76. Beyond the Myths: Natural Fertility Treatments

Join Dr. Monica Minjeur as she debunks common myths about natural fertility care and explores how restorative reproductive medicine can address the root causes of infertility. Discover how natural treatments empower women to improve their health and fertility without relying solely on IVF or IUI. Learn how evidence-based, personalized approaches can offer real, lasting solutions. Tune in and take control of your fertility journey today!

Transcript

Monica: 0:02

Welcome back to Cycle Wisdom, where we empower women to restore natural menstrual cycles to improve health and promote fertility. I'm your host, Dr. Monica Minjeur, and I'm so glad you're listening today. On today's episode, we continue our series, Beyond the Myths, and tackle some of the more common misconceptions I hear regarding natural fertility care. When it comes to fertility, it feels like there are two extremes, either high tech interventions like IVF in vitro fertilization, or doing nothing at all. But what if I told you there's a middle ground? A root cause, naturally fertility treatment option that can be just as powerful and life changing. Today I'm tackling five common myths about natural fertility care and how approaches like restorative reproductive medicine and fertility awareness can offer real solutions for infertility. So let's get started with myth number one. Natural treatments. Treatments can't fix infertility. Now many people believe that natural approaches are powerless in the face of infertility, especially when it's caused by deep seated things like PCOS, endometriosis, or male factor issues. The reality is that natural treatments are not just a quick fix or designed to suppress certain symptoms. In fact, natural fertility care focuses on identifying and correcting underlying issues. Now this may be hormone imbalances, ovulation dysfunction, inflammation, or other health conditions that may not be specifically related to hormones at all. We utilize treatments that work with the body rather than just trying to override it. So you've heard me talk a lot on this podcast about different stories of patients who've been able to successfully conceive, and really the focus with that is that we're always addressing the underlying issues. So for example, a patient with PCOS may have underlying insulin resistance and irregular cycles. And so rather than just trying to force medications in order to get a cycle to happen, we treat that underlying insulin resistance, we treat the cycle irregularities and get her back to having regular cycles so that she is able to then conceive naturally. Looking at these things from a root cause solution standpoint may involve utilizing prescription strength medications. It may include using targeted supplements. It may include a referral to a surgeon to treat endometriosis or lifestyle modifications tailored to the individual person. It all starts with the fertility awareness charting to identify ovulation patterns. hormone deficiencies, short luteal phases, and then target our lab work. So natural fertility treatments don't just fix infertility. They empower women to understand and heal their bodies for long term health, which then helps to promote fertility in the long run. Myth number two, only IVF. IVF or IUI can help you get pregnant. Many women and couples are told that the only solution for their supposed unexplained infertility is artificial reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination. The reality is that IVF bypasses problems rather than addressing them. which can leave underlying issues unresolved. This may lead to complications, or an inability to conceive naturally in the future. It also doesn't address any underlying hormone issues that may lead to a miscarriage, even if pregnancy begins. Restorative reproductive medicine helps to identify and treat underlying issues like not ovulating, suboptimal cervical mucus, low progesterone, cortisol deficiencies, or abnormal sperm parameters. I have dealt with many, many clients who have gone through IUI, IVF, that have had failed attempts. We then go on to say, Hey, let's treat these causes. Let's look at, find the underlying root causes and we're able to help them achieve not only a successful pregnancy, but prevent miscarriage and go on to have a full term successful birth. This tells me that artificial reproductive technologies are not always the answer we're looking for. And the reality is, is that we want to solve those underlying health conditions as well. When we evaluate and look at male factor infertility, we're looking at natural methods to address sperm quality, as well as to maybe address counts or motility issues. This involves looking at the health of the male partner as well, and sometimes includes recommendations for lifestyle changes, hormone support, or changes as far as their supplement regimen. In this way, natural approaches are not just bypassing the underlying health problems, we are solving those problems. This leads to healthier outcomes for mom, dad, and baby in the long run. Things that IVF or IUI do not address. Myth number three. Natural fertility treatments take too long to work. A common misconception that people have is that root cause approaches are slow and require years of work before seeing results. The reality is that natural methods often see results in months, not years, especially when we pair this with thorough diagnostics and targeted treatments. For example, correcting a progesterone deficiency or identifying fertile windows can lead to pregnancy within just a few cycles for some women. Think about this. IVF success is also not instant. Oftentimes it can take multiple rounds of IVF before you can even get a positive pregnancy test. And during this time frame, there is significant financial and emotional cost. Long term benefits of natural treatments are far outweighing those of artificial reproductive technologies. ART can often come with risks like ovarian hyperstimulation. And again, we're not addressing any underlying health conditions that may have been able to be solved by utilizing natural treatments. Depending upon your particular situation, this can change how long it may take for you to get pregnant. However, we know that for most women with a straightforward luteal phase defect, meaning that the progesterone levels are a bit low, even if she's having normal cycles, We know that we can correct that progesterone defect, typically within the first three to six months, using bioidentical progesterone and following what's going on not only with her hormone levels, but also with seeing the fertility awareness charting. For women that may have more irregular cycles like PCOS, it can take a bit longer. However, we're addressing these health concerns that may have been present for many, many years. On average, for women with PCOS, we still see that most of them will achieve a pregnancy within the first 6 to 12 months. Sometimes this can last out to 18 months or more, depending upon other factors that may be going on. But in the long run, these natural treatments are uncovering and addressing root causes. Although they may take more than a month or two in order to correct those solutions, we are leading to lasting results, improved health in the long run, and overall can still be just as fast, if not faster, than utilizing artificial reproductive technologies. Myth number four. Natural methods are not scientific. Many critics will argue that natural