82. Rethink Your Fertility Options: Better Outcomes & Lower Cost with RRM

 Struggling to get pregnant and feeling like IUI or IVF is your only option? In this episode, Dr. Monica breaks down Radiant Clinic’s Fertility Package, a root-cause approach that has helped couples conceive naturally—without unnecessary medications or procedures. Learn how hormone monitoring, cycle tracking, and personalized care can optimize fertility and lead to higher live birth rates than IVF, all with less cost and complications. Plus, hear Paige’s inspiring journey from infertility struggles to holding her baby in her arms. Don’t miss this game-changing conversation to help you learn more about the power of Restorative Reproductive Medicine!  

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 are listening today. You've been trying for months, maybe even years, to get pregnant. You've been told, just relax, try IVF. Or, there's no real reason it's not happening. Or maybe even go try and adopt, that will get you pregnant. But deep down, you know something is missing. What if the answer isn't more expensive treatments, but actually understanding your body? Today I'm going to break down our fertility package that we offer through Radiant Clinic. This is a science backed root cause approach that has helped many couples go from infertility struggles to holding their babies in their arms. No unnecessary medications, no bypassing the problem, just real solutions that work. And it's not just a theory. Make sure to stay tuned until the end of this episode because I'm going to share our overall success with live birth rates and talk about how our outcomes are better and at a lower cost than IUI or IVF with lower rates of miscarriage, decreased twin pregnancies, and lower chances of preterm birth. We're starting off today with the story of one couple who was told that IVF was their only option until they found another way working together with us. I'd like to introduce you to Paige. She was 32 years old when she came to see us, and for the last three years, she and her husband had tried everything to get pregnant. Month after month, negative test after negative test, she began to feel like her body was broken. Her OB told her that her best way forward was with IVF. But after doing the math, she realized that they would need to spend at least 15, 000 per cycle with no guarantee of success. She and her husband were crushed. IVF felt financially and emotionally overwhelming. But they were most frustrated that no one could explain why she wasn't getting pregnant in the first place. It felt like her doctors were skipping over an important step, understanding what was wrong. Then Paige found our clinic. And from her very first appointment, she told me that something felt different. Instead of pushing her towards more expensive procedures, we took a deep dive into her health, running tests that no one had ever checked before, and what we found explained everything. In Paige's situation, we found low progesterone during her luteal phase. So in the second half of her cycle, this was making it very challenging for a fertilized egg to implant and that placenta to set up shop from the early stages of pregnancy. We also uncovered insulin resistance, which can impact ovulation and egg quality. And we also found thyroid dysfunction, which can make conception and a healthy pregnancy more difficult, as well as cause a myriad of health symptoms. Instead of jumping into procedures, we focused on fixing these root cause diagnoses that we had now identified. So for Paige, we taught her how to track her actual fertility biomarkers. We utilized the chart neo app, and that's included in the fertility package. This allowed us to pinpoint her ovulation more precisely since her blood work showed that Paige's progesterone was too low. After ovulation, we started her on bioidentical progesterone support. We continued to monitor those levels every cycle to make sure that not only was progesterone in a normal range for the labs, but that it was optimized to ensure the best chances of success with pregnancy. Paige didn't realize that her blood sugar and insulin levels were impacting her fertility, but after seeing her lab results, we made simple changes in order to address insulin resistance. Like having her work with a dietician, adding in certain supplements to help improve insulin sensitivity, and making sure that we were helping to time her activity and movement at times like after her meals to avoid blood sugar spikes. We also carefully treated her thyroid dysfunction in a way that would help to restore her overall thyroid health while implementing some changes that meant that we were also improving her long term health beyond just fertility. And finally, we watched ultrasound monitoring and completed follicle ultrasound tracking in order to confirm that she was actually ovulating with our interventions rather than just assuming and hoping for the best. After four months of targeted treatment, Paige began noticing shifts. Her cycles were more predictable, her energy levels improved, and for the first time in years, she felt hopeful. And then the day came that she got a positive pregnancy test, and she couldn't