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There are many types of hormone imbalance that affect fertility - for example low estrogen, low progesterone, estrogen dominance, thyroid imbalance, high testosterone. At our clinic we carefully diagnose the type of hormone imbalance and assist your body in restoring equilibrium so that fertility is achieved.
The length of the period after ovulation which is known as the luteal phase is one essential component in maintaining a pregnancy. To successfully conceive this period needs to be at least 10 days in duration. There are several approaches that can assist this ranging from dietary changes, to nutritional supplements to acupuncture.
PCOS has become a common disorder affecting women's fertility and ovulation. At our clinic we have had great success with PCOS and fertility using a combination of dietary changes, optimal exercise levels, supplements and in some cases acupuncture. With treatment, ovulation resumes and pregnancy can follow.
Endometriosis is a condition that causes severe menstrual pain, pelvic scarring and adhesions and often affects fertility. Our approach to endometriosis involves several components - calming an overactive immune system, minimizing inflammation, correcting estrogen dominance, reducing internal scarring and adhesions, and addressing mental / emotional components that are often present with this condition. By treating the underlying causes, the pain of endometriosis is often greatly reduced, and fertility can follow. This condition may take a little longer to treat than our typical program as there are many components affecting fertility.
Also called myomas, fibroids can mechanically obstruct and inhibit implantation. In some cases, we can work on shrinking fibroids prior to conception, and in others the focus is on reducing hormonal stimulation of the fibroids by correcting the underlying hormone imbalances (estrogen dominance and often thyroid involvement).
Many couples are diagnosed with unexplained infertility. From our perspective, there is always a cause for fertility difficulties. This could be a hormone imbalance, high stress, lifestyle factors, low-grade thyroid imbalance or autoimmune factors to name a few. This is one area of expertise with the Fertility Care program. Read here for more information.
We strongly believe that stress affects fertility and routinely test stress hormone levels to show an imbalance. Since all of your endocrine systems are interrelated (adrenals, thyroid, ovaries), when one is out of balance, it can easily pull the others out of balance too. Reproductive hormones are not functioning optimally when you are under high stress. Another impact of stress is often seen around implantation, when the egg attaches or implants in the uterus during the second half of the cycle.
Anovulation is a common cause of infertility that many women do not recognize until they start trying to conceive. Again with this condition, we need to determine the cause - is there some degree of polycystic ovarian syndrome? thyroid imbalance? have you just stopped oral contraceptives? Amenorrhea is an extension of this where there is no menstruation. Again, if we are able to determine the cause, then it can be reversed and fertility restored.
Thyroid disorders are a common cause of infertility, and from a naturopathic perspective they are often misdiagnosed. An under active thyroid for example can cause a lack of ovulation, a disruption in the luteal phase, irregular menstruation or miscarriage to name a few. This is a condition that we are very careful to assess and diagnose as it plays such an important role in fertility.
With autoimmune infertility, the immune system may react against sperm, embryo implantation or hormones. To treat autoimmune conditions, we first need to determine what is causing the immune system to over-react. This often means testing for food sensitivities, supplements to support optimal immune system function, stress management and treatment of the digestive tract. When the immune system has settled down, the autoimmune component of fertility will settle too and then conception occurs.
Secondary infertility is when you have conceived before, but are having difficulty conceiving a subsequent time. In these cases, the key is determining the cause of difficult fertility and reversing this. The good news is that we already know you can get pregnant - half of the variables are taken care of.
In cases of recurrent miscarriage, we have had many successes in supporting women to maintain a full pregnancy. A full assessment is required to determine if there are factors such as autoimmune markers, thyroid problems, high stress levels or structural abnormalities to name a few. Often a combination of acupuncture and homeopathic medicine are the primary therapies, but this varies according to the diagnosis.
We have seen some encouraging results in women who have been told that they have tubal obstruction regarding changes in fertility. Our approach typically includes nutrition supplements, homeopathic remedies and acupuncture to improve circulation and break down adhesions.
In many cases, impaired fertility is due to male factors such as low sperm could, poor sperm morphology and low sperm motility. In these cases, treating the male partner with dietary recommendations, a supplement program as well as acupuncture is very effective in getting the levels up to normal.
There are cases where the reproductive system goes into false menopause early. In some cases this can be reversed, particularly when there is a hormone imbalance related to the adrenal glands or thyroid involved as all of our endocrine systems are interrelated.
As long as women are menstruating and ovulating, we can support the body in fertility. The key issues here are in preventing first conceiving and second preventing genetic defects. Our treatment plan supports the body's overall fertility to remove many age-related factors that can impair fertility.
High FSH is a condition that is often taken very definitively in fertility treatment, however we have seen many women conceive with high FSH. When FSH is high, it simply means that the ovaries are not responding to the pituitary gland's message. In some cases we are able to lower the FSH prior to conception, and in others, women successfully conceive in spite of a higher than optimal FSH.
In cases where reproductive technology is chosen (in-vitro fertilization, ICSI, surrogacy or donor eggs / sperm), we have recommendations to greatly improve your chances of success. Read here for information about our IVF/IUI support program.
Ovulation dysfunction can occur due to issues related to the hypothalamus, pituitary or ovaries. If ovulation is occurring periodically, but not every cycle this is very treatable with natural medicine and acupuncture. The key is to determine where the ovulation dysfunction is coming from. Again, here is where diagnostic testing becomes invaluable. For an accurate treatment, we need to understand the cause.
Optimal cervical mucous is sometimes ignored in a fertility work-up. It is essential to have good quality cervical mucous at the right time in the menstrual cycle (in the days leading up to ovulation). If the cervical mucous is too scanty, it can inhibit conception as this is the channel that sperm use to travel through the vaginal canal to the cervix. Other factors related to cervical fluid are immune related, where the fluid becomes 'hostile' to sperm and they do not survive in it. And finally, chronic infections especially yeast can cause changes in cervical fluid making it sticky and thick instead of clear and egg-white texture. Keys to treating cervical fluid issues are to improve hormone balance, treat underlying infection and to look for immune factors and then modulate the immune system.
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