How to Build a Fertility Team Aligned With You: Trusting Your Intuition Amidst the Biases of IVF Clinics and Alternative Medicine

Navigating your fertility journey means finding professionals who align with your values and pace—whether you’re working with an IVF clinic, an alternative medicine doctor, or a functional fertility approach like ours at Fab Fertile. This decision is deeply personal and often complicated by outside pressures, especially as the end of the year approaches. But here’s the truth: you know your body best, and ultimately, you are the most vital advocate for your fertility.

At Fab Fertile, we help clients move beyond feeling rushed, pressured, or fearful, creating space for clarity and calm. We’re here to support you with actionable steps, stress management, and a mindset shift that puts you in the driver’s seat. As you make these critical decisions, remember that your intuition, combined with the right data, can guide you to the right team and the right path.

Recognizing Biases in the Fertility World

Both traditional IVF clinics and alternative practitioners are crucial resources, but each has its own biases—whether it’s an urgency toward immediate results or a preference for specific treatment pathways.

• IVF Clinics: IVF clinics are essential for couples who need assisted reproductive technology, and their knowledge is invaluable. But especially toward the end of the year, many clinics experience pressure to meet quotas, wrap up treatments before the holiday break, and push patients toward January’s new insurance cycle. This often translates into a fast-paced, high-stakes environment that may feel out of sync with what you’re ready for. It’s essential to recognize this so that decisions are made based on your readiness, not the clinic’s schedule. The decision when/if to start IVF is yours (not your doctors). We need to understand our health, get curious and knowledgeable about our biomarkers and make targeted changes to improve the chances of a successful retrieval and transfer.

• Alternative Practitioners: Many people seek out alternative medicine (whether its a Naturopath, Acupuncturist, Chiropractor or Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner) for its whole-body approach, and it can be an excellent path get a better understanding of your health. However, if the practitioner doesn't specialize in fertility they may miss critical healing opportunities (i.e. using outdated testing, applying generalized protocols instead of targeted protocols specifically designed to improve AMH and FSH levels, not including the partner in the testing, or not understanding the stressors associated with someone who on the fertility journey and providing the necessary mindset skills to address these stressors). 

Understanding these biases helps you step back and make empowered choices that honor your needs. The professionals you work with should respect your timing, understand the specific requirements and be willing to answer your questions so that you feel prepared, not pressured.

Fab Fertile’s Unique Functional Approach: Why Pausing to Reevaluate Can Make All the Difference

At Fab Fertile, we believe that fertility success isn’t just about a single path or data point. Many of our clients come to us after collecting data from clinics or alternative practitioners and feeling overwhelmed. They’re ready to step back, reflect, and refocus on a personalized, whole-self approach.

With us, you’ll find a functional approach that helps you interpret your data, manage stress, and make decisions in line with your intuition. We empower you with tools to understand your numbers but also to see beyond them—to create a mindset of calm and confidence.

Your Data Matters—But So Does Your Intuition

Gathering data is crucial: hormone levels, FSH, AMH, and other key fertility markers give you insight into your body’s current state. However, focusing only on AMH and FSH and sex hormones does not give you the whole picture.  Has your team checked your glucose levles, full thyroid panel, iron, lipids, Vitamin D levels and more?  What about your nutrient and mineral status, gut and vaginal microbiome and your adrenals?  After all, this study shares that AMH and FSH are poor predictors of pregnancy success and are not associated with future reproductive capacity.  Simply put - AMH and FSH waste tine.  We're focusing on the wrong biomarkers.

AMH and FSH levels don’t define you. Take the time to understand them, and then tune into your intuition. If you feel uncertain, seek clarity. If you feel rushed, ask for more time. Your instincts can guide you, helping you to make decisions from a place of peace rather than pressure.

Building Your Fertility Plan: A Functional and Empowering Approach

At Fab Fertile, we support you in building a fertility plan that sets you up for a healthy pregnancy, postpartum period and healthy child.  Now is not the time to rush and push your body with hormones or aggressive treatments (that may lead to cancelled cycles, poor response to medication or pregnancy loss). Remember the majority of us can get pregnant naturally. We focus on three key areas to ensure you’re empowered to make decisions that reflect your needs:

1. Mindset and Stress Management: Fertility journeys can feel incredibly stressful, which can impact both physical and emotional health. We help you create a calm, resilient mindset, working through the stressors that may affect your fertility.
2. Personalized, Actionable Steps: After reviewing your data, we help you create an actionable, realistic plan tailored to your needs. This might involve nutrition shifts, lifestyle adjustments, and other integrative health changes to enhance your fertility naturally.
3. Knowledge and Empowerment: Knowing your numbers is essential, but understanding them is equally critical. Our approach is to educate and empower you, so you feel informed and confident every step of the way.

Avoiding the Year-End Rush and Making Decisions on Your Timeline

The year’s end is often full of hustle and urgency from fertility clinics, with schedules and quotas being pushed to capacity. It’s easy to feel like you must act quickly, but rushing a decision can lead to choices based on scarcity and fear rather than hope and empowerment. Instead, pause, reflect, and ask yourself:

• Do I feel fully informed about my options?
• Am I confident in my team’s alignment with my values and timing?
• Am I making this decision from a place of calm and clarity, or am I feeling pressured?

If you can’t answer “yes” to these questions, it may be time to take a step back and reassess. Making empowered, well-paced decisions can create a sense of peace and control over your journey.

Embrace Your Role as Your Own Advocate

No matter where you are on your fertility journey, remember that you are your own best advocate. Professionals can provide expertise and data, but only you can feel what’s truly right for your body and mind.

• Ask Questions: If something feels off or unclear, seek clarity until you’re confident. Every member of your support team should encourage this.
• Take Your Time: Your fertility journey is uniquely yours. Feel free to take the time you need to feel prepared and at peace with each step.
• Trust Your Gut: Your intuition is powerful. If a decision doesn’t feel aligned with your needs, it’s okay to wait, pause, or seek other options.

Are You Ready for a Functional Fertility Approach?

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or pressured by traditional options, consider a different path. Many people come to Fab Fertile ready for a change—ready to look at the whole picture with a team who supports their physical, mental, and emotional needs. We help you interpret your data, manage stress, and create a plan that reflects your timing and goals.

This is your journey. By trusting yourself, gathering a team aligned with your needs, and making decisions with clarity and confidence, you’re setting the foundation for a fertility journey you can feel proud of. At Fab Fertile, we’re honored to be part of that journey, providing compassionate support every step of the way.

Let’s connect and talk about how the Fab Fertile Program could help you and your partner achieve pregnancy success! Book your free 15 minute call here.