To Health With That! MTHFR Mutations and Methylation.

This week we're talking about "advanced maternal age" which is the medical term for women having babies over the age of 35. The real problem here comes down to oocyte aging, or aging eggs, which is related to poor ovarian reserve. We'll talk about why egg quality declines with time, what sort of testing your doctor will run, the difference between poor ovarian reserve and advance...

Iron deficiency anemia can be a significant problem when you're trying to conceive or going into a pregnancy, but even without overt iron deficiency anemia, your iron levels can still have an effect. We'll discuss: Why it's important to test both red blood cell iron levels and also ferritin, the storage form of iron. What iron deficiency anemia feels like, normally and in pregnancy. The possible c...

Overtly low or overtly high thyroid levels are a well known risk factor for infertility, but today we're going to talk about something a little bit less well known, which is subclinical hypothyroid and fertility. Subclinical hypothyroid is when the thyroid tests are on the lower end of normal, but still within normal limits. The patient experiencing this might have symptoms of mild low thyroid, or...

MTHFR is involved in so many processes, but it is especially tangled up with fertility for both male and female partners, as well as pregnancy for female partners. This episode we'll talk about: Male factor infertility, sperm count, and sperm morphology 5-LMTHF vs. folic acid use in this situation - what is the standard of care, vs. what might actually work better Repeat pregnancy loss The possibl...

The infertility journey can be a difficult path and is often an endurance race with sprints mixed in.  This episode is less about mental health expertise, we will defer to therapists, counselors, and mental health professionals for that, and more about starting a conversation around some of the issues we see commonly in our practices.  Four of the big ones that come up are: Self worth, s...

PCOS is one of the more common causes of female-factor infertility because it creates a situation in which ovulation is unpredictable or not occurring and babies can't be made if no good eggs are released. Dr. Kate and Dr. Amy will talk about The diet they typically suggest for PCOS Why a PCOS diagnosis is commonly missed Inositol for PCOS The difference between working with PCOS for clients on a...

Last week we talked about how endometriosis affects fertility and pregnancy outcomes. This week, let's dive deeper into what is really going on with endometriosis and why it has such far reaching effects for women. We'll discuss Gene SNPs associated with endometriosis The link between inflammation and endo Endometriosis and oxidative stress Treatment goals with endo Association between endometrios...

Endometriosis is one of the leading causes of female factor infertility and it's responsible for incredibly painful menses, heavy bleeding, and often pain with intercourse as well.  This week we'll talk about the links between endometriosis and fertility and next week we'll deep dive into some of the underlying causes, including inflammation and hormone imbalances. We'll also talk about the v...

Lots of people come to NDs to help them on their fertility journey, but what does an ND actually do? In short, your ND can support your fertility journey in a lot of ways, no matter where you are in the process. We can Balance your hormones and help you with preconception (for both sperm and egg donor) so your baby can have the healthiest start Help to get your body ready for Assisted Reproductive...

The idea of getting an infertility evaluation is a daunting one, but it gives you such a wealth of valuable information and can help you to steer your treatment in the right direction, for both potential parents, without wasting precious time. Let's talk about: The best doctors to visit for this, and how to get it if you're in an area with limited health resources. When to get a complete infertili...

This week we're talking about a basic tool in every woman's arsenal, it's tracking her period and charting her cycle. Especially on the fertility journey, knowing when you're ovulating and your most fertile window is invaluable, and knowing if you ovulate at roughly the same time every month gives you a great indicator of how things are going in your body right now.  We'll talk about: Why to...

Folic acid is the standard of care for both prenatal vitamins and high doses for couples struggling with infertility. So let's look at a compelling research study about using 5-LMTHF as an intervention instead of folic acid for couples who have been struggling with infertility for four years and have already failed high-dose (5000 mcg) folic acid. We'll talk about  The potential risks of 5000...

