Why Not Spend $3,000 Before Spending $30,000 on IVF?
The question I get from prospective clients when we talk about embarking on functional medicine and nutrition for fertility is, “Do I really need to?” invariably followed by the statement, “I don’t really want to spend the money...”
Let’s look at why it’s better to invest in your body’s health before embarking on IVF. A functional medicine and nutrition assessment for fertility is like a downpayment with a dual benefit: it can improve both your chances to conceive naturally and your chances to succeed with IVF.
Why do I need to see a nutritionist about fertility?
I often get asked, “Do I really need to see a functional medicine and nutrition expert?”
We all spend too much on healthcare already, right? Americans spend twice as much on healthcare as we did in the1980s. Paying money and taking the time to see a functional medicine fertility expert in order to figure out what our risk factors are and improve our odds of conception and a healthy pregnancy may seem like a stretch—especially since insurance plans in many locations are not required by law to fully cover nutrition counseling unless you already have a disease.
Also, nutrition and eating well is something we all think we are experts at already. Many people pay attention to diet trends, can tell you what calories, fat, and protein are, and what they think they should be eating (even if they don’t). After all, we don’t go to McDonald’s all day long and then out for ice cream after. We know better!
In short, we think we know what we need to know about nutrition because we have heard nonspecific advice like “eat healthy, drink water, exercise more.” Who can argue with that? How hard is it to do that? Having nothing specific to do means it is hard to “not do it right”.
But, we don’t know what we don’t know. And when we think we know, it can hinder our search for crucial knowledge. And especially knowledge of what’s uniquely right for us.
Why spend the money on a functional nutrition fertility appointment?
As of 2020, the average couple that embarks on IVF will spend $40,000-$60,0000. One round is $20,000 and the average person goes through two cycles, and there are many other additional costs that come with IVF.
If someone told you before you bought a house that you should do an inspection first and then have the major electrical wiring, mold, or other big issues taken care of by the seller before purchasing—would you do it? Yes, you would without question. Because not taking care of them would end up costing you. And you might as well know what problems exist before you make a big purchase like a house, correct?
If you answered yes without question then why are you waiting to make a functional medicine package appointment to look at your health? Are you afraid of what you might find? Concerned that talking to yet another healthcare practitioner about fertility will derail or delay your timeline? Do you feel like you’re running out of time?
All might be true. Yet, taking care of your health upfront—combing through your story and experiences, doing detailed lab work to see what is going on in your body and what it needs, utilizing functional medicine to look at root causes for health imbalances, and addressing them in advance of IVF will help you succeed. And It can help a great deal, too.
I have clients who have spent lots of money and experienced immense personal stress undergoing multiple IVF or IUI cycles or not being able to conceive on their own for years. When I look at their records, I am struck by the missing basic lab work or failure to address lab values that are not normal before attempting to conceive.
Also, with functional lab testing, we can look more deeply at gut health, hormonal balance, and vitamin/mineral status. In other cases, I really listen carefully to my clients’ stories and look closely at their partner’s health status too—men contribute to 50% of infertility cases. A review of male health is often missing in the IVF world.
In most cases, I wish these clients who have endured sometimes years of hardship had come to me first.
Evidence that nutrition impacts fertility
There are multiple studies that show diet can impact fertility. Fertility involves very specific nutrition protocols. I commonly get asked, “How can I boost my fertility in my 30s or 40s?” “How do I improve egg quality?” “Are there foods to help with ovulation?” “How does diet affect fertility?” “How do I get answers for unexplained infertility?” These are important questions that deserve answers.
Spending about $3,000 dollars to do three appointments and lab testing can be worth its weight in gold. Some of it can be reimbursable by insurance depending on your plan. Nutrition counseling can be used for an FSA or HSA account.
The old saying goes, “You can’t start digging for a well when you are thirsty.” Likewise, don’t wait until you are years into an inability to conceive or IVF cycles to find out something you could have done earlier to address the issue. Don’t wait until you have spent more time and money to find out issues that could have been detected earlier.
You have a choice on what you choose to know now and do now. And the great thing about finding out about your genetic risk, health issues, nutrition needs, and what your body needs? The newfound knowledge you have will only help you.
What I tell clients is: the only side-effect you will experience is better health in working with me. Our programs can improve how you feel every day. If you improve your health overall, you can reduce your risk for chronic conditions, and you can improve your chances to conceive naturally or have a better outcome with IVF—as well as better health when you are a new mom caring for a baby.
