Questions and Answers - Fertility Coach

Q. What Is the NFP 16-Week Fertility Coaching Program™?

It’s a comprehensive, natural fertility and preconception care coaching program.

The program is available online from any location. It is designed to help couples overcome fertility problems and have a healthy conception, pregnancy, birth and baby.

Clients receive regular private coaching from an expert fertility naturopath. They also receive access to in-depth information, tools and one-on-one support. The advice and analysis is personalised to each client's case and condition.

The coaching program is based on the NFP (Natural Fertility Prescription) method, a unique, evidence-based natural approach developed by Swiss-based natural fertility specialist Iva Keene MRMed. ND.

It is designed to help couples who want to do everything possible naturally to address their fertility problems.

The method is based on more than ten years of clinical experience specialising in natural fertility treatments and working with infertile couples, combined with the latest scientific research.

The coaching is delivered 100% online, via phone/video/email and web which means clients can use the service from any location with internet access. This makes it convenient to fit into a busy schedule.

Some clients had endured years trying to conceive, with multiple diagnosed fertility conditions and failed IVF/ICSI/IUI before finding success with the help of this unique approach.

To date we’ve helped hundreds of previously infertile couples overcome many different types of fertility problems and go on to have healthy babies.

Our clinical results show that with the right advice, information and support many previously infertile couples are able to have children naturally.

The NFP approach has been endorsed by respected natural health practitioners, RE’s and medical doctors.

It’s an evidence-based, natural way to help overcome the underlying causes of infertility that fertility drugs and procedures do not address.

These common root causes of fertility problems (or fertility roadblocks) include toxicities, macro/micro nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances and metabolic/systemic factors.

Each couple and every case is different and during the coaching program we work together with you to help you identify and address the factors specific to your case.

The 16-week program includes a fertility case analysis, personalised diet including recipes and meal plans, nutrition and detoxification guidance, deficiency assessments and testing advice and interpretation, sleep hygiene for fertility, exercise techniques, conception timing and mind/body strategies and more.

This is a step-by-step, easy to follow process that can also help you balance other body systems and achieve better overall health.

In addition to pregnancy successes, clients regularly report additional unexpected benefits including: more energy, better digestion and improvements to sleep, mood and appearance.

Q. Why Is The Program 16 Weeks In Duration?

Q. Can it Help Our Fertility Problems?

‘Can the program help us address the conditions my partner and I have been diagnosed with? What type of infertility conditions can (and can’t) it help solve?’

Certain fertility conditions (and underlying causes) cannot be helped by this method. For example, if you’ve got severely blocked fallopian tubes, or if you are missing fallopian tubes, if you had an ectopic pregnancy or if you had a large cyst and you had to have your tubes removed, then you will not be able to get pregnant by using this method only.

Also, if there are certain congenital malformations to the reproductive organs and certain other genetic issues, the all natural approach would not be able to help you. For example, if a man is missing vas deferens, which means he cannot ejaculate semen because he’s missing the tubes through which semen has to pass.

In those scenarios, your best option may be IVF, and in those scenarios, it’s marvelous that we have IVF and other ART procedures. They are the scenarios where the program will not be able to help or can only be helpful in combination with IVF.

What the program can help with is: PCOS, Ovulatory Infertility, Hypothyroidism (clinical & subclinical), Age-related Poor Egg Quality, Advanced Age or Late Pregnancy Concerns (Late 30's - mid 40's), FSH-related Infertility, Poor Ovarian Function, Fibroids and Polyps, Endometriosis, LPD - Luteal Phase Defect, Sperm Deficiencies / Abnormalities / Low Sperm Count, Low Progesterone, Recurrent Miscarriages, Weight-related Infertility, Mild Scarring or Mildly Blocked Fallopian Tubes (when blocked with mucus rather than severe scar tissue), Antibodies or Immunity Problems.

The reason this approach can be so effective is because many forms of infertility are not just originating in the reproductive system tend to be systemic or metabolic, which means there are other underlying issues. For example endometriosis can have genetic as well as immune-related, as well as endocrine-related origins, and it’s linked to your reproductive system. This is why we often need to work on a particular problem on multiple levels.

If you have MTHFR gene polymorphism and are therefore miscarrying, we will show you ways to address this as well. Also, in cases of unexplained infertility, we can help you find the cause of unexplained fertility with the help of additional tests where necessary to find out the actual cause and then we can help you address it in a targeted way.

Low AMH can't be raised for the simple reason that you were born with a certain number of primordial cells, which are secreting AMH. So we can’t boost your AMH numbers, but we can work with a low AMH number to help you improve the quality of the eggs that you do have.

