Today I’m welcoming Dr. Tabatha Barber to the podcast.
We’re digging into what you wish your OB/GYN would have told you about fertility.
Dr. Tabatha Barber has devoted her life to giving women a voice and a choice when it comes to their health and well-being. As a young girl, she struggled with self-esteem and identity issues, dealt with peer-pressure, and survived the ridicule and stigma of becoming a teenage mother. As she shared in her first published book titled, From White Trash to White Coat: The Birth of Catherine’s Purpose, those events led Tabatha to finding her purpose in life. With perseverance and grace, she was able to redirect her path in life and become a successful physician.
Dr. Tabatha is double board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is a certified Menopause Practitioner through the North American Menopause Society. She has also completed training through the Cleveland Clinic’s Institute for Functional Medicine and The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She cares for women one on one in her clinic as a functional gynecologist, and is creator and host of The Functional Gynecologist Podcast; where she shares her wisdom and knowledge with women everywhere to reclaim their health. She is also a keynote speaker, clinical instructor, mentor, medical director, wife, mom, and grandma! By incorporating functional medicine into her women’s health practice, she is able to provide women with the tools they need to optimize their health and happiness, which, in turn, allows those women to pursue their purpose in life.
When I decided I was ready to start trying for a baby I went to see my OB/GYN to get some testing. Since I already had irregular cycles, I wanted to make sure everything was okay.
My OB/GYN gave me the diagnosis of POI/POF and literally handed me the brochure about IVF. Telling me that donor eggs were my only option.
I didn’t get a second opinion. I didn’t dig deeper as to why at 28 I was told I would never have biological children.
I am fortunate to have both my children with donor eggs.
But what if my OB/GYN had told me about the functional approach?
We’re digging into what tests/questions we wish were asked during an appointment with an OB/GYN and what is missed for someone who is struggling with infertility.
IVF is big business. Globally the industry is estimated to be worth 25 Billion and predicted to grow to 41 Billion by 2026.
I asked Dr. Barber when would you recommend someone go to the fertility clinic and she said, “I wouldn’t”. And while this is a very personal decision, many times we don’t know – what we don’t know - and healing opportunities can be routinely missed.
On this podcast you'll learn:
1) The conventional testing for fertility (i.e. blood work, ultrasound, HSG, etc.). We discuss the basics that should be done.
2) What tests/questions we wish were asked during an appointment with a gynecologist (for fertility). We discuss a mind, body, and spirit approach.
3) What is regularly missed with someone who is struggling with infertility?
4) We discuss the business of IVF. When should we refer to a fertility clinic? How long should we focus on preconception health?
5) What are some blood markers to focus on if someone has been struggling for 1 year/6 month if over 35?
6) We discuss the birth control pill, blood sugar imbalance, bioidentical hormones, DHEA, progesterone, and more.
- Getting pregnant in high school in 11th grade and having to drop out-- "I never really thought about my future"
- How she was treated as a pregnant woman, talked down to, and made to feel like she "had no voice"
- Traumatic labor and delivery process that "scarred her"
- Realized there must have been other women who felt that way- Asked herself, "How can I be a voice for women like myself?"
- The journey of becoming a doctor, struggling with her own health, stumbled across functional medicine when "conventional medicine had failed" her
- What are the basics? Is there a difference in testing at different ages?
- Which hormones are looked at during conventional tests
- Semen analysis and the importance of testing the male partner
- Other procedures for testing including looking at the fallopian tubes
- The importance of talking about lifestyle and nutrition
- If your doctor is not concerned with holistic health it is a red flag
- The mental and spiritual elements in the journey of infertility
- "It's super common in conventional medicine for miscarriages to be downplayed"
- Making optimizing your HEALTH a priority
- "All of our systems are interconnected"
- "Stress is the biggest key. We are all over-stressed"
- "Stress is the number one factor and the most ignored."
- Poor Sleep patterns and other often ignored factors
25:17- THE BUSINESS OF IVF
- The history of IVF, and although there is a "place for it" it is overused
- The importance of investigating and "stepping back"
- The heartbreak of blind trust and using bandaid approaches
- "It is okay to question your doctor"
- "Once your eyes are open...you keep looking"
- "You know your body the best"
- Taking the time to look at your nutrition and lifestyle
- How it shuts down your hormone system and its' impact on young girls
- We need to use the pill for what it is- preventing pregnancy
- The importance of understanding the risks of the pill
- "Birth control pills are not the answer"
- Considering your age
- The importance of a healthy period (embrace it!)
- "You should want to have a healthy period"
- Changing the dynamic of how you think about periods
- There are still things you can do to get your period back if you are under 45
- Inflammation and damage at the cellular level
- "Your fertility is microscopic"
- Stress hormones and how the body responds in a "vicious cycles"
- Vitamin D's role in fertility
- How vitamin D is needed for hormone conversion
- Bioidentical hormones and the importance of still addressing the root cause
- "You can take the supplement but your body is still going to steal it"
- It matters what type you are taking
- Early ovulation (ovulating before cycle day 10)
- Increasing chances of pregnancy with a diminished ovarian reserve in the early 40s
Resources:
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Book your free Supercharge Your Fertility Discovery call. We’ll come up with a simple plan to help you move forward…towards your dream of having your baby.
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- functional medicine for fertility,
- functional medicine gynacologist,
- functional medicine hormones,
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- low amh and infertility,
- low amh success stories,
- premature ovarian failure diet,
- premature ovarian insufficiency
