126- How to Beat Infertility and Get Pregnant …...and be able to help them bring a little baby and...

Copyright © 2018 Wellness Mama · All Rights Reserved

1

Episode126:HowtoBeatInfertilityandGet

PregnantNaturallywithDr.MarcSklar


2

Child:WelcometomyMommy’spodcast.

ThisepisodeissponsoredbyFourSigmatic.You’veheardmetalkaboutFourSigmaticbeforebecauseIlovetheircoffees,teasandhotchocolates.Nowyoucanget15%offanyorderwiththecode“wellnessmama”.Butthesearenotordinarydrinks.They’redeliciouscombinationsofcoffee,cocoaandadaptogenherbs,nowwiththebenefitsofChaga,Cordyceps,andLionsManeforanextrabrainboostandcleanenergy.MylongtimefavoriteistheirinstantcoffeewiththebenefitsofthesemushroomsbutlatelyI’vealsoreallybeenenjoyingtheircaffeinefreeblends.Tryoutallofthesedeliciousdrinksatfoursigmatic.com/wellnessmamaandmakesuretousethecodewellnessmamatoget15%offofyourorder.

ThispodcastisalsobroughttoyoubyButcherBox.Andifyouhaven’theardofthem,they’reagreatcompanythatshipsreallyhighqualitymeatstoyourdoor.Theycarry100%grassfedbeef,organicandpasturedchicken,andheritagebreedporkandtheydeliveritdirectlytoyourdoor.Alloftheirproductsarehumanlyraisedandfreeofantibioticsandhormones.AndasaWellnessMamalistener,youcanget$15offplusfreebaconinyourfirstbox.Gotobutcherbox.com/wellnessmamaandusethepromocodeHEALTHYMOMS(inallcapitalletters).

Katie:Hiandwelcometothe"HealthyMomsPodcast."I'mKatiefromwellnessmama.comandIamheretodaywithfertilityexpert,Dr.MarcSklar,whohasbeenhelpingcouplestoconceiveandhavehealthybabiesforover15years.NotonlyisheadoctorofacupunctureandOrientalmedicine,healsotrainedatHarvardattheSchoolOfMindAndBodyMedicalInstitute.He'sthecreatorofmarcsklar.comandreproductivewellness.comandco-authorof"SecretToConception."He'salsoafellowoftheAmericanBoardofOrientalReproductiveMedicineandmedicaladvisorforthenaturalhealthinternational.Obviously,he'sveryaccomplishedandIamsuperexcitedtojumpintodayandtalkallthingsfertility.Marc,thanksforbeinghere.Marc:Thanksforhavingme,Katie.I'mreallyexcitedtobehereandexcitedtotalkallthingsfertility.Katie:Yeah,forsure.IknowIhaveafewpostsonfertility-relatedtopicsandtheyseemtobegettingalotmoretrafficinrecentyears,especially.AndIhavemyowntheories,butI'dlovetohearfromyouonwhyyouthinkfertilityis…seemstobesuchagrowingissuerightnow.Marc:Yeah,youknow,it'sagreatquestion.AndIusedtothink…five,evenmaybetenyearsago,Iusedtothinkthatthere'snotreallyadifferencebetweentheamountoffertilityissueswe'reseeingtodayaswesawmaybe50yearsago.Iwasjust…Iusedtothinkthattherealissuewasthatwe'rejusttalkingaboutitmoreandwe'remoreacceptingofthefertilityandmoreopentothatconversation.AndIdothinkthat'soneaspectofit,butI'vechangedmytuneinthelastfiveyears.Idothinkthatthere'smore…therearemorecomplications,moreissuesthatarecausingandaffectingourfertilitytodaythaneverbefore.Weliveinaworldwithsomanytoxins,somanychemicalsthatourbodieswereneverexposedtobefore,neverevenknewwhattodowith.Theyactuallydon'tknowwhattodowiththemnowandIdofeelthisisahugeissuethatisaffectingourbody.Andontopofit,Ithinkthere'sahugestresscomponentthat'saffectingourfertilityandourbodyaswell,whereweliveinthisworldwherewe'retryingtoaccomplishsomanythings,orwe'remadetofeellikeweneedtoaccomplishsomanythings.


3

Andwetakeonsomuchmoreandwiththatcomesalotmorestress,ourhealthstartstodegradefromthat.SothosearethetwomainreasonswhyIthinkthatwe'redealingwithmorefertilitythanweeverhavebefore.Katie:Yeah,Iagree.I'veseenkindofsimilarthingsinmyresearch.AndI'dloveto…beforewegodeepintothefertilitybit,I'dlovetohearyourstoryalittlebit,too,andhowyouendedupgettingintothisfieldandwhat…justalittlebitaboutsomeofthepeopleyou'vehelped,becausefromresearchingyou,youhaveareallyimpressivehistory.Marc:Okay,thanks.It'sactuallyareallyfunnystory.So…orIthinkit'sfunny.SoIstartedoffinundergradandevenbeforethen,IalwaysthoughtthatIalwayshadanaffinityformedicine,butIneverreallyhadanaffinityforWesternmedicine.Ididn'tknowhowtocommunicatethatright.Ijustdidn't…wasn'tsomethingthatreally…Iconnected…somethingIreallyconnectedwith.AndIstartedaspre-medinundergradandafterasemester,Iwaslike,"Thissucks.Idon'twanttodealwiththeseclassesanymore."SoIjuststartedtofollowmyheartandthethingsthatreallyinterestedme,whichledmedownthepsychologyrouteandledmedowntothecomparativereligionsroute,whichiswhatIgotmydegreein.Ihadalotofhealthissuesmyself,whichIcametorealizeincollegethatIneededdifferentoptionstosupportmyself.SoIstartedlookingatalternativemedicine--acupuncture,Chinesemedicineandthennutrition--andthatreally…thatwasthefirststepthatgotmedownthisroad,becauseitreallymadeadramaticimpactonmyoverallhealth.Andeventhen,nowlookingbackonit,Ithoughtitwaslike,"Oh,Iwas80%better."Iwasprobablyonlyreally,like,20%better,butitfeltlike80%.Andthen,myacupuncturist,whenIwastalkingtoheraboutgoingbacktograduateschool,shesaid,"YoushouldreallylookatgoingintoChinesemedicine."SoIwaslike,"Well,youknow,there'saninterestingidea.Ineverthoughtaboutit."AndIalwayshadloveformedicineandso,Ilookedatit,Isaid,"What'stheworstthingthathappens?I'llmovetoCalifornia…"I'moriginallyfromMiami,"SoI'llmovetoFlorida…toCaliforniaatherurgingandrecommendationandIlivedthereforayear.AndifIdon'tlikeit,I'lljustmovebackandfiguresomethingelseout."Sothat'swhatIdidandIreallyneverlookedback.I'mstillhereinCalifornia,Ilovethemedicine.AndwhenIwasinmedicalschool,myfirstsemester,Istartedworkingwithoneofmymentors--atthetime,Ididn'tknowshewasgoingtobeamentor,butnow,sheis--andreallyjustfollowingher.AndIworkedwithherforthosefouryearsandneverreallymissedabeatotherthangoingonvacation.Andherpracticewasdevotedtowomen'shealthandfertilityandIjuststarted…Ijustfellinlovewithit.Ithoughtitwaspowerful,amazingwhatyoucandoforsomebodyandbeabletohavethatspecialconnectionandbeabletohelpthembringalittlebabyandgrowtheirfamilyintotheworld,Ijustthoughtitwasjustreallyspecial.AndwhenIwasinschool,wedidclinicships.Andduringtheclinicships,allmyfriendswereseeingpainpatientsandtreatingindividualsforallsortsofpain-relatedissues.Andeveryonewhowalkedinmydoorwascominginforsomesortofwomen'shealthorfertilityissue:menstrualissues,dysmenorrhea,PCOS,whateveritwas.AndIjust…Iknewatthatmomentitwasmycalling.Buttwoamazingthingshappenedsomewhatsimultaneouslythatsameyear.Myoldestbrother…myolderbrother…notmyoldest,butoneofmyolderbrotherswastryingtohavechildrenwithhiswifeandtheywerehavingsomeissues.Icouldn'thelpthemphysically,becauseIwasn'trightthere,butIdidalotofsupportandcoachingwiththemfromafar.Andthen,myfirstfertilitypatientwalkedthroughthedoorwhohadPCOS.


