Case Studies and Testimonials

CASE STUDY 1

Mrs R, 27, had a history of ectopic pregnancy and had already experienced two miscarriages. When she came to see me she was experiencing pain in her right side, which was unexplained. She was due to have ultrasound to determine whether there was scarring from the ectopic pregnancy. Her aim was to ensure that her body was as healthy as possible to maintain a pregnancy.

The Fertility Health Screening showed her adrenal glands were exhausted, but this was not surprising as she had just recently miscarried, and also been through a lot of stress since the ectopic pregnancy. The 'Health Detective' also picked up that her progesterone was extremely low.

The correct amount of progesterone is crucial to a woman who is trying to become pregnant. Progesterone prepares the uterine wall for implantation of the fertilized egg and it maintains the secretory endometrium which feeds the ovum & resultant embryo. Without adequate amounts of progesterone, the egg will be expelled.

The Screening showed that Mrs R had a low thyroid. This was sub-clinical, as clinical blood tests proved within normal ranges. A balanced thyroid is essential for fertility.

Hypothyroid is perhaps one of the most common, yet easily overlooked, causes of infertility. Hypothyroid can throw the endocrine system off balance, causing elevated Prolactin levels, which prevents ovulation. Thyroid secretion is essential not only for egg fertilization and development, but also for sperm production.

Mrs R had a very good balance of vitamins and minerals, her only deficiency was in essential fatty acids.

Recently it has been discovered that the Omega-3 fats are necessary for the complete development of the human brain during pregnancy and the first two years of life. The Omega-3 fat and its derivative, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), is so essential to a child's development that if a mother and infant are deficient in it, the child's nervous system and immune system may never fully develop, and it can cause a lifetime of unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system disorders.

The Screening also showed that there were huge food intolerances to dairy and wheat which need to be removed from the diet for 6 weeks to allow the intolerances to clear. Mrs R's pH was 6, which was a little acidic. This means that the tissues were being bathed in acidic rather than alkaline fluids.

Her liver phases 1 and 2 (the ability to neutralize and excrete toxins) were checked and both were poor. The liver plays a huge role in hormone balance.

A programme was developed for Mrs R to help rectify the imbalances. This included a course of Acupuncture to help to re-establish regular ovulation and periods after her recent miscarriage.

Mrs R had the delightful side effect of losing 2 stone and is now in a much better position to achieve a healthy pregnancy.

CASE STUDY 2

Mrs K, 36, came to see me after trying for a baby for 2 ½ years. She had already completed tests at a private Health Clinic and was told she had 'unexplained infertility'. Her ovarian reserve was low* and she had reduced follicles, therefore less chance of a good egg collection for IVF. In the past she hadn't responded well to fertility drugs and wanted to try a more natural approach to help.

A thorough case history showed that her lifestyle was incredibly stressful but that she had already identified this and taken some very positive steps to reduce the amount of stress in her life. She changed job position within the same company and reduced her hours. She had put herself on a supplementation programme but wanted some more guidance with this. She had also changed her diet, as it previously consisted of ready meals and erratic eating times due to work.

Her husband had previously been tested for sperm quality and although initially low, over the months this had increased with correct nutrition. Our main aim was to improve Mrs K's programme and to look at hormonal balance and digestion. She wanted to prepare her body as ICSI had been advised.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a modification of the IVF procedure. While IVF involves the mixing of sperm with eggs under laboratory conditions, ICSI is a more sophisticated technique in that it involves the injection of one sperm into the egg. The resulting embryos are transferred as in an IVF cycle. The average fertilisation and pregnancy rates using ICSI are as good as those achieved in routine IVF.

The 'Health Detective' Screening showed a deficiency in essential fats, good bacteria, many minerals including iron, and amino acids. Amino acids are the basic structural building units of proteins. Of the 20 standard amino acids, 8 are called essential amino acids because the human body cannot synthesize them from other compounds at the level needed for normal growth, so they must be obtained from food. Protein provides amino acids from sources such as meat, fish, dairy, pulses, beans and lentils. A diet too low in protein can also depress the GNRH (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone) level, responsible for the release of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). Protein is crucial to sperm production and to the libido.