Seed Cycling sounds too simple to work, but it's a lovely nutritive way to get your menstrual cycle back in balance. This technique uses a combination of four seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds, to balance and regulate hormones. Seed cycling can help to: Reduce heavy bleeding Reduce cramping Decrease frequency and/or severity of hormonal migraines Regulate cycle le...

There are so many women's hormone symptoms that women have regularly that we think of as a "normal" part of being a woman, but that might give you some good clues about your fertility. This week we'll expand on this topic from last week and go over symptoms like pelvic pain, cramping, PMS, PMDD, fatigue, chronic acne or hormonal acne, lower abdominal bloating, fatigue, hot flashes and night sweats...

There are lots of red flags in every day life that might indicate a hormone imbalance or other problem that could have fertility consequences. This week we'll talk about the first ones, including: Skipped or missed periods Heavy bleeding or flooding Scanty bleeding (even though it makes for a nicer period) Abnormal hair growth Hair loss Next week, we'll go over more red flags because women's hormo...

Your annual exam isn't normally the place where you're looking for fertility insights, but if you know where to look there is hidden information in: Your annual bloodwork Your breast exam Your bimanual exam Your pap smear Just because it isn't "about" fertility, doesn't mean this isn't useful. Look here for the show notes with more information about other findings in your annual exam, and here if...

Last week we talked about basic preconception supplements. This week, we expand on that and add some specifics about: Magnesium Choline Iron and iron infusions Preconception supplements for people with PEMT Preconception supplements for people with COMT Preconception supplements for people with VDR Preconception supplements for people with GST or GPX For the full show notes including a video versi...

Lots of people talk about what you need to take while you're pregnant, but what about the supplements that will boost your fertility and give your baby the healthiest foundation before you conceive? This week we'll discuss: The three preconception must-haves - one of these will definitely surprise you. Supplements for special situations like mothers at risk of preeclampsia, mothers with leg crampi...

If you're in the ideal situation of planning things out before you decide to get pregnant, then here are the factors you should work on before you try to conceive. What to watch for on your blood work The hormone test that isn't a sex hormone (but is important for healthy pregnancy) The lifestyle habits that might need to change  How often you should be gettin' down The video version of this...

Lots of us have babies without a lot of planning, but if you have the opportunity to plan your family then here is information about: Questions to ask your primary care provider Well woman exam Talking to your dentist What to do with your prescriptions Some hard conversations you might want to have The video version and show notes can be found here . If you are working on optimizing your genetics...

Last week, we talked about Estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. This week, let's round out the conversation with a discussion about progesterone, testosterone, the pituitary hormones LH and FSH. We'll talk about: Progesterone and its role in pregnancy Testosterone  Signs and symptoms of both testosterone excess and deficiency in men and women The pituitary hormones FSH And LH and the dif...

We've all heard of estrogen, of course, but how much do you really know about it? Let's talk about why estradiol is called the Marilyn Monroe hormone. Also, the relative value of hormones vs the absolute value - which matters more? Let's talk about high estrogen symptoms, low estrogen symptoms and some of the causes for both. There is a video version of this podcast available here .  The amaz...

We already talked about what happens in women's bodies, but what about men? How do men make sperm that will be healthy enough to win the egg race? Let's talk about the four-month process called spermatogenesis. Check the show notes for more about spermatogenesis and MTHFR as well. The complete show notes are here Courses can be found here Genetic Rockstars, the most amazing genetic community on th...

To begin to talk about what is abnormal about women's menstrual cycles, we have to first understand what is normal.  Most doctors and experts tend to talk about the two phases of a menstrual cycle, but to more accurately represent the lived experience of having a menstrual cycle, I think four phases are more accurate. These are: Menstrual Follicular Ovulatory Luteal Each phase has its own lev...

It's really tempting to avoid the diagnosis part of fertility - you can just get a bit healthier and it will all work out, right? Except for when it won't. Listen to Dr. Kate Naumes, ND and Dr. Amy Neuzil, ND talk about the biggest reasons why diagnosis is important if you're working on fertility.  Here's a hint: The problem might not even be with you. You can watch the video version and read...