Sara was in her late thirties when she met her husband and was finally ready to start a family. After more than a year of trying to get pregnant, she started to get worried and asked her family physician to refer her to a fertility specialist. "I felt that my biological clock was ticking," said Sara.
As more and more women are delaying starting a family until their thirties and even forties, the rate of infertility has almost doubled in Canada according to a Stats Canada report.
When she finally saw Dr. Ginevra Mills, a fertility specialist at the Olive Fertility Centre in Victoria, Sara felt she was on the right track. "The emotional toll this takes can be extreme," said Sara. "It is so reassuring to find a fertility doctor who really understands what you are going through and treats you as a whole person."
"With all the developments in fertility treatment, we can help most women achieve a pregnancy, depending on age, but it's not enough to have the most advanced technology and a state-of-the-art embryology lab. We also need to be providing personalized patient-centred care that addresses the overall health and emotional well-being of the patient," says Dr. Mills. At Olive Fertility Victoria, one of one of Canada’s leading IVF and prenatal diagnosis centres, each patient has their own personal care team, which includes their fertility doctor and nursing team dedicated to their care.
After going through fertility testing and discussing the options with Dr. Mills, Sara and her husband decided that IVF gave them the best chance of a healthy pregnancy. "At almost 40, I knew my chances were a lot lower than if I had been younger," says Sara. "So, I wanted to do everything I could to get myself into the best shape mentally and physically to prepare for my IVF. I was kind of surprised that Dr. Mills encouraged me to check out natural approaches like diet, acupuncture, and mindfulness programs to help me deal with stress and give my body the best chance of success."
While age is a factor in infertility for men and women – for men, semen quantity and sperm quality decline after age 45, according to a recent study – there is still a lot that couples can do to alleviate their stress and optimize their chances of conceiving.
Studies show that women experiencing fertility issues can experience stress levels equivalent to those being treated for a life-threatening illness like cancer, and this is the most common reason that people drop out of treatment.
"Stress hormones impact every organ and system in your body, particularly your reproductive system,” says Acubalance natural fertility expert Dr. Lorne Brown. “We know that women who are coping with fertility problems and under- going IVF experience major anxiety and chronic stress. Studies have shown that strategies like acupuncture and mindfulness, which reduce stress, can help alleviate the emotional rollercoaster, enhance feelings of well-being, regulate hormones, and may also improve outcomes for IVF.”
"Another factor that can affect fertility is diet. Research from the Harvard Nurses Study found that women who followed a whole food, Mediterranean style diet experienced a six-fold increase in fertility. A study from Spain shows women who strictly adhere to a Mediterranean-style diet— high in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, and whole grains—are less likely to have difficulty conceiving. Whole foods typically eaten as part of a Mediterranean diet don't raise blood sugar as much as processed and refined grain foods. And according to experts, keeping blood sugar levels steady is key to preventing insulin resistance, or 'pre-diabetes', which can disrupt ovulation," says Dr. Mills.
Sara was determined to do everything she could to optimize her chances of getting pregnant. She changed her diet, started a mindfulness practice, and had weekly acupuncture for fertility treatments. She had eight eggs retrieved, and the healthiest embryo was transferred back into her uterus.
"I found out shortly after that I was pregnant. At our ultrasound, we saw one sac and a little heartbeat flicker — we just had a little superstar. At our second ultrasound, we saw the baby moving and had a strong heartbeat at 160+ beats per minute. Our miracle baby boy was born 8 months later!"
The main advice that Sara would give women who are struggling to get pregnant is don't wait! "If you are having fertility issues, get referred to a fertility specialist as soon as possible. And make sure they support your emotional well-being as well as offering the best medical treatments. I learned that there is a lot you can do to improve your diet and lifestyle and to manage your stress, which made me feel more in control of my fertility journey."
Book a same-day virtual referral appointment
Olive Fertility offers patients the option to book a same-day, no-fee, virtual referral appointment through www.olivefertility.com/how-to-book. The referral will be automatically sent to Olive Fertility and a member of their intake team will contact you shortly thereafter to book your fertility appointment. Fertility consultations and most testing are fully covered by MSP in British Columbia with a referral from a family physician.
For more resources for natural support, visit acubalance.ca, elementscentre.ca, and mindfulnessforfertility.com
