Victoria’s Fertility Struggles and Diagnosis
Victoria started seeing me at the age of 34 after she had been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half and had already been doing IUI treatment cycles at a fertility clinic. She had been diagnosed with unexplained infertility.
When Victoria came to see me, she was in the middle of her third IUI cycle and felt so defeated. She, like many others, thought that the first IUI would be it, so being on her third cycle felt devastating for her. The plan was to do three IUI cycles, and if not successful, move on to IVF—so she felt the extra pressure of this final IUI.
In our first session, we spoke a lot about her journey and the difficulties of managing life with the stress of work and the challenges of infertility. She needed to feel like she was in control of something, as everything felt so out of control.
When we discussed what my plan would entail, I could see that Victoria was excited to get started. She felt like this was something she could successfully do, and it made her feel like an active participant in her journey.
A New Fertility Approach: Nutrition, Supplements, and Acupuncture
After the third IUI failed, we started to prepare Victoria for IVF. She decided that she wanted to take a little ‘fertility break.’ She planned to travel and did not want to think about any blood work or ultrasound appointments for a while, so we had a few months to get her ready for IVF.
Victoria started implementing the dietary changes we spoke about. I encouraged her to focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods, cut out processed sugars, and add much more protein into her diet than she was currently eating. I also gave her my list of fertility-friendly foods to incorporate.
Victoria was drinking about four cups of coffee per day, which was exacerbating her feelings of nervousness and anxiety, so I cut her back to one cup per day.
Victoria began taking targeted supplements to help support her egg quality, sleep, and stress. I ran some additional blood work that had not recently been done and found out her iron levels were low, so I added an iron supplement, which helped with her energy and some hair loss she was experiencing. Her vitamin D was also low, so I included that in her daily routine.
We spoke about the benefits of acupuncture, and Victoria was all in! We started doing weekly acupuncture sessions, and after just a few sessions, she felt more relaxed, and her sleep quality was much better.
Preparing for IVF: A Holistic Fertility Plan
By the time Victoria started IVF, she felt improvements in her energy, mood, and sleep. This was empowering for her and gave her the mental and physical energy she needed to get through the egg retrieval cycle.
Victoria had a great outcome with her IVF cycle, so we started to prepare her for her first embryo transfer with supplements and weekly acupuncture sessions to support her uterine lining. Of course, we discussed foods and what things may help make this transfer successful. Yes, you guessed it—beets were included in the list!
A Fertility Success Story
Victoria found out she was pregnant after her first transfer. She went on to have a great pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby girl at the end of 2024.
Victoria’s journey was not unlike ones I see so often—the struggle with month after month of disappointment, pressure, stress, and mental and physical exhaustion. While everyone’s story is different, the emotional toll infertility takes is universal.
Much of the impact I make with my patients is being there to answer their many questions and help them feel like there is a part of their journey they can feel in control of. Knowing that you are making changes to improve your fertility can be so empowering and may be what you need to make your journey a successful one.
Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Fertility Journey?
If you're struggling with infertility and want a personalized, holistic approach that supports your fertility naturally, I'm here to help.
Book a free discovery call today to discuss how nutrition, supplements, and acupuncture can support your fertility and increase your chances of success.
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