Insights & Resources
Our Fertility Blog
Explore expert tips, research, and real guidance from the naturopathic doctors at Conceive Health — all focused on supporting your fertility journey, naturally.
Does a High BMI Affect Fertility?
“I have a high BMI and my fertility doc is telling me I need to lose weight. Am I being fat shamed, or is there actual evidence that this could affect my chances of getting pregnant?” I’m hearing this more and more. People are being turned away (or delayed) from fertility treatments because of a […]
What is AMH and Why Is it Important?
You have likely heard of AMH — and maybe have even had your levels tested. But what is it exactly, and what does it have to do with your fertility? In this article, Dr. Sarah Zadek, ND, breaks it down. AMH Origin Story To understand AMH, it helps to understand where it started and when […]
Does Being Overweight Affect Sperm Quality?
When couples are attempting to conceive, it’s often the person who will carry the pregnancy who feels the pressure and responsibility to be healthy and fertile. This is often because the womb provides the energy, sustenance, blood supply, and nutrition for the growing fetus. But what about in our pre-conception stage? It’s no secret that […]
How to Know if You Have Endometriosis
Endometriosis may be an underlying cause in up to 50% of “unexplained infertility” cases. (1) So how do I know if I have endometriosis? Research shows we can lean towards a “yes” if you answer these 2 questions: Do you have pain with periods? (cramping pain in the lower abdomen occurring just before or during […]
Can Genetic Testing Improve Your Fertility Plan?
As medicine is evolving, there are more technologies at our disposal to help investigate health and the underlying cause of symptoms, including infertility. Lifestyle genetic testing has recently hit the market, providing doctors and patients with a unique look into how genetics can identify gene-based influences on infertility. This helps to individualize preconception care and […]
Fertility & DNA Testing: Everything You Need to know
The global rates of infertility have steadily climbed over the past few decades to affect up to 15% of all couples. While there are many causes and factors, approximately 50% of cases are estimated to be because of genetic factors. Many couples experience ‘idiopathic infertility, meaning the reasons are unknown after investigative results come back […]
What Are Progesterone Receptors (and How Do They Impact Fertility)?
There was a recent study that showed people with Neanderthal genes are more fertile. The reason why? They had more progesterone receptors. “In a cohort of present-day Britons, these carriers have more siblings, fewer miscarriages, and less bleeding during early pregnancy suggesting that the Neandertal progesterone receptor alleles promote fertility.” What you need to know […]
Healing After Miscarriage & Pregnancy Loss
Having a miscarriage can be devastating, especially if your journey to get to that point has been particularly long or difficult. It’s important to give yourself time to grieve, but also a chance for the body to heal before trying to conceive again. This means healing both physically and emotionally. How Long to Wait After […]
The Essential Guide to Fertility Tracking Apps
The abundance of fertility tracking apps is pretty incredible these days. Imagine even just a decade ago, we didn’t have the same level of access to applications like this, meaning the average woman wasn’t able to get in touch with her cycle as easily as you can these days. In fact, most women have completely […]
How Hormone Imbalances Affect Your Fertility
Many women understand that feeling of something being off. Some of us may ignore the signs, thinking that our painful periods are normal, or there’s nothing to be done about cyclical acne. But both of these and more are signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Although they might seem benign, for someone who is trying […]
How to Take Your Temperature for Fertility
Taking your basal body temperature (BBT) while trying to conceive is an important step to understanding what is going on with your menstrual cycle hormones. What is basal body temperature? This is the temperature of your body when you are at rest. What happens to basal body temperature throughout the menstrual cycle? Your basal body […]
Secondary Infertility: What is it and What to Do About It
So you already have one (or more) kids, and want to grow your family. Secondary infertility is defined as difficulty in conceiving or carrying a child to term, following the birth of a previous child. It can have an incredible emotional toll, no matter how much or how little work it took to have your […]