At our naturopathic clinic we have lots of patients that coming in to improve their overall reproductive health and as well improve chances to conceive. I applaud them because i really appreciate that they care enough about the energy or “Qi” that the baby will receive if and when its conceived, but also that the parents care enough about taking care of their health as well, so that they have an abundance of energy and health resources when the baby is born.

But here are some things that I urge most of the parents – to – be to think about especially if they are having difficulty getting pregnant and no cause for infertility is found. When clients have difficulty getting pregnant, they usually think about the physical causes but what about that emotional aspect that will in fact have a huge bearing on whether or not you will conceive.

Naturopathic medicine embodies the health of your mind, body and spirit, hence naturopaths look at all these aspects before treating you for infertility.

Here some questions to ponder about if you are having problems conceiving and there are no evident physical problems preventing pregnancy.

1. What does it mean for you to have a child?
   A lot of people tend to follow their peers in what they do in life – especially when it comes to the big decisions of what is expected of one’s self. Are you one who follows what your peers did, e.g. build a home, get married, have children? If you answered YES, please really think long and hard about what you want as in your life, and are children part of that … if there is a natural longing to be a parent.
2. What is having a child going to change in your life at this point?
3. Are you feeling emotionally ready for that step in your life?

If you have answered of these questions with uncertainty or being unsure, ask yourself the following question:

How can my body be ready when mentally i am not prepared to have a child?

Other things to consider:

Your diet which would be effecting your hormones can definitely effect your fertility especially if you are eating hormone laden non organic meats
and dairy products, and drinking tap water.

Your environment – is there any overload of heavy metals in your surroundings? Do you have a power plant close to your home or do you have a home with old lead paint and pipes?

Your stress level – A lot of people think that there is no connection between fertility and stress, but there is a very strong connection. Whenever you are under lots of stress – and stress does not just relate to mental stress, it would be anything that puts your body out of its normal state of being, for example, a sudden drastic change in diet or a new medication, environmental stress, or an infection of viral, bacterial or fungal origin, this will effect your stress hormone, cortisol, which in turn will effect your reproductive hormones and your thyroid hormones, and it turn affect fertility.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.