Women’s Health Naturopathy

Periods

Did you know a healthy period is free from pain?

Did you know that Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)aren’t normal symptoms for our bodies?

Did you know it can be easier?

Maybe you’ve already had testing done and been told you have:

Women’s health naturopathy for periods

Naturopathy can help you to:

Learn about:

• Healthy periods
• What healthy period means for you (it’s different between women)
• How to eat and exercise according to your cycle

Our women’s health naturopaths are here to support you and guide you to fuss-free periods that aren’t painful.

Book a consultation for pain-free, regular periods.

Abnormal Pap Smears

Have you been told you have human papillomavirus (HPV) or cervical dysplasia following a pap smear or cervical screening?

While it’s important that you follow your GP or gynaecologist’s recommendations, you can help yourself while waiting for your colposcopy.

What you can do naturally to help with HPV

1. Boost your immunity
2. Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
3. Manage your stress
4. Foster healthy vaginal microbiome

Our women’s naturopath can help you take a healthy, holistic approach to cervical health.

Book a consultation  for pap smear support.

Fertility naturopathy

Are you having trouble conceiving?

Maybe you’re preparing for egg harvesting, Intrauterine insemination (IUI) or In vitro fertilization (IVF).

You know you’ve got a journey ahead of you and you want the support to know you are doing it all - giving yourself the best chance of meeting a baby at the end of the process.

You might have been told to start taking Clomid or other medications but you want to try something natural first.

Importantly, you want your body to be in the best position to make the medication as effective as possible.

The fertility journey is confusing at times - you might be left with more questions than answers.

It’s stressful and frustrating.

On top of that, it’s extremely emotional and at times, heartbreaking. Every month can feel like a failure and the next month feels so far away.

We feel for you. And you aren’t alone.

One in 6 couples have fertility problems. Factors that affect fertility include:

These might lead to:

Let us support you on your fertility journey

Not only do you need to support your reproductive health, but also your emotional journey.

It can make all the difference to be cared for by someone experienced in the field.

Someone who understands what you are going through.

Someone who has experience.

Book a consultation for fertility support.

Pregnancy naturopath

One day you feel a bit different. Your period is a few days late. You feel a bit hot and sweaty.

Have your tops shrunk or are your boobs bigger?

Maybe your gums start to bleed when you clean your teeth. You get spotting in the middle of your cycle. Or you feel a bit off.

You take a test. And another to be sure. You’re pregnant.

What now?

It can be a time of mixed emotions. Excitement. Fear. Overwhelm. Joy.

Then you start to wonder:
Can you eat that?
Did you ask the pharmacist if you could continue to use that medication?
Are your favourite essential oils ok?
What happens now?
Is it normal to feel <your concern>?

It's normal to have a lot of questions.

Let us support you during your pregnancy

We’ll help you feel great while growing your little bubba (or bubbas!).

You’ll learn:

• Natural easy to deal with nausea, heartburn and fatigue
• What to eat and when (including what prenatal vitamins work for your body and what’s just peed down the drain)
• What you can do now to support your baby’s future health - for instance, how to reduce the chances of hayfever and heart disease.

This is your chance to create the brightest future for your baby.

Book a consultation for pregnancy support.

Postpartum naturopathy

Once you meet your bundle of joy, you then need to heal and recover while caring for your baby.

Your needs change to support breastfeeding. We’ll help you understand what can help or hinder your supply, and what herbs to take for mastitis.

Did you know that most cases of mastitis don’t need antibiotics? Check out the latest guidelines from Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

If you do need antibiotics, we’ll help you with probiotics that can renew your healthy gut bacteria.

Is your baby colicky? Constipated? Fussy and poor sleeper? Understand how you can support your little one’s growing and ever changing needs in a safe and natural way.

Book a consultation for naturopathy support after bub.

Menopause

Hot flushes, brain fog, headaches, weight gain, fatigue, dry vagina. 

Perimenopause can last for years with some women experiencing symptoms for over a decade.

Menopause brings a host of problems as your hormones go up and down continuously.

How can you find relief?

What are your options?

Do you have to have hormonal replacement therapy (HRT)?

