Baby Greenhouse
Natural Solutions - wacky alternative ideas for conceiving or
the answer to infertility?
Ok - so what is Natural Solutions?
Natural Solutions (and Foresight - which is very similar) is based on
the assumption that a modern diet of vitamin depleted foods has led to
us all having bodies that are deficient in vital vitamins and
minerals, and that in some people this can lead to problems conceiving
or carrying a baby to term successfully. Also, the chemicals in our
everyday life have made us sub-fertile.
So what's the solution?
The idea is that you get "diagnosed" to see what specific vitamins and
minerals you are deficient in, and also to see if you have any
underlying infections that need treating, then go on a 4-6 month
course of vitamins and supplements to improve your general health
before trying to conceive again. And that's for both of you - you and
your partner by the way!
What else?
The other main part of the "solution" is to purify your environment as
much as possible. Eat as much organic food as possible as that will
reduce the chemicals you take in. Stop using anti-perspirants with
aluminium in them, change your water for filtered or mineral water.
Cut out caffeine and alcohol - oh - and any other drugs you take!
That all sounds a bit extreme to me - and a bit expensive. Isn't
there a half-way house?
Yes, Marilyn Glenville (author of
Natural Solutions to Infertility) recognises that you may not be
able to get tested by her - or one of her colleagues - and you may not
want to go down that route. She suggest you take her "multi-purpose"
vitamins - Fertility Plus for Men and Women - that cover most common
deficiencies, and try again after four or six months. If that doesn't
work, think about going to see her or another nutritionist.
But what about eating organic? That's expensive too - and I can't
live without my coffee - let alone my partner giving up his beer!
Organic food IS expensive - but it's getting cheaper all the time -
and more readily available too. Tesco's own-brand range is relatively
reasonable. The most important thing to do is cut down on processed
foods and go for more "whole" foods. You may find this actually cuts
down the weekly bill - even substituting organic food! In order of
importance (most to least) - try substituting organic for regular in
the following areas: dairy, vegetables and fruit, meat, other food
stuffs.
As for cutting down/out on the "baddies" - try reducing things to
start with. Try organic decaffeinated versions of tea and coffee
(some score better on a blind test than the "real thing"). Don't go
for "ordinary" decaffeinated - it has chemicals used to remove the
caffeine. Cut alcohol down to a few units a week - and see how you
feel about that. Why not get some organic wine in for special
occasions? (Not recommended by Marilyn Glenville but tastes nicer,
doesn't give you a hang-over - and still makes you feel like you've
indulged).
But my friend/neighbour/cousin drank and smoked and ate rubbish
and got pregnant straight away?!
Yes, the sad truth is that life isn't fair - and some people are more
fertile than others. It's not just a case of one person's fertility -
it's how your fertility interacts with your partner.
OK - it does seem to make sense - but there's SO much to do - it
seems overwhelming!
Don't feel you have to do it all at once - there's no harm to starting
with a few bits you find easy and gradually becoming more and more
organic in your outlook. I would suggest going with the vitamins
though (expensive at £25 a month for each of you - but the Foresight
version is cheaper) as that's a good way of getting your system up to
speed very quickly. If there's something you just can't do with out -
and the organic version tastes nasty to you - give yourself a break-
no-one will be doing this 100%. And the odd day off/out doesn't hurt
either.
This is all very well - but I know what my fertility problems are
- you aren't suggesting this would help with specific problems are
you?
Not all of them, no. What it will help with are things like PCOS,
luteal phase defects, miscarriages, and low sperm count/quality. What
it will not do is un-block tubes or improve a nil sperm count etc.
These are physical problems that can't be helped by a change in diet
and lifestyle. However, before you turn away - it has been shown that
using Natural Solutions in combination with traditional fertility
medicine (eg IVF) can double the chances of a healthy pregnancy, so
it's worth considering even if that's the route you are going to take.
I have more questions about this.
Why not buy the book?
Natural Solutions to Infertility by Marilyn Glenville - it's
available off Amazon (get the cheaper one - the more expensive version
is the American edition!). Or come onto the Pregnancy forum at Baby
Greenhouse and ask for advice.