Case 1 – Fertility and PCOS
Emma, 38 presented with diagnosed PCOS. As a result of her PCOS her periods were very irregular, although she was having some periods and she was also carrying excess weight. One of the effects of PCOS is weight gain and this has a further negative effect as it leads to increased circulating levels of testosterone. She had also been told by her GP that she was unlikely to be able to have children.
Helen worked with Emma to help her manage her weight and rebalance her hormones. Her programme focussed on balancing blood sugar levels, eating meals that provided her with the key nutrients to improve her health and also a supplement programme to help speed up the rebalancing of her hormones.
Helen also discussed some lifestyle issues with Emma to help her to include some exercise in her busy schedule and also to help manage stress levels. High levels of stress can play havoc with all the other hormones, including the sex hormones.
After just 5 months Emma became pregnant. She revisited me again 2 years later to refocus her diet and because she wanted another child and she again became pregnant very quickly. She is now the proud mother of two sons
Case 2 – Recurrent Miscarriages and Low Sperm Quality
Susan and Mark had been trying to get pregnant for 3 years. They had had several pregnancies and one round of IVF treatment but all had resulted in miscarriage at around 6-8 weeks. They were both very active and in generally good health, although Mark’s sperm count and quality were poor. On their first nutritional therapy visit, Helen suggested that they both do a hair mineral analysis to check their mineral levels and to look for any toxic minerals that may have been affecting their ability to have a healthy pregnancy.
The hair mineral test showed that they were both low in zinc, selenium, magnesium and had some mercury and aluminium present in their hair. The test also showed that, at a nutritional and biochemical level, they weren’t coping with stress and their busy lifestyles as well as they thought.
Helen put them both on a supplement program to increase the minerals they lacked and to help get rid of the mercury and aluminium. She also advised them on ways to eat to balance their blood sugar levels and manage stress.
After 6 months on the program, Susan and Mark underwent ICSI treatment and this time the pregnancy went to full term and they are now the proud parents of a healthy baby boy.