When you’re growing up, getting pregnant easily just seems like a given. It’s a bit like getting taller or losing teeth. Be careful, they tell you. It only takes one time!
And yet somehow, years later, you’re actually trying to make it happen. And suddenly the whole thing feels different. Slower. Harder. Heavier than you expected it to be. Like a door you were always told would swing open too easily. Now you’re standing there knocking, and no one’s home.
Maybe you have been trying for six months, or a year. Maybe longer. Maybe the tests have come back normal and you are walking around with a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, which sounds less like an answer and more like the absence of one. Maybe you are heading into IVF and you want to do everything possible to give it the best chance.
Wherever you are, you are probably wondering if there is more you could be doing to improve your chances. There usually is.
Naturopathic medicine does not replace your fertility clinic. It looks at everything your fertility clinic does not have time to look at.
At Oona, we have supported people and couples through fertility treatment, IVF and IUI cycles, unexplained infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, recurrent pregnancy loss, and the quiet grief of trying month after month. We know what this feels like from the inside. Our founder, Sarah Mickeler, has been there herself. And we built this clinic partly because the care women deserve during this time does not always exist in the places they are looking.
What Naturopathic Fertility Care Actually Looks Like
Naturopathic medicine operates from one central idea: that the body wants to function well, and that symptoms and struggles are signals pointing to something worth addressing. In fertility care, this means looking at the full picture of your health, your hormones, your cycle, your nutrition, your stress, your sleep, and your history, and finding what is limiting your body’s ability to conceive and carry a pregnancy.
A first appointment with Dr. Alexsia Priolo, Oona’s fertility naturopath in Toronto, looks nothing like a standard fertility clinic visit. There is no waiting room full of pamphlets. There is no ten-minute consultation. You sit down together and talk through your history in real depth, often for an hour or more. What your cycle has been like for years, not just recently. What your bloodwork shows, and what it does not show but probably should. What is happening with your stress, your digestion, your energy. What you have already tried and what the response has been.
From that conversation, and from any further testing that is warranted, Dr. Alexsia builds a plan. Not a generic protocol. A plan built for your body, your situation, and your goal.
Dr. Alexsia has spent nearly ten years focused exclusively on endocrine, reproductive, perinatal, and paediatric health. Fertility is not one part of her practice. It is the whole of it.
What a Fertility Naturopath Looks at That Others Often Miss
Standard fertility investigations measure what they are designed to measure. AMH, FSH, a semen analysis, a uterine assessment. These are important and necessary, and Dr. Alexsia works alongside your fertility clinic and obstetrical team, not instead of them. But the picture they provide is partial.
What naturopathic fertility care adds is an investigation into the conditions that affect whether conception and implantation succeed, many of which fall outside the scope of a standard workup.
Hormonal balance across the full cycle
A single blood draw on day three of your cycle tells you a specific thing about your hormonal picture. It does not tell you what your progesterone is doing in your luteal phase, whether your oestrogen is clearing well, how your cortisol is patterned across the day, or whether your thyroid is functioning at optimal rather than merely acceptable levels. Dr. Alexsia looks at the full hormonal picture across the cycle, using testing that is targeted to what your specific situation requires.
Egg quality and ovarian reserve
Egg quality is one of the most significant determinants of conception success and embryo viability, and it is also one of the areas where naturopathic intervention has the most to offer. The three months before ovulation, a period known as the follicular development window, is when the egg that will be retrieved or released is maturing. What you do during that window, specifically with nutrition, supplementation, sleep, and stress, has a direct effect on the quality of the egg that results. This is why Dr. Alexsia recommends starting three months before egg retrieval for couples doing IVF. It is not arbitrary; it is biology.
Inflammation and immune factors
Unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriage are both associated with immune dysregulation and low-grade systemic inflammation. These are not things a standard fertility workup investigates, but they are things naturopathic medicine can assess and address. Dietary patterns, gut health, and specific inflammatory markers all play a role, and all can be supported.
Thyroid function
The standard range tells you if you have a thyroid disease. However, it does not tell you if your thyroid is working well enough to get pregnant. Dr. Alexsia interprets thyroid results with fertility-specific targets in mind and will address thyroid function as part of any fertility plan where it is relevant.
Male factor
Fertility is not a female-only concern, and Dr. Alexsia works with both partners. Sperm quality responds meaningfully to the same three-month window of intervention that applies to egg quality: targeted nutrition, specific supplementation, lifestyle factors, and anything else that is relevant to a particular man’s health picture. If a semen analysis has shown concerns, or if none has been done, that conversation belongs in the room.
