Natural fertility treatment is one of the most rewarding and satisfying areas of our practice. As naturopaths and homeopaths, failure to conceive is our most common issue. Naturopath Michael Blanch is well known as a natural fertility specialist in Perth.
At this clinic we treat the major causes of infertility with natural therapies, naturopathic and homeopathic medicine and dietary assistance. We offer a natural alternative to IVF, but we also assist partners undergoing IVF treatment. And yes, we treat both male and female fertility.
Our approach to the management of this problem is holistic. It is very different to the way conventional medicine deals with the problem. The medical approach treats the body as a collection of parts. Its solution is mechanical, as in IVF treatment, rather than looking at the reasons for infertility. On the other hand, natural medicine understand that the body is a whole. True health is about optimising the function of the body as an integrated system.
In this way, the philosophy of natural medicine is particularly relevant to fertility. Naturopathy in the traditional sense is about optimising diet and lifestyle. It is not about pills and supplements, although some naturopaths focus solely on that. For our approach, we look at your lifestyle and diet first before we consider whether supplements are necessary.
But sometimes you need natural treatment, particularly where serious issues are affecting the hormones. There may be chronic female problems that wont be fixed by diet alone. We find that homeopathy is particularly useful for disorders like PCOS, fibroids and endometriosis. It is the most deep acting of all natural therapies for restoring natural balance to the body as a whole. Fertility is one of the first casualties of this holistic imbalance. For further explanation, please see the pages homeopathy explained and naturopathy explained.
Natural treatments respect the wisdom of the body and the life force. When prescribed holistically, they help promote true health. This is simply a state of balance on all levels -mentally, emotionally and physically. The bottom line is that only restoration of true health will 
fix the underlying causes of fertility problems. This is especially the case in “unexplained infertility”, which responds well and quickly to our approach with homeopathy and naturopathic remedies.
Think of it this way: the seed will only germinate and flourish in healthy soil. Any farmer knows this. We need to live in harmony with natural laws – before nature will take its course. Our naturopathic advice can help you access your body’s natural wisdom.
Most women who come to see us have had their hormones tested, and these are often in normal range. As we explain it, this is only what is in the blood. It doesn’t show how the body uses these hormones at the tissue level. A look at the symptoms of their cycle will tell far more. These symptoms of the menstrual cycle should definitely improve with treatment.
As we have described, the naturopathic and homeopathic approach improves overall health and boosts vitality. This has a direct effect on fertility. But as well our treatment will specifically help achieve the following:
For further information see our pages on PCOS, endometriosis, menstrual problems and women’s issues.
As Dr Shantala Rudresh explains in this video, homeopathy is more successful than any other treatment for fertility, natural or conventional. It helps with all the causes of infertility:
We use this homeopathic approach to infertility in conjunction with naturopathic wisdom. This includes counselling on all 
the principles of a healthy diet and lifestyle, which includes exercise, relaxation and meditation where appropriate.
One of the “side effects” of treatment for this issue is that all aspects of the menstrual cycle should improve. Periods become more regular and less painful. The flow normalises. Premenstrual symptoms especially improve: tender breasts, bloating and mood swings get much better. There should be an increase in cervical mucus, an important aspect of fertility. Most importantly, we commonly hear after the first month of treatment that the patient feels better in herself. Her mood and energy is usually improved, and she sleeps better. That is always a sign that we are on the right track.
This is the forgotten area of infertility. Recent studies have shown that the male partner bears around 50% of the responsibility. Because that is easier to treat, we may elect see just the female partner in cases where it is difficult for both to come together. We then get the female to describe the partner’s health, lifestyle, stress and habits. If we think it’s important, we will arrange a separate visit to look more deeply into the issue. Otherwise we may just give a general male fertility tonic.
In most cases, the male partner has their sperm test results. In our experience, even if these results are in normal range, there is still room for improvement with natural approaches. Naturopathic and homeopathic remedies can always further improve things. We call it “supercharging the swimmers”. As with the female, we will usually see an improvement in mood, energy and response to stress after treatment.
Also see our page on the treatment of men’s sexual health.
We have developed this treatment system through our own experience over 30 years. But we are indebted to the research and work of Australian homeopath Liz Lalor, who specialises in this area and has become internationally renowned. We have also incorporated many of the findings of herbalist Ruth Trickey, author of the book “Women, Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle.”
If a woman or couple books for treatment of infertility, we ask for at least six months, with follow up visits each month to review changes in the woman’s cycle and any improvement in general health. At each monthly session, all aspects of the menstrual cycle will be reviewed: ovulation, cycle length, pre-menstrual and period symptoms. The treatment will be modified according to these changes.
For those who live outside of Perth or in country WA and require treatment, we are required to see patients in person – or by Skype – for the first visit, but follow-up consultations can be by phone.
One of the most important aspects of treatment in fertility issues is always the emotional level. Women who have been infertile for a year or more are usually stressed, anxious and depressed, which further reduces their chances. Homeopathy addresses this problem, because several of the main infertility remedies cover and help heal this mental state. Most women, more than 50%, are pregnant in two months.
Our current success rate over the last five years, since integrating Liz’s methods is 86%, similar to her own. This includes only those women who have given us a full six months to assist them. Remember that many of these women have been trying to fall pregnant for years, or have already been on IVF without success. At the very least, almost every woman experiences a boost in their general health, well-being and mood. Often other seemingly unrelated issues improve. This is because, in treating you for infertility, we help improve your health at the deepest level.