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Totally muffed by conflicting fertility information? It seems you’re not the only one. Patients quiz me every day as to what works and why. In a world of information overload, it’s easy to get yourself in a pickle – I mean who really knows what they are on about? And why is it that I’m saying something different to your GP or Fertility Specialist? And how do you keep sane in this world where Dr Google says one thing, your real life doctor another? Gather round my friends – here’s what I reckon…

Your General Practitioner may be doing a stellar job and you are more than happy with his/her advice. Excellent. I’m not here to argue and tell you to go on a path away from that, but what I am here to say is this – don’t get all cross and crazy at your GP when they aren’t answering your fertility questions because first and foremost, your GP is not a fertility specialist.

Unfortunately modern medicine doesn’t have a whole lot to offer on the fertility front pre IVF, and that’s not their (your GP’s) fault. However, Chinese Medicine does fertility very well with it’s ability to scout out the problem and recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach just won’t do. Let’s look at Clomid for example which I’ve talked extensively about here and here. Clomid is the first (and pretty much only) prescribed drug your GP will suggest to treat almost all fertility troubles (see, the one size fits all). There isn’t too much on offer between this and IVF or Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). And whilst there is a chance these methods will work, there is a larger chance that they won’t.

But, if we add a few other natural fertility tricks to the mix – suddenly the chances of conception increase – with or without Clomid. Suddenly it isn’t a one size fits all approach at all, but rather exploring why Clomid was/is necessary (or not necessary) in the first place. Trust me, it works.

Nothing will work better than pumping up your fertility and getting yourself healthy before embarking on the assisted conception route.

Another reason we don’t necessarily walk the same walk, is because many mainstream health professionals are geared at fixing illness – rather than a preventative approach. You might argue that a mammogram is an excellent form of detecting breast cancer – and I can’t disagree. A mammogram will indeed scan and scout out early breast cancer, a gift to many women – but what it doesn’t do is teach you to be pro-active from your early years, living a life that sets you up for better chances of breast cancer not developing at all.

Sure there is no guarantee, and some things are way out of our control, but there are so many things within our control, we need to learn to take the reigns. This pro-active approach means gaining knowledge and gearing toward wellness rather than fixing it once it’s broken. You see, if it never gets ‘broken’ it never needs ‘fixing.’

When we turn this to fertility, we can use the pill as an excellent example. Almost all women prescribed the pill were done so without little explanation of its long-term effects. You may have been lead to believe that it is in fact preventing your endometriosis from worsening and technically ‘protecting’ your fertility. Bottom line is, it isn’t fixing the problem. In fact, once you stop taking it, the issue is there and often ten times worse. Addressing the issue long before it is a huge problem is my approach. It may take a little time but the long term wellness and preservation of fertility far outweighs short-term fixes.

Sometimes we just need to keep it simple. Simple works.

Sadly, we’re living in a world where the rates of infertility continue to escalate, shifting our mindset and seeing us look past the obvious. We can be forgiven for wanting to jump straight in the deep end – why would we want to waste precious time? However, spending quality time and effort on getting the body fertile is crucial in successful pregnancies. As precious as time is, it is never ever wasted when it comes to sweeping out the cobwebs and gearing toward a more fertile you – that’s actually a huge investment not just for your reproductive self but for your entire being.

My outlook on medication may also differ from your GP’s. Absolutely Clomid might gear you toward ovulation, but it will dry out your fertile mucus making it very difficult for the sperm to get to the end destination. Just as the pill can be some women’s saviour, it can also be a curse when it comes to fertility, you might like to read all about that here. I’ve talked plenty on the pill, and infertility – it can have a terrible affect on hormones, implantation, pregnancy, birth right down to the temperament of the baby.

Fortunately, I have a swag full of tricks that can be applied prior to making your precious bundle to prevent the unwanted. Your GP can’t necessarily offer you this because modern medicine simply isn’t geared this way.

There are however, some wonderful things that modern medicine can offer. Many women would not have the opportunity to have children if it wasn’t for the marvel of IVF. The ability to answer questions (via laparoscopys and testing) can provide a wealth of information to me as a practitioner to support a couple and increase fertility.

So how do I know what I’m doing is worth it? The proof is in the pudding. The methods we use in the clinic and those that I talk about in my first upcoming e-book have been tried and tested over almost 10 years – and we now know what works and why. One thing your GP and I will stand together on is that preservation of youth is the key to fertility – and finding exactly what works for each individual is the key to success.