How long nutrition takes to impact egg and sperm quality
It takes three months to produce new eggs and sperm. Good quality eggs and sperm are critical for conception and reducing the risk of miscarriage.
By addressing underlying health issues, we can mitigate the risk that your body (and your partner’s) will produce suboptimal ingredients for conception. As I mention on my blog on The Importance Of Egg Quality, egg quality is the health of your eggs and whether they are chromosomally normal—basically that the DNA is matched correctly. Good quality eggs have a better chance of developing into an embryo, implanting in the uterus, and leading to a healthy pregnancy.
We do know that as we age, egg quality declines over a lifetime of stress and oxidation buildup. We also know that women who have better nutrition, higher antioxidants, and lower inflammation are more likely to have better egg quality and thus successful pregnancies. Women with high levels of oxidation can be less likely to conceive and more likely to miscarry.
The pressure to do it all
I recall vividly what it was like when I was in your shoes: to feel like I was up against time and couldn’t bear to unearth yet another contributing factor.
The pressure on us to do everything—finish school, get advanced degrees, start work, have a solid career and career advancement all before trying to get pregnant—is a lot to handle. Then, once all those boxes are checked off, we try to get pregnant only to find out that it is not an instantaneous process like it is in the movies where the couple walks into the house married and back out with three kids in the next scene.
I actually had a doctor say to me “Come on. You are in overtime now…” Seriously? Did he think that football analogy was going to help?
Yet, think of the house analogy. The inspection can save you years of headaches—to find out there is mold in the house, the wiring is not up to code, the roof needs to be replaced. You may not want to know these things upfront because you like the house, but better to know and make a decision on what to do that is informed.
Save time in your fertility timeline
When working with fertility, you want to know what your lab results are, what your diagnostic tests are and, I would argue, your genetic testing too. Yet many times providers wait until one has had multiple miscarriages or long-term failure to conceive before running more expensive genetic blood work.
But—some genetic conditions such as antiphospholipid syndrome have a treatment option as simple as a baby aspirin a day and very close monitoring. I think all this testing should be done up front and you shouldn’t need to continue to suffer before you find crucial facts out.
I can provide you with what you need for diagnostic testing, lab testing, and functional testing. Most importantly, we would assess what makes the most sense for you to pursue based on your individual health history. One thing a functional medicine appointment can do is go over all the options for testing—both conventional and functional—to save time in your fertility timeline.
It is wonderful to work with clients that had undiagnosed pre-diabetes, elevated blood glucose, thyroid disorders, genetic SNPs, nutrient deficiencies, gut infections…all unknown until we started looking more closely. The reality is that we all have something. We might know of a family risk factor, but not know how that relates to having a baby.
Genetics are important for both male fertility and female fertility. The good news is that there are sometimes simple things we can do, like add high-quality methylated supplements to mitigate the impact that SNP has on your or your partner’s fertility.
Getting answers, quality care, and support you need—and deserve!
I encourage you when searching for a fertility healthcare provider to look for someone who will take the time to know you as an individual and do the detective work you need. I have yet to work with a client where we have not unearthed something essential, although it takes a bit of detective work to get answers.
Fertility and conception are major aspects of life and your feelings about the process are important. And at no time should you feel like just a number. The care you receive should be individualized for you and the plan should feel like it gets you the information you need to make the best decisions possible.
This is why I suggest a functional medicine approach to fertility because certified practitioners are trained in identifying root causes of health conditions and taking time with your appointments. You should feel well cared for by your provider and comfortable asking questions; you should feel that you are getting the answers you need and that you feel secure in the information given to you to help you make the best decision to move forward.
Despite a movement towards value-based care, insurance still mainly pays for treatment procedures and does not reimburse for time with a client. This is why providers who practice integrative medicine, functional medicine, and good, or old- fashioned quality care are not reimbursed for their services and by necessity charge non-insurance covered fees.
Spending the money and time upfront will save you in the long run; improve your egg quality, sperm health, and your chances for conception; and give you the support you need and deserve.
Don’t buy the house without the inspection. Take the time and information now so you go into the fertility process with the full knowledge and confidence that you are doing everything that you can to support your body.
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Annina is a PhD, Registered Dietitian, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and Board Certified in Functional Medicine specializing in nutrition and functional medicine for fertility, pregnancy and new mom and baby. She has 7 years of practice experience and has co-authored several books on infant, child nutrition and obesity prevention.