Fertility Festive Funk

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Infertility Sucks

It sucks even more when you’re surrounded by pregnancy announcements, adorable baby-dressed-as-elf photos, and merriment. You may end up in a “Fertility Festive Funk” because sometimes you just don’t feel like being festive.

A Holiday Miscarriage

One of my close friends miscarried right before Christmas a few years ago. Before it happened, she was excited to tell all the family at Christmas that they were expecting their first baby. But the rug was pulled out from under her. The future that she had imagined as soon as she got that positive test, was ripped away from her.

It was unfair. It’s always unfair.

Around the holidays can be even worse.

We were Christmas shopping together and she bumped into an old friend. There was the first few minutes of the conversation, how are you?! How are you? Then it turned real… “actually I just had a miscarriage…” Her friend responded “me too!” Hearing about loss is not something you usually get excited about but if you can share your grief with someone who get’s it, you’re excited to meet someone who’s walked in your shoes. Suddenly, my friend didn’t feel alone anymore.

Here are 3 things you can do to help survive the Fertility Festive Funk:

  1. Collect – Collect responses to those nosey questions from innocent family members. The ones who ask you, “so when are you starting a family?” or “are you having any more children?” You don’t have to answer them, or you can be blunt, or you can be evasive. It’s totally up to you. Before it happens, get prepared. Take your journal or a piece of paper and write out 5-10 responses you could say back to someone. Sometimes you’ll feel like telling the truth, sometimes you won’t. If you practice these responses to your partner or in the mirror, it will be easier when it happens. Also Collect ideas of how to take care of yourself during this time – counselling, massages, acupuncture with your favourite naturopaths at Rooted, meditation, or guided imagery for fertility. Make a list of things you can do to take care of yourself during this potentially stressful time. Look back at both lists every few days to remind yourself of what to say and what you can do.
  2. Correct – Correct people who feel it’s their business to know when you’re planning on procreating. It actually isn’t any of their business. Cut of conversations if you want to. Correct the thoughts in your head that say your family isn’t good enough without a baby. You can host the holiday dinner, you can go on a sleigh ride, you can sit on Santa’s knee if you want to. Choose gentle thoughts about yourself, your body and your situation. If you need help, come talk to us or your counsellor.
  3. Connect – Connect with yourself first. What do you truly want over the holidays? A big gathering? A small gathering? To hold all the babies? To not hold any of the babies? It’s totally up to you. First get quiet with yourself, grab your journal and really ask yourself how do you want to handle the holidays this season? How can you bring joy to your holidays for you while you’re still waiting to grow your family? How can you make this holiday season special despite this hole? Your family is still whole just as it is right now. Connect with friends and family who make you feel good. Who listen to you, who make you feel more positive than negative.

We’re here for you. Whatever you choose to do this holiday, know that you are ok, you will be ok, you’ve got this. If you’re new to Rooted, come on in for a free fertility introduction. We can chat about where you are, what you’ve done and how to support you on your baby journey especially during the holidays.

Talk soon,

Dr. Whitney Young, ND

 

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Acupuncture improves your fertility

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Acupuncture treatments are one of the biggest reasons women and men struggling to get pregnant come see us at Rooted for our Fertility Tranquility Program. They’ve heard from a friend or read online that acupuncture can help them get pregnant.

It’s true. There are studies to support the use of acupuncture during your fertility journey.

I’ve got patients who’ve only just started trying to conceive and they want to help manage their stress and anxiety during this time. They also want to increase their chances of it happening naturally for them.

I also have couples that come to see me who have started working with a medical fertility clinic. The traditional fertility clinics are great at diagnosing problems and then putting the egg and sperm together and working on timing. What they’re not great at, typically, is egg and sperm quality as well as managing stress, coaching about diet and supplements that will increase their chances of the medical treatments working.

Acupuncture may help in the following ways:

  • relieving stress and anxiety of fertility treatments
  • increasing blood flow to the uterus to help with lining
  • normalizing hormonal function
  • empowering women to know they are doing something. That they are not just waiting for their next period
  • increased success of IVF (invitro-fertilization)

New Hours Available!

We are thrilled to have Dr. Ashley Nelson, ND, join us to expand our acupuncture hours to our patients. She comes to us with a lot of acupuncture experience and a very gentle bedside manner. Click here to book directly with Ashley for acupuncture if you are already a patient of our clinic.

If you aren’t a patient of the clinic yet and would like to know how we can help you with your particular situation, please book a Free Fertility Introduction with Dr. Whitney Young, ND, our natural fertility expert.