Healthy and natural menopause treatments

The good news is that you can take control and calm the hormonal tidal waves with healthy, natural menopause treatments.

We’ve helped many women feel empowered as they make the transition away from periods and into the next phase of life.

Let our female naturopaths can help you.

Book a consultation for healthy, natural menopause treatments.

FAQs

How do I get off the contraceptive pill?

If you’ve decided it’s time to come off the pill, have no fear. Most women get off it without much problem and their hormones balance within 3 months of stopping the pill. 

For others, it’s a bumpy ride and can take as long as 6 months.

You can confidently reset your hormone balance so you have healthy natural cycles with strategies that clear out excess oestrogen, optimise gut microbiome and replace missing nutrients.

I’ve been told to take the contraceptive pill for my skin but I’m worried it’ll affect my hormones. What can I do instead?

1. Check for Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): too much androgen can lead to acne
2. Investigate food sensitivities: allergenic foods such as gluten and dairy can lead to hormonal acne. Testing or elimination diets can be done to work out potential sensitivities.
3. Improve waste elimination: through the gut, liver and kidneys to reduce inflammation and for hormonal balancing
4. Gut health analysis: dysbiosis or intestinal permeability may be the cause of acne
5. Low glycemic diet: to optimise insulin sensitivity and reduce the P.acnes bacteria
6. Zinc, Vitamin A, and herbs: to improve skin barrier integrity and balance hormones

When’s the best time to get started with preconception care?

The ultimate form of proactive health to start right before it all starts - preconception!

While a lot of the time the focus, and work, falls on the woman, it’s important to remember that conception involves both the egg and sperm.

Sperm have a life cycle of 90 days so we recommend male preconception care starts at least 3-4 months before you plan to conceive.

For women, it’s possible to improve the health of eggs, the womb, hormones and nutrition.

This can take a little longer - you may want to start taking a prenatal vitamin at least 3 months before you plan to conceive.

Do males contribute to infertility?

About half of fertility problems are contributed by issues relating to males (Agarwal et al. 2015).

Half of the genetic material to make a baby is also from the father.

That’s why we recommend that couples get help together to improve the quality of sperm, eggs — and the chances of conception.

What can cause infertility?

How can I boost my fertility naturally?

1. Eat a nutrient-dense diet: that consists of wholefoods, including good quality protein, fats and slow burning carbs. Elevated insulin associated with refined and processed diets is a key driver of inflammation and infertility.
2. Increase dietary antioxidants (found in colourful fruits and vegetables): for optimal egg and sperm quality.
3. Fix your gut: gut microbiome is essential for hormonal balances and immune health. Tend your inner garden with gut -supporting foods such as fibre and probiotics.
4. Exercise regularly: increased physical activity has profound effects on balancing hormones, reducing inflammation, improving circulation to the reproductive organs and supporting mood and mental resilience.
5. Control stress: Long-term stress can lead to insulin resistance, increased oxidative stress (that can negatively impact egg and sperm quality), lower sex drive and infertility. Consider taking up a mindfulness practice, getting enough sleep, and strengthening positive social connections. 
6. Reduce environmental toxin exposure: environmental chemicals, including phthalates, parabens and bisphenol A are hormone disruptors and can contribute to infertility.
7. Multivitamin and antioxidant formula: lowers the time to conception and improves pregnancy rates.

Can exercises increase fertility?

Yes! Regular exercise is vital for our well-being. Fertility is no exception.

Not only will exercise prepare your body for pregnancy, but it’ll also improve your health during pregnancy as well as your baby’s future health.

Exercise lowers your risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia during pregnancy. What’s more, exercise, as well as a healthy diet and body weight, has also been shown to improve semen quality _{(Hayden et al. 2018)}.

How can I find the cause of my infertility?

If you’re stumped about why you can’t get pregnant, there are more areas we can help you investigate such as:

• Genetic testing
• Nutritional intake and absorption
• Thyroid autoimmunity
• Chronic inflammation
• Circulation issues 

What causes low libido?

1. Common pharmaceuticals (anti-depressants, anti-histamines, blood pressure medications)
2. Low iron
3. Sluggish thyroid
4. Adrenal fatigue and stress
5. Sex hormone imbalance
6. Insulin resistance
7. Nutritional deficiencies

Since becoming a mum, I have no energy, what can I do?

