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In the United States, 10% to 15% of couples are infertile. Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year for most couples. In about 80% of couples, the reasons for infertility may be either sperm health, a blockage of the fallopian tubes or an ovulation complication.
Dr Jodi Peacock, ND is a naturopathic doctor with a focus on fertility. She is also the founder of the Canadian Fertility Show and has written a book “Preconceived: A Step By Step Guide To Enhancing Your Fertility And Preparing Your Body For A Healthy Baby”.
Dr Peacock discusses her proven strategies for enhancing fertility in couples, as well as the three major markers for risky conceptions that every practitioner should know.
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Key Take-Aways
Start Talking To Your Clients About Fertility Early
If you have clients in their twenties or thirties who may be interested in starting a family in the future, start the “preconception” conversation early. Focus on diet, exercise, stress and an environmental detox.
For Couples That Are Struggling To Conceive
The first step for a couple when they come to you is to educate them around what is normal and what they should be looking for. For example, the basics of a healthy menstrual cycle! After that, you can help them with a decision as to whether they should go for reproductive treatment or not.
Make sure there aren't any nutrient deficiencies going into a pregnancy. If the male comes in with a male factor concern, like low sperm count or low motility, start addressing those things right away.
Dr Peacock's top three markers for risky conceptions include poor mitochondrial function, autoimmune inflammatory issues, and nutritional deficiencies. These are the three most common reasons patients aren't getting pregnant.
Intimacy
Encourage couples to have intercourse two or three times a week. Having a conversation about how they connect as a couple is really important. If they are struggling, encourage them to reach out to a fertility counselor.
Giving people tools on how to manage stress and intimacy burn-out is important because couples that have been in a fertility clinic for five years are pretty stressed.
If high cortisol is impacting their fertility, look at different botanicals to help support their adrenal system.
Other Factors To Watch Out For
Once you get your first round of tests back, look for general markers of inflammation. These give us clues to the B12, folate and methylation pathways.
Check for endometriosis. Upwards of 50% of women dealing with fertility do have endometriosis.
If tests reveal a concern with sperm motility, you're going to have to focus on mitochondria.
Empowering The Couple
Most couples are willing to put in the work and the effort to conceive. Feeling empowered is really important. Practitioners can educate them as to the factors that affect their fertility that they can work on such as exercise, managing stress and diet.
Help them reconnect as a couple by making some new food together, or reconnect in other ways that are healthy for them, rather than always being a bottle of wine.
Key Quote
“After running my first Canadian Fertility Show in 2018, a same sex female couple came in to see me. And they had been through nine IVF and nine early pregnancy losses. It was heartbreaking.
We started a conversation to see if there were any stones that had been left unturned. Unfortunately, in their case, there were some very basic things that we could be looking at. For example, we changed up her diet. Used active folate instead of folic acid. We addressed some inflammatory things. We supported lifestyle and dietary components and she got pregnant and then actually delivered. So, had a baby come home!
Taking an unhealthy egg and sticking it with an unhealthy sperm in a lab doesn't always result in a baby..”
Dr Jodie Peacock ND
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The opinions expressed in this Nutramedica program are those of the guests and contributors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Nutritional Fundamentals For Health Inc.
This video is intended for licensed or registered health professionals and students of health professions only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information contained in these programs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
