First of all I want to thank you guys for the overwhelming positive response to my infertility post last week. My post reached so many more people than I could have imagined and it was truly amazing to connect with so many of you about the “taboo” topic reproductive health! I was anxious to publish that post, but knowing that it sparked conversations with spouses, friends, and doctors makes it 100% worth it!
While 36 doesn’t sound that old to me, it seems to be in the world of reproduction and hormones. Apparently around age 35+ female hormones can start go a little whacky…and can make you feel that way too! Since getting my “premature ovarian failure” diagnosis I’ve been throwing myself into the research and developing a treatment plan to try and “fix” my hormones.
Here is the “treatment plan” I’ve been working on:
ACUPUNCTURE + CHINESE HERBS
I started to see an acupuncturist that specializes in fertility about a month ago. I will be seeing her weekly and while she cannot guarantee it will help me get pregnant it can’t hurt my chances! She told me acupuncture can help create a happy, healthy, and positive environment for an egg to be fertilized.
My acupuncturist designed special herbs just for me. I take one herbal supplement twice a day for the first 2 weeks of my cycle (follicular phase) and a different formula for the second half of my cycle (luteal phase).
NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR (ND)
Last week I had a Zoom appointment with an amazing ND. I’ve never worked with a naturopathic doctor before and was blown away with how thorough our session was. She specializes in women’s health and fertility I wanted her to help me get my supplements, lifestyle, and diet dialed in so I knew I was doing everything I could to support fertility.
We are in the processes of running three sets of labs. One will test my progesterone, DHEA–Sulfate, GGT, Testosterone, and a Hepatic Function Panel. Another will test my T3 (free), Estradiol, TSH, T4 (free). I’m also doing a cortisol saliva swab test. It’s a kit that was mailed to me and I will send back to see how my adrenals are doing 😉
My ND explained to me that AMH value shows quantity of eggs, but also QUALITY! Our goal together (and with acupuncture) is to improve the quality of the eggs. So, while I cannot change how many eggs I have left I can, to some degree, improve the health of the eggs I do have. Feels good to be able to have some control over something in this process.
She said that there is no data to show that my IUD caused a decrease in my fertility, but it can cause cycle irregularities. I still think my IUD played a role in this- just saying!
DIET
My acupuncturist recommended I should NOT be starting my day with a cold smoothie, but rather something warm like oatmeal with walnuts or eggs. I’ve made that switch and now I’m typically having a big green smoothie for lunch instead.
For about two months I was trying intermittent fasting. I thought I was helping my hormones by regulating blood sugar, but turns out IF is not ideal for women in their reproductive years! I checked with 4 different sources that I trust and IF can be harmful for women in their reproductive years. One study on mice showed it actually shrunk ovaries! No thanks! All studies on IF have been done on men (who have amazing success on IF) but this does not translate to women. 12 hours of fasting still provides health benefits, but nothing longer for women in their reproductive years. IF is great for men and post menopausal women. Needless to say I stopped IF immediately.
I already consume very minimal dairy and gluten, so I’ve gone ahead and completely cut that out. I’ve also been mindful of my carbohydrate intake, focusing mainly on vegetables, protein and healthy fats. My ND recommends following a Mediterranean Diet and choosing organic whenever possible. At the very least, she recommends following the Dirty Dozen.
LIFESTYLE
You guys…I haven’t had wine in almost 2 weeks…gasp!! My ND really recommended I cut back on wine and told me about a study where 4-5 drinks a week decreased IVF success rate by 80%!! While we aren’t doing IVF right now that just goes to show how toxic it can be to fertility even in moderate levels. So I’ve decided to completely cut it out and I actually feel really good. I’ve also been cutting back on caffeine. I was drinking 2-3 cups of coffee a day, so I cut back to 1-2 cups a day. She recommends 200mg or less.
SUPPLEMENTS
*please don’t start a new supplement until talking with your doctor first! This is what was recommended by my doctor for me*
Until we get my labs back I’m not changing my supplement routine which I wrote up here. I’ve restated my prenatal vitamin. I also added two supplements that is known to improve egg quality. UBQH and NAC. Lastly, she recommended taking melatonin 3mg at bed time.
WORKOUTS
I’m in process of shifting my workouts based on my cycle. Cycle syncing my workouts makes so much sense and I’m frustrated it took me this long to discover this! Most of us are doing the wrong workouts at the wrong time in our cycle which can lead to a rise in cortisol. I listened to an awesome podcast with Alisa Vitti on Rachl Mansfield’s podcast and I wanted to learn more, so I ordered her book.
Basically during your follicular phase (pre-ovulation) is when energy is the highest and you should be doing all the cardio, HIIT, intense yoga, whatever your jam is because this is the time you can burn fat and build lean muscle- word! Post ovulation (luteal and menstruation phase) is the time to do less high intensity workouts and more low impact and restorative workouts. Ultimately listen to your body and adjust your workout so you don’t add extra stress to your body.
STRESS REDUCTION
CBD oil at night, meditation or calming yoga flow before bed, epsom salt baths, and reading help chill me out. Trying to keep stress levels in check. Interested to see what my cortisol test shows.
ENVIRONMENT
My ND send me this website to start checking all of my products and try to clean up my cleaning and beauty products. I use a lot of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products and they get a D!! She obviously recommends cleaning products with an A rating. For beauty products she recommends products with a 0-2 rating. So many products we think are “natural” really don’t have as good of ingredients as we think. As I run out of products I will be using this website to find safer replacements.
She describes eggs as big sponges that can soak up environmental toxins. This was a good visual to help motivate me to make the necessary swaps!
RESOURCES
Books I’ve been reading: The Hormone Fix, The Hormone Cure, and In the Flo and all been so eye opening and helpful!
In the end, even if all of the things I’m doing don’t result in a positive pregnancy test I’m hopeful I can at least push back against the onset of menopause and keep me feeling my best. I really took my 20’s for granted!!!! The things I could “get away with” in my younger years don’t work for me anymore. Making poor food choices, drinking wine like it’s water (and not drinking enough water), overexercising, and poor self-care are things my 36 year old self can’t easily rebound from anymore. I feel my best when I’m taking good care of my body and mind and I know this will help me age gracefully.
xx, A
Disclaimer: All information on the The Champagne Theory blog, including but not limited to information about nutrition, health and fitness, is intended for general or background purposes only, and not as medical advice applicable to any individual. Please consult your medical provider or providers for instructions specific to your own medical concerns and condition.
