Fertility Part 3- The role of Functional Pathology

Many people just try and 'hope for the best' when it comes to their fertility.  You can have a blood test taken with your local GP, which unfortunately tells you pretty much nothing about the actual functionality of your organs. You might be 'trying' for a couple of months (or years) before attempting to find out if everything works. 

Before you try IVF, there are many ways Natural Medicine can assist you to find what the cause might be of yours or your partner's infertility.

According to Angela Hywood, founder of Tonic Australia, functional pathology provides us with a far deeper understanding of factors involved with individual cases of infertility. Recent research has linked subfertility and infertility to environmental toxicity, heavy metal exposure and xenoestrogen ingestion, amongst other factors.

 What tests are available?

Adrenal Hormone Profile- tests your cortisol and DHEA at specific times of the day, to give an accurate depiction of your adrenal function.

I touched upon it in previous posts- stress can wreak havoc on your menstrual cycle, and affect the viability of sperm. Why? Because stress can cause inflammation. Inflammation causes oxidative damage (this is why antioxidants are important).

In males, oxidative damage can affect the fertilising potential of sperm, and the sperm's ability to form a healthy embryo. 

Who would've thought this could then lead to a risk of miscarriage or health issues in the baby? A lot of people are shocked to find out, that's for sure!

Many women blame themselves for the infertility, however, males make up 50% of the subfertility or infertile cases, I kid you not.

Baseline Hormone Profile

Females: This tests your Oestrogen (all types E1, 2 and 3), progesterone, testosterone & DHEA-S

Males: This tests your  Oestrogen (E1 and E2), testosterone, DHEA-S and Cortisol

The baseline hormonal profile gives accurate and valuable information about your hormonal status. If you have recently gained weight, have mood swings, disturbed sleep, loss of libido, anxiety or depression, you may find a huge benefit having this test!

Female Hormone Profile- Full cycle/Luteal Phase

By measuring different hormones on specific days of your menstrual cycle, it gives an insight into imbalances that may be affecting ovulation, endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovaries, PMS, irregular periods, or a history of miscarriage. 

Women are told it is 'normal' to have pain, heavy bleeding and feel terrible when they have their period. Yes, these symptoms are common, however, a 'normal' period (when you have balancd hormones) is actually pain free and PMS doesn't even enter your radar...*Gasp*

Comprehensive Urine Elements Profile

Assesses the urinary excretion of 15 nutrients and 20 toxic metals which may reveal the need for detoxification and correction of deficiencies. 
 
Toxins such as glue, volatile solvents or silicones, chemical dusts, and pesticides have been linked to infertility. (Think twice before taking that job in the mines!)

Smokers are 60% more likely to be infertile than non-smokers, not to mention an increased risk of ALL cancers. Certainly not something you'd like your baby to inherit!

Thyroid Hormone Profile

The thyroid is responsible for metabolism.The thyroid hormone profile is different to the one your doctor might send you off for. This tests levels of TSH, free T4 and free T3, which give a true indication of your metabolic rate.

Underactive thyroid is extremely common in women, attributing to weight gain, fatigue, constipation, dry skin and hair and depression. You might have more frequent (sooner than every 28 days), heavier bleeding with clots and painful periods.

An overactive thyroid is less common and has symptoms such as rapid heart rate, anxiety, frequent bowel movements, weight loss despite increased appetite and heart palpitations. You may have scanty (light spotting) or irregular periods (irregular ovulation or no ovulation at all).

Hormones tend to work in a 'one out, all out' fashion, so it is valuable to have the tests done if you feel you are out of balance. The sooner, the better!

Stay tuned for the next post :)


  

    

 

 

Fertility tips for girls and guys

Ways to Improve Your Fertility – info for both partners. (It takes 2 to tango!)

1   In the last post I touched upon being aware of your menstrual cycle. It takes a few cycles to get the hang of it, but there’s a few ways you can consciously keep track of where you’re up to. The sooner you know when you’re most fertile, the easier it is to achieve (or avoid) pregnancy. 
 