Q. Can You Show Me the Science?

When it comes to health, there is a lot of unsubstantiated (and simply false) information out there. So it's understandable that sometimes couples (or partner's) ask:

"What is the scientific evidence showing that fertility may be significantly improved by things like foods, nutrients, removal of toxins, herbs, sleep hygiene, and exercise, or mindset and lifestyle choices?"

... and the answer may surprise you.

In recent years, hundreds of research studies related to this topic have been published in respected, peer-reviewed medical journals.

And people are sometimes surprised to learn that many studies have demonstrated that certain substances, activities, foods, nutrients and herbs can have a powerful positive (fertility boosting)... or negative (fertility reducing) effect.

Once you become aware of the number of relevant studies in the medical literature, it's hard to understand why natural fertility and natural preconception care is still largely ignored by fertility clinics.

Perhaps it’s the patient demand for quick-fixes, a magic pill or procedure… perhaps it’s about profit or maybe it’s simply the drug/procedure focus of conventional medicine…

Whatever the reason, we believe couples have a right to be exposed to a quality source of information about alternatives.

Below is a selection of examples from the medical journals and if you go here you can read many more study reviews:

Obstetrics & Gynecology discovered that consumption of this mineral in this particular form may decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility.
Lancet, reported in a study that twice the level of sperm counts were observed among men who ate these particular foods when compared to the control group of men who didn’t eat these foods.
A study published in Fertility and Sterility reported a 60% rate of pregnancies among infertile women with endometriosis after consuming this fertility boosting food.
A double-blind trial published in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, found that taking a combination of vitamins and minerals increased female fertility.
A study published in the Human Reproduction Update found that this mineral is crucial for optimal testosterone levels and sperm maturation.
The Journal of Endocrinology reported that this herb increases sperm count and sperm motility in men. The same herb increases the number of follicles maturing each month in women. In a different study this herb was shown to increase progesterone and testosterone levels.
The Journal of Medicinal Food found that when infertile men supplemented their diet with this vitamin their sperm count, sperm motility (ability to propel forward) and morphology (shape of the sperm) improved.
The Journal of Phytomedicine published a study which reported that this herb normalizes luteal phase defect, improves progesterone secretion and improves overall fertility.

And this is just a small sample of the scientific studies that we draw upon in developing our Natural Fertility Coaching programs and protocols.

Q. How is This Program Different?

The program is designed to help you identify and solve the underlying causes of your fertility problems. Conventional fertility treatments typically involve only basic testing (sperm parameters, hormone levels) and the solution is always drugs and procedures. Fertility drugs and procedures try to go around the problem(s) that is causing infertility to force a conception on a body that is often not yet ready.

Only an in-depth natural approach that incorporates a comprehensive analysis and additional testing (where necessary) can effectively solve the major root causes of infertility. The program gives clients a personalized fertility plan that teaches them how to address the root cause(s) and prepare their body for a healthy conception.

The major difference between this program and other natural fertility information and advice is that it’s delivered by expert coaches who are hyperspecialized, it’s super convenient and easy to follow and the advice and coaching is personalized to each client’s needs.

This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We do the necessary detective work and analysis for each case.

Clients receive information tailored to their condition(s); individual test recommendations and interpretation (where necessary); tailored diet plan; personalized supplement prescriptions; email support and one-on-one phone consultations.

Moreover, this is an evidence-based natural approach. The information you'll receive is grounded in clinical experience and scientific research.

And it is much easier than trying to do it yourself or rely on ad-hoc information or one-off consultations. With infertility there are no “easy answers"… yet, we’ve made the NFP 16-Week Fertility Coaching Program as easy as possible to use, access and apply.

When you become a Fertility Coaching member, we start with a detailed case analysis and then we tailor the program to your individual needs and circumstances and guide you step-by-step and week-by-week showing you what to focus on to improve your fertility gradually and systematically.

The coaching program gives you a level of in-depth, personalised and step-by-step guidance that a one off consultation, ad-hoc treatment, book or downloadable program cannot provide.

Q. How Personalized Is It?

Q. What Is the Success Rate?

Q. Would I Need to Travel to You?

Q. How Will the Time Difference Work With Calls?

Q. Is the Program Hard to Follow?

The program is designed to be easy to follow. We break it down for you into individual, bite-size chunks.

Each week, you’ll have some information to review and simple steps to take. So you will not be overwhelmed, you’ll have a weekly rhythm of incremental things to think about.

