Did you know that as many as 1 in 6 couples have difficulty conceiving? Up until last year that was us. When our son turned one we both decided that we would love to give him a sibling. Because we conceived naturally first time around we just assumed it would be smooth sailing second time. Little did we know that we where about to embark on a five year journey of secondary infertility. Riding the rollercoaster of infertility often involves rising hope towards ovulation, anxiety during the two week wait, then heartbreak at seeing that one blue line again, month after month, year after year. I’ve never experienced such a whirlwind of emotions and if you have experienced infertility then you will know that it’s all consuming. It’s never not on your mind. It’s not only physically draining, but mentally exhausting. Coping with countless questions from others asking when you’re going to have a baby (or give your child a sibling in my case), plus being bombarded with endless pregnancy and birth announcements all ads to the mix of feeling like you have no control over something that seems so easy for others. No wonder depression and anxiety rates for women experiencing infertility are so high. Infertility can be a very lonely journey, especially for those who suffer in silence.
Although Primary Infertility is more common and has more awareness, for us we had the challenge of secondary infertility, meaning that we conceived naturally the first time but then experienced fertility issues for subsequent pregnancies. So after 5 years of negative tests, a miscarriage and countless testing and treatment, we finally decided that it was time to try IVF. Thankfully it was actually my mum who had seen an ad for a new clinic that had opened up otherwise we may have never really considered it. I had a whole bunch of blocks towards trying it, being a natural medicine practitioner I really wanted to persist with trying to conceive as naturally as possible. Having helped many couples overcome fertility challenges in my practice I was so frustrated that I couldn’t overcome them myself. I sought out so many of my mentors in the field and yet nothing was working. I was sad, I was angry, I hated my incompetent body and felt guilty that I couldn't give my son a sibling like all of his friends and cousins had.
I felt so defeated and realised that a lot of my resistance around IVF was actually due to fear, it was my last hope, so what if it didn’t work? After many years of charting my cycle, trying both natural medicine approaches such as herbal medicine, nutrition, dietary changes, homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments and kinesiology to western medical approaches such as clomid (for ovulation), HSG (the procedure involves running dye through your tubes to check for blockages), countless ultrasounds and blood tests and three tries at Intrauterine Insemination (aka IUI) we decided to go for it. I tweaked my natural medicine plan to support the IVF process and dove straight in. We picked up our medications from the clinic and anxiously waited for day 1 of my cycle to start. I have a needle phobia so luckily my husband was willing to inject me with the FSH (follice stimulating hormone) injections each day. I had to regularly go into the clinic for ultrasound monitoring as there is a risk of hyper stimulation which can make you very sick. I also needed blood tests every few days to monitor hormone levels. Once there where enough good sized follicles and my hormones where looking good we got the call that we could swap to the last two injections which stop the follicles from getting any bigger and trigger one to release before coming in for egg collection in two days time. I was happy to be done with the daily injections, luckily I hadn't experienced any of the anticipated side effects. I was excited that we where one step closer but also so nervous as once again my needle/surgery phobia was presenting it'self as a challenge. When it was time, my husband took me in to the day clinic. The anesthetist I had was so lovely and reassuring. I remember laying there feeling nervous, but then a fuzzy warm sensation crept across my body as I said 'wow it works quick!' haha, then I was out like a light. The next thing I remember was opening my eyes and seeing a big window of clouds in front of me. I must have been transferred to the top level of the building. I could hear voices of the nurses as they walked past. I felt sore and sleepy. The specialist came in and told me the good news. They had collected 9 eggs but because I had responded so well (too well) to the medication they couldn't do a fresh transfer this cycle. They had to be frozen so that my hormones could settle down and then I could do the transfer in a few months. I felt so upset hearing that we had come all this way and then now had to wait three months! I was on bed rest for a couple of days because of the pain from inserting the needle so many times to collect all the eggs so I took this time just to try and stay positive and see that perhaps it was actually a good thing as it allowed me to follow a herbal protocol to detoxify all of the excess hormones from the medications. The following week we received a phone call telling us that they had been successful in fertilising some of the eggs and that the ones which survived where A grade, very healthy, good quality embryoes. What a relief!
The three months went fast and before I knew it we where back to all of the ultrasounds and blood test monitoring. Finally we got the call that it looked like I would be ready to ovulate in the next 24hrs and to come in for transfer. When it was our turn the specialist brought our little embryo up on the screen. I mentioned that it looked like a little universe and he replied that he had always thought that too when looking at embryoes. It looked so magical. I was filled with so much hope and said a silent prayer as my husband held my hand throughout the transfer of the embryo into my womb. Nice and snug! We went and grabbed some vietnamese rolls afterwards and tried to make sure we where feeling super positive whilst we waited the two weeks to see if it had 'stuck'. Afterall, I was pregnant until proven otherwise so I made sure I sent loving energy and thoughts to this little babe to be and invited him or her to stay with us. After two weeks I was starting to feel anxious again. I had just had my blood test to confirm pregnancy and was waiting for the nurse to call with the results. It got to 5pm and the suspense was killing me! Finally the nurse called and gave us the best news possible...we where pregnant! It had worked, our first attempt at IVF after so many years of struggling and it had worked! I was crying as I told my husband the news and we just hugged and kissed, both feeling so relieved. We then went on to have a healthy wonderful pregnancy, natural uncomplicated birth and 9 months later our second baby was born, a beautiful baby boy for our eldest son. It was the beginning of a wonderful new chapter in our family and let me tell you, he was definitely worth the wait, the heartbreak and all the tears. Holding him and looking into his eyes that moment we got to meet, I whispered into his little ears 'I love you so much' and held him close. He is perfect and so loved.
