It doesn’t have to be a fight. There is a different solution.

You might be trying lots of different natural medicine to try to get pregnant, but your partner thinks it’s a waste of money. He might place all his trust in Western medicine and not see the point of eating organic, taking herbs, having acupuncture or abdominal massage.

If this is the case, then read this together because like with most conflicts the solution is about bridging the gap.

Western medicine is excellent at scanning, testing and diagnosing. When there is a physical mass stopping you from getting pregnant like with endometriosis, then surgery is sometimes the best option.

Or if you have blocked fallopian tubes, then it doesn’t matter how many times you have sex or how much kale you eat, you won’t get pregnant because there’s no way egg and sperm can meet and IVF is an ideal solution.

However, there is a problem with only relying on Western medicine because it doesn’t always fix the problem. Western medicine is often just like putting a sticky plaster over the problem. The problem is still there. It has just been masked or buried. For example, using drugs to help you ovulate won’t change the quality of your eggs. You might get pregnant, but you have a higher chance of having a miscarriage. Or if you have surgery to remove the endometriosis, then it’s likely to come back again unless you use natural medicine and make lifestyle changes.

Natural medicine helps your body to align and work properly. If you combine natural medicine with new habits then your hormone levels normalise, inflammation reduces and your egg quality improves.

When you find ways of reducing stress, managing it and transforming it, then your liver can detoxify your body and get rid of excess oestrogen. When your stress hormones stop running the show, then your sex hormones can synchronise their beautiful dance.

Natural medicine gets to the root of the problem. It takes time for your body and hormones to adjust, but it’s worth it because you’ll get long-lasting results. By putting in the time and preparing for pregnancy, it means you stand a better chance of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby.

The problem with just focussing on natural medicine is that you could miss a crucial piece of your fertility puzzle. Natural medicine can’t see inside the body. There are limitations to natural medicine. If you have a massive fibroid, then natural medicine could stop it from getting bigger or shrink it, but the best option might be to have surgery and remove it completely.

Bridge the gap. Use the benefits of both Western and natural medicine and know when to use them:

1. Be a fertility detective. Use western medicine and natural medicine to work out the reasons you’re not getting pregnant. They will give you different answers because they come from different perspectives.

2. Assess your different treatment options. Use natural medicine to get to the root of the problem and trigger your body to heal itself. Be careful not to rush into using Western medicine treatment options until your body is working optimally.

3. Try not to get overwhelmed. There are many different treatment options. With natural medicine make sure you give it enough time to work before trying something new. Find a practitioner who specialises in fertility and has a proven track record. Interview a few practitioners to find somebody you like and trust. With western medicine, there are many different aspects to consider before choosing the right IVF clinic for you.

4. Don’t leave this too long. There is a finite window that you can get pregnant. Make a clear plan with a practitioner and medical team that you trust.