Also - you don't have "unexplained infertility" if you don't have a semen analysis. I encourage everyone who is considering escalating their fertility treatment to include medications and/or procedures....get that updated semen analysis.
Preconception care (mitochondrial support, reducing insulin resistance, adequate thyroid hormone, reducing chronic inflammation, good nutrition/sleep/exercise, etc) also reduces the risk for chronic diseases like osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline, & cancer.
Someone on TikTok asked me if they should still take care of their reproductive health even though they are 39 yo and done having children. My answer was ABSOLUTELY.
What I know about "unexplained infertility" is that it's usually not just one thing wreaking havoc. It's not just that you love ice cream, wear nail polish, or drink diet coke. The body is resilient and can handle minor challenges under the right conditions.
Functional medicine is beautifully well-suited to support fertility because the FxMed operating system gives us a framework to evaluate body systems: gut health, immune function, inflammation, mitochondrial energy, circulation, hormones, metabolic health, & structural integrity
Recipe for conception: healthy egg that is ovulated + healthy sperm + receptive endometrium. Many factors influence this; hormones, oxidative stress, nutrients, inflammation, immune function, blood supply. We should consider this before we say, "Your infertility is a mystery!"
Almost every patient in my practice has been diagnosed with "unexplained infertility." This is a diagnosis of exclusion - that means we should NOT see elevated prolactin, elevated insulin, untreated hypothyroidism, iron deficiency or chronic pelvic infection.
Kalea Wattles, ND. IFMCP sat down with our partners at @Rupa_Health for an episode of their podcast, where she explains all about reproductive longevity, including the fertility span, testing for fertility, and how to slow down ovarian aging: https://t.co/Pab8aI8Fe3
PCOS is a multi-system condition with effects across several body systems. In this podcast episode, Dr. Kalea Wattles dives deep into mitochondrial function, gut health, inflammation and insulin resistance with dietitian nutritionist Amber Fischer https://t.co/riXZzVMNE6