Latest / For the Love of Hormones- Miscarriage, Hormone Balance, Progesterone, TTC, Cycle Tracking, Conception, Holistic Health / 186 | The Missing Piece Before IUI or IVF When TTC
Transcript
- Bekah Yawn: Brittany, thank you so much for your sweet review. It was such an honor to just walk alongside you in your fertility journey and in your spiritual journey, in your marriage and everything through Framework. And I'm so thankful for you just sharing a bit about what you learned ⁓ and it was helpful to you. So thank so much for sharing. You guys, welcome this episode today. We are focusing on IUI and IVF this month of May. And ⁓ we're gonna kick off today with first of all, if you have not downloaded my thyroid handout, ⁓ would strongly encourage you to do so. You can go to beckayon.com slash thyroid labs. Because when we're thinking about the topic of IUI and IBF, my first question is like, girl, have you had a full thyroid panel done yet? We think about, you I as a hormone coach and a fertility awareness educator, I am trained to think about what are the root issues you are, your body might be wrestling with is producing these, or it's a byproduct of the struggles for you and your husband conceiving. ⁓ And we think about root issues, there are several of them that I'm very passionate about, and one of them is your thyroid. ⁓ And I've put together an incredible handout for you guys ⁓ that has the different labs to ask for. It has functional ranges from a mix of midwives and functional maternity practitioners for the healthiest, most optimal ranges of the thyroid a full thyroid panel. It goes way beyond just TSH and T4, and it even informs you ⁓ to talk to your doctor about asking for these labs, because even that can be a hard thing. ⁓ you guys, this is like... kind of a non-negotiable if you are having fertility struggles, like have you gotten a full panel of your thyroid done? If you end up working with me inside a fertility framework, this is something that we can review and discuss together. I am not a licensed medical practitioner, so nothing that I give is medical advice, but I can absolutely help you with advocacy work for how to discuss your levels and your ranges with your medical practitioner. So. With that said, let's go into today's episode, the missing piece before IUI or IVF. is so ⁓ to talk about and to discuss ⁓ honestly, before you and your husband make a decision to pursue IUI or IVF. So this is a juicy episode and I'm so excited you are here today. And we are gonna ⁓ first talk a gist scripture. you know, if you're new here, welcome. This is a podcast that talks about your fertility, your hormones, your body, your physiological, biological body. we also addressed your spiritual self. OK, so I'm a strong Christian. I'm a strong believer in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his life, death and resurrection and how we have eternal life and redemption through that from all of our struggles. And I know if you're listening to this, that your fertility is your big fat struggle in your face right now. And I it's just hovering over you. And I truly believe that our relationship with Jesus Christ and our faith and our belief in Him and being filled by the Holy Spirit is honestly the only way we can make it through this journey with peace and with contentment because we don't get to control the ups, the downs, ⁓ the highest highs the lowest lows of the valleys and peaks of our fertility journey. but what we do get to hold onto and grasp onto is the peace that comes from God, the peace that surpasses all understanding. So I want to remind us as we're considering this medical procedure of IUI or IVF, ⁓ I us to first reflect on God and on his wisdom. So we're gonna go to Proverbs chapter three, verses 19, and I'm gonna read through verses 26. ⁓ ⁓ If you're not in a quiet place, I encourage you just to get into a quiet place if you haven't taken a slow deep breath because I know if you're a podcaster, you're a podcast listener, you're probably multitasking. So wherever you are, whether you're driving, you're folding laundry, whatever you're doing, I just want you to just stop for a second and literally just take a super slow deep breath with me. ⁓ and I want you to just soften your belly. and I want you to soften your heart. we're inviting the Lord to minister to us through his word right now. By wisdom, the Lord laid the earth's foundations. By he set the heavens in place. By his knowledge, the watery depths were divided and the clouds let drop the dew. My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight. Preserve sound judgment and discretion. They will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster. or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked. For the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared." So that's Proverbs chapter three, verses 