If your first thought is, “What’s a Fertility Hot Seat?!” Then let me tell you!

I go live ONCE A MONTH on Instagram and YOU have the opportunity to join me live to get my take on your case. I set a timer for 15 minutes, you ask your question/s and I give you my answers.

Whether you’re chosen to go live with me or not, I may answer questions that can help with YOUR case. If you’ve ever thought about coaching with me or my team but weren’t sure if it would be a good fit this would be a great opportunity to test it out!

Did this case resonate with you? Drop a comment below!

SEE TRANSCRIPT BELOW OR CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR THE FULL VIDEO.

Aimee Raupp:

Hi, everyone. Hello, hello, hello. How are you today? Hi. Will everybody start to come on. So, today, it is time for a fertility hot seat. Who's ready? This is how it works. You guys are going to request to join me live, and then at random, I'm going to pick one of you, and I'm going to do a free 15-minute fertility consultation and give you some advice based on my clinical experience, my two decades of helping women get and stay pregnant. This is not medical advice, right, so anything I tell you or recommend, you need to clear with your healthcare team. This is just advice based on what I'm gathering, the information I'm getting from you in this short consult together. And so what you have to do to request to join me live is there's a plus button at the bottom of your screen. You need to be on a phone, not a computer, in order for this to work.

And then when you come live, you also need to be aware that you're going live to my entire community, right? So, your sharing is going to help others. Our conversation is going to help others, and that's the plan. I know a lot of practitioners love to tune in here too, and they like to learn and kind of see what I'm thinking and where I'm going with my thoughts and clients. Of course, clients, all of the followers love to get my information as well, so I'm going to let people start to come on. I think we have a few right now, but I'm going to let a few more accumulate. For those of you that are brand new to me, welcome. I'm Aimee Raupp. I am a women's health and fertility… I don't know. I don't like the word expert. I'm trying not to use expert anymore, and I don't like the word guru either.

Advocate, I like the word advocate, educator, empowerer. Is that a word? I've been in this space for two decades as an acupuncturist and herbalist. I'm also the bestselling author of a handful of books, too, in the space of women's health and fertility. And I've had the honor of helping thousands of women bring home their dream babies after most of them were being told they couldn't, or their eggs were all bad, or things like that. I myself got pregnant naturally in my 40s. I've also had a miscarriage. I understand loss on that level.

And yeah, I love doing this. I love coming out, and supporting, and helping, and educating, and empowering. I also work hand in hand with many fertility doctors, and I love integrative medicine. I have a very strong background in Western medicine, biology, chemistry degrees, and so I like to bring it all together and get you the best advice so you can get to baby as fast as possible and also create a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby, and bring that baby into a healthy home.

So, let's see. We have some people joining. Okay, I'm just going to go with a… We will do this, and let's see. Let's give her a second to join. Instagram, are you working? I don't know what just happened. I'm going to accept you one more time, Stephanie, and then if not, I'll move on to someone else and yeah. So guys, it's a fertility hot seat. I think it said you couldn't join, my love. So I'm going to go to the next one. Sophia, let's see if this works. Let's let someone join us. Here we go. Hello.

Sophia:

Is it me?

Aimee Raupp:

It's you.

Sophia:

Oh, my God. Okay.

Aimee Raupp:

Hi.

Sophia:

Hi.

Aimee Raupp:

You got picked. How are you?

Sophia:

I was not expecting this, good, good.

Aimee Raupp:

Well, the one I chose before you didn't come on, so-

Sophia:

Oh, okay.

Aimee Raupp:

… it was meant to be yours, yeah. Hi.

Sophia:

But yeah, I'm good.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay. You're perfect. Don't worry. It's a conversation between us, and some people are listening. That's all. Tell me what's going on. How can I help?

Sophia:

So I'm 44.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay.

Sophia:

I have one healthy child who's seven.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, congratulations.

Sophia:

I had no issues getting pregnant at 35, 36, whatever that was. I had issues getting pregnant for my second time. I had one miscarriage in 2019. It was at the six-week mark, so I mean, there's no testing. I passed it naturally. I didn't have a D&C, anything like that. And then I got pregnant again later that year, and unfortunately, I lost him at 36 weeks.

