There are natural options for fertility support.
There are also holistic solutions for your anxiety, your terrible sleep, your brain fog, and more…
For individuals and couples who have been labeled as “infertile,” or for those struggling with getting pregnant, naturopathic medicine has a lot to offer. As naturopathic doctors specializing in women’s health and in fertility, we support people who are trying to conceive naturally.
Naturopathic vs. Conventional Medicine for Fertility
Despite providing the gold standard in diagnostics, conventional medicine typically relies on expensive drugs and surgical procedures to aid in conception. In California, one round of IVF (in-vitro fertilization) is likely to cost $15,000-24,000, with a success rate of only 4-18% per treatment.
In our clinical practice we utilize similar fertility diagnostics to conventional MD’s, but we offer treatments that are less invasive, less expensive, and more holistic.
These treatments can be applied prior to IVF—and if they work, they can eliminate the need for this altogether. 😉
Our treatments, and those of most naturopathic doctors, are individually tailored using natural medicines (western botanicals and supplements) and dietary & lifestyle changes. We incorporate the beneficial aspects of modern medicinal practices to complement a natural therapeutic approach to achieve a healthy conception, pregnancy and birth.
How does natural medicine work to treat fertility?
Although (cis)women are more likely to explore the cause of infertility, up to 24% of infertility is due to (cis)male factors, and 28% remains unknown.
When couples or individuals come to us for fertility healthcare, we look for any medical concerns that may not have been diagnosed yet, as well as any lifestyle concerns (diet, stress, sleep, exercise, etc). We may also need further laboratory testing or imaging.

In our practice, approximately 30% of women or couples I see have fertility troubles because of high stress, whether this is from outside sources (family, health, work) or from the stress of trying to conceive.
This is important to address because reproductive hormones are inhibited by stress.
Working together, we will come up with a plan to find ways to lower your stress response (we love adaptogenic herbs for this!) all while supporting your fertility. It’s an important factor that isn’t addressed in conventional medicine and often is such a keystone to your overall wellness and fertility.
In general, we are looking for areas of concern in your lifestyle and menstrual patterns that should be addressed, treating to relieve these symptoms (or improve certain lab results), and building foundational health habits.
We can work with your reproductive endocrinologist, or support you in the initial diagnosis or work-up if you are having trouble conceiving. We also provide preconception counseling for couples and individuals prior to IUI insemination.
85% of the women We see in the clinic conceive naturally and never need to work with a reproductive endocrinologist.
Ideally, we will work with someone for 3-6 months before they want to conceive.
It’s important to know that there are additional answers and treatment options for fertility, but equally just as important to relax and find tools to help you stay grounded about this process.
This is about putting you back in charge of your health, giving you the tools to take control, and giving you the knowledge and power to know what helps you feel like the best version of yourself.
We are here to help guide you. We promise to listen, come up with a comprehensive treatment plan, and to give you one of the best experiences you have ever had at a doctor’s office.
Have more questions?
Other fertility resources:
- Resolve.org This is the National Infertility Association in the United States
- Domar Center for Mind/Body Health Website of author and women’s advocate, Dr. Alice Domar, PhD, on the mind-body connection between fertility and stress.
- Podcasts around mind-body medicine and staying sane during fertility work-up, treatment, and struggles: beatinfertility.co, thefertilitypodcast.com
Books
- Infertility and PTSD: the Uncharted Storm- Joanna Flemmons LCSW: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40491333-infertility-and-ptsd
- Life Without Baby: Surviving and Thriving When Motherhood Doesn’t Happen By Lisa Manterfield: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/31228034-life-without-bab
TED talks
- Coming out of your closet by Ash Beckham (not about infertility but very empowering. About the impact of stress when you don’t have hard conversations): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSR4xuU07sc
- A journey through infertility—over terror’s edge, Camille Preston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BBmMtVfZ4Y
- My dream died, now what? By Lynette Lewis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvp7NwzTID4
- Rainy with a chance of baby By Kara DeFrias: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_stv_YOJ5Y
- Infertile dad By John Fulwider: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5tK0iM8390
Dr. Sara Norris is a Naturopathic Doctor serving California & Wisconsin residents (see our FAQs page for a list of all states we can see patients in) specializing in women’s health, hormones, skin, digestive health, and pediatrics. Dr. Norris offers in person visits at her Wisconsin based practice, and telemedicine for residents of other states.