Naturopathic infertility treatment and preconception care
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5 things to know before seeing a Naturopathic Doctor for Infertility
Taking about infertility can be hard, especially if you’ve already been talking about it for awhile. So, here’s what you can expect at your first appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor. 1. Bring copies of any bloodwork and/or other tests you’ve had done. If you’ve already been worked up by a family doctor or OBGYN, try to bring copies of these to your first appointment. The results of these tests can help us get to the root cause of why you haven’t gotten pregnant. 2. Be prepared to ...
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5 Tips for Naturopathic Pre-Conception Care
Planning a pregnancy? If you’re thinking about trying to conceive in the next 3-6 months, you may want to think about a few things first. 1. Folic Acid. Most women have heard about taking folic acid, but not all folic acid is created equal. Some people carry a gene that makes it difficult to produce the active form of folic acid (5-MTHF) from supplemental folate. This may be especially important to women over 35, or those who have had one or more miscarriages in the past. Talk to an ...
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Basal Body Temperature Charting – is your chart a crystal ball?
So, you’re trying to have a baby and decide to start taking your temperature every morning. This common practice is often used to help understand a woman’s menstrual cycle and has helped many couples successfully conceive (and avoid conception when used in conjunction with other methods!). As someone who frequently works with couples who are trying to conceive, I often rely on temperature charts to help guide our treatment plan, especially when incorporating the principles of Traditi...
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My Two Favorite Herbal Medicines for Infertility
Have you ever consulted Dr. Google? If you have consulted Dr. Google for information regarding herbal medicine for infertility treatment you likely won’t get far (or get pregnant). Many of the herbal medicines recommended can be helpful, but my two favorites have research supporting their use. Licorice root and white peony. The combination of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and white peony (Paeonia lactiflora) has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of...
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Thyroid Health for Moms-to-Be, Moms, and Babies
I’ve helped many women become pregnant after they’ve “failed” several rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF). It didn’t take any fancy equipment, painful procedures, or expensive medications. It just took looking at these women like they were more than ovaries and uteruses. Many of these women had undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Once we discovered and corrected for this, they were quickly able to become pregnant – and stay pregnant. Optimizing thyroid health is also important for minimiz...
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You CAN Get Pregnant with PCOS! (A naturopathic approach to polycystic ovarian syndrome)
“My hormones are off.” Probably more than 50% of my intake forms for new female patients have this kind of sentence written in the “Reason for Appointment” section. There are a wide variety of hormonal problems that women experience and aside from PMS, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common. What is PCOS actually? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an inadequately named condition that affects much more than just a woman’s ovaries. Women with PCOS can experience...