19 through 26. And what a passage that we can set our eyes on and our hearts on and our minds on as we have this conversation about this really big decision, reflecting on how by the Lord's wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. He laid the earth's foundations. He set the heavens into place. He divided the waters. made clouds ⁓ could bring rain. He did all of these incredible things by his wisdom, his understanding, and his knowledge. And what greater comfort is there than to embrace these things ⁓ we are seeking the Lord and his great discernment in these big decisions in front of us. ⁓ So I'm thankful for the word of the Lord and for His encouragement and His guidance as we navigate this. So one of the reasons why we're talking about this today is because, I mean, I have friends who have, you know, been either pursued these or, you know, had conversations about pursuing them. And I want to share a story with you about one of them. So one day I was out for a walk ⁓ with friend who ⁓ was to pursue ⁓ IVF. with her husband, they had been through so much. It's quite interesting because from her point of view, she's like, we have done everything. We've seen every doctor, we've tried, we've done every blood test, we've done all these things and we're just getting unexplained infertility. And ⁓ telling us we should do IVF and that's our only option. That's our only way that we can get pregnant. And listened to her and I asked her some questions. And ⁓ were like, ⁓ my gosh, that's... That's so much. You have done so much. You've been through so much. I'm just curious if I can ask you some questions." And she was like, yeah, of course. And I said, well, what are your periods like? And she started telling me about what her periods were like. And I'm like, well, what kind of tracking do you do for them and everything? And she's like, well, I use an app. that's really it. I'm like, have your doctors, have they really discussed with you about your period? because from what she had told me, it did not sound like a healthy period. And if we're having an unhealthy period, I mean, the period is kind of like the results, quote unquote, ⁓ our ovulation from the cycle before. And so if our period is super unhealthy, then that's our body telling us like, yo, my ovulation in that last cycle was hard and I'm having a hard time. And said that her doctors had never asked her more questions about your period outside of when was the last day of your, when was the first day of your last period. And was like baffled. I was like, wait a second. So they are recommending IVF, but they haven't even discussed in length with you and explored in depth with you about your period and your ovulation. And she said, no, they have it. And I was like, ⁓ my gosh, this is crazy. And so they were bypassing just like basic anatomy and basic physiology and basic cycle health, basic hormonal health, trying to push towards this big thing. And I, you know, of course I talked with her more and at the time I was kind of newer in my certification for becoming a FEM teacher. And so her and her husband were very gracious and let me serve them they were just like wide-eyed the whole time. They were like, ⁓ my gosh, like nobody ever talked to us about this stuff. Nobody ever educated us about this. it kind of stopped them in their tracks from pursuing the IVF ⁓ decision. it's very you guys. So we're gonna kind of go into some things. know last week we talked about ⁓ some questions ⁓ start asking and praying through before making this decision. And today, ⁓ we're going to talk about the missing piece that we must address and we must look at before even considering these things. So first, let's kind of go into ⁓ just simple breakdown of what is IUI and what is IVF. I'm sure if you're listening to this, you know what it is. ⁓ But essentially is intrauterine insemination. And it be done ⁓ naturally on the side of things. And when I say that, they can go along with her natural cycle and her natural ovulation. Oftentimes they will use some kind of fertility drugs or prescription medications to kind of ⁓ ovulation or make sure it's like a really big one, quote unquote. And, know, so it can be medicated or unmedicated on the woman's side of things. ⁓ The husband his sperm and they, it's really when you about this stuff, but ⁓ they ⁓ wash the sperm. and they let it culture to see which ones are best quality, most mobile, most modal, and ones have the best morphology and all of that. And then they pick ⁓ the ⁓ pocket sperm ⁓ and insert it via a catheter into the woman's into her uterus. So obviously they would put it through the cervix and, you know, so through your vagina, through your cervix and into your womb. And the idea is trying to time that for when the woman ovulates and hoping that the sperm will meet up with the egg that has been released from