     The Billings Method – More info here
The cervix produces mucus that changes significantly throughout your cycle (thick, slippery, milky etc.). By staying aware, noticing changes in mucus give an indication of what I like to refer to as ‘tiger territory’. The thinner, more slippery, egg white looking mucus means you are in ‘tiger territory’. If you want to be pregnant, now is your time! If you don’t want to be pregnant, use some form of contraception, or wait until the mucus changes again (usually takes around 3-5 days). 
 
Temperature method- Your basal body temperature is your temperature when you're fully at rest. Ovulation may cause a slight increase in basal body temperature. You'll be most fertile during the two to three days before your temperature rises. By tracking your basal body temperature each day, you may be able to predict when you'll ovulate. In turn, this may help you determine when you're most likely to conceive.If you're hoping to get pregnant, you can use the basal body temperature method to determine the best days to have sex. Similarly, if you're hoping to avoid pregnancy, you can use the basal body temperature method to determine which days to avoid unprotected sex. 

NB: Temperature need to be taken upon waking each morning, before you get out of bed. Using this method may not be effective if you suffer from thyroid irregularities. 

The egg is only viable for 12 hours. The sperm can survive for around 3-5 days in the female reproductive tract. So there is no real use in waiting until the day of peak fertility to have sex. You are best to start trying at the first sign of mucus change. Please note here- if your partner has low sperm count, it is best to ‘save’ ejaculation until the most fertile time so the highest amount of sperm are available for fertilisation.

2    Eat more antioxidants- every 120 days, the reproductive cells renew. Why not try and have the healthiest sperm and egg available to fertilise? This blog has a great explanation on how epigenetics work. Antioxidants are not only essential to producing happy, healthy sperm & eggs, but also to help protect them as they make their journey to fertilisation. Studies have shown women who have high intake of fruit & vegetables tend to have more antioxidants in the fluid surrounding the reproductive organs. Some good food choices are: Pomegranate (fresh or juice), Acai, Chia seeds, Watermelon, Dragonfruit, Pineapple, Berries, Tomatoes, Avocadoes, Parsley, and Kale. (Aim to make half your plate raw food and rainbow in colour!)

3   Sleep more, and stress less- the nervous system governs all other systems in your body. If you are constantly in a stressed state, your body thinks it needs to run away from a big bad wolf/job/person. It prioritises the muscles and brain, and takes the blood flow away from digestive and reproductive organs. The body thinks ‘no way are you going to ovulate if there are so many big bad wolves around!’. There is cortisol and adrenaline floating around in your bloodstream from being so stressed during the day, you might fall into bed exhausted, but you can’t sleep. You feel fatigued no matter how much sleep you are getting, because you simply aren’t getting true rest day or night. If this is you, some changes need to be made. See below.

4     Practice mindfulness-  
     A lot can be said for positive thoughts and visualisation. I have been pleasantly shown many times the amazing calmness a few long, deep breaths can bring. If you can find time to stress/think about anything, you have time to be mindful and breathe!
Take the time for you whenever you get the chance. Each time you sit down to eat, take the time to chew your food, taste it, feel it, take notice of it, breathe. Each time you get into your car, turn off the music and breathe. Take notice of your heartbeat as you feel your belly and lungs fill with air and life. As you exhale, let go of worries about the past and future, and simply be in the present moment. 
There are many yoga classes available in your local area, which will almost always begin and end with some form of conscious, mindful breathing and meditation. Make the effort for yourself and those who you share your life with.

The 3^rd, and final blog post of this series on fertility will focus on functional pathology, and how one might benefit from having their hormones tested.

FOUR

I’ve seen it time and time again. Someone goes on the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) for their skin as a teenager, conveniently becomes a use for contraception, and they don’t stop taking it until they find ‘the one’ and want to have babies 10-15 years later.

For some, they will fall pregnant almost instantly. For others, especially the ones who have been on higher oestrogen doses (E.g. Brands like Jasmin, Dianne, Estelle, Jaz) it can take a lot longer to find their fertility again.