There were strong intolerances to dairy products which can weaken the digestive system. Dairy has a tendency to cause inflammation in the body.

I also used Iridology to study the coloured portion of the iris which highlighted a tendency to blood sugar imbalances.

Continually yo-yoing blood sugar levels exhaust the pancreas and eating refined carbohydrates such as processed sugary foods can lead to weight gain. Oestrogen is produced from fat cells, so the more fat cells the more oestrogen. This disturbs the hormonal balance and progesterone fails to be secreted which is important for conception, implantation and the thickening of the womb lining to grow the embryo.

A programme was devised for Mrs K, alongside Acupuncture. After several weeks on the programme, Mrs K conceived with ICSI but unfortunately miscarried at an early stage. Another Screening was performed to check hormonal balance and a herbal tincture given to balance the hormones - supporting the adrenal glands, raising progesterone and supporting the thyroid. Further Acupuncture was given and the supplementation programme refined.

Mrs K conceived naturally and carried full term!

* Dr Luciano Nardo, a leading UK Consultant in Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, offers a newer diagnostic approach that involves measuring anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) as a gauge of egg reserve. Several studies have suggested that AMH concentrations are significantly linked to the number of eggs and reflect the ovarian performance better than other hormones, which tend to fluctuate from cycle-to-cycle.

A measurement of ovarian ageing may also be obtained by ultrasound assessment of the number of follicles in the very early part of the menstrual cycle. Antral follicle count (AFC) is significantly linked to ovarian function and is a good indicator of successful outcome in women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation.

AMH and AFC are diagnostic tests with greater precision than anything else available and can be used in many areas of women's health, including puberty, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), sub-fertility and premature menopause.

CASE STUDY 3

Mrs A came to see me after trying to conceive naturally for 2 years. She was already on the list for IVF and wanted to improve her chances of conception whilst undergoing Assisted Reproductive Techniques.

Mrs A had been on the Contraceptive Pill most of her adult life but had come off it 2 years ago. Since then her periods were slightly heavy with dark blood and spotting prior to her period.

She had carried out a lot of her own research and had put herself on some excellent nutritional supplements to help to balance her periods. She was using good quality, expensive products and had also taken wheat products out of her diet. She found the difference immediately in terms of energy and menstruation. Her menses had become bright and fresh and were starting to ease off with the spotting.

All NHS medical tests showed that technically there was no reason why she couldn't conceive naturally. She was ovulating and all the hormones were balanced. Dr Nardo, the 'Fertility Specialists' Consultant at Northwest Fertility Clinic ran further tests on Mrs A and determined endometriosis. This hadn't been picked up by standard testing. The AMH test was also performed and her ovarian reserve was good.

The Fertility Health Screening determined that her toxicity levels were actually very high, which related to her uterus. Her liver phases 1 and 2 (ability to neutralise and excrete toxins) was also poor.

A toxic liver can be due to excess sugar in the diet, alcohol, chemicals at home or in the workplace, toxic cosmetics, electromagnetic fields, medications, stress.

When toxicity levels are very high it can mean that the body treats everything as a potential toxin, this can include nutritional and herbal supplements! So all the healthy good quality, expensive products Mrs A had researched and started taking, were creating expensive bowel movements. This explained why the rest of the Fertility Health Screening still showed nutritional imbalances, food sensitivities and hormonal imbalances.

The amino acids were very low. Amino acids are the basic structural building units of proteins. Of the 20 standard amino acids, 8 are called essential amino acids because the human body cannot synthesize them from other compounds at the level needed for normal growth, so they must be obtained from food. Protein provides amino acids from sources such as meat, fish, dairy, pulses, beans and lentils. A diet too low in protein can also depress the GNRH (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone) level, responsible for the release of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). Protein is crucial to sperm production and to the libido.

