Why is it that women with autoimmune conditions are more likely to struggle when it comes to their fertility and having a healthy pregnancy? We’ve worked with many women with autoimmune conditions that were left wondering why they were struggling to have a healthy pregnancy. Their doctors didn’t take the time to explain it and they were referred to fertility specialists that also did not dig into the root issues. There are a few key aspects of autoimmunity that can lead to fertility disruptions. Let’s dig into them!

Inflammation & Egg Quality

Inflammation that is present with autoimmune conditions can lead to poor egg quality and negatively impact ovarian reserve. When we have excess inflammation it damages follicles, which lowers the quality and development of oocytes. This reduces the number of viable follicles available for ovulation, meaning less eggs available. When egg quality is poor, we are more likely to have a miscarriage, which is another common issues with autoimmunity.

Immune System & Miscarriage

During pregnancy, the body redirects the immune system to protect the embryo, but for women with autoimmune diseases, the immune system may attack the embryo instead. This can lead to recurrent miscarriages. Poor egg quality and low progesterone can also make maintaining a healthy pregnancy difficult.

Progesterone

When inflammation and immune system/gut issues are present, this leads to low progesterone levels or to progesterone being utilized for other areas in the body than fertility. Progesterone is a protective hormone and will be used to help repair and fill in holes when there is dysfunction in the body. It is very difficult to improve progesterone levels when gut issues are present, whether you have autoimmune issues or not.

How We Approach Autoimmunity

While there are certainly factors working against women with autoimmunity, it absolutely does not mean you cannot have a healthy pregnancy. There are a few areas we focus in on for women that are struggling with autoimmune conditions in order to help them conceive:

• Gut Health & GI Map Stool Testing: This shows us exactly what’s going on inside the gut, how digestion is functioning, how the immune system is functioning, if there’s any reaction to gluten, and if there’s a good balance of beneficial and non beneficial bacteria. This helps us craft a gut protocol that will help rebalance the environment to support healthy immune system function and lower antibody levels.
• Stress, Nervous System, & Hair Mineral Testing: Chronic stress is always a piece of the autoimmune puzzle. We support our clients by helping them assess their day to day stress and lifestyle habits. We also use hair mineral testing to evaluate their current stress response and support minerals that improve how the body handles stress.
• Supporting Progesterone Levels: We like to use bio-identical progesterone with most of our fertility clients, but especially those with autoimmune conditions to ensure levels are adequate. It is also great for inflammation.

Learn more about how to support your gut health, nervous system and progesterone levels in the resources below:

Gut health 101
Nervous system 101
How to boost progesterone levels naturally

reminder: i’m currently accepting people into my Nurture Your Fertility program. you can learn more here about the program and fill out an application!