believe it. No IVF, no IUI, no other unnecessary interventions other than that which was supporting a naturally conceived pregnancy. We continued to monitor her hormone levels closely during pregnancy, adjusting her supplements and medications as needed to prevent miscarriage and preterm birth. And she officially graduated from our program nine months after that, holding her healthy baby boy in her arms. Paige's story isn't unique. We see it happen all the time. Couples are told that IVF is their only option, when in reality, the missing piece is understanding their bodies and figuring out the root cause. And that's what makes our fertility package completely different. If you've ever felt like your doctor is just throwing band aids at your fertility struggles, our approach is going to feel like a breath of fresh air. First of all, I don't believe in a one size fits all approach and that's what allows our package of fertility evaluation to give personalized, evidence based care over the course of roughly 18 to 24 months. Because fertility isn't just about improving your menstrual cycles or ovulation. It's about understanding what's going on on both sides of the equation, looking at the female factor, looking at the male factor, and looking at what happens when those pieces come together. So we start off with comprehensive medical supervision, and that's really the core of this package. We start off with an hour long initial consultation to get your full health picture, and then follow that up with additional evaluations with me and appointments, typically four to five times over the course of a year, for adjustments, next steps, monitoring labs, and everything you need in between. We also include email and text and phone call access between those visits to ensure that you're supported and make sure that you know that you're on the right track for what you are supposed to be doing. We also include with this fertility package all of the baseline as well as monthly labs needed to track your progress. So no more fighting with your insurance company about if a lab should be covered or how often you can get it done or what's the diagnosis code that you need to utilize. All of our labs are included when you are using one of our certified labs. If you're unable to use one of our certified labs, we'll work together with you to find a fit that makes sense for you. We also include follicle ultrasound tracking scans, and this is really critical because oftentimes people get an ultrasound scan done that looks at the anatomy but doesn't ensure that your follicle is actually releasing an egg each cycle. So it's important to make sure that that follicle appears to be normal, is the correct size, and does appear to be releasing an egg each cycle. We also add on a Support with a dietitian or a health coach because what you eat and how you move and your lifestyle make a huge difference in what you are able to see as far as changes from a hormonal and fertility standpoint. Additionally, we add in the cost of the Chart Neo app for cycle tracking so that you're not paying anything for that. In addition to access to high quality supplements with a discount through our preferred vendors. The other big important piece here is that we include everything that's needed for pregnancy and hormone monitoring throughout your subsequent pregnancy. Because many women have troubles getting pregnant and there's hormone dysfunction, that hormone dysfunction doesn't necessarily go away just because you're pregnant. So we want to continue to monitor your hormone levels throughout pregnancy to ensure a healthy and successful full term pregnancy. This matters because this isn't just getting a doctor's appointment. You get a full team working together to optimize your fertility month after month with changes and adjustments made in real time based on what we're seeing with your cycles. Now most couples assume that IVF is their only option when they struggle to conceive. But did you know that the average live birth rate per IVF cycle is only about 20 30%? And that's if everything goes perfectly. Instead, our approach focuses on correcting the underlying issues. often leading to pregnancy without invasive procedures. So, let's break down the numbers just a little bit. When we look at the comparison of live birth rate, it's really important to know that IVF success rate, again, is about 20 30 percent per cycle. And this varies widely based on a patient's age, as well as the clinic that they're at. So, for example, a nearby clinic that does IVF to us, Says that they have about a 25 to 30 percent rate per cycle of pregnancy. However, they don't always report the live birth rate. And this is why it's really important to differentiate that because nobody wants a pregnancy that ends in miscarriage. The thing that's really important is to track those live birth rates. And so you can go online and there is. Data that you can evaluate to see what is the center closest to you? What are their success rates? What's the national success rates? And this website is SART, S A R T And that's the Society for Artificial Reproductive Technologies And they report success rates for IVF and you can break that down