Although there are many drug treatments for infertility, we at The Natural Doctor® use a non-drug approach. This may involve use of natural hormones (after blood test assessment), and nutritional supplements to optimise nutrition.
Infertility seems to be affecting more couples than ever, as one in six now have difficulty in conceiving. Awareness of IVF treatment within the consciousness of the public makes it seem to be the first and most obvious choice for most since the term IVF seems to be almost synonymous with infertility. However, there are good reasons held by many practitioners in both mainstream and holistic (we included) medicine to question whether this should always be the case. We are all aware that would be parents who are often demoralized by enduring repeated invasive medical procedures especially if the long hoped for result is never achieved.
Happily, a quiet revolution in thinking about conception is taking place. Certain Holistic approaches have been used to such good effect that the media and wise couples are increasingly, looking at, or being referred to, experts (i.e those having substantial professional experience and post graduate training). This includes optimisation of hormones and nutritional guidance, a key approach used at The Natural Doctor®.
While IVF can sometimes create new life, its limitations are such that it does nothing to address the actual causes of inability to conceive. Much infertility is ‘unexplained’ which means that, without addressing or resolving the issues that lie beneath, IVF is less likely to be successful. These underlying factors include: hormone imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, unidentified health conditions, toxin exposure, stress, food intolerances, allergies and immune deficiencies. If these are screened for and corrected then successful pregnancy is more likely. Uncorrected imbalances subtly, but critically, interact on quality of a woman’s eggs and men’s sperm, thereby affecting the ability to conceive and maintain the health of an embryo.
Miscarriages and apparent infertility are frequently concomitant with sub clinical hypothyroidism. In other words, women may not necessarily show the most obvious symptoms of this condition or they have been tested by standard laboratory tests which fail to identify people who are at the low end of normal. This is often picked up by thorough thyroid hormone tests.
It may also helpful to treat the man as well as the women to ensure that optimum conception health exists for both of them. Sperm counts can often be improved by lifestyle and nutritional advice.
