Fertility Health: Struggling to Conceive
If you have been trying to get pregnant for a year or more without success, and are under the age of 35, it may be time to see a doctor. If you are over the age of 35 and have been trying to conceive without success for 6 months or more, it’s time to get in to your healthcare provider for testing, or a referral to a fertility specialist.
Senior Herbalist Elizabeth Willett, MA, CH, discusses experiences that would be reason to make an appointment with a medical doctor, fertility specialist, naturopath or herbalist, therapist/counselor in the near future, so that you can get to the bottom of why the issue is happening for you. This video was shared live on Periscope! Download the Periscope App to get notifications of our live broadcasts!
If you have or have experienced any of the following, it may be time to check in with a professional:
- history of health issues or familial history of hereditary health issues or genetic disorders
- symptoms you notice that you can’t identify the cause of
- chronic or repeated poor immune health
- sudden loss of libido (understanding that female libido does wax and wane throughout the menstrual cycle)
- very low body weight which can mean you might not be producing enough hormones
- obesity which often means you may be producing more than enough hormones
- invasive medical treatments that could have led to tissue damage
- a planned medical treatment and are worried that it could have a fertility impact, it’s important to talk to your doctor
- injury or trauma that could have affected the reproductive organs
- any of the following that disrupt your daily life – absent periods, no cervical mucus, large clots or heavy menstrual bleeding, even PMS symptoms
- recurrent miscarriages/pregnancy losses – often times doctors still want a women to have 3 consecutive losses before doing more testing, if this is you and it’s not sitting well with you, advocate for yourself and seek help from another medical professional. You deserve that!
- pain, burning, bleeding that is more than spotting during intercourse
- inability to achieve an erection or sustain it during intercourse
- a poor diet – highly processed, high in sugar, alcohol, or caffeine
- used medications/drugs, OTC or recreational long term, as we know these to impact healthy hormonal balance, negatively impact gut health and even sperm and egg health
- removed yourself from your life; i.e. social events, stopped participating in or working on your hobbies, lost interest in that which you once loved, distanced yourself from friends or family, find yourself angry at other pregnant women and wishing them ill, lost interest in your partner, etc.
- repeated emotional outbursts or breakdowns that you feel you have no control over
- chronic stress you struggle to find tools to help you deal with
- depression or uncontrollable anxiety
- low energy all the time
Seek support!
If you suspect or have any of the above risk factors that may be a sign of infertility, it is very important to see a doctor. While your family doctor may be able to help with initial testing, further testing from a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) or even a Reproductive Immunologist may be necessary.
Even if you choose medical treatment, there are infinite natural options to help support healing and to bring the body back to balance, as well as support fertility naturally.
Reach out to us for support! It’s what we are here for!
Elizabeth Willett is the Senior Herbalist and Lead Educator at NaturalFertilityInfo.com. She holds a BS in Mass Communications (2000) from Minnesota State University, and a Master of Arts degree (MA, 2010) in Holistic Health Studies with a specialization is herbalism from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. Liz has written over 200 articles on women’s fertility and brings a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise in holistic health and healing to Natural Fertility Info.com