and look per cycle You can break that down and look per age of the woman You can also even break that down and look per diagnosis if there is a diagnosis And so you'll see that across the board, when we look at the most recent data that's been reported nationwide in 2022, the average success rate for IVF across the board in the entire United States was about 52 percent and that was of multiple cycles. When you compare those success rates to our success at Radiant Clinic, again, we always report live birth data. Now, we do still track miscarriages. We do still track all pregnancies because that's important data. But when we look at success rates for us, we are reporting live birth rate. And for couples that stay with our program for at least six months, our current rolling average 70 percent and that is successful Live birth rates. Higher cumulative success rates happen over time because we're fixing the root cause. We are not bypassing it. Our average age for most couples is somewhere around 35 to 37 years of age, but our oldest couple that we have helped to successfully conceive at this time is 44 years old. So this is not just saying we're working with super young couples, this is not just saying we're working with the super easy cases, and oftentimes our clients have already tried and failed IUI or IVF. So it's not just the people that are coming in that haven't tried anything, it's also these more complicated cases. As I mentioned previously, we also track any concerns as far as risks during pregnancies. So when we track our miscarriage rates, we actually have less than half of miscarriage rate compared to the national average. We have less than half of the national average for preterm birth and for twin gestations. So again, by correcting these underlying problems, we not only have better outcomes compared to IVF, but we have better outcomes than even national averages because we are helping to correct the underlying root cause of what's going on with the fertility concerns, which also impacts the hormonal changes and the overall health of mom, which improves that pregnancy. Another important factor when it comes to comparing the numbers is of course cost. Now the average cost of IVF per cycle ranges anywhere from 12 to 20, 000. per cycle. And again, remember that oftentimes it can require multiple cycles in order to conceive because we only have about a 20 to 30 percent success rate per cycle. The average cost right now of IUI ranges somewhere between 500 to 1, 500 per cycle in addition to lab costs and oftentimes the cost of the physician who's performing the procedure. In contrast, our package at the time of this recording is 9, 000 and that is for overall 18 months of comprehensive root cause focused care in order to try and help you conceive. Again, that also includes the additional time of pregnancy where we're monitoring the hormone levels and making sure that levels stay optimal in order to reduce and keep that very low chance of miscarriage. Reduce your risk of twin pregnancy as well as reduce that risk of preterm birth and other pregnancy complications Let's talk a little bit as far as the downsides of IVF and I know that we've addressed this in other podcast episodes But again, it's expensive. It often requires multiple rounds And IVF typically does have a higher risk of multiple gestations, higher risks of miscarriage, preterm birth, and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, meaning you have way too much hormone exposure. All of this in addition to the emotional strain, the financial strain. And we are still not fixing the root cause of infertility with IVF. This means that you may still struggle with future pregnancies and other health problems that weren't corrected by digging deeper. Our approach works because we work to restore your fertility in a way that helps to promote natural conception. We monitor your progress every month to make real time adjustments with your prescription strength medications, with supplements, with lifestyle changes, in a way that works together with your unique situation. And again, we continue to support your pregnancy beyond conception, ensuring optimal hormone balance throughout your entire pregnancy for best outcomes for mom and baby. If you've been told that IVF is your only option, but you haven't had a full root cause workup, it is time for a second opinion. Go check out our website, radiantclinic. com, for more information on our fertility package and learn how we can support you on your journey. From our website, you can also book a free discovery call today to learn if our approach is right for you. Because your body deserves to be understood. If you're ready to stop guessing, start healing, and take control of your fertility journey, our team is here for you. We don't just help you to get pregnant, we help you to stay pregnant and thrive throughout the journey with best health. And the best part? It's all done more naturally, without the high costs, risks, and heartache of IVF. Your fertility story isn't over yet. Let's write a new chapter together. 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, Florida, Texas, and more 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.