fertility nutrition
how will nutritional therapy help you to have a healthy baby?
The most common cause of infertility and miscarriage is ‘unexplained’, which means that following investigations, doctors can find no specific or identifiable medical problem at the root.
There are also a number of other things that do have a diagnosis which can relate to hormonal dysregulation and past issues or diseases and these can be exacerbated by diet and lifestyle, and can be also supported the same way!
We also specialise in multiple miscarriage and often work with consultants and functional medicine practitioners and IVF clinics to support the couple going through this journey.
What you won’t get from us is a generic food and supplement regime. The team have undergone lots of training to support this aim that one size does not fit all.
Fertility Nutrition in short is a super charged nutrient dense programme designed to feed and heal your hormones. You are unique and to reflect that – You will need a specific programme for you.
conditions we support
These can make pregnancy more challenging, in some but not all cases
UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY
The most common cause of infertility and miscarriage is ‘unexplained’, which means that following thorough investigations, doctors can find no specific medical problem at the root.
FIBROIDS
Are non cancerous growths in the uterus. They can be small or large and take up a lot of space causing secondary issues and pain. Up to 30% of women over 40 have fibroids of some sort. With fibroids fertility it is though not to be detrimental to getting pregnant, however the growth of oestrogen can exacerbate in pregnancy and cause existing fibroids to grow.
ENDOMETRIOSIS
Affects 1 in 10 women worldwide and a condition in reproductive years where tissue from the uterus grows outside the womb in areas of the pelvis, back, and bowel. It can make fertility up to 30% more difficult to achieve without intervention.
PCOS
The leading cause of fertility issues affects 1 in 10 women – it is a genetic metabolic and reproductive condition. Diagnosis is done through Scans, Blood tests and analysis and you may fall low or high on the PCOS perspective. With this in mind you may have Poly cystic Ovaries but not the syndrome.
MALE FACTOR INFERTILITY
Male infertility Factor refers to a male’s inability to cause pregnancy after 2 years of trying to conceive. This accounts for 40-50% of all cases.
PREMATURE OVARIAN INSUFFICIENCY (POI/POF)
Premature ovarian insufficiency or failure occurs in women under the age of 40. Typically the symptoms are amenorrhoea, elevated FSH and LH and oestrogen is low. It can mimic menopause and as such things like hot sweats may also be present. Unlike the menopause which is permanent, POI/POF can be reversed and there is an opportunity to have a baby if ovarian function is restored.
MISCARRIAGE
This is the loss a lost of a baby up to 22 weeks of gestation. This condition affects one in 4 pregnancies, but the cause can be multifaceted.
EARLY MENOPAUSE
Early menopause refers to cases where this occurs before age 45, while premature menopause refers to before age 40. This is still supported at Ah Fertility.
back to basics
Ideally, we should get all the nutrients we need from eating a balanced diet. However, unfortunately we aren’t living in the 1950s anymore and agriculture today is a far cry from what our grandparents knew. In the 21st century there is a huge amount of food to choose from! But as the planet has increased in human population, the food we need and quality has suffered over quantity and much of the conventional produce we eat today has low nutrient quality and is heavily contaminated with chemicals and hormones.
With the advent of processed food the amount of ‘junk’ our bodies has to cope with has reached epidemic proportions. Over time consumption of this type of food can lead to many chronic health problems
As a species we are all geared up to survive, and this is our blueprint. Our body doesn’t want to make unhealthy babies, so if it perceives ‘ famine’ whether through poor eating choices with low nutrients or actual stress our bodes will actively choose to react to the stimuli by turning reproduction down as well as all other ‘unnecessary’ bodily functions to preserve life.
Fertility and reproductive organs are very sensitive to changes in diet and lifestyle for this very reason. This ‘famine’ or our bodies perceived view of low nutrient base can be a contributing factor to ‘unexplained infertility’.
If these changes to diet become a more permanent thing and have been happening over a longer timeframe more chronic diseases become more prevalent.
The body will always try and correct itself hormonally and if it feels that there is too much of one hormone or too little of another and in doing so it is designed to help it to bring harmony about. This is when hormonally based diseases will occur which invariably will cause issues. Conditions such as Endometriosis, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, Fibroids and Cysts are a prime example of this. These conditions are a result of where a diet has fallen short of our genetic needs and mother nature in the form of our own chemical markers, starts to take over.
male fertility
Men are also acutely affected by lifestyle, if the body senses famine, stressors or inflammation this may result in the body deciding to switch off DNA replication in the form of good healthy sperm, as the offspring would be less likely to survive.