After you fill out the case analysis questionnaire, we will give you feedback on areas that specifically apply to you during your consultations and email interactions.

During the program, we also give you information, specific to you and your partner’s condition(s). In addition, each week you will receive a 1 page summary checklist by email of key points so that if you are short on time you can scan the summary document or show it to your partner.

And if you don't understand something, you can email questions to us and we will reply within 1-2 days. Every aspect of the program is designed to make it as simple and convenient as possible because the easier it is the more impact it is going to have on your fertility.

And unlike a one off consultation or clinic procedure, where you’re given a one-time treatment and then left on your own, this is a transformative and interactive process, with regular steps to help you stay on track and make progress at a pace you’re comfortable with.

Clients say they really like the flexibility of listening to the recordings in their car, or watching the videos and/or scanning the written material. Reviewing the checklists and meal plans when they're short on time and having small incremental changes to make each week. The materials are available in multiple, convenient formats to suit how you prefer to consume information.

It’s also possible to moderate the pace according to your preferences, depending on your time availability, and what you feel comfortable with. This helps to fit it into your schedule without disrupting your normal routine.

These are not huge changes. You will still be shopping for, and preparing food. You will still use certain products for your cosmetics in your home. It’s just that we are going to tweak those things, which may be harming your fertility and replace them with those which will either not be harmful or be beneficial for your fertility.

And the recipes are not only good for your fertility, they are easy to prepare as well as being delicious so you won’t feel like you’re missing out. And the meal plans and shopping lists make it super easy and hassle-free.

It must be said that this is an active process that does involve you and your partner taking some action. However, I believe because you’re already here and you’re reading this far, that you are motivated to make some simple changes to significantly improve your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, birth and baby.

Q. How Natural Is the Program?

Q. What Will We Need to Do?

You simply need to be willing to invest some time each week for 16 weeks.

We will be recommending you and your partner make simple changes to your diet, lifestyle and nutrition. It’s suggested that at least one of you make time to review the information once a week.

While the fertility diet is delicious and most clients say they feel amazing, it’s normal that any dietary changes can involve some effort, willpower and sometimes some unusual feelings, particularly in the first 2 weeks while detoxing.

Depending on your case, we may recommend additional tests that go beyond the standard fertility clinic tests. Typically these are tests your doctor has not told you to do.

It depends on your case and condition as to whether additional tests may help to pinpoint underlying causes, and it is your decision whether you choose to have further tests done. We also help you by recommending testing options that can be done conveniently (some can be done from home).

In the supplement and herbs section and as part of the individual condition protocols, we may recommend certain supplements depending on your case and condition. Nutrients and herbs are an adjunct and not the basis for this approach, however we may recommend practitioner-grade supplements to you.

This should give you a clear picture of the effort involved. And because everyone has a different starting point in terms of fertility, health, knowledge, diet & lifestyle, the program may be slightly more challenging or easier for you than it is for others.

Sometimes a coaching client will have a reluctant partner and want to know if their partner needs to take part for the program to be effective. Since it takes two to make a baby we definitely recommend your partner takes part but it's not always necessary.

And whether it is or not depends on where the problem is. For example, if the husband won't participate but his sperm is ok then it won't be a problem if he is not 100% onboard.

It is not uncommon for our female clients to use our programs when their male partner did not want to participate. And many of these clients were successful with little or no participation from their male partner.

However we usually recommend in such cases that the partner be persuaded to at least take certain supplements as a safety net to cover their nutritional needs. And it is usually possible to persuade the uninvolved partner to swallow some supplements each day.

Q. How Do You Monitor Our Progress?

Q. How Long Does it Take?

Q. What Does the Diet Involve?

Q. I Am Over 40, 43, 45 or Older. Can This Help Me?

We all know that age is a significant factor in fertility. However, not as early as most fertility clinics will tell you. When clinics turn women away because they are ‘too old’ at 41 or insist on an egg donor they are basing this on their statistics taken from IVF patients, not natural conception rates in healthy populations or on you as an individual.

It is not uncommon for women to conceive naturally up to 44/45 with the right preparation. Beyond that, it does get harder but natural pregnancies have been known to happen up to 50 and when combined with ARTs well beyond that.

In terms of the question, ‘is it too late’, the short answer is this: scientifically speaking, when you’re menopausal, that’s too old.

If you’re still ovulating regularly, then you can use this program to help you balance your fertility-related systems and optimize the quality of your eggs and your partner’s sperm to help you to significantly increase your chances to get pregnant.

