Natural or Assisted reproductive technology: How to optimize your next reproductive cycle. 

 

 

For some, the journey to create life is filled with joy, excitement and anticipation. For many couples however, the one thing they desire so deeply doesn’t come as easy as planning, having sex and then seeing that positive pregnancy test. For some the dream of bring a child into this world is painful, filled with moments of disappointment, anger, frustration and great sadness after yet another negative pregnancy test. 

 

1 in 6 couples struggle with fertility challenges and 60% of those cases are completely unexplained as to what is causing the problem. 

 

The road to conceiving isn’t always an easy one but whether you and your partner are trying naturally or pursuing assisted reproductive technologies like Intrauterine Insemination or Invitro Fertilization, there are ways that you can help to optimize your next reproductive cycle. 

 

#1 Clean Eating & Proper Nutrients

 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” -Hippocrates

 

How we eat and the types of food we consume play a huge role in how our bodies function. According to a study of diet and fertility from Harvard Medical School, unlike other factors that you cannot control—such as age and genetics—eating certain foods and avoiding others is something you can do yourself to help improve your ovulatory function.

 

The goal is to create an ideal environment where your body can function at its most optimal state! What you are putting in it for fuel and nourishment is a great place to start! 

 

Don’t know where to even begin? Here at Health Over All I work with a phenomenal group of Naturopathic doctors who would love to work with you to make sure you are giving your body exactly what it needs in terms of nutrition and supplementation.

 

#2 Tracking Your Cycle 

 

Monitoring your cycle is an extremely effective and important tool when it comes to fertility awareness. Becoming familiar with the menstrual cycle and to begin charting the pattern of fertility is important for understanding when you are most fertile!

 

There are a few different fertility awareness methods you can use to help track when you ovulate. 

 

• The Temperature Method: you take your temperature in the morning before you get out of bed.
• The Cervical Mucus Method: you check your cervical mucus (vaginal discharge) everyday.
• The Calendar Method: you chart your menstrual cycle on a calendar.

 

The best way to use fertility awareness methods is to combine the temperature, cervical mucus, and calendar methods. Each of these methods relies on different signs to predict your fertile days, so using them together can give you the best picture of your fertility and makes these fertility awareness methods more accurate. 

 

#3 Yoga 

 

Yoga has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, which can come in handy when  you are trying to conceive. Not only can yoga be used as a great way to destress but certain poses concentrate on restorative pelvic health, improving overall blood flow and increasing pelvic strength and movement. When you are trying to conceive it is important to stay connected with your body and simply feeling the stretching and breathing can help facilitate bringing awareness back to the body in its entirety.   

 

 #4 Mercier Therapy

 

Mercier Therapy through the shared journey fertility program is a visceral manipulation of the reproductive organs and all the supportive structures. The goal of the shared journey fertility program is to optimize the functionality of the reproductive organs by restoring proper mobility, position, and increasing blood flow. When increasing mobility whether its your shoulder joint or your uterus, you’re optimizing the true function of the area. 

 

The fertility program can be used as a stand alone regime or in preparation for a more medically assisted cycle such as Intrauterine Insemination or Invitro Fertilization. If you are pursing a medically assisted cycle I highly recommend that you prepare your body properly prior to your stim start to help ensure a successful first cycle. 

 

Studies that have been done on the Mercier Therapy protocol as a stand alone regime and in preparation for assisted reproductive technologies have found an 83% success rate in achieving pregnancy.  

 

The Journey to conceive is not always an easy one, but keep trying and believe in yourself! If you are interested or have more questions about the shared Journey fertility program and how it may be able to help optimize your next cycle, Click here to book a consultation! I would love to walk with you on your journey!

 

– Nathan Lambert, DOMP