3 Critical Things Young Women NEED to Know About Their Cycles and Fertility That We Aren’t Teaching Them

Having spent year working with women and couples to understand and chart their fertility, there was a reoccurring theme to the tune of “why didn’t anyone tell me….”  So many women were not given the information that they needed to navigate their health, cycles, and relationships fully informed.  They shared that there was so much they wished they had been taught sooner so that they had been better to prepared to navigate difficult situations.

The women and couples I worked with came from varying faith backgrounds.  You might think that Catholics might be better prepared with cycle and fertility knowledge, since we are asked to use natural means (fertility awareness) to plan our families and space our pregnancies.  And in some cases they are better prepared.  Many at least recognize that knowing your fertility is a way to plan your family, but even among Catholics there are often gaps need filling in.

My husband and I recently had an opportunity to do marriage prep sessions with a young couple.  They wanted to learn NFP and had an online class ready to go, but that they were planning on starting it later.  When I asked what their achieving/avoiding intentions were, they shared that they strongly wanted to avoid pregnancy for a time - and they were 2 months out from their wedding.  I encouraged them to begin their NFP class ASAP because there can be a lot to learn about your unique patterns and cycles of fertility when you are just beginning to track, and it can take time to sort it all out and gain confidence.

We do women a disservice when we leave all cycle charting until right before marriage.   There are a number of reasons we should teach this information sooner.  Medical irregularities may appear in charts - and seeing this for the first time when you are months away from your wedding can be jarring or full on anxiety producing during an already busy and intense time.  During dating and engagement, wouldn’t it be helpful for young women to understand their cycles of hormones and pheromones and how they impact their interest in physical intimacy?  Furthermore, there is something to be said about the value of learning to read your body and cycle in at a more relaxed pace, giving the process more time and attention, because you are not, in the near future, trying to either avoid or achieve pregnancy, or planning for a wedding with one more “to do” on your list. 

Even women who will not choose to use a natural, fertility based method to plan their families, or may not get married, should know this basic information about themselves and their design.  Why?  Because it impacts their emotional and physical wellbeing.

Here are 3 critical things we should be teaching young women:

• To learn and interpret their cycle and hormonal patterns. Where we are in our cycle impacts us in so many ways - mood, energy, interest, etc. and that they can learn to identify these times and plan for the by teaching them:

• The different options available to track and chart their cycles - BBT, LH strips, mucus; And also what to look for in a cycle tracking app, and what to avoid (because it will may lead them astray)

• Signs of healthy cycles and what to do if you notice irregularities - how to find a medical professional who is knowledgeable about root cause treatments and the value of natural cycles

Let’s work together to create change - to give our daughters and sisters what they need to navigate important and sometimes difficult decisions and situations.  Simple, intentional conversations can serve as a great start, particularly if the older woman has confidence in approaching these topics, but if you don’t feel prepared to confidently approach these topics, I have create an online class that teaches these topics, and more!  You can get all of the details on the “Intros & Classes“ page.

This class is not method or avoiding/achieving specific, but is designed to provide a solid foundation to help the women understand their cycles and patterns, monitor their health, and prepare them to select and successfully use a method of NFP in the future (if they are led to do so).  It is geared toward women who are college aged of in their 20s.  This version is Catholic specific, but we would like to offer other versions in the future, so sign up for our updates below so you will be notified.

In addition to this class, I know there are other great resources out there, so please, share them below!  And if you are trying to teach your daughter this information on your own, what has been your biggest challenge and/or your greatest success?  

What can a NaPro doctor do for you?

A NaPro doctor is your partner in restoring & maintaining optimal reproductive health & fertility. They can help evaluate and treat infertility, repetitive miscarriage, PCOS, hormonal imbalance, endometriosis and more.

Are you struggling with a reproductive issue - endometriosis, PCOS, hormone imbalance, miscarriage or infertility?  Have you heard about NaPro and wondered how a NaPro doctor can help you and how your experience with them might be different?  

Think of a NaPro doctor as your partner in restoring and maintaining optimal reproductive health and fertility.