4

Andprettymucharoundthesametime--ittookthembothaboutsixmonths--theyboth…actually,Ithinkshetookaboutfourandahalftofivemonthsandhetookaboutsix,buttheybothtoldmethattheywerepregnant.Anditwasjust…somethingjustclickedrightatthatmomentandIknewthisisreallythepaththatIneededtogodownandwhatIwantedtodo.Andmyolderbrother'sgottwosetsoftwinsnowandthatpatienthad…she'sgotfourkidsnow.Andtheonlypicture…somepeoplemayhaveheardthisstoryifthey'veheardmespeakbefore.ButtheonlypictureonmydeskinmyofficeoutsideofmytwoboysisababypictureofthefirstbabythatIeverhelped,whichishers.Sothat'skindofhowIgotintothisfieldandthisspecialty,overall.Katie:Ilovethat.That'ssuchacoolstory.AndIwanttogobackandgodeeperontheideaofthemind-bodyconnection,especiallyasitrelatestofertilityandreproduction,becausefrommyside,personally,Ihaveneverstruggledwithgettingpregnant.IthinkIhadtheoppositeproblem.ButI…mylasttwobabieshavebeenbornbreechandIhadthemvaginally,thankgoodness.Butit'sreallyinteresting,becauseIwastalkingtoafriendofminewhoisalsoanacupuncturist.Andsidenote,IjokewithherthatIshouldhavenamedmyfifthkidafterher,becauseshedidacupunctureonmeforaheadacheoneday.Andshegoes,"It'salsogreatforfertility,"andIwaslike,"No,no,no.Idon'tneedhelpwiththat,"andactually,threedayslater,gotpregnantwithnumberfive.SoIjokeaboutthatwithacupuncture.ButI'msocurious,becausemylasttwohavebothbeenbreechandI'vealwayshadprettytoughlabors.AndI'vedoneallthephysicalthingsyoucanpossiblydotoflipabreechbaby.I'vestoodonmyhead,Ihavegonetothechiropractor,donetheWebstertechniqueeveryday,anything…acupuncture.Anythingthat'srecommended,Ididandtheydidnotflip.Thankfully,theywerebornwithnoproblem.ButIhavewondered…themind-bodyconnectionissostrong,I'vewonderedifmyownhesitancyaboutlaborhasmaybeevenimpactedthemnotwantingtobeheads-down.ButIthinkthere'sareallystrongconnectionthere.AndI'dloveforyoutogodeeperonthatmind-bodyconnectionandhowitcanevenmaybeimpactourabilitytogetpregnant.Marc:Yeah,absolutely.Icouldn'tagreewithyoumore.Andasasidenote,I'matwinmyselfand…identicaltwin.Andmymom…I'msayingthisbecauseofyourstoryofbreech.Somymomdidn'tknowshewashavingtwinsbackthen.Backthen,youdidn'thaveultrasoundsandso,theonlywaytheyknewhowmanychildrenyouwerehavingandsoforth,itwasjustbyhearingtheheartbeat.Sotheyalwaysheardmybrother,becauseIwasbreechandIwashigherup.Andso,whenhewasdelivered,aboutfiveminuteslater,theysaw…orprobablythreeminuteslater,theysawmyfeetandfiveminuteslater,IwasdeliveredandIwasdeliveredbreech.Backthen,theydidalotmoreofthat.Andit'samazingthatyoudeliveredyourchildrenbreechinthisdayandage,becausethatdoesn'thappentoooften.SoIfiguredsinceyousharedthat,Iwouldchimeinwithmybreechstoryofmypersonalhistory,althoughIdon'trememberitverywell.Butthatmind-bodyconnectionis…Ithinkisreally,reallypowerful.Andit'ssomethingthatinterestinglyenough,I'vejustbeenspeakingmoreandmoreandmoreaboutinthesepastyears,especiallyinthislastseveralmonths.Youknow,Ithinkthat…Idon'tthink,Iknowthatourmindreallycontrolsandaffectsmuchofthewayourbodyfunctionssubconsciously.Whetherwethinkthat,believeitorknowittobetrueornot,


