Mommy Moods & Kids Long-Term Health

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1 in 5 people will experience mental illness in any given year in Canada. This is truly an epidemic. It doesn’t only affect the person, their jobs, their health, it affects the people around them.

Sadly, it has a long-term negative effect on children. The ACEs study of Adverse Childhood Experiences found that children who grew up with the experience of a depressed family member in the household had an increased chance of long-term health consequences like chronic disease, mental illness, substance abuse and early death.

This is not great news. This is why it’s so important to address mom’s health when we’re talking about children’s health. They are part of the family unit. Everyone in the family affects the other.

This is why I’m passionate about working with moms.

Watch my short video about this and a small thing you can do TODAY to help both mom and child.

Talk soon,

Whitney

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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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Meditation improves women’s fertility struggles

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meditating mama

We see our fertility patients struggling with depression, anxiety, anger towards their bodies, and hopelessness. As part of our ‘Fertility Tranquility’ program at Rooted, we teach our patients the importance of taking pause to calm the mind.

Research published in Fertility and Sterility supports our efforts.  They concluded that women who completed a 10-week mindfulness program “revealed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, internal and external shame, entrapment, and defeat”. How can you begin your mindfulness program?

  • Start with just ten minutes per day. Set a timer.
  • Sit so that your back is straight.
  • Pay attention to your breath. Don’t try to change it, just notice what it’s doing.
  • You could also download an app such as Insight Timer or go to calm.com to use Guided Meditations.

Fertility is a journey filled with unexpected moments. Give yourself a tool to handle the waves without drowning.

Want to know more about our program? Book yourself a Free Fertility Assessment today.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Whitney Young ND & Dr. Kerri Fullerton ND

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Hypothyroid and Miscarriage link

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The thyroid gland is often under a flurry of controversy, especially in the world of fertility.

Here are two studies to support the treatment of subclinical hypothyroid – when TSH is within normal range but greater than 2.5 mU/L – to aid in the prevention of miscarriage.

Maternal subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid autoimmunity, and the risk of miscarriage: a prospective cohort study

– this study found that women with subclinical hypothyroid and/or autoimmune thyroid conditions were at a greater risk of early miscarriage

TSH levels and risk of miscarriage in women on long-term levothyroxine: a community-based study

– Conclusion: “The majority of levothyroxine-treated women have early gestational TSH levels above the recommended targets (>2.5 mU/L) with a strong risk of miscarriage at levels exceeding 4.5 mU/L. There is an urgent need to improve the adequacy of thyroid hormone replacement in early pregnancy”

If you are in the pre-conception stage of things, natural methods may be successful at treating sub-clinical hypothyroid. If you are already trying to conceive and your TSH is high normal, then it may be wise to consult with your MD about thyroxine.

Does this create more questions for you? Why not book yourself a Free Fertility Assessment with one of our Naturopathic Doctors? Whether it’s a stand alone visit for you or you decide to continue to work with us, we know that you will leave with good information to help you move forward.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kerri Fullerton ND & Dr. Whitney Young ND

 

 

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AMH and PCOS – another diagnostic tool?

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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is something that we see in our office regularly. Sometimes it’s already been diagnosed and other times it has not. While there is diagnostic criteria for PCOS, there is still some debate as to what definitively confirms PCOS.

A study published in Clinical Endocinology suggests that Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) has potential as another way to determine if PCOS is present. They found that AMH was able to correctly identify PCOS 79% of the time.

What does this mean for you? If you suspect that you have PCOS, here is a list of tests that you might ask to have completed:

  • Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) – typically costs about $65 and is usually an out of pocket expense (your Ontario ND can order this)
  • Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) – this 2 hour test gives a functional value for blood sugar control (PCOS has a 5 fold increase risk of developing diabetes mellitus)
  • DHEA-s and Testosterone – high androgen levels are often elevated in PCOS and gives a good measure for treatment success

Yours in Health,

Kerri Fullerton ND & Whitney Young ND

 

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DNA fragmentation treatment

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We get asked often about how to address DNA fragmentation in relation to male fertility. Until recently, it was assumed that most fertility issues were with the woman. Now we understand that many cases of recurrent miscarriage are in fact male factor, and often due to high levels of DNA fragmentation.

A study published in the Journal of Andrology reveals that treatment with antioxidants can be an effective therapy.

How can you use this research to help your fertility?

  • Consume foods naturally high in anti-oxidants like deeply coloured fruits and vegetables.
  • Take 1000mg of Vitamin C daily.
  • Take 1000mg of Vitamin E daily.

It is important to note that the only parameter of the sperm that changed was the reduction DNA fragmentation found. Equally important is that these men took the supplements for a full 2 months.

If you have other issues with your sperm (quality, quantity, speed) then this will only be part of the overall plan to improve your sperm health.

To see how else we can help you improve your sperm health, consider booking a free fertility assessment today.

Yours in Health,

Kerri Fullerton ND & Whitney Young ND

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