ovulation. So that essentially is what IUI is. And now I'm gonna talk about, as, guys, this is like a super Cliff Notes. basic breakdown of IVF, of these things, okay? This is not highly medical or anything. IVF, in vitro fertilization, basically what that is is there are a lot of drugs and shots and all of the things ⁓ on the women's side of things to kind of force her body to chug, chug, chug and ovulate. And it's a really procedure. is actually a documentary, a movie, you really want to know what is this process really going to look like in my day to day outside of the tremendous price tag. called One More Shot. And that documentary, it's just so opening. hurts to watch, honestly. mean, it's such a heavy thing to even get to this point of ⁓ considering IVF. So I understand that. But the thing is, more you know, information is power, information is knowledge. so seeing someone literally go through it is eye-opening. So I definitely encourage watching that document. ⁓ It's so Christian. Jesus is not in it, but it does at least help you to kind of see physically and even just emotionally what this process is like. So basically, the woman is medically forced to try to get her body to ovulate. And then the husband's sperm is taken, similar procedure. And then the embryo specialist, I'm not sure, sorry, I'm losing it on exactly what they're called. But they take the best quality egg and best quality sperm that they can and they put them together and a life is formed. In fact, typically when this happens, many lives are formed, many embryos are formed. And I believe as a Christian that when egg and sperm are together, that ⁓ is ⁓ life, a And so it's really weighty thinking about that. It's hard to, I don't know, it's a to process ⁓ of many lives ⁓ are through but not all of them ⁓ a chance to continue live, right? Maybe it's kind of like a ⁓ really weird of really what's happening in these embryos. Maybe the ones that don't make it, it's kind of like having a chemical pregnancy and mourning the loss a very, very early baby for the ones that are put together. ⁓ and have life and don't make it. And then for the ones that are placed in to you or even that are frozen, like those are lives, whether they're put inside of you or they're frozen for later. And it's ⁓ very weighty thing to ⁓ and to chew on. That's not what I'm trying to get into, but I think it's something we've got to put a lot of thought into ⁓ a lot of prayer into. OK. So we've talked about woman, we talked about the man, talked about the embryologist. And so then ⁓ they allow these little blastocysts to divide in their cells outside of the mother for period of time. And then they attempt to insert the embryos, maybe one, maybe two, three, four, I don't know, however many ⁓ you discuss and with into your womb. And then you essentially have the two-week wait. and you're praying that they live and they survive. So that is what those procedures and processes ⁓ like. So in reviewing those things, you can hear that what they do ⁓ is give medical efforts ⁓ and attempts to either aid, assist, or override a woman's body to ovulate and release an egg. And then they're either aiding or assisting the sperm into the woman's womb into the egg itself outside of the mother in IVF. Here's the thing that ⁓ these procedures do not They do not fix any root issues at that a woman be dealing with. So I want to address this topic with so much sensitivity because I know that some of you listening, maybe you've had a baby for my VF or maybe you've had a baby for my UI before. And so I'm addressing this with a lot of sensitivity and not negating or shaming or judging this experience whatsoever. My hope and prayer is to bring enlightenment to this process and procedure, to bring Jesus into the discernment for every step, truthfully for the woman, ⁓ for couple who have not gone through the things, ⁓ the pieces that I'm about to walk you through. If you have not gone through that, to really, really, like my hope is to stop you in your tracks, to stop in your tracks before you pursue this. With that said, if you have done everything I'm about to go through, like you've done all the missing pieces, you're in a different place in space, physically, spiritually, emotionally. And so or IBF, that might be something that's really on your table. If you've literally gone through all of your root issues, you've worked with like the best functional, ⁓ restorative, medicinal practitioners in the country kind of thing. Like you've really gone through the natural route. That's really a different conversation. my conversation right now is for the woman, for the couple who have not these missing pieces. And I want to bring these pieces to light to you. So that's what I'm speaking to right now. So when we're about IUI and IVF, they are not going to fix any root issues. ⁓ Remember, it's