Dr. Sophia Chachula, ND

The earlier you can get something like that done, the better. If you can start thinking about fertility and conception a year before, that would be the most beneficial. If you’re dealing with something like PCOS or endometriosis, it can take a long time to assist your body in getting it ready for conception. Six months would be better than three if you’re lessening the window. No naturopathic doctor practices the same, and no medical doctor practices the same. Sometimes people can get a full and robust fertility preconception bloodwork from their family physicians. But, often, the most left out are the thyroid antibodies.

Food is usually the foundation of any healthcare plan. We can use food to increase our chances of conception. It is important to make sure you have adequate protein and healthy fats. For example, oatmeal is nutrient dense and can be a great part of your diet but lacks protein. Adding nut butters, nuts, seeds, chia seeds, or an egg on the side will help enhance the meal.

Protein provides amino acid building blocks that our bodies need to make hormones like estrogen, insulin, thyroid hormones etc. It also helps stabilise and balance blood sugar. Many hormonal conditions in women: hormonal imbalances, blood sugar imbalances, insulin resistance and metabolic disorders go hand in hand. Keeping your blood sugar stable can help keep your hormones stable as well.

Getting adequate healthy fats is another important piece. We’ve seen in research that low-fat diets can decrease progesterone and estrogen, which are the two most important hormones women need for conception and fertility. Healthy fats include fatty fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil.

The next part of eating is ensuring your plate contains vegetables and colour. Specifically, dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. This includes kale, Swiss chard, collard greens and spinach, which are rich in magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin K and folic acid. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale. Cruciferous vegetables can help your body process and eliminate any excess estrogen. In certain conditions like endometriosis, we may see higher levels of estrogen.

Next, we have antioxidant-rich berries. Antioxidants help improve ovulation timing and preserve egg and ovarian health. Avocados are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and have a lot of fibre. They stabilise and regulate our stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can be a barrier to conception. They also help regulate the estrogen-progesterone balance.

Next up are beans and legumes. Soy, beans and legumes are great sources of fibre and protein. Pumpkin seeds are another superfood containing omega three fatty acids, zinc and magnesium, which help balance the estrogen and progesterone ratio. They also increase blood flow to reproductive organs.

What is also important is making sure you’re eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and not skipping meals. Avoid highly processed and genetically modified foods or a diet full of refined carbohydrates like white bread, white pasta, white potatoes, white rice, and high sugar. High-sugar diets can drive testosterone further up in certain hormonal imbalances that may have increased testosterone, like PCOS

The first one is going to be a prenatal vitamin. But, not all prenatal vitamins are equal. Your prenatal vitamin, the active form of folic acid—5-tetrahydrofolate. Also, look for folate, folic acid and prenatal vitamins that don’t have too many additives, fillers or dyes, and a prenatal vitamin with the non-constipating form of iron.

The next supplement is omega three fatty acids. Fish oils are also anti-inflammatory. They’re used for a wide variety of conditions, especially hormonal imbalances. Not only do they help reduce inflammation, but they also help balance hormones.

DHA is a type of fatty acid that is important for fetal development. Coenzyme Q 10 is another antioxidant that helps increase your energy reserve, improve ovulation, improve the quality of eggs, and preserve egg health. Similarly, melatonin also improves egg health.

Just like with food and testing, everything needs to be individualised. If you have PCOS, you should talk to a naturopathic doctor or physician about inositol. It improves egg health which improves the quality of ovulation and lowers testosterone. You should ideally look for your preconception plan to have anti-inflammatories.

Absolutely. If you do, always let your fertility clinic know you’re seeing a naturopathic doctor. This ensures everyone is on the same page and is conducive to your plan.

Naturopathic doctors within the fertility area would know ways to prepare your body for fertility and help with IVF success.

Often, we have patients who are going through IVF and are looking to prepare their bodies with supplements, nutrition and other guidelines to help boost their chances of success. Acupuncture is another amazing tool an ND can offer to help regulate hormones, support IVF and support fertility in general.