What makes a NaPro doctor your partner?  You work as a team to get to identify and treat root cause reproductive issues.  NaPro doctors rely on you to share critical information through:

• Your Creighton Model Chart
• Other signs and symptoms (menstrual pain, PMS, low libido, fatigue, etc.)

What do NaPro doctors restore?  A number of things, including, but not limited to:

• Hormone balance
• Ovulation
• Health of uterine lining

How do NaPro doctors maintain health & function?  They are committed to "first, do no harm."  What is unique about their approach?

• They avoid contraceptives, which can cause hormone imbalance or put the integrity of the reproductive organs at risk of puncture 
• They do not administer synthetic hormones, but rather bio identical 
• They are cautious with medications, starting with extra low dosages and closely monitoring their effectiveness and impact on overall fertility
• They encourage you to be proactive and continue to chart; you are actively involved in monitoring your reproductive health 

How does a NaPro doctor's evaluation seek to optimize function?  NaPro doctors ask different questions than typical doctors.  For example:

• Is the woman ovulating (non-NaPro) vs. Is ovulation normal?  Or is there a defect in ovulation? (NaPro)
• Is progesterone high enough on chart day 21? (non-NaPro)  vs.  Does progesterone remain at an optimal level throughout the post peak (or luteal phase)?  Is there adequate time for successful implantation before the progesterone drops off? (NaPro)
• Are there obvious signs of endometriosis? (non-NaPro) vs.  Can we fully evaluate the presence or absences of and endometriosis?  If found, can we remove it in the most effective manner while reducing the chances of scare tissue? (NaPro)

Are you interested in learning more about how to get started with NaPro?  Read more about the process here, or contact us!

Unexplained Infertility: How to Get Answers

Out of all of the couples being diagnosed with infertility, a percentage are labeled “unexplained.” Because infertility is actually a symptom of an underlying condition, “unexplained infertility” is not really a diagnosis, but an acknowledgement that something is wrong, but the problem has not been found.  Often the evaluation and exploration into the couple’s reproductive health is cut short.  The couple may be fast tracked to IUI or IVF.

There are many concerns with this, including:

• Success rates of IUI and IVF vary based on the cause on infertility; if the cause is unknown the couple doesn’t have a good idea of how likely it is to result in a healthy baby
• There is an underlying issue that is likely hindering overall health, in addition to reproductive health
• There are numerous complications that increase with an IVF pregnancy - low birth weight, pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia, among many others.

Wouldn’t it be best to find the problems and fix them?  Not only would the chances of natural conception increase, but the odds of having a pregnancy free of complications and a healthy baby also increase.  The couples is also more likely to be able to conceive naturally again in the future due to restored reproductive health.

Couples want answers.  While there is never a guarantee of conception or of being able to carry a child to term, a study found that with the Creighton Model and NaPro, 99% of couples labeled "unexplained" were provided with an explanation within 2 years

Before NPT, means the number of patients who were given a specific diagnosis prior to beginning NaPro treatment, and after NPT shows the shift in diagnosis after couples went through NaPro evaluation.

If you would like to learn more about why NaPro may be the best option for treating infertility, If you want to learn more about NaPro and what it offers women and couples, please sign up for our updates and download our NaPro for Infertility Ebook.

Infertility? 7 things your doctor should be doing (but probably isn’t)

Are you trying to conceive?  Have you gone a year or more without getting pregnant, or have you had one or more pregnancies end in a miscarriage?  Have you felt supported by your ObGyn or your Reproductive Endocrinologist?

There are doctors out there who are willing to dig in and investigate, but most do a very basic evaluation of infertility.  Standard protocols include a chart day 3 and 21 lab draw, a semen analysis, and an HSG to check the fallopian tubes.  Some practitioners may include an endometrial biopsy, or a post coital test to check for sperm after intercourse.

This is a good start, but there is more that can be done.   What should your doctor be doing to provide an accurate diagnosis, develop a complete, effective treatment plan, and provide the best chances for a healthy conception and pregnancy?  