overriding your body's system. It's overriding and trying to force your body to ovulate or to have a better ovulation through medicinal drugs. And when think about medications, they are water-soluble. And when we think about water-soluble medications, what that indicates is they dissolve through our bloodstream and we can pee out whatever's extra. They don't fix cells. They don't heal cells or heal tissues or heal things that are broken. Essentially what prescriptive medications, whether we're talking about the IUI IVF stuff or we're talking about some cough over-the-counter cough syrup, like whatever it is, it's overriding. It can't help ourselves. It's just trying to, and I hate the word band-aid because like it's so overused these days, but it really does just try to band-aid. the process and just try to make it better, but it does not heal anything. And when we're thinking about our body suffering or struggling with our fertility or with an illness, for example, our cells are hurting and we have to focus on the cells to be able to bring true healing and true restoration. And so when we think about these prescriptive medications, they're just going to be forcing or overriding our body systems and it's not doing any healing. What does do healing more natural things. Anything that can bind to a cell that is fat soluble and can help restore the cells, that is really what we wanna focus on when we're thinking about healing. And so when we think about things that are fat soluble, we think about vitamins and minerals, herbs can be helpful. as well in the restorative and healing process. Essential ⁓ can helpful, like herbal tinctures, thinking through those types of things. And that's just, I mean, that's just one thing, right? ⁓ And we just take like a magical herbal supplement and it's gonna fix all of our problems if we're sleeping well or if we're not eating well, if we're not drinking the right things, if our mineral balance is off, if our gut health is awful, if our liver is, our thyroid is out of whack, if our body is just dealing with so much inflammation. Like these are the kinds of root issues that ⁓ would want to work on with you and that I would really want to see addressed before IUI or IVF is ever on the table. Because when we think about these root issues, it truly impacts the missing pieces. It impacts your ovulation. It impacts your progesterone. It impacts your uterine lining health. these are the kinds of root issues that I would want to work on with you and that I would really want to see addressed before or IVF is ever on the table. Because when we think about these root issues, it truly impacts the missing pieces. It impacts your ovulation. It impacts your progesterone. It impacts your uterine lining health. and your stress and cortisol levels. and your stress and cortisol levels. So those are the things that we really, really want to focus on and that you can, you know, with the guidance of the Lord, with the gift of knowledge, find like what are the things that I should really focus on to improve my ovulation, to improve my progesterone, to improve my uterine lining health. Because when we think about those three things, ⁓ If our ovulation quality is sucking, if our progesterone is crap, if our uterine lining is thin and hostile and inflamed, even if we do IUI or IVF, what is the quality of that baby gonna be? And the quality of the environment that the baby into. So if our ovulation quality is ⁓ great and our egg quality is not great, that impacts the literal genetic makeup, the DNA makeup of the baby. If our progesterone is struggling, like yes, we can take progesterone, but if our root issues are why our progesterone is stinking, and then we just go ahead and take some progesterone to try to make it better, it's not gonna fix the root issues. And sometimes it, like our body just doesn't tolerate the progesterone very well, and that's an indicator of like, Like there's probably something else going on that I need to look at and address. And then that will kind of help to naturally restore your progesterone or even help your body to take a bioidentical progesterone prescription better. So, you know, just taking progesterone is not going to fix all of your problems. I'm getting a little sidetracked here. ⁓ But the is, ⁓ let's talk your uterine lining health. Like your uterus, ⁓ your womb is literally cells and tissues. if your cellular and tissue health is awful, all of the process of IUI and IVF is going to do absolutely nothing for it. And when we think about your uterine lining, that is where the baby implants into. And so if you have a hostile inflamed nutrient ⁓ uterine it is ⁓ going be a much harder environment for the baby to survive and continue to grow in that environment. So. ⁓ Even if you come to the conclusion that IUI or IVF is the thing for you, girlfriend, you gotta work on