The stress picture
Stress is one of the most consistently overlooked factors in fertility care, not because no one believes it matters but because the standard system has no intervention for it. Chronic stress affects ovulation, luteal phase adequacy, implantation, and pregnancy outcomes through mechanisms that are well established. Naturopathic medicine has real tools to address the physiological effects of stress, not just encouragement to relax.
Supporting IVF and IUI Cycles Naturopathically
One of the most common reasons people come to Oona is to maximise the chances of a successful IVF or IUI cycle. Dr. Alexsia has extensive experience working with people at every stage of assisted reproduction, and her approach is coordinated carefully with the fertility clinic.
The work typically begins roughly three months before egg retrieval, covering everything in the egg quality section above. But naturopathic support continues throughout the cycle itself: supporting the uterine lining for optimal implantation, managing the physical and emotional demands of stimulation, and using acupuncture, which has a meaningful evidence base in IVF support, at the key points in the cycle.
Acupuncture during an IVF cycle supports blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, improves endometrial lining, reduces the stress response, and is typically recommended through egg retrieval, transfer, and the two-week wait. For many clients, it is also one of the few genuinely calming parts of an otherwise relentless process. If you’ve never experienced an acu-nap, you’re in for a treat. They are the best.
After transfer, Dr. Alexsia continues to support the early days of pregnancy if the cycle succeeds, monitoring early symptoms and ensuring the body has everything it needs for a healthy implantation and first trimester.
Learn about naturopathic medicine at Oona →
Learn about acupuncture for fertility at Oona →
Conditions Naturopathic Fertility Care Can Help With
Dr. Alexsia works with a wide range of underlying conditions that affect fertility. Some of the most common include the following.
PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome affects ovulation, hormone balance, insulin regulation, and inflammatory markers, all of which have implications for fertility. Naturopathic treatment for PCOS is among the most evidence-informed areas of practice, with nutrition, specific supplementation, and lifestyle factors all demonstrating meaningful effect on cycle regularity, ovulation, and conception outcomes. Because PCOS looks different from person to person, Dr. Alexsia does not offer a generic PCOS protocol. She builds a plan from what is actually driving your presentation.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in women’s health, and one of the most significant drivers of fertility challenges. The inflammation it causes affects the pelvic environment, egg quality, and implantation. Naturopathic care addresses the inflammatory and hormonal drivers of endometriosis alongside whatever conventional treatment is in place, supporting the best possible conditions for conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Recurrent pregnancy loss
Losing a pregnancy is among the hardest things a person can go through, and losing more than one without a clear explanation is a particular kind of devastating. Naturopathic investigation of recurrent pregnancy loss looks at immune factors, clotting parameters, hormonal adequacy across the luteal phase, thyroid function, and nutritional status. Many of the factors that contribute to early pregnancy loss are addressable. Dr. Alexsia works with people in this situation with care and without rushing.
Unexplained infertility
Unexplained infertility is not the absence of a cause. It just means that the typical investigations haven’t found a cause. Naturopathic assessment broadens the picture: looking at subclinical hormonal imbalances, inflammatory factors, nutritional gaps, sleep quality, and the cumulative effect of lifestyle on reproductive function. Many people who come in with an unexplained infertility diagnosis leave the first appointment with a clear sense of what to work on. There is often a quiet grief in that moment, the relief of finally having something to try.
Low ovarian reserve
A low AMH or high FSH does not close the door on conceiving with your own eggs. It changes the conversation and shapes the plan, but it does not end it. Dr. Alexsia works with people navigating low ovarian reserve to optimise egg quality in the time available, support the body’s response to stimulation protocols, and give the eggs that are retrievable the best possible environment in which to mature.
What Happens at Your First Appointment
The first appointment is the longest, and the most important. It is where everything gets laid out.
Dr. Alexsia will take a thorough history: your menstrual cycle going back years, your previous pregnancies if any, your medical history, your partner’s health picture, your diet, your sleep, your stress levels, any testing you have already had done and what it showed. She will review your existing bloodwork and identify where it needs to be expanded. She will ask questions that your GP probably has not asked.
From that, she builds a plan. It may include nutrition and supplementation recommendations, lifestyle modifications, acupuncture, herbal medicine, or a referral back to your medical team with specific questions she wants answered. Everything is explained. Nothing is prescribed without a reason you can understand.
Follow-up appointments track your progress and adjust the plan as your body responds. This is not a one-appointment relationship. Dr. Alexsia works with you over the months of active preparation and through whatever phase of treatment or natural conception follows.
You do not need to arrive with your labs organised or your history perfectly recalled. Come as you are and tell her what has been happening. That is enough to start.
When to Start
The honest answer is: earlier than you think.
