in conjunction with conventional assisted reproductive technologies.
There is no doubt that chronological age matters; however, it is becoming increasingly evident that our biological age (determined by diet and lifestyle factors) matters too.
Recurrent pregnancy loss
Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is traditionally defined as three or more consecutive miscarriages occurring before 20 weeks. Imaging and blood testing are commonly used as diagnostic tools; however, in nearly half of all cases the underlying cause remains undiagnosed by conventional medicine. The known causes of RPL include:
Anatomical – structural uterine abnormalities
Genetic – chromosomal abnormalities
Hematological – thrombophilias including low folate status and anti-phospholipid syndrome
Endocrinological – luteal phase deficiency, hyperprolactinemia, PCOS, uncontrolled diabetes, insulin resistance and thyroid conditions
Immunologic – autoimmune and inflammatory conditions
Infectious – various bacterial and viral infections
Environmental – diet, obesity, emotional stress, and exposure to environmental toxins including hormone disruptors
Male factor infertility
Unexplained infertility
The infertility cause cannot be determined by conventional diagnostic procedures for up to 30% of couples. Such cases are referred to as “unexplained” or “idiopathic” infertility. Naturopathic medicine can diagnose and treat some common causes of unexplained infertility including:
Cervical mucus abnormalities
Endometrial lining issues
Infections
Immunologic causes
Endometriosis and painful periods
Hormonal Imbalances
Nutritional deficiencies
Environmental toxic exposures
Sperm DNA fragmentation
Uterine fibroids and polyps
Irregular menstrual bleeding and heavy periods
Contact
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