Definition of Infertility
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected trying or to carry a pregnancy to a live birth.
Causes of Infertility
The most common causes of infertility are hormone imbalances, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, male factor, age and “unexplained”.
Hormone imbalances – usually male hormone (androgen) excess, estrogen dominance, poor or no progesterone production, excess pollutants acting like estrogen (xenoestrogens)
PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) – leads to lack of ovulation (anovulation), poor egg maturation and hormone imbalances as described above
Fibroids – benign growths that can protrude into the uterine cavity and prevent implantation of the fertilized egg
Endometriosis – lumps of uterine lining that have escaped the uterus and fixed themselves onto structures inside the abdominal cavity. These growths can enlarge in response to increases in hormones and cause severe pain. They can also block ovaries and fallopian tubes leading to infertility.
“Unexplained” – Factors that cannot be adequately measured fall into this category. Unexplained infertility may be due to poor uterine lining quality, antibodies rejecting the fertilized egg, maybe recurring miscarriages too early for a positive pregnancy test.
Male factor – poor sperm shape, low sperm count, poor sperm movement
Naturopathic Treatment of Infertility
Correct hormone imbalances through proper diet and exercise
Aid liver detoxification of excess hormones and toxins
Herbs to enhance progesterone production
Anti-inflammatory herbs, hormone balancing and acupuncture to help with fibroids
Hormone balancing and acupuncture to help with endometriosis
Anti-inflammatory herbs to help with uterine lining quality, proper diet to help maintain a pregnancy
Herbs, antioxidants, acupuncture and liver detoxification to help with sperm count and quality
I’ve been in practice as a naturopathic doctor for 9 years and was twice voted "Best Naturopath in Toronto" by the Readers of NOW magazine.
I’m a member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors and I’m licensed/registered with the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy – Naturopathy.
Overcoming my own health issues has inspired an interest in women’s health issues, particularly fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, PMS and infertility although I enjoy helping people with a wide variety of conditions including allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, eczema, psoriasis, headaches/migraines, menopause, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, hypothyroidism, weight loss and much more. My treatments are designed to address the root cause of a health problem, rather than just mask the symptoms while the underlying disease runs rampant. I use a diverse treatment approach that may incorporate acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, diet, vitamins, supplements and other natural remedies.
I’m the proud mom of a wonderful little 2 ½ year old boy named Brandon. When I'm not busy chasing after him, I'm at the gym, the library or on the tennis courts.