Additional Naturopathic Services
Nutrition planning
Individualized food and nutrition support. Whether you're looking for a few helpful tips, recipe ideas, or a week-long nutrition plan, I offer support for your individual needs
Acupuncture: Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture is a therapeutic treatment that has been used for thousands of years and is an important and effective adjunctive therapy for anyone trying to conceive. It decreases the body's stress response while increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to the reproductive organs. Acupuncture can be used to enhance ovarian response as well as sperm quality, help thicken the uterine lining, and improve implantation success of an embryo.
In addition to standard natural and timed intercourse cycles, we offer acupuncture for:
- Pre and Post IUI
- Pre Oocyte (Egg) Retrieval
- Pre and Post Embryo Transfer (on site at TRIO Fertility Downtown Toronto)
- Embryo Implantation Support (5-10 days post transfer)
- Pregnancy Acupuncture
Third Trimester Labour Support Acupuncture
Starting at around 35 weeks gestation, pre-labor acupuncture helps to prepare the body for giving birth by encouraging a natural onset of labor. Needling very specific acupuncture points stimulates prostaglandin release to soften the cervix, and oxytocin to trigger contractions.
Additional points can help alleviate nausea and reduce anxiety.
Advanced Hormone Testing
Used for testing Progesterone, Estrogen, Testosterone, DHEA-S, and Cortisol. Salivary hormone testing is a reliable and non-invasive form of testing hormone levels. This form of testing may be used before initiating bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, or to identify hormonal imbalances.
Cortisol and DHEA-S testing identifies your diurnal cortisol curve by measuring levels over 4 key times during the day. As opposed to a single serum measurement, this cortisol curve in graph form can identify hyperactivity of the adrenal glands, adrenal fatigue, and adrenal exhaustion
We also offer DUTCH (dried urine) testing for more comprehensive insights. Dried urine testing measures key hormone levels, but also hormone metabolites, so you know more precisely where along hormonal pathways dysfunction is occurring.
BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormones are compounded and/or prescribed hormones that are chemically identical to our own human hormones but made from plant sources such as yams.
These include estradiol, estriol, and progesterone.
Progesterone is commonly used with infertility patients to help increase uterine lining thickness and prevent early pregnancy loss.
Vitamin B12 InjectionsLow energy or Fatigue? Anxiety or Depression? Vegetarian or Vegan? B12 injections can be a great alternative to oral supplementation, especially in patients taking heartburn medications (which can decrease the ability to absorb B12).
Food sensitivity (IgG) Testing
As an alternative to an elimination diet, IgG testing is a blood test which identifies foods that your body is eliciting an IgG delayed immune response to. Offered as 3 different panels (120 foods, 200 foods, and a vegetarian food panel), food sensitivity testing removes the barrier of time from knowing what you might be reacting to.
Delayed IgG food sensitivities can cause skin issues, mood disruptions, digestive upset, brain fog and aches and pains, including migraines.