1. Watching you ovulate

The only way to confirm ovulation is to use ultrasound to watch the process.  Despite hormones, cycles, and temperatures appearing “normal,” in some cases a women is not releasing an egg.  This is called lutenized unruptured follicle syndrome, or LUFS.  In addition to LUFS, there are a number of other ovulation disorders that can be identified with ultrasound monitoring through the pre-ovulatory phase of a woman’s cycle.  In addition to confirming ovulation, ultrasound monitoring can confirm normal, healthy ovulation and full proper development of the egg.  Treatments are available if ovulation issues are found.

2. Evaluating cervical mucus

Conceiving and carrying a healthy baby to full term requires a good egg and good sperm.  While many women know to check for fertile cervical mucus to time intercourse, their physician rarely evaluates the quality and quantity of cervical mucus, despite the fact that mucus is critical to sperm survival and movement toward an egg.  If mucus issues are found, there are some relatively simple supplements and medications that a doctor can prescribe that can significantly improve cervical mucus.

3. Considering Endometriosis

Endometriosis can range from mild to severe, and while some women with endometriosis experience severe pelvic pain and very heavy menstruation, endometriosis can be present with no obvious symptoms.  In some cases, the only symptom is infertility.  In addition to causing damage to the fallopian tubes, endometriosis can also be cause adhesions and scarring that may preventing successful implantation.

4. Testing for MTHFR

If you are not familiar with MTHFR, many of us (at least 40%) have a version of this mutation. Having this mutation can impact fertility in many ways (and is correlated with other conditions that can impact fertility).  Two things it can do are impair detox and interfere with the processing of folate, which is a critical preconception and prenatal nutrient.  If you test positive, you should not be consuming folic acid, but instead folate from food sources, along with methylated folate.  You may also be advised to take precautions to avoid blood clotting (linked to MTHFR mutations) which cause miscarriage.  You can find more about how MTHFR can affect pregnancies here.

5. Reviewing a month long hormone profile

When you have your blood drawn 7 days post ovulation, we can tell what your progesterone looks like on that day.  However, progesterone can be at an appropriate level 7 days post ovulation, but be too low prior, or drop off sharply immediately following.  If you have a sharp drop off 9 days after ovulation it often is not enough time for proper implantation, and the pregnancy will end early.  To see what is really going on throughout your entire cycle with your month long hormone profile will provide a more accurate picture.

6. Having you chart your cycles

A charted cycle can provide so much critical information.  Critical clues can be found when reviewing cycle length, luteal phase, quality of bleeding, and quantity of bleeding.  Did you know that one or 2 days of brown bleeding can be normal, but 3 or more days likely indicators an infection or hormonal deficiency?  There are a number of other clues that may appear in your chart.

7. Recommending an anti-inflammatory diet

Many of us are reacting to gluten, dairy, sugars, and grains.  This can lead to inflammation which may be causing or exacerbating some of our health issues, including infertility.  Our local infertility specialist often recommends cutting out gluten or dairy.  This isn’t something you will necessarily need to do forever, but taking a couple of months to cut back and then cutting it all out for a month or two (Paleo or Whole30) may be helpful for both men and women.  You may notice that some minor health issues improve - better digestion, focus, or energy.  If you don’t notice any difference, you can add each item back in gradually to make see if you notice any reaction.  While eating this way often requires more prep and pre-planning, it can be worth it to eliminate problem foods and increase consumption and absorption of more nutrient dense foods.  Additionally, many grains have synthetic folic acid added to them- please check your labels.

Beyond treating the infertility, which is technically a symptom of an underlying condition, we also want to treat the underlying condition for the sake of health.  Why?  Because infertility is a risk factor for a number of serious conditions, that vary depending on diagnosis, but range from IBS to hormonal dysfunction to cancer, obesity, and hypertension, among others.

Women often tell me they went months or years without a thorough evaluation.  Only after pursuing NaPro did they feel like a doctor was truly trying to figure out what was going on and working to create the ideal environment for a healthy conception and pregnancy.

If you want to learn more about NaPro and what it offers women and couples, please sign up for our updates and download our NaPro for Infertility Ebook.