Natural Fertility Support in White Rock
Dr. Gina Neonakis is a naturopathic doctor with a focus in fertility and women’s health. Fertility challenges are becoming more and more common. There are many underlying factors that can contribute to these challenges. So, it’s important to undergo a thorough workup in order to receive treatments that are specific for you.
How Can Naturopathic Medicine Support Fertility?
Naturopathic doctors can work alongside your fertility specialist to support you in optimizing your chances of conceiving. Individualized treatment plans can help to support:
- Egg quality
- Sperm quality
- Increase thickness of the uterine lining
- Promote implantation
- Prevent miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss
- Balance hormones
- Optimize IVF cycles
What to expect
As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am privileged to be able to spend quality time with my patients. This allows me to better understand their health and determine potential underlying causes of fertility challenges. The first visit is 1.5 hours and includes a full health history and assessment. I often provide a requisition for lab testing including hormone testing on the appropriate days of the cycle. I test for inflammation and nutrient status, rule out certain health conditions and investigate ovarian reserve. At the end of the first visit you will receive a treatment plan that is specific to you. This may include therapies such as supplements, diet or lifestyle recommendations, counselling on factors such as endocrine disrupting chemicals and/or an acupuncture protocol.
How can acupuncture support fertility?
Acupuncture can be a very helpful adjunct to fertility treatments. It is effective for regulating a menstrual cycle and can increase IVF success. Acupuncture is often done weekly, immediately before and after an embryo transfer and then continued throughout pregnancy should the transfer be successful. It can promote relaxation, increase blood flow to the pelvic organs and support follicle development.
When in my fertility journey should I see a naturopathic doctor?
The earlier the better, but naturopathic medicine can support you at any step of your journey.
An egg takes around 90 days to mature, so in an ideal world we would be supporting individuals around 3-4 months prior to conception or an IVF cycle. This allows our treatment protocols to take effect. Because if we are working on egg quality it will take around 3 months for our treatments to actually make a difference.
Conditions treated
There are many conditions that can contribute to fertility challenges. A few conditions that are commonly treated in my practice include:
- Autoimmune conditions
- Clotting disorders
- Endometriosis
- Implantation issues
- Irregular periods
- Hormone imbalance
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Ovulation issues
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Poor egg or sperm quality
- Recurrent pregnancy loss
- Thin uterine lining
- Unexplained infertility