5

we'redoingthatinasubconsciousmanner.WhatI'dlovetoseehappenfromthemajorityofusisthatwe'reactuallydoingitinaveryconsciousmanner,thatwe'reengagingourbodyandourmindtotaketheroleortoperformtheactionsthatwe'relookingfor.AndoneofthethingsthatIoftenworkwithmypatientsaboutisreallythatmind-bodyconnection:understandingthatwehavemorepowerthanweknowandmorepowerandunderstandingthanwebelieve,whenitcomestofertility.Ithinkoftentimes,wethinkofitpurelyasjustthisbiologicalprocess.Andwe'retoldsooften--especiallyinthisdayandagewiththisfertilityjourney--that…we'retoldsooftenthat,"Oh,asyouapproachthisage,it'sgoingtobemore…becomemoredifficult."Soyou'realreadyhearingallofthisinformationfromthenewsandthen,youwalkintoyourOBofficeor…well,probablynotthemidwife,who'sgoingto…hopefully,they'renotgoingtoapproachitthisway.Butyouwalkintoyourmidwife's…intoyourOB'sofficeandthey'regoingtostarttotalktoyouaboutwhattestsyouneedtodoand,"Howoldareyou?""Oh,youmightbetooold.Youshouldstartlookingatthefertilitytreatmentsandyoushouldstartspeakingtothefertilityspecialist,"andsoforth.Theystarttoplanttheseseedsthatreallystarttotakealifeoftheirown.Theystarttogrow,becausewe'retoldallthesenegativethoughtsthat,"Youcan't,"or,"You'retooold,"and,"YoushouldlookatIVF."Andyoudidn'tbelievethatbefore,butasthatseed…asyoureaditorasyou'retoldthatmoreandmorefrequently,thenyoudefinitelystarttobelievethattobetrueinasubconsciousmanner.Andwomenwere…youweremadetoreproduce,youweremadetohavechildren.AndIthinkthatifwecangetbacktothatmoreprimalandbasicthoughtprocessof,like,"Yes,thisiswhatIcando,thisiswhatIshouldbedoing,"andreallyengageyour…Iliketocallthemyoursuperpowerofhavingchildren--becauseIdobelieveit'sasuperpower--thenIreallythinkwecanstarttotrainourbodytolistentoourmind,whereourmindisleadingourbodydownthatpath,toreallyguideitdownthatfertilityjourney.Becauserightnow,it'sdoingit,it'sjustdoingitinasubconsciousmannerandit'sbeingtakendownthatpathandanegativepath.Soyou'realwaystaught,"No."ButIwanttochangethat"No"toa"Yes"andIwantyoutoactivelyengagethat"Yes"onaregularbasis.AndIthinkthatthat'sareallypowerfultoolandapowerfulthinganditgoeswellbeyondjustfertility.Itgoestolifeasawhole,right?Imean,youweretalkingaboutbeingsomewhatfearfulornervousaboutdeliveryandlaborandIthinkthathasthatimpactaswell.I'veseenitoverandoverwithmypatientswho,theyhavethisveryrigidbirthingplanforhowtheywanttheirbirthtogo.AndIthinkthey'reveryscaredifitgoesawry,ifitgoessidewaysfromthat.AndIthinkthatfearandthatrigidity,intermsofhowtheywantthatplantogosometimesalsocompromisesthewayit'sgoingtogo,becauseit…yourbodytendstogravitatetowardsthatfear.It'smuchhardertogravitatetowardsthatpositiveandImean,ittakesalotmoreeffort.Iabsolutely,absolutelybelievethatthatmindplayssuchanimpactfulroleonallaspectsoflife.Andjustlookingbackatmylife,anythingthatI'vewantedandreallygearedmyselfto,Ihadtobevery,veryclearaboutinmymind,toleadmyselfdownthatroad.AndIwholeheartedlybelieveit'sthesamethingwithfertility.Now,doesthatmeanthere'snotphysicalorbiologicalissuesthatcancontributetofertilityissues?No,bynomeans.ButIthinktheyshouldbe…weshouldbeworkingonbothofthosethingshand-in-hand.Katie:Yeah,thatmakesperfectsense.Andcertainly,Ithinkyouphraseditwell,butnottosaythatifsomeonecan'tgetpregnantthattheyhave,then,amentalproblemaswell,butjustthatrealizinghowpowerfulour


6

mindis.Andifwe'refocusedon,"Ohmygosh,Ican'tgetpregnantandthisissostressful,"andallofthethingsthatarewrong,itdoesn'thelptomovepastthat.AndIknowthatyou'veprobablyseenitaswell,butI'veseenamazinginformationabouthow,forinstance,ifsomeone'stoldtheyhavecancerandthatthey'regoingtodieinafewmonths,theydieinafewmonths.Andautopsiesfindouttheydidn'tactuallyhavecancerandthatthediagnosiswaswrong,butourmindissopowerful.Andconversely,theydoplacebokneesurgeries,wheretheysaytheyweregoingtorepairsomeone'sACL,theycutthemopen,buttheydon'trepairitandtheygetbetter.AndImean,Ithinkwe…especiallyWesternmedicinemaybesometimesforgetsjusthowpowerfulthemindis.Andnottosaythatwedon'tneedthebody.Likeyousaid,weobviouslyneedthattoo,butthattheygohandinhandsostrong.Andso,I'dlovetogodeeperonthat.Soyousaidobviously,therecouldbephysicalthingsaswell.Sowhensomeonecomestoyouandisstrugglingtoconceive,what'stheprocess?Wheredoyoustartwiththem?Marc:Yeah.SothefirstplaceIalwaysstartisactuallymoreonaphysicalsideofthings,whichiswithlabworkandtesting.Ithinkthatanytimesomeonecomesintomyofficeforfertility-relatedissues,Iwanttomakesurethatwe'renotignoringsomeofthebasicthings.Andoftentimes,especiallywithpatientswhoarejuststartingdownthatjourney,notsomuchwithcoupleswhohave…who'vetriedforsixor12monthsandthey'renotashesitanttostarttodosomeofthetestingthatI'vewanted.Buttheoneswhoaretryingtobemoreproactiveanddon'tnecessarilyknoworthinkthattheyhaveanissue,buttheyjustwanttomakesurethateverything'stakencareof:they'renotasproactiveinfollowingthroughwithwantingtodosomeofthetestingthatIwanttodoinitially.ButIthinkit'sreallyimportantthatweallknowwhereweareandwherewestandwhenitcomestofertilityresults.Ithinkwe'refearfulofgettingthatinformationandIthinkweshouldreallyembraceitanduseitaspower,becausethatknowledgeispower.Andso,firstandforemost,Ialwaysmakesurethatwe'retestingboththemanandthewoman.Ithinkthat'sessential.Sowhenitcomestotestingthefemale,wewanttomakesurewedosomebasichormonetesting.Wewanttoalways…theimportantonesaretodoondaytwo,threeandfouroftheirmenstrualcycle.Andtobeclear,yourmenstrualcycle,intermsofcountingyourdays,dayonestartsonthefirstdayofbleed…ofarealbleed,notspotting.Andso,ondaytwo,threeorfour,you'rereallylookingtocheckonthehealthofyourhormones--estrogen--you'relookingtocheckonthequalityofyoureggsthatyou'reproducing.Soyou'recheckingFSHandLH,whichisluteinizinghormone.Andyou'regoingtoalso…Iliketothrowinsomeoftheotherprimaryhormones,justtohaveabaselinethereaswell,liketestosterone,DHEA,progesterone,prolactin.Theseareallthingsthataregoingtobeimportant,justtogetusabaselineofinformation.AndItypicallyalwaysthrowinthyroidtestingaswell.Andthen,theothertimethatItesthormoneswouldbesevendayspost-ovulation.I'mtestingspecificallyprogesterone,toseehowovulationwasandhowhighprogesteronelevelsare.Andthen,theothertestthatIdoforwomenIrecommendisdoingwhat'scalledanHSG--orotherwiseknownasthedyetest--tocheckonthehealthoftheirfallopiantubes.ThisistheonethatIgetthemostpushbackfor,becauseit'sarelatively…ifinsurancedoesn'tcoverit,itcanbealittlebitcostly.Itcanalsobealittlebituncomfortable,becausethey'reinsertingdyeintothefallopiantubesandtakingpicturestoseethatthedyeisspillingorcomingoutofthetubes,tomakesurethatthey'reopen.Andthisis