fertility and the protocols we utilize in restorative reproductive medicine lack scientific backing or rigorous evidence. In fact, there have been numerous studies published in restorative reproductive medicine. These are published articles in peer reviewed journal articles, and we are constantly advancing the research within this field of study. For example, scientific studies looking at the effectiveness of fertility awareness based methods in order to prevent pregnancy have shown that many of these different methods approach 98 to 99 percent efficacy at preventing pregnancy. with perfect use. We can compare this to other types of hormonal birth control or the IUD and show that actually fertility awareness methods are more effective at pregnancy prevention than oral contraceptives. There have also been lots of research studies done looking at supportive treatments like bioidentical progesterone, focusing on dietary changes for PCOS or surgical interventions for endometriosis. And while these research studies may have multiple different backgrounds, we utilize these pieces in order to put together a comprehensive approach for how we treat women and how we address the underlying clauses that are going on. Restorative reproductive medicine uses advanced diagnostics like hormone panels that have been studied over the past 50 years. We utilize people within our field of study, as well as those researchers who have done this work, who are treating women on a daily basis. We also are looking at conventional studies that have been done, things like evaluation of ultrasound monitoring, semen analysis for male factor. This is not just guesswork. This is science, and it's applied in a holistic framework. There are certainly many pioneers in the field of restorative reproductive medicine that have been practicing and studying this for over the last 30 to 40 years. For example, there's a colleague of mine, Dr. Phil Boyle, who is over in Ireland, and he has been practicing restorative reproductive medicine for the better part of 25 years. When he looks at his studies as far as the number of successful full term pregnancies that he has, his success rate is about 65 to 70 percent success. And we need to take into consideration that where he lives, many of these women have already tried and failed IVF. So a 65 to 70 percent success rate is phenomenal, all things considered. For most modern places here in the US, if we are looking at IVF, for example, it takes three to four cycles of IVF before they can approach 65 percent success rate at pregnancy. And again, Even if we don't end up with a successful pregnancy in the long run, we are addressing those underlying health conditions and improving the health of the women and the clients that we serve in the process. Doctors like Dr. Boyle and others who are advancing this field are constantly looking at ways that we can improve our treatment techniques, that we can improve our diagnosis, and looking at all of the different factors that are playing a role with this, rather than just continuing to go forward with the same methods that may or may not be successful. Natural fertility care is rooted in evidence based medicine and we utilize cutting edge science to address the root cause of infertility in ways that align with your body's natural design. Myth number five, natural fertility care is just lifestyle advice. Now many people will dismiss natural approaches as little more than general advice, like eat better, or reduce stress, or try this supplement. Although we always will address these lifestyle advice pieces when it comes to treating your unique situation, we also utilize other therapies, like targeted supplements. for egg quality or sperm health or metabolic function. Treatment with prescription strength bioidentical hormones to address deficiencies like low progesterone or estradiol. Sometimes include surgical interventions to address conditions like endometriosis or blocked fallopian tubes. A woman that comes to me who may be struggling with recurrent miscarriages, I'm not going to just tell her to go home and relax or to turn off your stress switch. Although these things are helpful, we also need to evaluate what's the underlying cause. And most of the time, we find that she is deficient on either progesterone. Estradiol, or has a thyroid imbalance. And so we correct those pieces. We treat with bioidentical progesterone support at the time that's appropriate for the cycle. We address that thyroid imbalance and treat with either supplements that are needed to help restore thyroid function or prescription strength thyroid medications. Lifestyle adjustments are definitely a component of this, but it is absolutely not the sole focus. All of our treatments are tailored based on diagnostics, your actual lab findings, as well as what works best for you. Natural fertility care is much more than just lifestyle. It's personalized, individualized medical care in an entirely holistic focus, designed to heal, restore, and support your long term health. which will help to promote fertility if that's your intention. So let's recap these myths that we have debunked today. Number one, natural treatments can't fix infertility. False. Natural treatments will help address root causes and actually have just as good, if not better, outcomes compared to artificial reproductive technologies. Myth number two, only IVF or IUI can help you get pregnant, false. Natural approaches help to resolve the underlying issues and approach significant improvement when it comes to your chances of achieving a long term pregnancy. Number three, natural treatments take too long to work, false. This can often be faster. And more sustainable while we're addressing underlying health conditions, which is good for all parties involved. Number four, natural methods aren't scientific. Also false. Natural methods like restorative reproductive medicine are based on evidence and advanced diagnostics in a field that is continuing to publish research. And number five, natural fertility is just lifestyle advice. False. This is medical treatment backed by science. And while we incorporate lifestyle advice, we also are utilizing targeted, well studied treatments in order to make noticeable changes, not only with your lab results, but with your symptoms and what you're seeing on a daily basis. Natural fertility care isn't just about what you can't do. It's about empowering you with what's possible. Let's work with your body, not against it, to create the best outcomes for you and your future family. If you're feeling stuck or frustrated with conventional options, or if you've been referred to IVF or IUI as your only hope, Or maybe you just want to understand your body better. Consider exploring natural fertility care. Go to our website to work with our elite team of healthcare professionals. Check out radiantclinic. com to schedule a free discovery call with me and learn more about our package based pricing for comprehensive care. We are currently able to see people for in person appointments in our Cedar Rapids, Iowa clinic, or can arrange for a telehealth visit if you live in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and more states coming soon. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. Please share this podcast with someone in your life who would benefit from our services. Remember to subscribe to this podcast for more empowering content that I look forward to sharing with you on our next episode. Of cycle wisdom.