Most of us spend our teens and early adulthood trying to avoid pregnancy. More often than not, we do so with the belief that conceiving will be easy when the time comes.

But for many couples, the reality is very different. Perhaps you’ve been on birth control for over a decade, only to come off it and find you have PCOS. Or perhaps you’re ready to have a family in your late 30s, only to quickly realise that the road to conception isn’t the walk in the park you thought it would be. Did you know that the likelihood of conceiving naturally begins to decline rapidly from the age of 30?

I’ve noticed that in New Zealand, many people are under the impression that even if they struggle to conceive naturally, “there’s always IVF.” What they may not realise is:

The success rate of IVF declines dramatically as a woman’s age increases (as egg quality and quantity decline).
Each round of IVF costs close to $10,000 (with no guarantee of success).
Multiple rounds of IVF may be required.

Fertility Associates. *Understanding IVF Success Rates.*

That isn’t to say IVF isn’t valuable - of course, it makes an enormous difference for many families. But you wouldn’t try to build a house with just one tool in your toolkit, and the same applies for creating a baby.

If you’re struggling to conceive, your ‘toolkit’ may include multiple practitioners that support you in different ways.

The practitioners you include in your ‘toolkit’ will differ depending on the nature of your fertility problems.

Infertility

60% of couples will conceive within 6 months of trying, and another 25% will conceive within 6-12 months. Infertility is defined as no successful conception within 12 months of trying. Male and female factor infertility are equally common, and in some cases, both partners contribute.

Causes and contributing factors include:

Having sex at the wrong time (conception is only possible on 6 days per menstrual cycle)
Sperm that is an abnormal shape, swims abnormally and/or is low in quantity
Sperm DNA fragmentation
The presence of sexually transmitted infections
Endometriosis
Lack of ovulation (which can be caused by many things including low body fat, malnutrition and hormonal disorders like PCOS)
Autoimmune disorders
Thyroid disorders
Structural or functional problems in the reproductive tract
Nutritional deficiencies, either caused by inadequate intake or digestive disturbances affecting nutrient absorption
Smoking and recreational drug use
Obesity or low body weight
Advanced age (over 35 years for women and 40 years for men)
Stress

How a naturopath can with your fertility:

Your practitioner will work with you to find the cause(s) of your fertility problems and work towards remediating them
Provide education on fertility awareness and help you to pinpoint when to time sex for conception
Determine if you are ovulating sporadically (or at all)
Assess you for signs of hormonal disorders and refer you to a doctor for diagnosis
Use nutritional, lifestyle and herbal interventions to normalise hormonal function
Make individualised dietary recommendations to support your fertility and optimise egg and sperm health
Refer you for appropriate blood testing
Identify and correct nutrient deficiencies
Apply strategies to reduce the impact of contributing factors
Offer stress management strategies, including the use of herbal medicines, nutraceuticals and lifestyle measures
Help you to reach a healthy weight

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gemma is a fertility and women’s health naturopath in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a mother to 3-year-old Laura and an avid (perhaps slightly obsessive) cook. In her spare time, you’ll find her rummaging through her cookbook collection, hitting up local restaurants or pottering in the veggie garden.

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Bookings: Naturopathic Fertility Appointments in Auckland