The main issue with someone in their 40’s is not so much the actual number. It’s not like your fertility suddenly changes on your 40th birthday. Although if you go to a fertility clinic after you’ve gone over a certain age, they will treat you as if this happened.

An important thing to understand about age and fertility is that there is a difference between your chronological age and your biological age. Your chronological age is the number of times you’ve been around the sun whereas your biological age is how old your body really is.

Your biological age is what matters most for fertility and this is something you can change. There are some people in their 20s who have a much, much older biological age than their chronological age, and there’s some people in their 40s and 50s whose biological age is still in their 20s or 30s.

This depends on a number of factors. The one you're born with is your genetics, however we now know from epigenetics that even your gene expression can be influenced. Other factors such as your lifestyle, your diet, your nutrient sufficiency, your mindset and the environmental toxins you’re coming into contact with can influence your biological age, your fertility and your offspring for better or worse.

That's why we ask some other important, age-related fertility questions including: "How is your overall health?" "What toxin exposure do you have/have you had?" "What nutrient deficiencies is your fertility being affected by?" "How is your luteal phase?" "How is your progesterone level and other hormone levels?"

One of the main factors is that someone in their 20s has lived for a shorter period of time; therefore, if they have any nutrient deficiencies, toxicities, or genetic issues, which are impacting the body’s ability to absorb and assimilate certain nutrients, the negative effects have had less time to take a toll on their fertility.

If you are in your 40s, you have 20 years more exposure to certain environmental toxins than someone in their 20’s. You’ve probably drank coffee or alcohol at some point in your life. You’ve probably taken some pharmaceutical drugs. Perhaps you smoked or even took recreational drugs.

The point is that you’ve undoubtedly been exposed to certain toxins. You’ve come into contact with heavy metals from tap water. You’ve come into contact with chemicals in cleaning products, in your personal care products, your cosmetics and from many other modern sources.

And all of these accumulate in the body. Often in our organs and our fat. So, as you get older, you’re experiencing a cumulative effect of all of these factors. It’s these factors that can influence your fertility-related body systems, the quality of your eggs and your sperm and the hormonal balance in your body.

However these things are not unchangeable. They are fluid, they are factors we can influence because your body can detox and regenerate. It can eliminate toxins. We can address nutrient deficiencies with the right foods and nutrients and get your body back in the right state to balance its systems and hormones and to produce mature, healthy eggs and healthy sperm.

Strictly speaking, the follicles that you’re ovulating through your eggs are actually older than you because they formed when you were an embryo. However, they are in their primordial state. They are in that frozen state where they can become anything but they’re nothing yet, and they’re sitting dormant. They’re dormant for all this time, and every four months, five or six of those are recruited for maturation.

As long as you’re still ovulating, and as long as you still have a cycle, you can improve the quality of the eggs that you ovulate. Even if you have anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) tests done, even if it’s low, even if the fertility clinic told you your ovarian reserve is too low and that you should use donor eggs. If you’re still ovulating those eggs, there are things you can do to improve the quality of the eggs you mature.

AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) is really not telling us anything about your ability to get pregnant and to stay pregnant or to give birth to a child. AMH values are usually only used for the fertility clinics to see what level of stimulation drugs they should give you because if the AMH is very high, high levels of fertility drugs can predispose you to hyper stimulation, which can be quite dangerous.

Whereas if the AMH level is low your ovaries will probably not react too well and they can give you high levels of drugs, but even this does not guarantee anything. It’s just one of those values that they look for to determine their procedure. However, it causes a lot of distress, and I’ve seen many clients with low AMH values who are very upset because they believe literally that they only have one or two eggs left in their ovaries, and that’s not the case.

Remember that any woman at the time of menopause still has anywhere between 500 to 1,000 eggs, which will never develop!

I try to avoid generalizations about age and fertility because it is very individual. Someone may be 48 but they may still be ovulating and still have a good cycle. And while this is not typical, we regularly have clients in their early to mid forties conceive naturally and have healthy babies after following our program. If you are in your 40’s and trying to conceive, examples should encourage you.

Women over 40 may need to be more patient and sometimes need to give the process a bit more time. This is often a challenge because women in their 40s tend to feel more rushed and like they are running out of time. They are often told by the clinic (and by conventional wisdom) that they don’t have much time.

Your chronological age is a real factor in your fertility. However I hope this shows you that a healthy natural pregnancy in the early to mid 40’s is a realistic goal for most women with the right preparation.

Q. What If We Can't Source the Recommended Foods?

Q. What If My Problem Is Holding Onto a Pregnancy?

Q. Can it Be Combined With IVF?

‘Can it be used in combination with other conventional or alternative fertility treatments? What if we’ve been through multiple cycles of IUI, IVF or ICSI without success. Can this help?’