7

importantbecausetheeggneedstotravelthroughthattubetogettothesperm.Andthat'swheretheyfertilize,isinthattube,sotheyneedtobeabletomakeitthrough.Andthisissomethingthatthere'sreallynootherwayforustoknowifthatisopen.Andifit'snot,itdefinitelydictatesorcausesustore-evaluatewhatpathswegodownandwhatrecommendationswemake.SoIdothinkthat'sareallyvaluableandreallyimportantevaluationtodoformyfemalepatients.Forthemen--theothersideoftheequationwhichabsolutelycan'tbeignored--Idoaskthemtodosome…Istartwithasemenanalysis.Andifthesemenanalysiscomesbacknormal,thenIprettymuchstopthere,unlessthey'vegototherhealthissues.Ifitcomesbackabnormal,thenIwilldosomehormonetestingaswellthere.Thelastthingwewanttodoisnotdothatandfindoutsixor12monthdowntheroadthatweshouldhavedoneitsixor12monthsago,becausewehadthattimetomakethosechanges.Andso,that'smybaselineintermsofstartingsomeinitialtestingtofindoutwhat'sgoingonandbeabletoevaluatepatientsfromamorecompleteperspective.Butbeyondthat,it'sjustalsomakingsurethateveryone'sonthesamepage,thatyouandyourpartnerarelookingatthingstherightway,you'reapproachingfertilityhand-in-handandyoubothhavethesamegoals.Andthen,lookingatthat,thenwestartto…dependingonthepatient,whenwestarttogodownthatroad,butthen,obviouslyalwayslookingatthemindcomponentandthose…whatwe'retellingourselvesandsoon.Sothat'susuallywhereIstartinmyevaluationprocess.Katie:Gotit.AndI'mreallycuriousifyou'reseeingkindofwherethebulkofyourpatientsarefallingrightnow.Andarethey…dotheyhavesimilarstruggleswithfertility?AndI'malsoreallycurioushowmanyofthemhavebeenonbirthcontrolrecently,onlybecauseI'vehadseveralpodcastguestswhohavementionedthatthere'sthiswholepost-birth-controlsyndrome,helpingwomenevenouttheirhormonesandalltheseissuesthatcancomefromhormonalbirthcontrol.SoI'mcuriousifyou'reseeingthataswell,intheworkyoudo.Marc:Absolutely.Sothatpost-birth-controlsyndromeis…atleastinmyworld…isabigdealandIseemoreandmoreofit.Iseemoreandmoreofitinmyyoungerpatients,becausetheytendtohavebeenonitlongerforwhateverreason,butit'sthemainformoftreatment.WhenanyyoungwomanwalksintotheOB'sofficewithanysortofhormone-relatedissues,they'regoingtobeputonbirthcontrol.Andoftentimes,it'sjusteasytostayonitandnoonereallycoachesthemonreallygettingtotherootissue.SoIseethatallthetime.Ifindthatitabsolutelyaffectsfertility,butmorefromahormonalperspective,notfromaneggreserveperspective,becauseitis,insomeways,preservingtheamountofeggsthatgetovulatedout.Sointhatregard,itcanbethoughtofintermsofpreservation,butitdefinitelythrowsoffhormones.Forsomewomen,it'seasierforthemtorecoverfromthat,theygetthroughitprettyquickly.Others,ittakesyearsandyearsandyearstocomethroughthat.Itaffectsthepituitary,itcanstarttothrowoffthyroidfunction,sothat'sabigdeal.AndanytimeIseeapatientwho'sbeenonbirthcontrolforanylengthoftime,wehavetostartwithevaluatinghormonefunctionandregulatingthat.Andthat'spartofthereasonwhyIalwayswanttodohormonetesting,tostart,withpatients.Ioftenhavepatientswhowillcomeinandsay,"Well,youknow,myOBdidallmyhormonetestingandeverythinglooksfine."AndwhenIlookatwhattheydid,it'sveryincompleteorit'snot…it'sactuallynot…doesn'tlookverygoodfrommyperspective,fromthefunctionalworldofmedicine.Andso,there'salotthatneedstobedealtwiththere.


8

Butcomingbacktoyourfirstquestion,whichis,whataresomeofthemorecommonthingsthatIsee,certainly,thatwasoneofthem.ButIseePCOSallthetimeandIdothinkrightnow,PCOS…thetypesofPCOSthatIamseeing--theatypicalform--Idobelieveare…partofthemarebroughtonbybirthcontrolandithasastrongcorrelationwithpost-birth-controlsyndrome.I'malsoseeingalotofeggqualityissuesandIthinkI'mseeing…IfeellikeI'mseeingthat:one,becausewomenarestartingtotrylaterinlife.Buttwo,becauseoftheamountoftoxinsandchemicalexposurethatwe'reexposedtothatarethrowingoffandaffectingourendocrinesystemandassuch,reallywouldaffecteggquality.SothoseareprobablythetwobiggerthingsthatIseeandmorecommonthings.IwillsaythatIseetonsofmalefertilityissues.Ifeellikeit'shappeningmoreandmoreandIdon'tfeellikeit'sbeingtreatedenoughorbeingtakenseriouslyenough.Certainly,it'spartoftheequation,asweallknow,right?Weneedthatspermtocreatetheembryo.Butmenaren't…they'rejustnotasproactiveintermsoftheirhealth.Andwhenyouwalkintoafertilitydoctor'sofficeandtheysaid,"Well,withyournumbers,wecoulddoIVFandgetyoupregnant,noproblem,"theydon'tfeelthemotivationtoreallystarttotakecontroloftheirhealth.AndoneofthethingsthatIwanttoencouragementounderstand--andhopefullyallthewomenlisteningcouldimpartthisontheirpartnersandhusbands--isthatforwomen,theyhavealotofsignsandsymptomsthatgiveuscluesastotheiroverallhealth.You'vegotthisregularmenstrualcyclethatcomesregularly--hopefullyregularly--everymonth.Andthewaythequalityandthehealthofthatmenstrualcycleis,insomeways,anindicator.Andthequalityandthehealthofyourovulationisanindicationofyouroverallhealth.Soifthingsstarttogooffthere,wecanusethatasasigntosay,"Youknow,weneedtolookdeeperintoyouroverallhealthtoseewhat'sgoingon."Mendon'tnecessarilyhavethat.I'mnotsayingtheydon'thavesomesortofcyclicalpattern,becauseIdobelievethatwedo.Buttheydon'thavethatmarker,that…outwardsignstolookat.Andso,forme,ifI'mlookingattheirsemenanalysisandit'sabnormalinsomeway,that'sanindicatorfortheiroverallhealth--whatelseisgoingonintheirhealth--becauseyourreproductivefunctionisgoingtodecline,becauseit'snotaprioritywhenotherthingsareaffectedaswell.Now,isthat100%ofthetime?No,butIdothinkit'soverlookedalltoooftenandIdothinkthatitneedstobetakenabitmoreseriouslythanitis,currently.Katie:Yeah,that'ssuchagreatpoint.AndIdefinitelywanttogodeeperonthemalefertility.Butalso,youmentionedIVFandIUI.AndIshouldhaveactuallyresearchedyourstanceonthisbeforeIaskedyou,butI'mreallycurious,I'mgoingtobelearning,too.I'vealwayshadthefeeling…andImean,I…certainly,IknowpeoplewhohaveturnedtothesethathavehealthychildrenandI'mnottryingtopassanyjudgment.ButI'vealwayswondered,isitactuallygoodtobypassthebody'snaturalmechanism?Inotherwords,atleastfrommyperspective,I'vealwaysviewed--likeyoumentioned--fertilitykindofasametricofhealth.Soifthere'sastrugglethere,I'vealwaysthought,"Let'sfigureoutwhyandaddressthatforthesakeoftheparentaswellasthechild."AndhaveyouseenanyissueswithkindofbypassingthatthroughIVForIUI,orwhat'syourstanceonthat?Marc:Yeah.Youknow,Imean,thefirstthingIwanteveryonetounderstandis,I'mheretosupportmypatients.SoiftheirpathistogodownIVForIUIandthat'swhatasacouple,theydecideisbestforthem,bynomeansamIheretojudgethemonthat.I'mheretosupportyouandmakethateffectiveasquicklyaspossibleandmakethathaveatleastsideeffectsaspossibleandreallyhopefullyattheendofit,thatyouhave


