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.
Fertility Nutrition: Are You Eating Enough Protein?
What a mother-to-be eats preconception, pre-implantation, during pregnancy, and throughout breastfeeding have each been linked to health outcomes in the development of the embryo, fetus, and the growing child. It’s been recently reported that dietary choices, including protein intake, may actually impact a child’s genes or DNA in the womb. Malnutrition before and during gestation […]
What is PCOS and How Does it Impact our Fertility?
PCOS has become a hot topic in online communities lately, and chances are you’ve come across the term in social circles, on social media, or maybe you or someone who is close to you has been diagnosed with the condition. With all of the information out there, it can be tough to decipher fact from […]
Faces of Fertility: Interview with Dr. Fitzgerald ND
Listen to the podcast above, or check out the transcript of Dr. Fitzgerald ND’s interview below. Joanna: I’m Joanna. Katherine: And I’m Katherine. Joanna: And you’re listening to Faces of Fertility, by Knix Katherine: So Joanna, our next guest is Dr. Jennifer Fitzgerald ND from Conceive Health. Joanna: Okay. Katherine: She’s a naturopathic doctor I […]
Conceive Health Launches New Clinics in Time for Infertility Awareness Week
TORONTO, ON, April 23, 2019 — Each year, 1 in 6 Canadians have difficulty getting or staying pregnant. Many will require In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intrauterine insemination (IUI) to grow their families — yet, only 25 percent of transferred embryos go on to result in a live birth. Conceive Health is working to change […]
Fertility Boosting Recipe: Nut-Free, Grain-Free Granola
With a history of digestive issues, it took me a long time to figure out how to make a decent “low gut-reactive” granola. Over time and with many modifications, this one became my favourite. It’s chock-full of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, is school-safe, and is great to eat on its own as a snack, or […]
The Ultimate Guide: How to Tell When You’re Ovulating
One of my favourite parts of fertility education is teaching women how to really know their cycles and how to read their bodies. Some of us may not have cared before; we get a period once a month – that’s good enough, right? But when you’re trying to get pregnant, knowing when you’re ovulating is […]
Miscarriage: Searching for Answers
Any woman/couple who has experienced miscarriage knows how devastating they can be. When recurrent miscarriages are experienced, it can leave women feeling very helpless about their fertility, and lead to fear and anxiety during subsequent pregnancy. Although in many cases the cause of miscarriage is unknown, pregnancy outcomes can be positively influenced by creating optimal […]
Fertility Can Be Trying
Who knew that trying to get pregnant could be so difficult? Approximately 1 in 5 couples in Canada will have trouble conceiving, and evidence is showing that conventional fertility treatments are not very effective. In fact, in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, expensive fertility treatments helped 41% of couples conceive […]
The Scoop on Sperm Health
After reading various articles speculating on the decline of male fertility in the past 50 years, it is certainly cause for concern. It has been documented that sperm counts are declining worldwide, at a moderate but steady pace. A French study found that between 1989 and 2005, average sperm counts fell by a third in […]
Fertility Tests for Women – Part Two
Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) What is it? AMH is a hormone secreted by immature ovarian follicles (eggs), and indicates ovarian reserve. AMH declines as we age, so women over 35 will naturally have lower levels. Although AMH is considered a good indicator of ovarian reserve, and can somewhat predict oocyte retrieval, it does not reflect egg quality […]
Fertility Tests for Women – Part One
FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) – What is it? FSH is a hormone which is released from the pituitary gland to stimulate the ovaries. The higher the level of FSH, the harder the pituitary is working to get the ovaries to respond, indicating poor egg quality or low ovarian reserve. Normal range? Ideally FSH levels should be 10 or […]
Top 5 Herbs and Supplements for PCOS
Diet, exercise and lifestyle modification are the cornerstones of treatment for PCOS, showing successes above and beyond any form of medication(s) available. Research continuously shows improvement in all of the major characteristics of PCOS when diet, exercise and weight loss strategies are implemented. Research also suggests that a variety of nutritional supplements and herbal medicines […]