Yes, although the program is designed to be a stand-alone, natural solution to infertility, it can be combined with other alternative medicine and conventional IVF fertility treatment to improve the overall odds of a healthy pregnancy.

The way it works with IVF is that we advise you to time your treatment to combine with our natural fertility protocols by following the program for at least four months first.

This will help you address the factors that can cause conventional drug and procedure based treatments to fail before your next IVF cycle.

These factors include:

If the nutrient reserve in the eggs have not been optimized for the duration of the egg maturation which is four months.

If there are certain toxicities that have not been addressed.

If there are immune issues then the immune system can attack the developing embryo and predispose to miscarriage.

If there is a hormonal imbalance then the quality of the eggs and sperm and the endometrium may not be optimal for a successful pregnancy.

If cellular division is sluggish there may be a predisposition to chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage.

If thyroid function is sluggish.

If there is poor sperm quality then you may be passing on suboptimal DNA which can lower the chance of a successful pregnancy.

If there is a digestive issue an optimal diet won’t help if you can’t properly digest and assimilate nutrients.

If you have a food intolerance this may be predisposing you to poor digestion and abnormal immunity which can impact your ability to get pregnant and stay pregnant (or to father a child).

These are some of the things that standard fertility treatments don’t address, and it’s why many couples who have endured multiple failed cycles, use our program and then go on to get pregnant by combining it with IVF/ICSI/IUI.

On the other hand, if you’re using acupuncture, osteopathy, shiatsu, Chinese medicine, homeopathy, massage, yoga etc, you can do that alongside the program as long as you're not doubling up on Chinese medicine herbs or Ayurvedic medicine herbs alongside western herbal medicine.

Also, conventional drugs can in most cases be combined with the coaching program. If you have diabetes or if you have poor thyroid function, or if you are hypothyroid, even if you have certain immune issues and allergies for which you need certain medications, you can use it in combination.

As with all conventional medical therapies, if in any doubt we always recommend you check with your primary health care practitioner.

Q. Can You Help Me Cope With the Emotional Side?

‘Can you help me cope with the emotional side of this stressful journey? How do we get to the point of letting go of the past and believe again in new possibilities?’

A lot of couples who struggle with infertility experience severe emotional distress. Many couples experience depression and a spiral of negative thinking brought about by infertility. Often, watching friends, sisters and workmates become mothers or hearing well-meaning comments like ‘so when are you two going to start having children’ can bring about a cycle of tears.

I know it can be hard to believe in new possibilities after many disappointments, especially when you’ve been told by people whose opinion you respect, that it’s not possible (or going to be very difficult) for you. If you’ve gone to a fertility clinic or perhaps several clinics. If your doctor told you, your egg quality is not optimal plus you miscarried or you could not get pregnant in the first place, and if it happened multiple times then you may simply not believe it’s possible.

However, I want to remind you that your past does not equal your future. Your body has a phenomenal healing capacity, but first you need to awaken it and that does take a certain amount of effort and preparation to create the right environment in your mind and body. And it may be that your body has never had the right environment for optimum fertility.

Addressing the emotional side and having strategies to make yourself feel better during the journey is important and this is part of what we mean ‘by looking at infertility from a whole person perspective.’ This means that your mind, your body and your emotions are all interlinked and all can have an impact on your fertility.

During the coaching program, you will learn practical tips, tools and strategies to help improve your emotional wellbeing and help you to process and cope with the emotional side of your fertility struggle.

We will help you believe in your body and mind that you can have a healthy conception, pregnancy, birth and baby. You will discover: ways to take some of the stress away; strategies to stay positive; and things you can do to feel better, alleviate anxiety and improve your mood.

If needed we can show you strategies to help you let go of the old patterns, old beliefs which may no longer be serving you just the way you will be letting go of old habits and foods which are not good for you. Once you go through this process, you will feel a positive shift.

Part of what we are teaching in this program is that there are lots of myths we are told about age and infertility and certain conditions and infertility that can make you feel defeated.

As you go through this process, you will begin to feel more empowered, and you will see that there are lots of areas where you can improve your fertility.

Once you start to see and feel results within your body, when you notice improvements in how you’re feeling, how you sleep, and so on. When you can measure improvements to your fertility based on the test results, your optimism is going to emerge again. You will start to believe more in your body, and see that your body can repair many forms of disease if it’s given sufficient time and the right building blocks.

Questions & Answers