The adrenal glands, pituitary, pancreas (blood sugar), progesterone and T3 were all out of balance.

Standard medical tests had shown that all of the hormones were balanced so we know that the issue isn't a major problem, however the standard levels in this country are actually quite high and in other areas of Europe the issue would be treated with medications. The hormones can be classed as 'sub-clinically low' and can be treated very effectively with herbal and homeopathic remedies.

There were some strong food intolerances which are a sign of a weakened digestive system.

Mrs A was put on a detox diet, including fresh juices and prescribed methods of detoxification to support the body's 6 main elimination organs - the bowel, liver, lungs, blood & lymph, skin and kidneys. She had already started on a course of Acupuncture which assists in detoxification and hormonal balance.

She is now looking forward to a healthy pregnancy.

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OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES

Kathryn - IVF (ICSI)

'I was initially diagnosed as unexplained infertility by a consultant at St Mary's Hospital after trying to conceive naturally for over a year. I tried IVF privately and failed to respond to the stimulating drugs, which was a huge blow. I was then given an IVF cycle treatment on the NHS but again failed to respond to the drugs. It was at this point that I met Dr Nardo and started discussing what could be done. I was insistent that I have a further round of IVF treatment whether it be private or NHS funded, where I could at least get to the stage where I had an egg collection. Dr Nardo agreed to treat me privately. He arranged some further tests and then passed us to North West Fertility for further treatment. Dr Nardo was great and I would recommend him to anyone as he is very dedicated to his work and this was felt by me and my husband.

I chose acupuncture as I had read a lot about the effects it can have with fertility and in particular IVF treatment. A family member had previously had treatment at Natural Practices clinic and I met Suzanna through them. The acupuncture and Suzanna's outlook on relaxation and Chinese style theory made sense to me and helped me enormously in adapting my lifestyle to reduce the stress in my life, which I believed may have been a cause of my 'infertility'.

I turned to The Fertility Specialists clinic at Natural Practices again because of books I had read and articles on the internet regarding people who changed their lifestyle in order to maximise the chances of conceiving naturally. I was still ovulating and there were no major problems diagnosed with either myself or my husband and so felt that the biggest stumbling block were my diet and lifestyle. I asked Gabi to help me find out which parts of my body where not working effectively and how I could adjust my diet so that they were in the best condition I could get them. Gabi told me what my deficiencies were and tailor made a plan of things to include in my diet such as iron, good oils and certain vitamins and minerals. She also put together a herbal mixture for me to take to help with my fertility.

I was extremely happy with the level of treatment, care and professionalism from the whole team and felt very relaxed as soon as I arrived at the clinic. Suzanna, Gabi and the other staff I met at the centre were all very friendly and treated me with respect and were personally interested in my issues.

The outcome of all of this is that I am now 27 weeks pregnant with my first child! Within 2 months of starting my new diet and acupuncture I actually fell pregnant naturally, but miscarried at 5 weeks. However, as by this time I still hadn't conceived after 2 years of trying I felt this was a massive positive and that by changing my diet and reducing my stress this had enabled me to conceive naturally. I then went on to have IVF with Dr Nardo and responded much better to the stimulating drugs which has resulted in this pregnancy.

I would certainly recommend all of the practitioners at The Fertility Specialists as I feel that my treatment was second to none and am convinced that by using all of these treatments it has enabled me to conceive.'

Katy - Fertility and miscarriage problems

'I had been trying to conceive for nearly 12 months when I fell pregnant and suffered an early miscarriage. Afterwards I really didn't want to have to try again for another 12 long months or more and I was becoming very depressed and obsessed about conceiving. After reading in a book about acupuncture being effective for fertility, I looked for therapists within Cheshire and I chose Suzanna because of her experience, specialism in fertility
I found the treatments relaxing and although only received treatments for several weeks I found a real improvement in my energy, sleep and general well-being. The advice given really helped me to re-adjust my thinking and helped me to refocus on other things and not just obsess over trying to conceive. Suzanna put things in perspective and was realistic. Not only was Suzanna good for acupuncture but also for advice and someone to talk to with such experience in this area.

