I thought I’d share the experience of a 34-year old woman because it is a perfect example of how genetics can reveal the missing piece in seemingly unexplainable fertility struggles. So often when women, and sometimes couples, come to see me seeking fertility support they are motivated and willing to “do what it takes”. Sadly, when it comes to having tests done – other than the very minimal routine tests their GP will agree to — the willingness changes. But, let’s read Carol’s* experience:
Carol presented with secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. She’d conceived easily with her first child 4 years prior, but since then had suffered 3 consecutive miscarriages between 6-9 weeks gestation.
Extensive fertility workups showed normal hormone levels, normal ovarian reserve, normal uterine structure, and her partner’s sperm analysis was excellent.
“Every doctor tells me my numbers look great,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “But I keep losing babies and no one can tell me why.”
Her fertility specialist had run every standard tests. She’d tried Clomid, Letrozole, progesterone supplementation, baby aspirin, and multiple IUI cycles. Nothing worked.
After this, Carol was happy to do a DNA test.
Her epigenetic changes were creating a perfect storm for pregnancy loss. Despite taking the recommended standard “folic acid” supplements, her genetics meant she couldn’t convert it to the active form needed for:
- Proper DNA synthesis during rapid fetal cell division
- Adequate homocysteine clearance (elevated homocysteine damages placental blood vessels)
- Optimal methylation reactions critical for fetal development
Her recurrent losses weren’t random – they were influenced by her genetics.
But I hear you ask… “why could she get pregnant the first time? She had the same genes the whole time?” That’s a great question!
The reason is this:
She went into her first pregnancy the healthiest and happiest she had ever been.
She was active, ate a very clean diet and had very low stress in her life. She had cut out all processed foods and had been doing a clean, whole-foods paleo style diet for more than a year.
Then she got pregnant.
The toll of pregnancy, labour, post-partum recovery, having a baby- toddler that didn’t sleep well and then the miscarriages on top of that.. it was too much for her methylation cycle.
She was severely depleted.
Remember: genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger.
Results:
After three months of preparation, Carol conceived one month later, and after 38 weeks delivered a perfectly healthy baby. Eighteen months later, following the same protocol, she had another healthy pregnancy and baby.
This goes to show that sometimes when “things look normal” but it’s just not working, there IS a reason. This is why sometimes functional tests are an important component in achieving desired fertility outcomes.
You can read more about preparation, testing and genetics in my book — get your copy today on Amazon.
* Name changed for privacy reasons