Last week, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) issued guidance urging the temporary halt of all non-urgent fertility care for the foreseeable future. The announcement and guidance document comes as the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic causes nationwide concerns about scarce medical resources, and as hospitals and clinics implement measures to limit unnecessary exposure to otherwise healthy patients through the temporary cessation of routine/non-urgent care. Thankfully, there are natural infertility solutions that couples can begin taking advantage of from home today.
How is COVID-19 affecting reproductive technology in the United States?
ASRM says that it will continue to monitor the evolving situation with Covid-19 and update its guidance no later than March 30, 2020. But for the time-being, the organization recommends that reproductive health providers and clinics do the following:
- Suspend initiation of new treatment cycles, including ovulation induction, intrauterine inseminations (IUIs), in vitro fertilization (IVF) including retrievals and frozen embryo transfers, as well as non-urgent gamete cryopreservation.
- Strongly consider cancellation of all embryo transfers whether fresh or frozen.
- Continue to care for patients who are currently “in-cycle” or who require urgent stimulation and cryopreservation.
- Suspend elective surgeries and non-urgent diagnostic procedures.
- Minimize in-person interactions and increase utilization of telehealth.
What this COVID-19 announcement means for people on fertility treatment
For many who were looking to begin fertility treatments or move forward with the advanced stages of treatment, this news likely comes as a devastating blow. And as the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic only begins to heat up, there is no telling yet when any aspect of our healthcare system will once again have the capacity to return to normal operations at its previous pace.
Alternatives to IVF during the COVID-19 shutdown
Countless couples have described the “roller coaster” of IVF, and how difficult it is to get off once the ride has begun. Some say the process can become addictive and never-ending—with each failed cycle, feeling more driven to try again, and again, meanwhile racking up crippling debt and exacting a toll on marriages. The phenomenon is so common that WebMD has an article (“Addicted to Hope for a Child”) helping couples to determine whether it might be time for them to consider stopping fertility treatments.
If you have felt overburdened by the IVF process, or if the ASRM announcement has put a screeching halt on your infertility treatment plans, know that IVF may not be the only infertility solution available to you. In the past 40 years, new technologies and medical processes have been developed to treat the root causes of infertility based on each couple’s unique challenges. Called restorative reproductive medicine (RRM), these techniques are giving couples new hope by treating infertility as a symptom of a broader underlying issue in need of correction. One example of RRM is known as Natural Procreative Technology, often referred to as simply “NaPro,” which is a technology practiced by hundreds of board-certified OBGYNs and other medical professionals throughout the world as an effective alternative to IVF.
With NaPro, the initial investigation includes a thorough assessment of the man and woman’s health and fertility, and treatment often includes targeted, non-invasive hormonal supplementation that effectively manages any issues with the woman’s cycle, and helps to maintain any resulting pregnancy. Sometimes minimally-invasive exploratory surgery and/or surgical treatment is also deemed necessary, but even if surgery is required, the NaPro treatment approach is often far more cost effective and less stressful than IVF. Furthermore, NaPro is provided by professionals who are trained to approach the couples’ bodies and combined fertility in a respectful and caring way.
Natural infertility solutions couples can try during COVID-19
I myself have experienced the roller coaster ride of infertility. Although we were offered IVF as a solution from our doctor, my husband and I chose to get a second opinion and utilize the combined power of my fertility charts and NaPro to combat the root causes of our infertility instead. Four years and two healthy babies later, it is still the best decision we ever made. The following are some options you could utilize during the Coronavirus quarantine to help with your own fertility journey.
FERTILITY CHARTING
The first step to take towards a natural approach to infertility is to learn more about your cycles–and the best way to do so is by learning a Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). Learning a fertility awareness method and charting your cycle will help you collect vital information about the length of your cycle, and different measurable signs your body is giving you about your fertility. This information could be invaluable to healthcare providers who can help identify underlying issues that may be causing your infertility.
Looking for an instructor trained in an official FAM versus learning a method (or a hodgepodge of several) on your own is highly recommended. Instructors have extensive experience in fertility and cycle management, and can offer the support needed to achieve a pregnancy. With many of us stuck at home, there has perhaps never been a better time to take advantage of the distance learning options offered by all of the most effective, most popular fertility awareness-based methods. While distance learning has been an option for most methods for a while, in the past few weeks, fertility awareness instructors across the country have worked especially hard to move even more of their classes online in response to the new social distancing requirements. If you were unable to find a course to fit your needs before, you may be pleasantly surprised at just how many online resources are available now. Another bonus? Learning a FABM may be all that a couple needs to overcome infertility–studies show that couples who know their fertile window (and have targeted intercourse during that time) achieve pregnancy faster than the average couple trying to conceive.
NAPROTECHNOLOGY
The more you learn about your fertility cycle with the help of FAM charting, the better prepared you will be to explore natural infertility solutions and treatment options with a NaProTechnology-trained physician via telehealth now, or in person when the pandemic passes.
NaProTechnology is not a silver bullet solution for everyone—but it has worked for scores of couples, including those for whom artificial reproductive technologies have already failed. As most non-urgent medical care is currently being suspended across the country, you may not be able to physically visit a NaPro provider today–however, just as FABM instructors have mobilized their courses online, many NaPro providers across the country are also offering telehealth options, too. Regardless, the first step is to start learning more about your cycles through fertility charting, which is something you can do today.
ORGANIC CONCEPTIONS
I wish that at some point in all of the emotional turmoil we endured during our infertility journey, we had been given a break from it all. In particular, I wish that the emotional support like that offered by Organic Conceptions had been available to us—but I am profoundly grateful that couples today now have these options.
If the Coronavirus has you and your partner cooped up together these days, now might be a great time to invest in your relationship with a resource like Organic Conceptions–an innovative course that couples can take together, which helps them to understand the emotional aspects of infertility, and walk the journey toward overcoming them together.
No matter where you are (or were) in your infertility journey, Covid-19 has likely slammed the breaks—as it has done for so much else in our lives. But while we should give ourselves the space to grieve these changes, let us not give into fear or despair. Instead, we could take this respite from all of the usual trappings of our daily lives to ask ourselves what this unprecedented situation makes possible. And when life gets back to normal—whatever “normal” may be when this is all said and done—may we have the courage to make the changes necessary to render those possibilities a reality.
Additional Reading:
- Commonly Asked Questions About Infertility: A Natural Womanhood Infertility FAQ
- A New and Promising Path for Couples Facing Infertility
- The Dark Side of the IVF Industry, From a Survivor
- How Quarantining Makes Now a Great Time to Switch to Fertility Awareness
- Why You Should Learn to Chart Your Cycle, Even If You Want ALL the Babies