After only several treatments I fell pregnant! I carried on for a short time after with Suzanna to help me relax and take time out to rest and the only reason I stopped treatment was due to the distance - it was 45 minutes away from home, otherwise I would still be going now. I would definitely recommend Suzanna and acupuncture to other women in similar situations and I wish I had started earlier. I will also continue to use acupuncture in the future should I need to.'

Shelly - Migraines and fertility problems

'I had suffered with migraines for about 3 years and they had become increasingly debilitating, resulting in a requirement to regularly take medication, which also had side effects. At the same time I had been trying to conceive for about a year, with no success. I had thought about alternative therapy for a while and read that acupuncture had an excellent success rate with both migraine and fertility.

I found the treatment incredibly valuable and actually found myself looking forward to it. The treatment itself only resulted in minimal, short-lived discomfort which I equated in my mind to 'hitting the spot', and once the needles were in, there was an opportunity to relax. The treatment was always explained thoroughly so I understood exactly what we were trying to achieve and why the points were relevant to my specific problems. I also received excellent nutritional and dietary advice which had always been thoroughly researched and was specific to me. I genuinely felt that my well-being was of utmost importance.

I had an almost immediate response to the treatment with my migraines beginning to subside after a couple of treatments. Within 3 months they had completely disappeared! I continued with the treatment more specifically aimed at fertility and now after only 4 full months of treatments I have discovered I am pregnant. The results have completely exceeded my expectations and I feel great!

I considered myself to be a healthy individual with a well-balanced lifestyle and diet, but I really benefitted from the additional boost that acupuncture gave me. I now consider acupuncture to be a genuine alternative therapy, which I would and have recommended to anyone suffering from similar problems.'

Emma - Miscarriage

'I came for acupuncture in the first instance because I had suffered a missed miscarriage (where the foetus dies but you have to have a surgical procedure to have it removed), this had caused my menstrual cycle to be irregular and I wanted to do something positive to try and get things back to normal. Suzanna was recommended highly to me by a friend who had also had fertility problems and found acupuncture to be successful.

At my first session Suzanna took a detailed medical and lifestyle history from me and explained the process by which acupuncture works and gave me supplementary dietary advice. This was very helpful as it meant I understood what the acupuncture was designed to do and it also provided an holistic approach, taking into account other lifestyle factors.

I was a little bit anxious about the acupuncture before my first session (the idea of someone sticking pins in you is not something you might normally consider doing!) but I actually found it remarkably relaxing and not painful. It is occasionally slightly uncomfortable when the needles are placed but I took this as an indicator that they were in the right place and any discomfort subsided very quickly. The sessions themselves were very enjoyable, at each visit Suzanna assessed how I was feeling and at which stage of my cycle I was at and tailored the acupuncture accordingly. Suzanna balanced the explanation of the science and traditional Chinese philosophy perfectly for me which really helped with my understanding and acceptance of the technique, she made me feel at ease immediately and I looked forward to my weekly sessions.

After approximately three months I found out that I was pregnant and following this time Suzanna used a miscarriage prevention approach for the acupuncture which helped to reassure me during this stressful period. I have already recommended acupuncture to several friends who have fertility problems or who are having IVF and would continue to recommend it to others for both fertility problems and any other complaints, it is certainly something I believe everyone should consider before taking lots of medications with potentially undesirable side effects.'

Vicky - Fertility problems

'I looked into having acupuncture as myself and my husband had been trying to conceive for 6 months unsuccessfully. My cycle was every 6 weeks so I was not sure when I was ovulating, which made it harder to conceive. I had heard acupuncture could help with infertility, so a search on the internet revealed that the Natural Practices Clinic was the nearest.

