Difficulty in Conceiving & Naturopathic Complementary Approach to Prenatal Care Written By Dr. Seyedeh Neda Mozaffari, ND
Difficulty in conceiving or infertility is considered when a couple is not able to get pregnant after trying unprotected intercourse for a period of full12 months. However, this time frame may get shortened among women depending on their age.
Some common causes of difficulty conceiving, include but not limited to:
Not having intercourse during fertile window of female partner
Ovulation problems
Chronic Stress
Thyroid Diseases
Some pelvic organ pathologies
Nutritional deficiency, poor diet, dehydration
Unhealthy body weight
Poor egg quality
Low sperm count and motility
What are the most common diagnostic blood tests and imaging? (including but not limited to)
Female reproductive hormonal blood test
Thyroid function test
Sperm analysis
Male reproductive hormonal blood test
Lipid profile
Blood sugar
Vit D
Iron
Pelvic Ultrasound
Naturopathic Approach to Prenatal Care:
Your naturopath takes a thorough history from you, including a focused gynecological history, personal medical history, family history, and social history. Also, she or he reviews your current and past medications and dietary supplements with you. Based on the information that has been gathered, some appropriate blood tests might be recommended. Also, some focused physical exams might be performed. Your naturopath also tries to understand if you are having intercourse in your fertile window or not and provides you with some education accordingly. NDs assess your diet, stress, and mood. Your naturopath may discuss with you and your partner factors that may affect egg quality, sperm motility, and count based on you and your partner's health history. At the end of the initial naturopathic assessment, an individualized treatment plan will be provided to you by your naturopath. Naturopaths take a holistic approach to healthcare, including dietary and lifestyle changes, dietary supplements, traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, and acupuncture. Please note that, according to each individualized case, patients may be referred to the fertility clinic or their family physician for further evaluations as well. In this scenario, your naturopath may act as your adjunctive health care provider on your fertility journey.
References:
Physiological Aspects of Female Fertility: Role of the Environment, Modern Lifestyle, and Genetics - PubMed (nih.gov)
Fertility and infertility: Definition and epidemiology - PubMed (nih.gov)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354317
Medical Disclaimer:
Please note that the above information (including the image) is written for educational purposes only and should not replace any medical advice from your primary healthcare provider. Also, this information should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment.