Unexplained secondary infertility is becoming increasingly common worldwide. This book explores the many possible reasons why your body is saying no to another baby, time and time again. As well as offering practical advice, this book is an insight into the journey of a nutritionist who overcame 10 years of unexplained secondary infertility to conceive naturally and give birth at age 44.
At age 41, at her post IVF review meeting, Catherine was told by her fertility doctor that her "eggs were too old" and her only option was to use a donor. This was after her IVF ended in another miscarriage, a familiar outcome after seven years of unexplained secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. Yet despite this, Catherine went on to conceive and give birth naturally to a healthy baby girl three years later, at age 44.
Hearing that her "eggs were too old" triggered a determination to prove the specialists wrong. Over the next three years, she literally turned herself inside out to work out what was happening to her, using the practitioner resources available to her as a registered clinical nutritionist. This book is her story of unexplained secondary infertility interspersed with practical nutrition, lifestyle and mindset tips from a nutritionist's perspective. The book highlights common issues such as postnatal depletion, thyroid dysfunction, stress, nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, hormone imbalances, gut issues, infections and immune dysregulation, all issues that can create an environment that is not quite optimal for a healthy pregnancy.
Catherine's story proves that when IVF fails and all other options have been exhausted, it is time to dig deep and go within to find answers. There is always a reason to be hopeful, even if you are over the age of 40 and feel like time is running out.
Chapter summary:
Chapter 1 - My story
Chapter 2 - Secondary infertility
Chapter 3 - Building healthy foundations with nutrition
Chapter 4 - Gut health and fertility
Chapter 5 - Finding hormone harmony
Chapter 6 - Fertility over 40
Chapter 7 - Stress
Chapter 8 - Could it be your thyroid?
Chapter 9 - Silent low-grade inflammation and immune dysregulation
Chapter 10 - Recurrent chemical pregnancies
Chapter 11 - Male factor infertility
Chapter 12 - Listen to your body
