When I see a patient for a consultation, their story looks something like this (while all cases are different these are some common themes I have noticed):
I started trying to conceive naturally a very long time ago, and it did not result in a healthy pregnancy for me.
I went to the Fertility Clinic and they did all sorts of tests and was diagnosed with [insert condition here, OR unexplained infertility]
We tried a IUI/IVF and it did not work
What are the next steps now?
Do you keep doing the same treatment over and over and hope for a different outcome? Some patients have been told by their fertility doctor that after their first failed IVF it can take up to an average of 5 IVFs to successfully conceive. So they come and ask me, "Is there anything else I can do?"
The reality is that you have two choices when you are faced with a failed IVF or IUI cycle and want to continue trying to conceive. You either do your own research online and see what else you can do to support your fertility outcomes or you go seek help from a professional.
Those that end up doing their own research and trying at-home treatments to increase their chances of either conceiving naturally or with IVF are, unfortunately, most likely setting themselves up for another unsuccessful cycle. The reason is quite simple, most advice you find on the internet is not based on scientific evidence and is obtained from questionable sources. Moreover, the treatments/supplements which are recommended online have been found to have two major flaws in recently published research papers:
up to 83% of the supplements that are marketed for male fertility have no scientific evidence to show that they work and no scientific evidence to support that they are actually safe to use during fertility treatments
A new research paper published in 2020 evaluated fertility supplements in a particular market and found that around 80% of supplements marketed for Male Fertility, that actually had the correct ingredients, contained concentrations of active ingredients that were incredibly deficient and well below the minimum effective dose (based on current research). Meaning the dose of the ingredients in these supplements would have no benefit.
In fact, patients bring in their supplements, sometimes prescribed by Fertility Clinics, and I will show them the research on why the concentrations in their supplements are sometimes only 10% of the minimum effective dose. Just like that, the majority of supplements marketed on the internet are set up to fail. Not only do you lose the money you spent on those supplements, but we do not even know if it was safe for you to use in the first place, meaning it may do more harm than good for fertility.
The patients that come to see me have one advantage when working with me to prepare for their next fertility cycle. We only use formulated supplements specific to their condition with ingredients that have strong scientific evidence for their intended use and benefit, and at the correct dose. This skips over all the guess-work you may have to do and fast forwards you to starting a treatment which has a much better chance of helping you, with a better understood safety profile. Fast-tracking your treatment like this can save you TIME, arguably the most valuable asset when it comes to infertility treatments.
This article is in no way a replacement for medical advice or medical care, it is advised that anyone concerned about their Health should speak with their Naturopathic Doctor.