Our second son is now 5 months old and looking back over our journey I'm just so happy that we came through the other side. Now I want to help other couples struggling. I want them to feel the joy we felt when we finally got to meet our long awaited baby. With success rates of IVF not actually being as high as you would expect, it’s currently 37% live birth success for under 30 years old and as low as 8% for over 40 years (I was 29 going on 30 when we did IVF), I truly believe that supporting the medical process with natural medicine is crucial to increasing your chances of success. Why? Because IVF is no guaranteed miracle fix. If you have nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, blood clotting issues, poor quality sperm and old eggs its just going to lower your chances of success.
So for those who are struggling I want to share with you not only my suggestions for infertility treatment when trying naturally, but also my suggestions for supporting IVF if you need to, or decide to go down that path. Finances for IVF our now becoming less of an issue with some clinics offering bulk billing for a large majority of the tests and procedures so that you are not out of pocket as much as you may have been in the past. How long you are willing to try naturally for depends on your unique situation, things like age, how long you have been trying, finances and age gaps between children are all important personal factors before considering IVF treatment.
Infertility and/or IVF Protocol
Please note that all of the above is useful for both infertility support when trying naturally as well as IVF support. I do however suggest you stop all herbs prior to beginning your IVF cycle though , so ideally you would follow this protocol for three months in the lead up to treatment. You can however use the detoxifying herbs after egg collection before transfer to enhance removal of hormones before transfer.
Herbs customised to your condition – Due to my Endometriosis I took herbs that helped reduce inflammation, promote pelvic circulation, balance estrogen and support my nervous system. Your condition may be different so that is why seeking a tailored treatment plan is important. However, common herbs for helping boost fertility in women include estrogen modulators such as Black Cohosh and Dong Quai. Ovulation support with White Peony, Maca and Shatavari. Pelvic circulation with Ginger and Cinnamon. Relief of pelvic congestion with Calendula and Progesterone support with Vitex.
Vitamins and Mineral supplement – High quality practitioner only supplement for both male and female with adequate levels and forms of Vitamin A, C, E, D, K, Iron, Selenium, Magnesium, Iodine, Zinc. I took a Magnesium powder, B Vitamin Complex, Multivitamin/Mineral Formula and Zinc drops.
Specific Nutrients for Male Sperm Health – CoQ10, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc
Specific Herbs for Male Sperm Health – Korean Ginseng, Siberian Ginseng, Tribulus, Maca, Saw Palmetto, Withania and Schisandra
Omega 3 DHA Supplement – Important for hormone production and reducing inflammation. You can take fish oil or Algae oil for vegetarians which is what i took.
Mediterranean diet - Very rich in healthy fats and reducing inflammation it includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
No Caffeine or Alcohol for both partners
Thyroid Support – Withania, Kelp, Iodine, Iron, Selenium, Vitamin E and Zinc
Nervous System Support – B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Adaptogen Herbs such as Withania, Rhodiola, Ginseng, Schisandra, Maca, Reishi and calming anti anxiety herbs such as Passionflower, Chamomile, Skullcap, Vervain, Lemon Balm and Valerian.
Antioxidant Support For Egg Quality – Vitamins A, C, E, Selenium and Zinc. Herbs such as Green Tea, Rosemary and Turmeric.
Detoxification of Synthetic Hormones – I took a herbal formula to detoxify estrogen after my egg collection including Milk Thistle, Rosemary and Turmeric. Other good herbs include Globe Artichoke, Schisandra and Dandelion Root.
Fertility foods include colorful antioxidant rich fruit and vegetabes such as berries, sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini, green leafy vegetabes plus brassica vegetables that are good for detoxification such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts.
Healthy Fats are super important for hormone production and reducing inflammation from avocadoes, coconut oil, nuts and seeds.
Recommended Fertility Testing
Full Blood Count
Iron Studies
Thyroid (TSH, T3, T4)
Oestogen, Progesterone, Testosterone
Blood Glucose Levels
Coeliac Panel
Cortisol Test
Genito-Urinary Infection Check
Semen Analysis
Ultrasound (To test for Polycystic Ovaries and/or Fibroids)
Laproscopy (If Endometriosis is suspected)
Immune Testing (If antibodies to partners sperm are suspected)
I hope that sharing my journey has helped raise some awareness on the topic of infertility and IVF. If you would like to chat with me about your current situation I would love to assist you in making recommendations based on both my professional experience as a naturopath and personal experience with my own infertility. Please email me at kate@littleyarrow.com and if you know of someone who is experiencing fertility challenges please send them this article.