9

ahealthy,happychild.ButIdohavealotofconcernsaboutIVF.Imean,inmyopinion,firstandforemost,Ithinkthat70%ofallcoupleswhogothroughIVF--Ibelieve--don'treallyneedit.Ithinkthey'repushedinthatdirectionmuchquickerandunnecessarilythantheyshouldbe.Inmanyways,it'satnofaultofthegynecologistorfertilityexpert,becausethat'swhattheirspecialtyis.Andso,ifyouwalkintotheirofficeandyousay,"Hey,I'mhavingfertilityissues,"they'relike,"Well,let'sdoIVF,becausethisis…Ihavegoodconfidencethatthiswillgetyoupregnant."Andtheydon'treallyhavealotofothertoolsintheirtoolbelttosupportyouandcorrectalltheseissues.Theydon'treallyrecognizepost-birth-controlsyndrome,whataretheygoingtodoforthat?Ortheycan'treallyaddressPCOS.Howaretheygoingtomanagethatappropriatelywithoutputtingyouonbirthcontrol,whichhas…aswe'vealreadymentioned,hasissues.SoIdon'tnecessarilyfaultthem.Ithinkthatwe,asasociety,arelookingforthequickfixandtheeasyoptionoften.AndI'mnotsayingallthetime,butIdothinkthatwehavetolookatourselvesandourhealth.Andiffertilityisanunderlying…orfertilityissuesisanunderlyingmarkerforoverallhealth…andIthinkweneedtojusttakeastepbackandlookatthat,asyoumentioned,andunderstandwhatelseisgoingon,becauseit'snotjustaboutyourhealthtodaytogetpregnant.It'saboutyourhealthlateroninlifeandareyougoingtobehealthyenoughtoraiseahealthychild?Areyougoingtobearoundlongenoughtobetheretoseegrandchildren,right?SoIthinkitgoeswell,wellbeyondjusthavingchildrentodayandIdobelievethatwe'rebeingpushedinthatdirectionwell…waytooquicklyandtoooften.Now,isthereaplaceforIVF?Absolutelyandthat'swhyitwascreated.Ifthere'ssomesortofphysicalissueorsomethinggettinginthewaythat'snotallowingyoutogetpregnantnaturally,thenIreallythinkthatthatisideallywhyandhowIUIandIVFwerecreatedandwhattheyshouldbeusedfor.ButIbelieve90%ofallmyPCOSpatientscanandshouldgetpregnantnaturally.Soifthat'sthecase,thenwhyaretheyallbeingpushedtowardsIVF?Whyaren'twetakingthatresponsibilityuponourselvestocorrecttheunderlyingissuesandchangewhat'sgoingonatacellularlevel,sothatway,wedon'tfacetheseissuestoday?Andnotonlyfacetheseissuestoday,butalsopasstheseissuesongeneticallytoourchildren,right?It'sabigconcernofmine.Andontopofit,wedon'treallyknowwhatallthesemedicationsandhormonesaregoingtodotoourbody.Imean,yes,therearesomepeopleandsomebasicresearchstudiestoshow,"Oh,it'snotanissuewhatsoever."IhaveahardtimebelievingthatandIdon'tthinkwe'veseenenoughevidenceandwatchedenoughoftheseIVFchildrengrowandparentswhohavehadthesechildrenwhohavebeenputunderallthismedicationmatureenoughtowatchwhatcausesit'shadandeffectsit'shadontheirhealth.SoIdothinklong-term,we'regoingtoseesomeissues.Now,istheregoingtobeadifferencebetweenawomanoracouplewhodoesonecycleofIVForIUIandgetspregnantversusonewhodoesfiveormore?Absolutely,becausethehormonalimpactonthatbodyisgoingtobevery,verydifferent.ButIthinkthesearethingsandquestionsthatarenotbeingaskedenough,notbeinglookedatenoughandnotbeingquestionedenough.AndIdon'twantanyonetomistakewhatI'msayingbysaying,"Oh,Marcdoesn'tbelieveinIVF."IbelieveithasitsplaceandIthinkweall,asindividualsandcouples,needtomakethosedecisionsforourselves.ButIthinkwegointothosedecisionstooblindly.We'retrustinginthewhitecoatacrossthetablefromusoracrosstheroomandsaying,"Oh,thisiswhatyouneed,"andwedon'taskenoughquestions.AndIthinkthat'satadetrimenttoourpotentialhealthandour


10

futureandIthinkweneedtolookatthatmorecompletelyandaskmorequestions.Andatleast,ifyou'regoingtogodownthatroadwhenitcomestoIVFandmedicationandsoforth,thatweunderstandthatmorecompletelyandthatweunderstandtherisksthatwe'retakingandwe'regoingintoitwitheyeswideopen.AndIalwayssayitinthisway:Ithinkweaskalotmorequestions…ifyouwerediagnosedoryourfamilymemberwasdiagnosedwithcancer,twothingsthatIseeverycommonlywithpatientsis,well,they'relookingforsecondandthirdopinions.Andthey'reaskingalotofquestions,like,"Whataremyotheroptions?HowcanIaddressthis?Ischemoandradiationmyonlytreatmentform?"There'salotmorequestionsthathappenaroundthatthandoeswithIVF.AndwhatI'mproposingtoallofyoulisteningisthatIthinkyouneedtoaskmorequestionsaroundthiswholeprocess.Youneedtobecomfortablewiththeprocess.Maybeyoucangetasecondandthirdopinionaswell,becausealltoooften,wewalkintothatfirstoffice,theysaycertainthingsandallofasudden,we'redownthisroad.Andnextthingyouknow,we'redownthreeIVFcyclesandwedidn'teventhinkaboutit,itjusthappened,right?SoIthinkthere'salotmorethatneedstogointoit…alotmorequestioningandalotmoreanswersthatneedtocomeintoitthanwe'vebeengettingorasking.Andhopefully,westarttogetmoreofthatinformation,moreresearchstartstocomeoutthatshowsthatthisprocessishealthyornot,orwhateverthoseoutcomesare,butthatwehavealotmoreinformationtobaseourdecisionson.Katie:Ithinkthat'ssuchabalancedperspective.Andmybackgroundismoreintheprenatalandpregnancydietside.AndIknow,fromwhatI'vereadandresearchedtherethatnomatterhowyouendupeventuallygettingpregnant,ifyoudotheworkthatyou'retalkingaboutandsupportthebodyandsupportthehormonesandtrytogetthingsinbalancethroughlifestyleanddietandnutritionasmuchaspossible:whetheryougetpregnantnaturallyorthroughIVF,it'sgoingtohelpyouhaveahealthierpregnancyandtohave--hopefully--ahealthierbabyandaneasierdelivery.SoIthinkthatthat'ssuchabalancedperspective,thatevenifthere'satimeandaplace,nomatterwhat,it'sstillalwaysbeneficialtosupportthebodyandtotrytoworkthroughthingsnaturallyaspossible,because--atleastfromwhatI'veheard--IVFisalsonotacomfortableorinexpensiveprocedure.SoIthinkthat'sareallygreatpointthatyoumade.