Ask your doctor. They will say it is safe to continuously take the pill for long periods of time. How many of you were informed about the common risks and side-effects of having your own perfectly working hormones suppressed by a drug?

What’s so bad you say? It prevents an unwanted pregnancy. Yes, and there are so many alternatives to avoiding pregnancy that work. It just takes some mindful body awareness. Getting to know your body and your cycle, should, in my opinion, be taught in primary school, around the time when girls are beginning to menstruate. It is not yucky, it is a cycle that should be honoured and rejoiced as a pathway into womanhood. It is unfortunate in our society such sacred cycles of life are taboo and considered an inconvenience.

Short-term effects of the pill might include-

Nausea

Headaches/Migraines

Bloating

Weight gain

Breast tenderness

Feeling very emotional (crying a lot more than usual)

Impaired glucose tolerance- ever felt ‘hangry’ (hungry + angry)? This might be due to your body not being able to uptake glucose as effectively as usual. The pill can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose and insulin. The result? Hungry, tired, possibly hangry ladies.

What can the pill do if taken long-term?

Nutrient deficiencies- Numerous deficiencies tend to occur, mainly because the pill requires so many extra nutrients in order to be metabolised. Common deficiencies are Magnesium (many headache sufferers are low in Magnesium), Zinc (part of glucose tolerance factor), Vitamin B3, B6, B12 (all essential for energy production and maintaining healthy blood). Can you see some common links here?

High prolactin levels- prolactin is a hormone secreted in the brain. It stimulates mammary gland development during pregnancy readying the breast for milk production. This is good if you’re a breastfeeding mother. Not so good if you are trying to conceive. High prolactin levels can prevent ovulation. Without ovulation, there is no egg to be fertilised. Prolactin also opposes the hormone dopamine. Dopamine is one of our ‘feel good’ hormones. Low levels of dopamine are often associated with PMS-D (depression). High prolactin levels have also been associated with decreased libido in both males and females.

Increased amount of circulating inflammatory markers- when the body is inflamed, the immune system is constantly on guard. It is ready to attack. The body is very smart. It essentially prioritises certain body systems to conserve the rest. For example- If the immune system is in overdrive, the reproductive system gets less blood flow. The body believes it needs to attack, so it may halter the reproductive system while it continues defending the rest of the body. This is merely ONE possible effect from high amounts of circulating inflammatory markers. Often this type of inflammation can cause such non-specific symptoms, that it may not be diagnosed as anything apart from tiredness or just feeling a bit bleh. Long –term effects of inflammation could certainly be linked to some types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney , liver and thyroid disorders.

(These are just a few possible long-term effects that I feel are most relevant to fertility. There are so many more on the list!)

Now for the part I feel everyone needs to know. I was warned about it when I stopped taking the pill in my early 20’s.

It may make or break your current relationship.

Sounds strange, but let me explain.

Boy meets girl. You were on the pill for contraception. Your hormones were being suppressed. You were ok with that because you wanted to avoid pregnancy.

Years later, for whatever reason you decide to come off the pill. You start to feel great, you lose weight, you sleep better and wake more refreshed. You don’t feel hung over after just one glass of red, and you haven’t had a headache in ages!

BUT…

Your partner starts seeing you differently. He says ‘you’ve changed’. Because you’re feeling so good, you think this statement is a good thing right?

Your body chemistry changes when you are on/off the pill. The difference between having somewhat balanced hormones or suppressed ones, can be the maker or breaker. 

Your partner may love the new you, and you go on, have babies without an issue.

Others, well let’s just say it just doesn’t work out. The sparkle doesn’t happen anymore. The attraction leaves and no babies are made!

Then, I think there are the others, where they stay together happily, but the pill has messed up the woman’s hormones so much, it takes what feels like an eternity to get her fertility back. If at all. Serious sad face. 

This is Part One in a series of blogs on fertility. Subscribe to find out more!