Denise and Michael came to us to understand how to increase their fertility as they prepared for another round of IVF. I worked with them at the AH Fertility clinic which is where I have been super busy working under the lovely Angela Heap for the past few years.
They had been on a long and very stressful journey after having one failed round of IVF and then a missed miscarriage at 10 weeks after a second round of IVF which then resulted in two rounds of surgery. Understandably they were both feeling very anxious about what would happen next time.
When they reached out to us Denise wanted to know something we get asked a lot, how can I boost my fertility? They wanted to do everything in their power to prepare their bodies for their next round of IVF to increase their chances of getting pregnant and staying pregnant this time round.
Denise had been diagnosed with PCOS and had painful periods every month. Her GP recommended the contraceptive implant to prevent ovulation and remove her monthly bleed. She had the implant for 9 years in total. She was told getting pregnant would be hard.
Denise also suffered from severe IBS of the constipation type. In the past, her constipation was so bad she was admitted to hospital after five weeks had passed without a bowel movement. She relied on medication, Dulcolax, for a daily bowel movement and needed 4 tablets every day. Denise suffered from regular flatulence and bloating, as well as joint pain, acne and anxiety, which are all associated with gut imbalances.
Michael had reduced sensation from the waist down due to a footballing accident which reduced their chances of getting pregnant naturally. Although his sperm analysis results were okay, a subsequent sperm DNA Fragmentation test showed his sperm were outside of the range for natural conception and IVF. Their IVF clinic suggested they would require ICSI to be able to conceive given all these factors.
We worked on reducing inflammation in their bodies by making changes to their diet and lifestyle. Inflammation in the body can affect sperm and egg quality and can come from a bad diet high in sugar and processed foods, and low in vegetables, fruit, good-quality protein and fibre. It can also come from prolonged stress or an inability to manage our response to stressful situations, over-exercising and poor sleep.
An anti-inflammatory diet was introduced for both Denise and Michael with the focus being high-quality protein from meat, fish, and eggs, with plenty of healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, seeds, and oily fish. These, combined with a substantially increased intake of vegetables and fruit from all the colours of the rainbow, helped to provide essential nutrients to lower inflammation and support optimal egg and sperm quality. They both cut out processed food and reduced their sugar intake massively. For Denise we added in a high dose of magnesium, some herbal tea each day to help move the bowels and two kiwis for breakfast each day. Within two months she was able to have a bowel movement every day without any medication. We also added several supplements to help support optimal egg and sperm quality and to prepare Denise’s body for implantation and pregnancy. These were tailored to the results of a set of blood test results, and vaginal microbiome analysis, that we require all clients to take when they work with us.
Both were understandably stressed from their fertility journey to date and Denise had also suffered from anxiety for a long time. This had reached an all-time high as they prepared for another round of IVF. She found it hard to relax and had become exhausted from trying to do everything within her power to help the next round of IVF work. This resulted in weekly appointments for reflexology and acupuncture and a constant drive to seek advice from social media and Google, which they found conflicting!
We encouraged them to stop Googling and take a break from their phones and screens in the evening to make time for calming activities to support the mind and body like meditation and yoga. They both found the Sensate device we recommended extremely helpful in reducing their response to stress and both felt the benefits of improved sleep.
After two cancelled IVF cycles, they tried naturally after the second trigger injection and fell pregnant!! Miracle baby Jace was born nine months later without the need to go through any more IVF, which the couple were elated about.
