By Dr. Laura von Hagen ND
Patients often feel lonely and isolated on their fertility journey. Unfortunately, this is something I know about all too well. I have also experienced infertility myself. When our first IVF cycle was cancelled in March 2020 due to the pandemic, I felt like my entire life had been turned upside down. I knew at that time I needed to find some support because I was not capable of going through this alone.
The whole experience can be exhausting, frustrating, and downright infuriating at times. As a patient, you need someone to support you and help navigate along the way. Basically an IVF Fairy Godmother or doula. Appointments with fertility clinics are often very rushed and getting an audience with your fertility specialist can seem impossible. After working with hundreds of patients, I have found that there are 3 main reasons why the fertility journey is overwhelming. Becoming a patient at Clarity Health can help move you from that place of overwhelm to feeling confident and empowered in your fertility journey.
1) The Fertility Clinic doesn’t have enough time to explain everything
I often spent a lot of time explaining the IVF process to patients, what their medications are for, tips and tricks for taking their medications, and what to expect in terms of physical and mental symptoms along with steps of their journey. Patients cannot thank me enough for this invaluable information and for taking the uncertainty out of their lives.
If you are new to the world of IVF and infertility, you might be surprised to learn that these topics are not covered by your fertility clinic. It’s not that the nurses don’t care, but they simply don’t have enough time given the volume of patients they see in a day. Further, a lot of patients don’t even know what questions they should be asking such as ‘what does my EnT mean?’, ‘how high was my day 3 FSH?’, ‘how many mature follicles did I have at the time of my trigger shot?’ and so on. Understanding what you need to know, what your numbers mean, and what questions to ask can impact your chances of success while reducing your stress and uncertainty along the way.
2) The most integrative treatment options are overwhelming and restrictive
We often see patients at Clarity Health who previously saw other NDs that were not experienced in this area and were unfamiliar with the IVF process. On the flip side, we have plenty of patients who saw an ND for fertility treatments and were left feeling even more defeated because their treatment plans were too restrictive and unsustainable. Just to be clear, there is zero evidence that a 100% organic, natural, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free diet with 20+ supplements can improve your fertility. But it will 100% add stress during this already stressful time.
3) Patients feel alone on their journey and we have the solution for you
I am here for you during this tough time, a sensitive time in your life you probably never imagined you would be in. No one wants to do IVF and most people don’t expect they ever will (at least that was my experience) But that doesn’t mean it has to take over your life. It doesn’t mean you need to feel lost, alone, and isolated with no communication from your fertility clinic. I’m here to advocate for you and ensure you are receiving the best and most appropriate care for you. If you’re ready to start working with me, connect with one of our patient care coordinators over the phone or by email. We will set you up to receive the care you deserve at Clarity and have you headed in the right direction. I promise you, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
It took us 6 rounds of letrozole, one cancelled IVF, one egg retrieval, a lot of prep work, three embryo transfers and over 4 years to grow our family. We now are blessed with a busy toddler and I am 20 weeks pregnant with our second. I would not wish infertility upon anything, but I am grateful for what this journey has taught me. It has made me a better person, clinician, and mother. If you find yourself feeling lost on your fertility journey, know that we can provide you with light and hope along your journey when everything feels dark.
Dr. Laura has a special clinical focus on hormones, thyroid concerns, PCOS and fertility. Many of her patients struggle with unwanted weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and irregular cycles; all of these symptoms can point to an underlying thyroid disorder or PCOS diagnosis. She shares her personal story and expertise in her book, My PCOS Pregnancy: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Pregnancy with PCOS.
She believes in patient-centred care and getting to the root cause of patients’ health concerns. Laura is available to support people with their fertility journey.