Trying (or struggling) to get pregnant? Integrative fertility care will look different depending on what stage of the fertility journey a patient is in. Whether you are planning on a baby in the future, currently trying for one, or have been trying for a while with no success, there are many providers out there to help.

I will be the first to say that OBGYNs and reproductive endocrinologists are amazing at what they do, and are often an essential part of the care team. Where integrative medicine shines is helping to ensure that the parent-to-be is, as a whole, as healthy as they can be while on this journey. Whether it is your first child or fifth, optimizing your health before baby is one of the greatest investments you can ever make!

The workup for fertility care will look different for everyone—but below is an example of what may be considered depending on what stage of the journey you are on. 

Initial Fertility Visit

During your first visit, we will dive in to your health history. Balanced hormone health is ideal for chances of pregnancy to occur, but this does not mean that sex hormones are the only important factor! Thyroid health, adrenal health, nutrient status, and GI health are also important to assess when preparing for baby.

Lifestyle changes such as reducing environmental toxin exposure, managing stress, and increasing nutrient density through diet are ideal to start at least 3 months before becoming pregnant. 

RELATED: How your body may react when coming off hormonal birth control.

Labs for Before Pregnancy

There is so much value in understanding your personal biochemistry before having a baby. Labs can give us a snapshot of your hormones, rule out conditions that may make getting pregnant difficult, and establish a baseline of health before starting the journey. Knowledge is power, and labs can also help us identify if there are any concerns that require a referral to reproductive endocrinology sooner than later depending on the patient’s fertility goals. 

RELATED: How do all my hormones work together?

Treatment to Help You Get Pregnant

As you may have guessed, treatment is going to vary widely with each patient. However, some staples of fertility care for women include taking a well-formulated prenatal, a prenatal DHA, and a broad-spectrum probiotic. For men, a well-formulated multivitamin that contains zinc, selenium, and CoQ10, as well as a high quality fish oil supplement, can be supportive of healthy sperm production. 

RELATED: 5 tips to boost male fertility.

In conclusion, there are many different types of fertility care available, and integrative medicine is one option. Here at MIMC, we provide inclusive fertility care, so whether you are a single person starting the fertility journey solo, same sex couple navigating the options of having a child, or you are in a relationship with a partner of the opposite sex and planning on conceiving, we would love to support you along the way! 

Dr. April Jones

Dr. Jones graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and with a Master of Science in Nutrition degree. She believes that the most important part of any treatment plan is first establishing a solid foundation of health. This looks different for each patient and changes over time, and Dr. Jones’ guidance on your health journey will depend on your needs.