ThisepisodeissponsoredbyFourSigmatic.You’veheardmetalkaboutFourSigmaticbeforebecauseIlovetheircoffees,teasandhotchocolates.Nowyoucanget15%offanyorderwiththecode“wellnessmama”.Butthesearenotordinarydrinks.They’redeliciouscombinationsofcoffee,cocoaandadaptogenherbs,nowwiththebenefitsofChaga,Cordyceps,andLionsManeforanextrabrainboostandcleanenergy.MylongtimefavoriteistheirinstantcoffeewiththebenefitsofthesemushroomsbutlatelyI’vealsoreallybeenenjoyingtheircaffeinefreeblends.Tryoutallofthesedeliciousdrinksatfoursigmatic.com/wellnessmamaandmakesuretousethecodewellnessmamatoget15%offofyourorder.

ThispodcastisalsobroughttoyoubyButcherBox.Andifyouhaven’theardofthem,they’reagreatcompanythatshipsreallyhighqualitymeatstoyourdoor.Theycarry100%grassfedbeef,organicandpasturedchicken,andheritagebreedporkandtheydeliveritdirectlytoyourdoor.Alloftheirproductsarehumanlyraisedandfreeofantibioticsandhormones.AndasaWellnessMamalistener,youcanget$15offplusfreebaconinyourfirstbox.Gotobutcherbox.com/wellnessmamaandusethepromocodeHEALTHYMOMS(inallcapitalletters).


11

Katie:AndI'dlovetogobacktothemalefertilitything,becauseIthinkit'sagreatpointthatyoubroughtupthatsooften,it'seasyjusttofocusonthewomanandherfertilityandjustdoverybasictestingonthemanorassumehe'sfine.ButI'msureyouhaveseentheresearchaswell,abouthowmuchtheman'spre-conceptiondietcanaffectoutcomesforthechildaswell.Andthere'ssomuchresearchthere.Sowhatyoudowiththeguys,whatdoyouhavethemdoandhowdoyouactuallygetthemtodoit?BecauseIfeellikesometimes,Igetalotofquestionsfromwomenabout,"HowdoIgetmyhusbandjusttoeathealthy,justinageneralway?"Sohowdoyoubroachthatwiththemenandwhatdoyouhavethemdo?Marc:Yeah.Youknow,Ithinkit'sagreatquestion.AndI'mjustchucklingbecauseyou'relike,"Well,whatdoyoudotogetthemtodoit?"AndIdon'thaveanyspecialpotion.It'shitormiss,quitefrankly.Itreallyjustdependsonthemanwho's…howinvestedtheybelievetheyneedtobeandhowproactivetheyfeelliketheyneedtobe.Idothinkoverall,I'mseeingitchangeabit,butwe'vecomefrom--Ithink--aculturewhoputsallthispressureandemphasisonthewoman'swhenitcomestoconceptionwomanwhenitcomestoconceptionthatit's…Ithinkthey…menstartto…theydon'tputthatsamesortofburdenonthemselves.Andtheykeepfeeling,"Well,I'mnottheonewhocarriesthebaby,it'smywife.Soit'sgottobeher,"right?Thissortofperspective.Butit'sabsolutelynottrue.Forsure,50%ofthisissueisfromyouand50%ofwhatyou'regivingtothatchildisfromyouasaman.Andso,youneedtobeproactiveandmakethosenecessarychangesnow.Mendonotliketomakechanges.Theydon'tliketogotoappointments,they'resetintheirways,theyliketodothingsthatitmakessenseforthem.Andifyou'realreadyhealthy,thenit'smuchhealthiertomakethosetweaks.Butifyou'renot,it'smuchhardertostopgoingtoMcDonald'sjustbecauseIsaidso.Youreallyneedtowanttodothat.Andso,whatItrytocoachmymalepatientsonislike,"Look,thisdoesn'thavetobeaforeverthing.Ifyouwanttogobacktoeatingcrappyanddoingwhateveritisyou'redoingthatgotyoutoyourcurrenthealthstatelateron,that'stotallyfine.Butifyoutrulywanttobeapartnerwithyourwifeandyouwanttobeengagedandhaveachildandhavemultiplechildrenandgrowafamily,thenyouneedtotakeownershipofwhatyourresponsibilityishere.Andthatresponsibilitystartswithhowyouliveyourlife."Youcan'tcontinuetodrinkthreebeersanightandeatMcDonald's--I'mexaggerating,butIknowithappens--andexpectyourfertilitytochange,becauseit'snot.Ifyoucontinuetodothesamethings,you'renotgoingtogetdifferentresults.Andso,ifyournumbersarealreadyaffected,youneedtobemoreactivelyengagedinhowthat'sgoingtochangeandyouneedtotakeresponsibilityforthat.Andforme,firstandforemost,itcomesbacktodiet.Asyoumentionedearlier,that'ssuchanimportantpieceforallofusandit'smucheasierifyouandyourwifeorpartnerarealleatingthesamethings.Insteadofeatingtwodifferentmeals,you'realleatingthesamething.Now,doIwantyoutobe100%committed?Sure,butI'lltake50%or70%versuszero.Sothat'sbetterthannothing,right?Andwithallofthosechanges,you'regoingtoseethatreflectedinyoursemenanalysisandinyourresults.Additionally,menputalotofstressandburdenonthemselves,somanagingyourstressisabsolutelyimportant.


