Why An Iron Deficiency Matters When TTC and How To Improve Pregnancy Success with Katy Bradbury
Oct 17, 2022
We’re digging into iron panels and what you need to know when you are TTC.
So many of us may be experiencing amenorrhea, anovulation (the lack of ovulation), poor egg health, ovulatory disorder, and miscarriage, but has anyone checked the full iron panel?
Iron deficiency or anemia can be a sign to dig deeper when trying to conceive.
Whether you are feeling exhausted or experiencing weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or cold hands or feet – it may be a sign of iron deficiency.
So how do we address iron deficiency to improve our chances of pregnancy success?
Katy Bradbury is part of my team at Fab Fertile. She is an integral part of our Couples Coaching program - which uses functional lab testing, diet, and lifestyle changes to dramatically improve conception. If you are struggling with infertility...your body is desperately trying to tell you something...focusing on your health will either help you get pregnant naturally or if you do need to go to the fertility clinic, it will improve your chances of success.
Katy Bradbury is a registered nurse and nutritional therapist whose mission is to improve women’s chances of having healthy babies and raising happy children. Having experienced her struggles with fertility, a traumatic birth, and bonding issues, Katy knows just how important this support is.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Symptoms of low iron and why this matters for fertility
- Functional reference ranges for the iron panel (hint: a conventional physician may have told you that your iron ranges are “normal” – but has a healing opportunity been missed?)
- Reasons WHY your iron markers are out of balance (i.e. gut infections, autoimmunity, low stomach acid and more)
- Medications and foods that interfere with iron absorption
- Diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations to improve iron markers
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HIGHLIGHTS:
03:44 WELCOME KATY BRADBURY
04:54 INTRODUCING TODAY’S TOPIC
05:21 IRON & PREGNANCY SUCCESS
- Red blood cells need iron to carry oxygen around the body.
- Consequences of low iron/anemia for your fertility
06:37 CONVENTIONAL VS. FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO ADDRESSING LOW IRON
- Why a blood count alone is not enough to diagnose anemia
- We recommend a full iron panel to get a full picture of what’s going on with your iron
09:56 THALASSEMIA
- What is thalassemia and why it’s important to identify it
11:17 SYMPTOMS OF LOW IRON
- Fatigue that doesn’t seem to ever go away is a common symptom.
- Symptoms often include dizziness, palpitations, and skin and nail issues
- Unusual cravings that are often signs of severe anemia
- Significant health events and emotional trauma often show up in our nails.
15:31 FUNCTIONAL REFERENCE RANGES FOR IRON MARKERS
Marker | Range (mcg/dL) | Range (mcmol/L) |
Serum iron | 85-130 | 15-23 |
Total iron binding capacity | 250-350 | 44-62 |
Serum ferritin | 50-100 | 50-100 |
Marker | Range (%) | |
Transferrin saturation | 25-35% |
- Iron as a marker on its own can fluctuate quite a bit, making it an unreliable marker on its own.
- What each marker represents and what they mean in relation to each other
23:08 THYROID MARKERS
- Inflammation disrupts the iron stores and iron levels in the body
- We need to have enough iron to produce our thyroid hormones.
- You always need to dig deeper to determine why iron levels are low.
24:53 BLOOD LOSS
- Blood loss is one of the key reasons why your iron could be low.
- Why stool testing is essential
26:12 DIET & IRON ABSORPTION
- If you’re not having animal sources of iron you may be at higher risk of deficiency.
- It’s not you are what you eat, it’s you are what you absorb.
- Iron is a complicate mineral for your body to absorb
- H. pylori is a huge driver for a number of nutrition and digestive issues
- Common factors impairing people’s ability to absorb iron
- Gut health and addressing chronic infections are key for your fertility.
- Iron connects with so many functions in the body
30:17 PREGNANCY & LACTATION WITH LOW IRON
31:14 ENDURANCE SPORTS
31:37 SUPPLEMENTATION
- Excessive turmeric supplementation can deplete iron stores.
- Supplementation should always be done under the guidance of an experienced practitioner
- Too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing.
32:58 CANCER & LOW IRON
33:48 MEDICATIONS, FOODS & DRINKS THAT CAN IMPACT IRON ABSORPTION
- You can usually still take these things, but you may not want to take them at the same time as iron supplements
36:11 HIGH-QUALITY SOURCES OF DIETARY IRON
- The difference between animal and plant sources of iron
- Organ meats are very nutrient dense.
40:55 IRON SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
- The iron patch can be a great option for people working on their gut health.
44:16 FINAL THOUGHTS
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RESOURCES:
Fab Fertile Method - https://fabfertile.com/pages/what-we-do
How To Improve Your Chances Of Pregnancy Success If You Have Low AMH/High FSH Masterclass - https://www.gpnmasterclass.com/
Prior to working with us, most couples have already been through IVF and failed cycles, been labeled a poor responder, and told they had better rush to another IVF or that donor eggs are their only hope.
I don’t want you to waste money on IVF without looking at the missed healing opportunities as to WHY it’s not working in the first place.
We’ve helped couples get pregnant naturally or improve pregnancy success when they’ve been told donor eggs are their only option. We’ve helped women get pregnant naturally with AMH as low as 0.04 and FSH in the 100s.
Learn how our proven Fab Fertile Method can help improve pregnancy success for YOU.
I’m excited to invite you to a special masterclass - where you’ll learn How To Improve Your Chances Of Pregnancy Success If You Have Low AMH/High FSH.
Register your spot here: www.gpnmasterclass.com
Get Pregnant Naturally | Related Episodes
- Episode 364: Why This Is My Top Suggestion For Anyone On The Fertility Journey
- Episode 357: Dangers of Low-Fat Diets and Why Optimal Lipid Panel Matters When TTC
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Book your Supercharge Your Fertility Discovery call here with your partner
During our call, we’ll be discussing what you have tried so far and where you’ve faced challenges. This can feel stressful but is designed to help us get to the root cause of your fertility issues and will help me to give you the best possible action plan at the end of the call. However, to reassure you – on this call we won’t be digging into the trauma associated with infertility/miscarriage/loss – rather we are focused on solutions and an ACTION PLAN as to how our Fab Fertile Method can help you get pregnant naturally.
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This episode is sponsored by: Leela Quantum Tech
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Got questions? Join the Fab Fertile Support Group for motivation, support, and education so that you can prepare for pregnancy success.
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