all of these things before you even do that. Because wanna work on your egg health, your ovulation health, your ⁓ progesterone. Like why is my body not making progesterone and what should I be doing about it? There's ⁓ things you can be doing about it. And what can I be doing for my uterus, my uterine lining? All of these things go into that and these are the missing pieces that are not even discussed or talked about. And that's okay, that's okay, right? Like our medical team, the medical clinics, the clinics, you know, who do things this way, they're gonna have their time and place to rock out what they do and good for them. But please, like friend, do not go through this without. ⁓ working on these other things first. It's so critical, it's foundational. And when we think about who our God is, He is a foundational God. He created the foundations of the universe, the way down to the foundations of you and your body. And He knows exactly what you need. And He's not just gonna try to throw things at you to override you. He's a good God. and he uses knowledge and wisdom and understanding to ⁓ support you and to heal you and to bring you restoration. And so those are the things that I would really encourage you to do. And yes, ⁓ plug, you learn about these things inside of my Fertility Framework Program. This is where you learn, ⁓ okay, this is what my body's doing, this is what my body's having a hard time with. These are the things I need to change, directed by the Lord, guided by the Lord, and I'm gonna do the hard work and I'm gonna change X, Y, Z. And I'm gonna do that really well for a few months. And I'm gonna prayerfully see my cycles change, my cycles get healthier, my hormones get healthier, and we're gonna see progress. So that's what we learn inside of Fertility Framework. That's what we do. Shameless Blood, come join us, beccayann.com slash course. I would love to welcome you in. You get the coursework and all of the organized information and education and you pray through that with the Lord ⁓ what he wants you to do for each step and what's personal to you. And then we have group coaching where we talk ⁓ and have twice a month and you get to share with me your charts, share with me more about your story, ask me your big questions on those calls. And then you get that specific guidance as well, along email support and a Google Classroom support where you can continue to ask me questions in between our calls. So you a lot of one-on-one support. And it's not always going to be like that. I will tell you, once things get ⁓ too busy too big, there's not going to be as much ⁓ one-on-one support that get through this program. So now is a wonderful time to dive in and learn about these things. It's not an overnight fix. It's something that It takes a few months of like strong commitment and a willingness to make some changes. ⁓ ⁓ love that. So I would love for you to do that. If this is new to you and you've been thinking about IUI or IVF and you haven't done something like this, girlfriend come sign up and let's go. Let's learn what you need to do. And I would be so honored and thankful to walk alongside you and support you. And I know our other friends inside of Fertility Framework would. be delighted to have more friends who are walking with them in their journey a very similar way. And having encouragement and accountability is awesome. So you guys, let me pray over you. Thank you for joining us today. Lord Jesus, we just come before you. And God, we praise you for being the creator. We praise you for your wisdom, for your understanding, for your knowledge. And God, we're just taking a few steps back and we're like, whoa, you are awesome. You are incredible for how you have designed everything in the universe that we cannot even comprehend. And we praise you that you know exactly how you have designed us and you know exactly what is broken. You know exactly what needs restoration. And Lord, I just pray for my sister in Christ that you would guide her to her next right step. whether it's working with me or whether it's working with someone else or whatever it is, Lord, I just pray that she would get clear answers, that she would get root cause work and that she would be led and free to listen to your Holy Spirit, that you would guide her throughout this whole process. God, I do pray that you would give her restoration, that you would give her healing, all that beautiful cellular healing, that the symphony of her body, of her endocrine system, would be able to start working harmoniously and beautifully, that you would create life within her that would be sustained all the way through the pregnancy and would be a glorious, God-glorifying birth and postpartum, and a baby to raise up for your kingdom and for the furthering of the name of Jesus. Lord, we pray all these things in your holy, holy name. Amen.