When I first met this client, she’d been trying to conceive her second child for 6 months without success and was feeling discouraged.

Her doctor had suggested she seek fertility help because of low AMH (a marker of ovarian reserve) and the fact that she was 35- considered “advanced maternal age." she was understandably upset by these results and felt stressed about the prospect of undergoing fertility treatments.

She wondered if there may be something else she could try before going this route- especially since she’d recently realized she was having symptoms that could possibly be linked to her fertility struggles. She ultimately decided to seek a more holistic approach and contacted me.

(Please note that this article is just sharing one client’s experience working with me and is not personal medical advice.)

The photo Lily sent me as soon as she got her positive test!

Within a few months of working with me using my functional nutrition approach to address root causes, she got pregnant naturally!

And she was told she no longer needed to see her fertility doctor for follow-up. Currently, she is in her second trimester, grateful for the healthy pregnancy she sought as her top goal when we began our journey together.

How exactly did we make this happen for her? Here’s her story:

Even before our initial consultation, I had this client complete detailed intake forms so I could learn more about her story and current habits (something unfortunately, conventional healthcare providers often skip out on). On our first call, we dug deep- into her entire health history, nutrition approach, symptoms, daily routine, and more.

As is often true with cases like her’s, her struggles to get pregnant were actually just the tip of the iceberg. We talked about how she was experiencing quite a few major symptoms related to her hormones and cycle. For one, she was dealing with low energy, which is a big red flag for fertility. Her menstrual cycle was also irregular, trending on the shorter side with early ovulation (a sign her eggs might not be fully maturing). She also struggled with poor sleep- particularly waking around 3-4am and having trouble falling back asleep leading up to her period.

I had some suspicions about what may be going on for her, but instead of guessing, I had her complete some functional assessments so we could gather important data and address the true root causes of her struggles.

I had her complete a Symptom Burden Assessment (to see what her symptoms were telling us about her body’s healing priorities), a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (to measure her mineral levels- especially after her prior pregnancy and extended breastfeeding journey- and learn more about how her body was creating energy and dealing with stress), and a Proov Complete fertility test to get more information about her hormone levels. I also suggested she be more consistent with tracking her basal body temperature (to help us better understand her cycle and thyroid health).

What her functional assessments showed:

Symptom Burden Assessment:

The top area that needed attention was blood sugar handling. She had symptoms of both low and high blood sugar, suggesting she was on a rollercoaster which is really taxing on the body and exhausting. Blood sugar swings can lead to symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and insomnia. Her assessment also showed that her stress levels were a priority to address.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA):

For one, she was a fast metabolizer, meaning her body was burning through energy and nutrients fast and she was prone to low blood sugar. The Fast 1 subtype specifically showed her metabolism, thyroid, and adrenal activity were all increased.

Her individual mineral levels were lower on average, a sign of depletion but mainly, an effect of prolonged stress on her body. Low levels of minerals- especially some she was low in like magnesium and iron- make it more difficult for the body to properly make energy.

Her mineral ratios were also really telling. Her low Ca/P (nervous system) ratio showed she was sympathetic dominant- living in a more fight or flight state of activation against stress.

This along with her low Na/K (vitality) ratio and low Na/Mg (adrenal) ratio showed that she was actually more burnt out despite adrenals being on on overdrive. Lastly, her high Ca/Mg (blood sugar) ratio was another sign of frequent low blood sugar.

Proov Complete:

This at-home test confirmed what we already suspected- low progesterone .The good news? She was ovulating- so we just needed to support that process more.

Basal body temperature (BBT):

Her temps were averaging lower than optimal, a sign of decreased thyroid function and under-eating.

The big picture plan to help Lher each her goals based on all of the information we gathered was to more fully nourish her body, decrease stress, and create more safety for her system so her metabolism and hormones could function better and her ability to cope with stress could improve.

Take a peek into this client’s protocol aimed at achieving a healthy pregnancy:

1) Nourishment was top priority from the start.

There were many signs that she wasn’t eating enough food- from the details of her food journal as well as her assessments. The main goal was getting adequate calories and nutrients. This would help fuel her metabolism and better nourish her endocrine system- improving ovulation and progesterone production especially. I provided her with specific guidance based on her current diet to help her meet her daily needs- including foods to focus on for nutrients she needed.

We also prioritized her blood sugar handling, aiming to bring more balance to this system and reduce stress on her body. I recommended she adjust her breakfast timing, add snacks in between meals, and increase her protein intake to better stabilize her blood sugar. This would directly impact her hormones, but also help improve her daytime energy and sleep.

2) Her nutritional supplements got a makeover.

To help bridge some gaps and add extra support, I guided her on helpful supplement adjustments to make. This primarily meant prioritizing nutrients in higher demand based on her HTMA results, herbs to support ovulation and nourish her nervous system, and antioxidants to help boost egg quality. We ditched some of her current supplements in order to simplify her daily lineup.

3) We made supportive shifts to her routine.

This client’s job required her to be at her desk for long hours, which was a stressor for her and also limited her physical activity and even her nutrition. I suggested some simple tweaks to make like stocking up on non-perishable foods she could keep at her desk for quick but still balanced snacks. We also talked about ways she can get more movement in daily- I suggested making a standing desk and prioritizing strength training a few times a week for exercise, especially to help support her metabolism and blood sugar.

4) And lastly, maybe most surprisingly- I advised her to take a pause on trying to conceive.

She had been feeling more pressure and stress around the process, especially with it not happening as quickly as she wanted. And while taking a break can feel counterintuitive for those on this journey, it actually is often a great idea to give the body some time to heal and rebalance- especially when working with a practitioner on specific areas. Once she thought it over and we had some chats to help reframe her mindset, the idea of taking just a month or two “off” actually helped her feel much more positive and hopeful about her journey.

Her progress:

This mama has been such an amazing client- throughout this process, she remained open-minded, positive, and dedicated to her healing. And although she still has a few months of pregnancy to go, she is feeling great and most importantly, empowered and supported. We’ve retested her HTMA around half-way through and saw positive improvements in many areas- including her adrenal function and blood sugar handling. We’re now switching gears to talk more about preparing for a nourished postpartum season to bring things full circle for her.

If you’re currently struggling to get pregnant or are just looking to optimize your health prior to conceiving, it might be time to enlist the help of a functional practitioner who can help you find answers and create a highly personalized plan to bring balance to your body and improve your fertility.

As a functional nutritionist specializing in women’s health through motherhood, I have a variety of highly customized services to help you find and finally address the root causes of your symptoms so you can stop just surviving and start thriving. Submit an application below to learn more about my services and approach!

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