The body only turns adequate reproductive function back on again for men when the perceived situation is ameliorated and dense nutrients are in abundance again to supply this function or help reduce the inflammation. This is also the case when the perceived threat or stress levels are returned to normal. Over time this can cause changes to shape, amount and speed at which sperm develop.
There are some conditions that are genetic in relation to male fertility and there may be some permanent damage in the case of some childhood diseases which affect reproductive health. In some situations there is a method where the sperm can be surgically extracted. In other cases sperm donation is required from other sources.
At Ah nutrition we take a thorough look into male health and if we can improve this as it takes 90 days for sperm to be made, we will put a bespoke programme into play around this.
male fertility
Men are also acutely affected by lifestyle, if the body senses famine, stressors or inflammation this may result in the body deciding to switch off DNA replication in the form of good healthy sperm, as the offspring would be less likely to survive.
The body only turns adequate reproductive function back on again for men when the perceived situation is ameliorated and dense nutrients are in abundance again to supply this function or help reduce the inflammation. This is also the case when the perceived threat or stress levels are returned to normal. Over time this can cause changes to shape, amount and speed at which sperm develop.
There are some conditions that are genetic in relation to male fertility and there may be some permanent damage in the case of some childhood diseases which affect reproductive health. In some situations there is a method where the sperm can be surgically extracted. In other cases sperm donation is required from other sources.
At Ah nutrition we take a thorough look into male health and if we can improve this as it takes 90 days for sperm to be made, we will put a bespoke programme into play around this.
frequently asked questions
I HAVEN'T HAD A PERIOD IN 6 MONTHS, CAN YOU STILL HELP?
Yes!.. we work with lots of ladies with Amenorrhea, Premature Ovarian Failure and absent periods due to PCOS. Many have gone on to have babies. In this instance working over a 12 weeks programme will be the best option and then if things are still not happening we work alongside Gynaecologists as some may need a little help from fertility drugs.
I have a medical diagnosis and they said IVF is the only approach – can I still work with you?
At ah Nutrition we take every case and look at a thorough investigation of your health. Many clients have been told IVF is the only route to getting a baby, but after a few months working together where we assess lifestyle diet and functional testing we can suggest the right approach for you. If after the 2nd month of working together you feel IVF is the way forward we can of course work alongside you to help you to get into baby best shape.
If I start working with you and want to go for assisted methods - can we switch plans?
We can always switch plans. Often clients have a plan in mind and this can change based on circumstances. We also have a trimester plan when ladies get pregnant as a result of working together!
Do you work with and recommend other practitioners such as IVF consultants, Gynaecologists, Acupuncturists etc?
Yes we do. We have a list of ‘preferred clinics, and other practitioners who we feel have given past clients the best options in terms of complementary therapies and conventional support for example Gynaecologists, Urologists and also IVF clinics that may fit your needs.
Ive had multiple miscarriages and Im loosing hope of becoming a mother, can you help here?
This is one of Angela’s’ specialty areas, especially as she has had a miscarriage herself and felt there was a lack of support in this areas and disempowerment and the emotional support lacking. Though working through a 12 week programme Ah Nutrition will get your body ready. There may also be a period of time where thorough functional testing will happen, so we can identify the root cause which can often by bacterial, Gut health and immune related. We won’t just ask you to do a basic hormone blood test – with multiple miscarriage this can often involved genetic assessment, lifestyle, diet as well as microbiome and immune testing.
Ive had lots of tests to investigate my fertility, what more could you do?
All tests are looked at prior to speaking – and as part of the journey, I may find something else that I would like to investigate to help us to establish root cause or causes. Hormonal testing is the tip of the iceberg in terms of tests we run and an initial consultation could outline the direction of travel on your journey and where we go in terms of testing. At each consultation we will also assess any new areas improvements and worsening symptoms so the plan truly reflects a ‘ real time’ presentation in your fertility journey.
My partner has male infertility and his sperm results were low, can you help here
A large part of what we do looks at Male health also. We look and analyse sperm, GI tests, Blood tests and general health. We have a great track record of improving sperm quality!
Will I have to change my whole life on your plan?
Don’t worry we are not asking you to join a cult! But we will analyse lifestyle and make some suggestions. Diet may already be on point as it is with many clients, however there are always a few changes to make that can support your fertility.