How our clinic works

  1. Book your Free Fertility Introduction with Dr. Whitney
  2. Then book your Intake session – either individual or couples with Dr. Whitney
  3. After the intake process you can then start your acupuncture sessions with one of our naturopaths
  4. Please call if you have any questions! 705-792-6717

Wherever you are on your journey to having a baby or another baby, we are here to help.

Dr. Whitney

 

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Breech Babies Turn 30% More With Our Therapy

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baby bump
Dr. Whitney’s 1st baby bump back in Sept 2013

At our clinic we often use the Traditional Chinese Medicine Technique known as moxibustion to help turn babies from breech into the proper birth position. Now, there is scientific evidence proving its effectiveness published in 2013 “Acupuncture and Medicine” journal. 3 arms of the study were compared:

  1. True moxibustion plus regular prenatal care was compared with
  2. Sham moxibustion (done on an ineffective point)and regular prenatal care and also compared with
  3. Regular prenatal care

This study found that the moxibustion performed helped turn the baby 30% more often. This is great evidence supporting our therapy we have been using since day 1.

If you are pregnant and between 32-35 weeks gestation, consider coming to the clinic for our acupuncture intake session with your partner. Here is the protocol you will follow:

  • Call or email us to book a special Acupuncture Intake appointment
  • Come with your partner or a friend who will learn the technique
  • During your appointment get a moxibustion treatment and instructions
  • Leave with instructions and supplies to perform at home daily 20 minutes a day for the next 2 weeks

After you have your beautiful baby, come on back in for a well baby check and let us help you with the numerous questions you will have.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Whitney Young ND & Dr. Kerri Fullerton ND

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Another Positive Pregnancy Test!

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Another positive pregnancy test and ultrasound!

preggers

We are so pleased for this couple we have been working with for a year. They are a lovely couple who have been trying to conceive for over 7 years.

When they joined our clinic last year we did a series of acupuncture treatments with the mom-to-be for an IUI – Intrauterine Insemination. There were a couple failed attempts sadly.

Then, this spring they decided to go the next step of IVF – Invitro fertilization. Both husband and wife came in for assessments and started supplements, dietary and acupuncture regimes for 3 months. Their fertility clinic decided to switch to an IUI based on her bloodwork and ultrasound during the cycle that was meant to be an IVF cycle.

Low and behold – a positive pregnancy test! This is the first time she has been pregnant and is almost near the end of her first trimester.

Congratulations!

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Infertility – When should I worry?

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Infertility: When do I become concerned?  When should I see an ND about infertility?

The best time to see an ND is for pre-conception care about 3 months before you want to start trying.  We can ensure that your hormones are balanced and that you are healthy.  Doing a detox before you start trying poses no risk to your future baby while waiting until after you’ve started trying may not be safe.

If you are in your late 20’s or 30’s then seeing an ND before you start trying is ideal as fertility does decrease with age.

What if we have already started trying?

If you have already started trying to conceive, don’t worry.  The current definition for infertility is:

  • If you are under 35 years old, you are considered infertile if you have been having regular unprotected sex for 1 year without falling pregnant
  • If you are over 35 years old, you are considered infertile if you have been having regular unprotected sex for 6 months without falling pregnant

These are the points where your MD may refer you to a fertility clinic or offer up some medical intervention like clomid or metformin.

To see an ND you do not need a referral.  There are also some fertility clinics that do not require a referral either.

We suggest that you see an ND if:

  • you have a history of irregular periods
  • you have a history of difficult periods (cramps, PMS, etc)
  • your fertility is a concern for you (even if no one has given you medical reasons for it)
  • you have PCOS
  • the male partner has a history of cycling or chemical exposure

Since many of the natural treatments were researched over the course of 2-4 months, we suggest that you give the treatments at least 4 months.

What if we are doing IUI’s or IVF?  Can you still help?

We sure can.  Our doctors are trained natural fertility treatments for men and women.  One of the therapies we use is acupuncture and the research supporting acupuncture during IVF is good.  We can help support the medical treatments that you are currently undergoing.

 

 

 

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33% of Women Want Twins

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So the title of this article may be misleading but it’s an interesting fact from one study from the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 2013 May-June.

I came across a study performed in Utah with women who were prescribed clomiphene aka Clomid. The researches conducted phone interviews with 43 women from local community clinics.

It was found that most women were prescribed clomid appropriately based on their fertility status and ovulation. What was found lacking was the monitoring of their cycles. This is where we come in. We help women even before they are prescribed Clomid to help monitor their cycles and help improve their cycles through acupuncture, diet, supplementation and more here at our clinic. It’s something we have a special interest in and extra training in to help our parents-to-be.

The interesting side note from the study was that  24 of the women (56%) said they would be fine having twins, and 14 (33%) said they would prefer to have twins if possible.

So why do you think a 3rd of women in this study preferred twins?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23763008

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