At the first appointment I felt very relaxed with Suzanna. She was very professional yet understanding and reassuring at the same time. A detailed medical history, diet and lifestyle history were taken and also a history of my menstrual cycle. From this Suzanna advised certain foods/ drinks to avoid, supplements to take and general advice on maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle. Some acupuncture and moxa was performed at this visit. The acupuncture is not painful, but you do feel something when the needles are in the correct position. I felt a "numb" sensation for a few seconds. Moxa is something Suzanna uses that warms up and is held over your abdomen. This is a very soothing feeling. There is relaxing music and it does make you feel most relaxed and rested.

Suzanna saw me each week for an hour. Each visit she spent time talking to me to see if I had been following the things she had recommended and how I was feeling after the previous week's treatment, etc. I am very pleased to report that my treatment with Suzanna was successful on that very cycle and I became pregnant 3 weeks into treatment. I was absolutely delighted to become pregnant and thoroughly believe it was from Suzanna's treatment. I have since advised a close friend to consider acupuncture for similar infertility problems.

I would definitely recommend Suzanna to anyone who has been trying to conceive for a while. Acupuncture also has many other benefits for women's health. Give it a go!'

Jackie - Long term fertility problems

'We were having problems conceiving and I had read that acupuncture could possibly help with fertility problems. I thought this was really good especially the nutrition advice. I always felt tired and Suzanna mentioned maybe replacing my chocolate bar in the day to nuts and fruit as chocolate gives you a high but then brings your energy down, hence the tiredness. She also gave me advice on other healthy foods to eat. The needling was very interesting especially the fact that there are different areas to concentrate on at particular stages in my monthly cycle.

I take medication for arthritis and was advised by my doctors/gynae that this was ok and wouldn't affect fertility. Suzanna asked me if I had tried reducing my painkillers (NSAID's) as she thought that they could have a link to why I wasn't conceiving. Following her advice I went from two tablets to one which left me in a little pain but the acupuncture seem to help. I saw Suzanna for 3 months but for financial reasons I could not continue. I began to think more about what Suzanna had told me and 'googled' my medication to see if anything came up. Surprisingly I found there had been a link to NSAID's and infertility and there had been reports of women stopping the drugs and conceiving within months.

I, therefore, decided to stop my medication last month and then found out I was pregnant! Whilst I am over the moon, I am also angry that this was not detected by the doctors/specialists. I am very grateful to Suzanna for making me think about my medication.'

Hazel - Unstable FSH Levels

'I am a patient of Suzannah Blach, Acupuncturist, who was treating me for unstable FSH levels, which were too high for me to commence IVF treatment. I have been trying to get pregnant for over 5 years and had 1 unsuccessful IVF treatment. I was waiting to start a new cycle of IVF but was becoming very frustrated that my FSH levels, which were above the required level to start, were rising. I felt that I led a healthy lifestyle and couldn't understand why my body was responding in this way.

Suzanna felt that my acupuncture treatment would be complimented by a diagnosis through the 'Health Detective Pre-conception Fertility Health Screening'. The first appointment was extremely thorough and it was identified that I had some food intolerances, high toxicity levels and imbalance of hormones. I was advised on changes to my diet and lifestyle, prescribed some homeopathic remedies and was placed on a 6 week detox, which included colonic hydrotherapy/irrigation. I responded extremely well to the treatment and was placed on a further 6 week detox course to refine my response.

Two months after the completion of the treatment my FSH levels reduced a significant amount, from 13.4 to 5.4, and I was able to commence IVF treatment. The doctors were amazed by the results.

I believe the combined treatment of acupuncture and the 'Health Detective' diagnosis and resulting treatment, were the catalyst to my FSH levels stabilising and reducing to a level where I was able to commence IVF treatment. I felt empowered by the process and would recommend anyone who experiences problems with their fertility to contact The Fertility Specialists at Natural Practices to gain an insight into their health and identify what may be stopping them achieving a pregnancy'.

There are more Testimonials to be added......