If you are just beginning to try and want to give your body the best possible foundation, three to six months of preconception preparation makes a measurable difference to conception rates and early pregnancy outcomes. Research shows that dietary patterns in the years before conception influence maternal and fetal health outcomes. Three months of focused preparation, covering egg quality, hormonal balance, and nutritional status, is time genuinely well spent.
If you are already partway through trying, or heading into a fertility clinic for the first time, now is the right time to start. There is no stage of this process where naturopathic support is not relevant or useful.
If you have a diagnosis, whether PCOS, endometriosis, low ovarian reserve, or unexplained infertility, starting sooner gives the intervention more time to work. The changes that improve egg quality take three months to show up in an egg. That is not a reason to wait. It is a reason to begin.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If you are reading this and you are not sure whether naturopathic fertility support is the right next step, a Care Navigator call is exactly where to begin. It is free, fifteen minutes, and you do not need to have anything figured out before you call. You tell us where you are. We tell you honestly who at Oona is the right first step, and why. No commitment before that conversation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions we hear most often from people considering naturopathic fertility support for the first time.
Can naturopathic medicine help me get pregnant?
For many people, yes. Naturopathic fertility care addresses the hormonal, nutritional, inflammatory, and lifestyle factors that affect conception and pregnancy. Three months of focused preconception preparation consistently improves conception rates and embryo quality, whether you are trying naturally or through assisted reproduction.
Do I need a fertility diagnosis to see a naturopathic doctor for fertility support?
No. Many people come before any diagnosis, to prepare their bodies well before trying. Others come with a clear diagnosis and want naturopathic support alongside their conventional care. Both are appropriate starting points.
Can naturopathic medicine work alongside IVF or IUI?
Yes. Dr. Alexsia works closely with fertility clinics, coordinating naturopathic support with the assisted reproductive cycle. The goal is to improve egg and sperm quality before retrieval, support the uterine environment for implantation, and use acupuncture at key points in the cycle.
How long does it take to see results?
We recommend three months of preparation before egg retrieval or active trying, because that is how long the follicular development window lasts. Hormonal and nutritional changes often become apparent within one to two cycles.
I have been told my fertility is unexplained. Can naturopathy help?
Yes. Unexplained infertility means the standard workup has not found a cause, not that no cause exists. Dr. Alexsia’s assessment broadens the picture significantly, looking at factors standard investigations do not capture.
Does naturopathic fertility support work for male factor infertility?
Yes. Sperm quality responds meaningfully to the same three-month window of targeted nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle adjustment. Dr. Alexsia works with both partners.
What is acupuncture’s role in fertility treatment?
Acupuncture improves blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, supports endometrial receptivity, reduces the physiological stress response, and helps regulate cycles. In an IVF context, it is typically recommended through stimulation, retrieval, transfer, and the two‑week wait.
What does a typical treatment plan include?
Plans are individual. They often include targeted nutritional supplementation, practical dietary guidance, acupuncture where appropriate, herbal medicine where evidence supports it, sleep and stress regulation strategies, and coordination with your medical team.
Is naturopathic fertility care covered by insurance?
Naturopathic medicine is covered by many extended health plans in Ontario. Check your plan for naturopathic coverage and annual limits. Oona offers direct billing where your provider supports it.
Do I need a referral?
No referral is needed. You can book directly with Dr. Alexsia online, or start with a free Care Navigator call if you are not sure where to begin.
A Note from Sarah
Oona exists in part because of what I went through trying to build my own family. I’ve done the fertility circuit. I know what it is to want something this much and to feel like the system keeps handing you a number and sending you home. I know the particular exhaustion of the unexplained, of what is normal, of try again next month. And I know the quiet grief that settles in when no one can tell you why.
Dr. Alexsia has spent nearly a decade working with people in exactly that place. She is thorough, she is honest and she does not waste your time. If there is something to address, she will find it. If the picture is more complex, she will tell you that too, and she will work with you on what is actually realistic.
You deserve care that looks at the whole of what is happening with your body, not just the parts that fit into a ten-minute appointment. That is what naturopathic fertility support at Oona is. And if you are anywhere in the GTA, including Toronto and the surrounding area, we are right here.
Oona is the part where it gets easier.
About Dr. Alexsia Priolo
Dr. Alexsia Priolo (she/her) is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncture Provider who has focused her practice exclusively on endocrine, reproductive, perinatal, and paediatric health for nearly ten years. She works with individuals and couples at every stage of their fertility journey, from preconception preparation through IVF support, pregnancy, and postpartum. She has published her research in ND News and Reviews and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. She is a member in good standing of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. Dr. Alexsia has been with Oona since 2019 and sees patients at our Toronto location.
Book with Dr. Alexsia: click here
Staff profile: oonacares.com/staff/alexsia-priolo-2/
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