• Women looking to optimize their fertility before conceiving
• Women with infertility looking to address the cause with natural medicine before trying more expensive and invasive conventional therapies
• Women with infertility who have tried conventional treatment without success

We are the one of the only clinics in the Phoenix area (serving Chandler, Mesa, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Tempe, Avondale, Peoria, Surprise, Gilbert, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills) devoted to naturopathic solutions to infertility.

Our philosophy at The Fertility Clinic is that a healthy body is a fertile body. We believe that it is every woman’s right to conceive naturally without the need for pharmaceutical medications or invasive surgical procedures. Our aim is to enhance a woman’s fertility by bringing her lifestyle into balance while addressing the CAUSE of infertility (not overriding it with medical intervention), which is unique to each family. If more invasive, conventional treatments are eventually needed, the lifestyle changes made greatly improve success rates. We also see patients at the “end of the road,” for whom multiple tries at IVF, for example, have failed. We have had good success with these patients, as well, as the cause of infertility has often never been addressed.

We address the health and lifestyle of both prospective parents before they conceive a child. One element unique to our program is that we ask the future father to participate in fertility restoration. Sperm’s health is just as important as the egg’s health.

Eggs are susceptible to damage for 100 days before ovulation and sperm formation takes approximately 115 days. Then from conception to 12 weeks gestation, the fetus’ mass increases over 2 ½ million times, yet from 12 weeks to full term only increases a mere 230 times. By the time a woman realizes that she is pregnant and decides to modify her diet and lifestyle, the early period - when cell organization, differentiation, and organogenesis occur - are almost over. Many anomalies that are going to affect the fetus may already be present.

Preconception care therefore aims to ensure that there is an adequate supply of all those nutritional factors which are essential for the health of the sperm, egg, and fetus and an absence of those factors which are known to compromise general health, or which are harmful to germ cells, or to fetal development.

The pre-pregnancy preparation for both prospective parents is recommended for a minimum period of four months before an intended conception. It is during this time that we will slowly work with you to incorporate the lifestyle changes needed for a healthier home for your family.

During the four month treatment period, we achieve our results by:

• Assessing lifestyle
• Investigating environmental toxicity
• Promoting proper nutritional requirements
• Conducting heavy metal analysis, when appropriate
• Prescribing natural remedies to address the cause of infertility
• Screening for any genito-urinary infections
• Minimizing allergens
• Prescribing proper exercise recommendations
• Incorporating stress reduction techniques and recommendations

Our clinic provides an integrated approach. We work with a handpicked team of medical doctors, acupuncturists, midwives, psychologists, all of whom can support your fertility and reproductive health needs with natural and non-invasive therapies.

The Foresight Study:
We base our program on the work of The Foresight Association. The Foresight Association (British Association for the promotion of preconception care) was established in the United Kingdom in 1978. Their clinics have fifteen years of practical experience and the most recent study conducted by Foresight in conjunction with Surrey University followed the progress of 367 couples. The women ranged in age from 22 – 45 years, the men from 25 – 59 years.

At the beginning of Foresight:
41% of the couples had no previous adverse reproductive history, but among these were the older couples. The remainder had suffered infertility, previous miscarriage, therapeutic abortion, stillbirth, ‘small for dates’ or low birth weight babies and malformation.

At the end of Foresight:
89% of all the couples had given birth including 81% of those who were infertile.

• The average gestational age was 38.5 weeks and no baby was born before 36 weeks.
• Average weight of males was 71b. 4 ½ oz (3299 g)
• Average weight of females was 7lb. 2oz (3238g)
• No baby was lighter than 5lb. 3oz (2368g)
• No baby was admitted to Intensive Care

University of New England:
The University of New England is in the process of conducting a study on 67 patients on the Natural Fertility Management conception program. This program, developed by Francesca Naish, is also the basis for our work at The Infertility Clinic at AIH. Pilot research is being carried out by Susan Arentz, BHSc (HONS), ND, Dip hom.

A high number of the couples in this study had serious fertility problems, all of them diagnosed infertile, and 25% of them were over 40yr old. Preliminary results have shown 52% of previously infertile couples can conceive within the first four months after completing a preconception program.

Preconception care can only be of benefit if given adequate time. Infertility takes patience to correct. We do our best to address the cause as quickly as possible, but please remember that it is important to remove toxins, restore nutritional status, and improve reproductive health before conception takes place. The diligence you take before deciding to conceive will be rewarded in a healthier pregnancy and child, with fewer complications.

Please note:

• Natural medicines work gently over a period of time to correct chronic and longstanding disorders.
• As you progress with your treatment, additional factors affecting your diagnosis and treatment may become apparent.
• If your physicians at Alternatives In Health decide with you to pursue conventional treatment, we will work with your reproductive endocrinologist with the understanding that your continued use of natural therapies will aid in achieving the best outcome. We will connect you with the best conventional care possible, and the lifestyle factors that you have changed will GREATLY increase your chances of success with conventional intervention. Not all reproductive endocrinologists are the same, and we work with only the best.