The Blog
“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you did not know before you learned it”
Written by our team of naturopathic doctors, our blog is designed to help support your fertility and reproductive health.
The Blood Test to Diagnose Endometriosis
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
Endometriosis is extremely difficult to diagnose, it takes an average of 10 years to be found effectively. Most people go unnoticed, and even ignored, for their symptoms.
What does AMH (ovarian reserve) have to do with natural fertility success? Not a whole lot
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
AMH stands for “Anti-Mullerian Hormone”, which is a hormone produced by developing follicles (aka eggs). AMH is used as a measure of ovarian reserve, as it is secreted by the follicles in the ovaries. The idea is that the more follicles you have, the higher your AMH value will be and the higher your fertile potential. The more eggs you have, the later you’ll go into menopause. A low value means a low number of eggs remaining, which means less fertile potential.
How The Right Diagnosis Can Prevent Miscarriage
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
If I had to choose an area of fertility medicine that is most near and dear to me, it’s working with pregnancy loss. It is the area where I focus most of my time and expertise. There’s just so much that we don’t know about what it takes to carry a baby to term, and yet there IS so much we do know and the research is ever developing. Rest assured, this article isn’t about what we can’t control, but rather what we can. With the right testing and diagnosis, we can prevent miscarriage.
The Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Starting IVF
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
IVF is a big step, physically and financially, and you likely have questions before you commit but you just don’t know what to ask. Of course, how do you know what you don’t know?! The purpose of this blog is to inform you about the IVF process and provide you with some preliminary questions to ask your Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE). It’s important that you feel empowered and in-control when it comes to the decision of IVF. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and advocate for yourself, you always deserve to be in the know!
5 Natural Ways to Increase Uterine Lining Thickness and Prepare for an Embryo Transfer
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
Uterine (or endometrial) lining thickness is a useful predictor of embryo implantation and miscarriage prevention. It is measured via ultrasound during cycle monitoring, IUI, IVF, and frozen embryo transfers. A thin lining can halt the entire fertility process, and not seeing any growth in thickness, despite medical efforts, can be really frustrating.
What Your Semen Analysis Really Means and How to Get the Results You Want
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
The World Health Organization has the very influential job of determining the reference ranges for semen analysis. These reference ranges were overhauled in 2010 from the previous 1999 ranges, which were much higher. There is no doubt that sperm quality has declined over the past 50 years. Some may argue that it’s due to emerging standards of scientific evidence, but in my opinion the strongest evidence is the western lifestyle: poor diet, toxic exposure, xenoestrogens, electromagnetic frequencies, obesity, sedentary habits, the list is endless.
This is What Infertility Looked Like 35 Years Ago
Written by Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND
In honour of Canadian Infertility Awareness week, I sat down with my parents and asked them what infertility looked like over thirty years ago. You see: I am the very happy ending of a ten-year struggle with infertility. Just as you’ll one day share your journey with your baby to be, my parents shared their overwhelming journey with me. They never would have imagined that their daughter would be telling their fertility story, yet here I am sharing it with you!
“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.”
- MAYA ANGELOU