12

Andtheeasythingsthatmenliketodoispopsomepillsandseeifitworks.Andthat'scertainlythingsthatwecando,too:ismakesomerecommendationswhenitcomestovitaminsandsupplementsthatyoucanbedoingtoaffectthedifferentparametersofyourspermandthehealthofyoursperm.Andthosethings,Idofindthatthey'llmoreeasilydoandengagein,aswell.ButIjusthadaconsultwithagentlemanthisweek--anevaluationwithhim--andhewastellingmeabouthislifestyle.Andgranted,he'sgotcertainthingsthatheneedstotakecareof,buthe'sgoingtosleep…he'sgettinghomefromworkat10:00atnight,he'sgoingtosleeparoundmidnightandhe'swakingupat4:30togoexerciseandthengotowork.Youcan'tcreateahealthyenvironmentandyou'renotgoingtochangeyoursemenanalysisoryourspermparameterslivingalifestylelikethat.AndIsawhissemenanalysisbeforehechangedhislifestyletothat--becauselifechangedforthem,sohehadtoworkmore--andhisnumberswentdown.It'sadirectreflection:increasedstress,lesssleep,poordiet,becauseheadmittedhewasjusteatingjunkfood.Allofthosethingsaregoingtoimpactyourhealthandyouneedtobemoreproactiveandengagedinthatprocess.Andthere'sreallynoone-size-fits-allorspecialformulathatIhaveforpatients.I'mreallytryingtomeetthemhalfwayandseewhatthey'rewillingtodoandtakethatandthenpushthatjustalittlebitfurther,toseeifthey'llgoalittlebitmoreformeandfortheirwifetokindofgettheseresults.ButIalwayssay,"Itjustcanbetemporary."ButIthinkwhatpeopledon'trealizeis,theiroverallhealthtodayisnotjustgoingtopotentiallyimpacttheirabilitytogetpregnant,butit'salsogoingtoimpactthehealthofthechildaswell.Soifyou'reeatingcrappyfoodandlivingastressfullife,thatgetsembeddedintotheDNAofthespermthatyou'repassingontoyourchildandthatgeneticmakeupisgoingtobeimpactedbecauseofit.Katie:Yeah,thatmakessense.Andyouhavesomeinformationonthemalefertilitysmoothie,ifIrememberitcorrectly.Canyoutalkaboutwhatgoesintothat,kindofjusttogiveguysanideaofsomeofthethingsthatcanimpacttheirfertility?Marc:Yeah.SoI'veputinsomehealthyfats,soIalwaysputinsomeavocado.Imakesurethere'sprotein.Everybodylikesaslightlydifferentproteinpowder.Imakesureit'sfullofantioxidants,soI'veputinsomegoodberries:somegojiberries,blueberries.I'veputinkaleandthen,Ialwaysputinsomedifferentnutsthathavebeenknowntosupportfertilityaswell.Andso,Iliketoputinwalnuts,whichareawesomeformalespermqualityandpumpkinseeds.Andthen,Iputinsomemacaaswell,formalefertility.Youcanalwayschangeithereandthereandmodifyit,butthat'swhatI'vebeenguidingmypatientsonrecently.Andusually,ifyoudoitrightwiththerightquantities--whichyoumighthavetotweakforyourselfandyourpersonaltastebuds--Ithinkittastesprettygood.Katie:Nice.AndI'dliketogobackto…wetalkedaboutbirthcontrolearlierandIwantedtobringupthatIknowthattherearealotofalternativesnow--naturalalternatives--andI'dlovetohearyourtakeonthem.Butforinstance,Iuse…Ihaveseveraldifferentappsonmyphonethathelptrackfertilityandcanbeusedforavoidingpregnancy.IalsohavesomethingcalledanOvaCue,whichmeasuresyoursalivalpH,yourvaginalpH,itdoesalotofstufflikethat.Butthere'salotofalternatives.AndIbringthatupalsobecausetheseappsalsogiveyouareallygoodlookatyourcycle.AndyoumentionedthatthisiskindofawindowintoyourhealthandI'vefoundthatthat'sbeenreallyfascinating.


13

I'vealwaystrackedmycycle,justtoseehowitchangesandrespondstostressandtothatkindofthing,ButI'dlovetohearyourtakeonthat.Andalsobecauseitseemslikewhenyoujustresearch"tryingtogetpregnantonline,"somuchofitjustfocusesonthetimingaspectofwhenacoupleneedstohaveintercourse.SoI'dlovetohear,isthatactuallythemostimportantthing--likealotofonlinesiteswillsay--andhowimportantisthetiming?Andifso,canyouuseappslikethistotrytotimeit?Andfromyourperspective,whatwouldbetheoptimaltiming?Whenshouldsomeonetrytogetpregnant?Marc:Yeah.Allgoodquestions.I'vehadtotakemynotessoIdon'tforgetanyofit.Sowith…Ilovecyclechartingandtracking.Ithinkit'sreallyvaluableformeasaprovider,tobeabletogetthatinformationandseethefluctuationsfromdaytoday.Ithinkit'sreallyvaluableforwomen.Alltoooften,womendon'tunderstandorknowenoughabouttheirownbodiesandtheircycles.Andwe'renotreallytaughtthatproperlyinschoolanymore,orevenmaybeeverwere.SoIthinkunderstandingwhatahealthycycleshouldlooklikeandunderstandingwhatyourcyclelookslike,frommenstruationtoovulationandbeyond,Ithinkisessentialandsuperfascinating,likeyousaid.Ithinkit'sreallyinterestingtoseethefluctuations.Youhadalatenight,thisiswhathappenstoyourtemperaturesoryourcharting.Youwentoutwithfriendsandhadsomewineandthisiswhathappened.Ithinkyou'llseeallofthosethingsreflectedintoyourchartandthen,it'smucheasiertotrackthatwithyourmoodandsoon.SoIthinkcyclechartingisessentialandjustlikeyousaid,asareplacementforbirthcontrol,it'sawesome.Justthesamewayyoucanuseittogetpregnant,youcanuseitnottoconceive,ifyouwantedto.Wehaveafertilewindow.Thatfertilewindow,atbest,isaweeklongandit'susuallyjusttwotofourdays.ButIliketohedgemybetandjustmakeitaweeklong,justtokeepitsafe.Sooutsideofthatwindow,youcanbemorefreewithyourpartnerwithintercourseandnotbeasconcerned.Andmaybeduringthatwindowoftime--becauseyourlibido'sgoingtonaturallyincrease,sotypically,womenwanttohavemoreintercourseduringthattime--that'sthetimewhereyourpartnerwearsacondom.There'snothingwrongwithusingthatmethod.Itdoesn'tcauseanyharmtoanybody,you'renotgivinganyoneanychemicals.AndIthinkit'stooeasyforyourhusbandoryourpartnertoputthatburdenbackonyouandsay,"Youshouldgetbackonthepill,becausewedon'twanttohavechildren."Well,what'swrongwithacondom?Yeah,itdoesn'tfeelthesame,no.Isitthesamething?No.Butyouknowwhat?Intheend,it'snotabigdealandyoucanhavetimeoutsideofthatwindowwhereyoucanbealittlebitmorecomfortableandfree,aswell.Soabsolutely,Ithinkthat'smyfavoritewaytotrackandchartcyclesandtobeabletousethatforconceptionortopreventconception.Idolikealotoftheseappsoutthere.Iusuallyliketojustkeepitsimpleforpatients,althoughtherearelotsofnewwaysanddevicesandtechnologytodaythatwecanuseit.Butatthesimplest,allyouneedisathermometerandachart,anapp,becausetheyaskallsortsofgoodinformationfordetail.Andso,youcanplugallthatinformationinanditreallyjusttracksyourcyclesforquitesometime,whichisawesome.Andit'salsoeasytosharewithyourprovider,likeme.PatientsjustsenditoverandIcanmonitorthingsandgivethemmyfeedback.Intermsoftiming,Ikindofstarted…justaminuteago,kindofstartedtalkingaboutthat.Butinaregular28-daycycle,mostwomenovulateinthemiddle,whichisaroundday14.SoI…forme,thefertilewindowisaboutafivetoseven-dayspanandIliketostartaskingpatientstostarttryingandhaveintercourseregularlyfrom--


