Optimizing Your Fertility
Dr. Holly Castle, Our Fertility Specialist, Answers Questions About How To Enhance Your Fertility Naturally and Have a Healthy Pregnancy
Dr. Castle’s holistic approach helps women achieve fertility using safe, effective, natural treatment options. The focus of care is centered on balancing hormones, optimizing menstrual cycles, repleting nutrient deficiencies, decreasing inflammation, and removing any other potential obstacles to conception.
What is the biggest challenge you see with patients trying to conceive?
The number one health challenge that I see with patients who are trying to get pregnant is stress. Stress is the enemy of good health and well-being. Stress, either externally induced by outside factors or internally generated by anxiety, depression, or insomnia, will work against the body and interrupt the natural hormonal rhythm. Stress can create hormonal imbalances that can be an obstacle to fertility.
How do you help patients balance stress and optimize their hormones?
We definitely want to support the nervous system. The hormone system will often improve when the nervous system is balanced. I usually work on both systems at the same time. I encourage patients to get adequate, restful sleep which will allow the hormone and nervous system to repair. The diet needs to be taken into consideration as well. I recommend an anti-inflammatory diet, avoiding food sensitivities, and optimizing digestive health so they can absorb the nutrients they need to support a pregnancy.
When someone is stressed, their cortisol can become elevated or depressed in response to the stressful stimuli, depending on the status of their adrenal function. I like the Dutch Complete Hormone test to get an extensive and comprehensive view of the hormone picture including reproductive and adrenal hormones. From that, I can figure out how to balance the hormones and support optimal fertility.
Does the health of the male partner matter?
Yes. Sperm health is equally important as egg quality. I typically run a sperm analysis on the male partner to identify sperm quality, motility and morphology. I recommend that the male partner follow an anti-inflammatory diet, reduce alcohol consumption, and add in antioxidants to the supplement regiment so that we can truly optimize sperm health.
What lifestyle recommendations do you suggest for optimizing fertility?
The lifestyle piece is the top of the priority list for my patients. I encourage my patients to get enough sleep, eat three good meals per day, avoid alcohol and caffeine, drink enough water, exercise regularly, and reduce their stress. These lifestyle habits and routines are fundamental in optimizing fertility. The pace of our society has normalized a lot of behaviors that are unhealthy. When you are trying to conceive, those behaviors need to be dialed back. You want to create a healthy terrain in order to have the best possible outcome – a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
With naturopathic care how long does it take for a couple to get pregnant?
What are your favorite herbal treatments to support fertility?
Vitex, or chaste tree berry, and raspberry are my favorite herbs for supporting estrogen and progesterone balance. Ashwagandha can be helpful for balancing the adrenal system and supporting adequate levels of progesterone. My treatments vary from person to person based on their individual hormone profile. I love homeopathics for balancing the energetics. Seed cycling and oil rotation using fish oil and evening primrose oil is also very beneficial for women seeking fertility.