Many factors can contribute to postnatal exhaustion, such as:

● Nutritional deficiencies

● Hormone imbalances

● Lack of sleep

● Emotional toll

● Physical tension

It can last years if not addressed.

You may benefit from working with a women’s naturopath to create strategies for your unique situation. A range of natural and lifestyle approaches can help you reset your hormones, improve sleep and support your physical and emotional well-being.

How can I start to ovulate again?

It’s important to investigate and address any underlying conditions, including Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome (LUFS), endometriosis, premature ovarian insufficiency, low progesterone, an underactive thyroid.

The solution will depend on the cause or causes — our women’s naturopath can help you work out the cause and the natural treatment for it.

I keep getting thrush. What can I do about it?

Thrush is caused by a fungus called Candida albicans.

Candida commonly lives in the gut, mouth, throat, vagina, and skin and for most of us, forms part of a healthy microbiome and usually doesn’t cause any harm. When the fungus grows out of control, it can cause unwanted side effects, including thrush. 

The key to treating Candida overgrowth is to boost the immune system, restore the gut flora (with probiotics), reduce stress and remove the food supply to the yeast organism (eat a diet that is low in sugar and refined carbohydrates).

If you need help creating an eating plan for thrush, your women’s naturopath is here for you.

How can I make my menstrual cycle regular?

What’s making your cycle irregular? There are so many reasons which can include medication, hormones like PCOS or endo, poor food or lifestyle choices, unmanaged chronic stress, and more.

Once the cause has been identified, then answers can be found.

How long does it take to get rid of HPV?

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a contagious and sexually transmitted organism. It’s what causes cervical cancer and other types of cancers such as throat and mouth cancers.

If your HPV results come back positive, don’t worry — few women develop any cancer related to the virus.

HPV infection usually clears up by itself within 1-2 years, unless your immune system is low. In women with normally functioning immune systems, it can take 15-20 years for cervical cancer to develop.

It’s important to do regular testing as the changes in the cervical cells won’t likely show any symptoms. Another benefit of testing is that if you test positive for HPV, you can support your immunity and vaginal microbiome to get rid of the virus faster. 

How can I increase my chances of getting pregnant?

1. Know when you ovulate: pregnancy is only possible during the fertile window.
2. Boost your overall health: this may mean losing weight, addressing any hormonal imbalances and checking for nutritional deficiencies. Preconception care is recommended for at least 6 months to improve your health, including the quality of eggs and sperm.
3. Eat well and exercise.
4. Get help if you struggle to get pregnant after 6 months.

 How do I deal with menopause dizziness?

Dizziness is quite common in menopause and it doesn’t usually mean you have a medical problem.

It might be due to other factors such as:

We’ll help you understand what might be causing your dizziness and tailor an approach for you by finding out your health history and doing tests.

About our women’s health naturopaths

Maybe you’ve already had a lot of testing done and you know key concerns but are unsure how to fix them. Or maybe you don’t know where to start. As a medical scientist and clinical naturopath, Olga is your personal fertility investigator.

She’s also a mum of a beautiful and curious 9-year-old. She has over 20 years of experience and finds nothing more rewarding than witnessing people reclaim their health.

• Olga Ischenko - Read More

Jamie is a naturopath, yoga teacher and researcher. She's a presenter at the 2023 Naturopaths and Herbalists Association Australia. Jamie is passionate about your health and finding answers. As a woman who has experienced the joys and pitfalls of menstruation, Jamie understands what's going not only from clinical experience but also personal experience. The experience that's frustrating when you are pushed to the side suffering -- waiting years for someone to take your pain and suffering seriously to finally get a diagnosis.

• Jamie Friend - Read More

Georgia is a caring and dedicated naturopath. She's passionate about finding long term health solutions that are sustainable. She understands women's health both from personal experience but also from clinical experience working with many women trying to achieve pain-free & manageable periods, eliminate PMS, achieve conception, postpartum vitality (yes it's possible!) and navigate through menopause.

• Georgia Campbell - Read More