14

let'ssay--day10or11throughday17-ishor18-ish,depending.AndIdon'tliketoputtoomuchburdenwhere,"Hey,IknowI'movulatingtoday,"or,"Theovulationstickcameuppositivetoday,soweneedtohaveintercoursenow."There'salotofstressthatgoesintoit,especiallythelongeryougowithoutbeingabletoconceiveandthemoreyou'retrying.SoIliketojustmakeitascarefreeaspossibleandjustsay,"Look,youknowstartingonday10,you'regoingtohaveintercourseeveryotherday.Sotheonlyquestionyouneedtoaskyourselfis,"Didweordidn'twe?"Andthen,youknowwhereyoufallinthatday,whetheryouneedtohaveintercourseornot.Andjusttrytoenjoyit."Ithinktheburdenshouldbeputonbothtoinitiate,sothatway,it'snotalwaysoneperson'spriorityandthatgetsspreadoutbetweenbothanditkeepsitinterestingasmuchasitcanbeduringthattryingphase.Soyeah,everyotherdayduringthatseventoeight-ishdaytimeframe,Ithinkisideal.Spermstayalivefortwotothreedays,evensometimeslonger,soyoudon'thavetohaveintercourserightonovulationdaytoconceive.Andoftentimes,wepreferthatthespermareinthetubewaitingfortheeggtocomein,tohaveourbestchance.Sowereallydon'tnecessarilyneedtodoitrightonovulationday,whenthatovulationkitsaysso.Butinadditiontothat,Ithinkthatwhenitcomestotrying,theresearchisdefinitelyveryclearthatthemoreyouhaveregularintercourse,whetherit'syourfertilewindowornot,themorelikelyyouaretogetpregnant.Soiftheonlytimeyou'rehavingintercourseisduringovulationorthatfertilewindow,Ithinkyou'redoingyourselfadisserviceandyourrelationshipadisservice,becauseintercourseshouldn'talwaysjustbeaboutreproduction.Itshouldalsobeaboutenjoyingeachotherandso,Ithinkit'simportanttoworkthatinaswell.Katie:Yeah,Ithinkthat'ssuchagoodpoint.AndI'mcurious,too,if…haveyouseenanycorrelationwithtiming--sinceyou'reprobablyseeingthesewomen'scycles--andasfarasiftheyhaveaboyoragirl?BecauseIgetaskedthatquestionalot.Andbasedonmyowncycles,thereactually…atleastforme…thereseemstobeacorrelation,asfarasclosertoovulationhasresultedinboysandafewdaysinadvancehasresultedingirls.Butisthatactually…istheresciencebehindthat,oramIjustseeingacorrelationinmyownlife?Marc:Igetquestionsaboutthatandpositions--sexualpositions--whenitcomestoboysorgirls.Youknow,Ihaven'tlookedatthatcloseenough.Iwillsaythatlookingbackonthings,Ido…Iwouldagreewithyou,IdothinkthatIseesomeofthatinmypatients.ButI'mnotusuallypayingtoocloseattentiontothat,becauseI'musuallyjustfocusedon,"Hey,didyougetpregnantordidyounot,"morethananything.Soyeah,Ihaven'tlookedtoocloselyinthat.Katie:Gotcha.Well,justtocirclebackbeforewefinishup,I'dloveforyoutokindofgivepeopleastartingplace,becausewe'vecoveredsomanyamazingtopicsandIthinkyou'vegivenalotofinsight.Ifacouplelisteningisstrugglingwithfertility…obviously,I'llhavelinksintheshownotesatwellnessmama.comunder"Podcasts"toyourinformationandyourwebsite.Youhavesomegreatarticles.Butwherewouldyourecommendthattheystart?Andjustkindofgivethemaplacetogofromthere.Marc:Yeah,youknow,Ithinkit'sreallyimportantthatwestartwithinformationandgathertherightinformation.SolikeIsaidearlier,Ithinkit'simportanttogetthepropertesting.Anddon'ttakeyourOB/GYN'sorfertilitydoctor'swordforitthatsays,"Oh,yeah.We'vedoneallthetestingandeverythinglooksokay,"ornot,because99%ofmypatients,whentheyshowmetheirlabwork,it'sincomplete,whetheritcamefroma


15

fertilitydoctorortheirOB.Sojustdon'ttaketheirwordforit,getasecondopinion.Andifyouwantjustbasicinformation,myYouTubechannelinadditiontomywebsitehastonsofawesomevideosandinformationjustasplacestogetstarted.Butaskalotofquestions,don'ttaketheiranswersforgranted.Andmakesurethatyouandyourpartnerareonthesamepage,intermsofthedirectionyouwanttogo,sothatwhenyoustarttodothatresearch,youcandoitinacollaborativefashionwiththesamegoalsinmind.ButIthinkstartinginitiallywiththepropertestingandhavingagoodlookateverythingisreallytheplacetobegin.Katie:Wonderful.AndlikeIsaid,I'llhavethose…allthelinkstoyourYouTubechannelandyourwebsiteintheshownotes,wherepeoplecanfindthose.Butlastly,justletpeopleknowwheretheycanfindyouonline.Wherewouldyouhavethemgotofindyouandstayintouch?Marc:Yeah.Andyoucanfindmeatmarcsklar.com,M-A-R-C-S-K-L-A-R.com,andlikeIsaid,YouTube.IalsohavemyFacebookpage,"TheFertilityExpert,"sothat'sanotherplacewhereyoucanfindmeaswell.Thosearethemainplaces,atleast.Katie:Awesome.Marc,it'sbeensofun.Thankyouforbeinghereandforsharingyourknowledgewithus.Marc:Thanksforhavingme,Katie.Ireallyappreciateit.Katie:Ofcourse.Andthankstoallofyouforlistening.I'llseeyounexttimeonthe"HealthyMomsPodcast."

Ifyou'reenjoyingtheseinterviews,wouldyoupleasetaketwominutestoleavearatingorreviewoniTunesforme?Doingthishelpsmorepeopletofindthepodcast,whichmeansevenmoremomsandfamiliescouldbenefitfromtheinformation.Ireallyappreciateyourtime,andthanksasalwaysforlistening.

126- How to Beat Infertility and Get Pregnant …...and be able to help them bring a little baby and...

Documents

Transcript of 126- How to Beat Infertility and Get Pregnant …...and be able to help them bring a little baby and...