77. Beyond the Myths: IVF and ART vs. Restorative Reproductive Medicine

Discover the truth behind common myths about IVF and artificial reproductive technologies (ART). In this episode, Dr. Monica Minjeur explores the risks, limitations, and alternatives to IVF, highlighting the benefits of restorative reproductive medicine. Learn how addressing root causes can improve fertility naturally and empower couples to achieve long-term reproductive health. Tune in to gain valuable insights and take control of your fertility journey.

Transcript

Monica: 0:00

Before we jump into the episode today, I just want to share some exciting news with you. We have been expanding our medical services into multiple different states across the U. S. I'm pleased to share that we can now provide telehealth visits if you live in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, And Connecticut. We also are always adding on new states. So if you are looking for someone to care for you in a way that promotes your health and long term fertility, please come check us out. If you've been a longtime listener and you have friends or family that are in some of those states that need this kind of care, please send them our way. We would love the opportunity to chat with them more. And now onto the episode. 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 are listening today. On today's episode, we're going to tackle four common myths about IVF and ART, or artificial reproductive technologies. We're going to explore the risks and limitations and highlight instead how natural fertility methods can play a role. When it comes to infertility, many couples are told that IVF or other assisted reproductive technologies are their only hope. But is that really true? Are these methods as successful and risk free as they're often portrayed? Let's start off with myth number one. IVF is the only solution for infertility. Many couples struggling to conceive are often told that IVF is their only option. Now, there are a myriad of reasons why they may be told this, but the reality is that there are many infertility issues, like hormone imbalance, ovulatory dysfunction, or even structural problems, that can be addressed instead through restorative reproductive medicine. Through lifestyle interventions. or through targeted medical treatments. For example, if a woman is dealing with PCOS, we need to address the underlying insulin resistance if that's playing a role. In many cases, we need to get ovulation occurring naturally again. It's really challenging to get pregnant if you're not even ovulating. And so by helping the body to ovulate more regularly, we significantly increase the chances of success with a pregnancy. For women that are dealing with luteal phase defects, this can often be found when we see that there are low progesterone levels in the second half of the cycle after ovulation. And so in those cases, we want to support progesterone production, whether that's through lifestyle changes, whether that's through a prescription strength medication, but ultimately being able to address that underlying defect. in order to help improve success not only with achieving a pregnancy, but with implantation and allowing the prevention of miscarriage as well. IVF doesn't address things that may require surgical evaluation. Whether that's endometriosis or blocked tubes or scar tissue, those things need to be addressed. And once we address those issues, we're able to go on to have subsequent pregnancies without relying on these artificial technologies. So ultimately, IVF is not the only solution, and more importantly, it should not be the first option. Many couples are able to conceive naturally with the right diagnosis and treatment plan. Myth number two, IVF and artificial reproductive technologies are always successful. IVF is often portrayed as a guaranteed way to have a baby. The reality is that IVF success rates vary vastly depending upon many factors like age, underlying health conditions, egg quality, and the facility that's actually performing these techniques. For women under the age of 35, the success rate for IVF is about 40 50 percent per cycle. However, this number drops significantly for older women. And once a woman is above the age of 43, success rate per cycle falls to a very, very low rate, usually around 10 15 percent per cycle. or less. There are many factors that can influence success, as I mentioned, including hormone health, egg and sperm quality, as well as the receptivity of the uterus. If we don't address those root causes, it can lead to ongoing failed cycles where IVF is not successful whatsoever. This comes along with a significant financial and emotional toll of multiple failed IVF cycles, which can be very overwhelming for couples. I have dealt with many women in my practice who have gone through unsuccessful IVF cycles before finding restorative methods. In those cases, we oftentimes are able to find a treatable underlying cause and go on to correct that cause and then have success with a pregnancy, even if there's been multiple failed IUI or IVF cycles. So IVF isn't always successful, and addressing underlying issues first can improve your chances of achieving a pregnancy naturally. Myth number three. Artificial reproductive technologies are the fastest way to get pregnant. IVF is often marketed as a quick fix for infertility, but the reality is that IVF cycles may take months of preparation, medications, retrievals, financial planning, and embryo transfers. If a first cycle is unsuccessful, additional cycles oftentimes add on more time. Compare that to restorative methods. These can take 6 to 12 months to address root causes, but they often lead to more sustainable outcomes, not only with a woman's overall health, but also with her menstrual health and fertility. This allows us to repeat what we have done for treatments for subsequent pregnancies without as much lead time the next time around. Restorative methods also are addressing a healthier pregnancy and decreasing your chance of miscarriage. So even if you get pregnant with IVF, but you haven't corrected underlying hormonal or thyroid or anatomic abnormalities, you still carry that increased risk of miscarriage. So addressing those things in advance is so critical, not only to getting pregnant, but to staying pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy with a healthy baby in the end. While IVF may seem faster or be marketed as a quick fix, the process can be quite lengthy, as well as emotionally and financially draining. While root cause treatments do take time as well, this instead leads to lasting long term improvements in overall health as well as fertility. Myth number four, in vitro fertilization has no risks or downsides. IVF is often marketed as a safe and straightforward process. However, it does come with some potential risks and things that I have seen in my practice of women who have gone through IVF before coming to find us. One of the most common things that we see as a risk factor is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. This is a potentially dangerous complication from fertility medications, especially when they are used at higher and higher dosages for a long period of time. If you are going through an egg retrieval process, there are surgical risks involved with this. It is a surgical procedure that requires some great skill, and there are always inherent risks possible with surgery. In some cases, there's also an increased risk of multiple pregnancies, which can be associated with additional complications. On top of this, there is a significant financial burden. One cycle of IVF often costs tens of thousands of dollars, oftentimes without guarantees of success, which can create significant financial stress for families. There's also the emotional strain, pressure, anxiety, and grief that oftentimes accompany IVF cycles. In some women, they feel guilt for just not being able to conceive naturally, and this can carry with them for a long time. There are also ongoing studies looking at long term concerns, linking potential risks for babies conceived through artificial reproductive technologies, including a slightly higher likelihood of certain health issues. Whether it's asthma, or mental health, or reproductive concerns themselves, we still don't know all of the long term consequences of children that have been conceived through artificial reproductive technologies. So the key takeaway here is that IVF is not without risks. Physical, emotional, and financial, and it's so important to weigh these risks carefully and explore all your options before deciding. So just to recap, myth number one, IVF is the only solution for infertility. This is false. There are many underlying issues that can be treated naturally through restorative reproductive medicine techniques. Myth number two, IVF and artificial reproductive technology are always successful. False. Success rates vary significantly depending upon age as well as many other factors, and failure is quite common. Myth number three. Artificial reproductive technologies are the fastest way to get pregnant. False. Root cause treatments may be quicker in the long run and provide ongoing long term reproductive health. And myth number four. IVF has no risks or downsides. Also false. There are significant physical, emotional, and financial risks to consider when you are looking at your long term fertility. Whether you have been told that IVF is your only option as far as getting pregnant, or whether you're just learning about restorative reproductive medicine, I want you to know that we want to empower you to address those root causes, to take charge of your fertility journey, to improve your health, and promote your chances long term. of natural pregnancy. If you're struggling with infertility and feeling pressured to pursue IVF, know that there are alternatives. Restorative reproductive medicine can help you uncover and address the root cause of your struggles. If you're ready to work with our elite team of healthcare professionals, go to our website, 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, Wisconsin, Michigan, Connecticut, 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.