Aimee Raupp:

Oh, baby.

Sophia:

Yeah.

Aimee Raupp:

I'm so sorry.

Sophia:

Sorry. I know-

Aimee Raupp:

No.

Sophia:

… I cry.

Aimee Raupp:

It's okay. I mean, that sucks. It sucks. What happened? They said it was a cord? Or…

Sophia:

They said it was a placental abruption.

Aimee Raupp:

Oh, God. Okay.

Sophia:

And then, they said it was atypical pre-eclampsia. I had no symptoms. I had no high blood pressure. I had no elevated enzymes. And they said it was like atypical HELLP syndrome. I think they were just throwing names at it because they literally have no idea. Well, I was like, “There has to be a reason for this.” There could be no reason. I mean, sometimes there is, and then I did some blood clotting panels.

Aimee Raupp:

Good.

Sophia:

And then it turns out I have factor five and factor two.

Aimee Raupp:

Wow, okay. That's significant. Yeah.

Sophia:

Which is significant, which no one was saying that it could lead to the loss, but I mean even 23andMe says it could lead to a loss.

Aimee Raupp:

And it could lead to the placental abruption. It could lead to poor blood flow to the placenta, which could compromise the health of the child, right? Yeah.

Sophia:

Yeah.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah. Aw, someone just wrote, “I am hugging you,” and that's so sweet.

Sophia:

Thank you. And so that was in 2020, so I've really been trying for another four years now.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay.

Sophia:

I did IVF. I did four round of IVF. I had one PGT normal out of 30. Who knows? So many, right? I failed to implant. So nothing even happened.

Aimee Raupp:

Were you taking a baby aspirin or Lovenox-

Sophia:

I was taking Lovenox.

Aimee Raupp:

… for the transfer? Okay.

Sophia:

Lovenox and baby aspirin, and then I had a low mosaic that also failed to transfer. My lining checks are never that great. I get up to a seven, and that's their minimum.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah, have you had a hysteroscopy since the loss?

Sophia:

Funny, so I found you. I met with Sarah.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay. I love my Sarah.

Sophia:

She's amazing.

Aimee Raupp:

Amazing.

Sophia:

She told me to get a hysteroscopy, so I had one literally two weeks ago. They found some scar tissue. They cleared it out. They did a biopsy. Nothing came back, no chronic endometritis or anything like that. I tried to do the Receptiva at that time, and they said that they have to do it at a different point in the cycle, so I have to go back for that.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay. Maybe let's keep talking. I don't know that. Dr. Vidali, who I think I just saw come on here, I think he would say… I don't know. What would you say, Dr. Vidali? I think you say it's 80% accurate, the Receptiva. I would almost recommend… he has testing. It's called the Pregmune test, P-R-E-G-M-U-N-E, where it would go deeper than just those clotting factors and look at any other inflammatory markers that could be going on and that could be compromising. But it could also have been that the scar tissue has impacted your ability to implant again. I think that could be a very reasonable explanation. It's just that that 36-week loss makes you really think something was going on, and could it have been the clotting factors? And now you're going to treat for that. And then thyroid, vitamin D, all that's been checked and has been in optimal range?

Sophia:

Yeah, thyroid is fine. My D Sarah had looked. It was low, so she me on a supplement now.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, okay, and then I'm assuming we've told you to go down a good dose of fish oil, right, a higher dose of-

Sophia:

Yes.

Aimee Raupp:

… fish oil. I would be on… I like the proteolytic enzymes, too, which we'll do that with… Do you have anything else going on in your health, any autoimmune conditions, any weird chronic symptoms?

Sophia:

I developed psoriasis in my scalp two years ago, so I'm reading that trauma and autoimmune is linked-

Aimee Raupp:

Sure.

Sophia:

… and so-

Aimee Raupp:

It can be linked. For me, it's one of those my ears go up of, like, “Hmm, what's going on there?” It's some kind of inflammatory situation. I'd probably still start with the way we do the elimination diet and just try to find out your trigger foods. And then also I would go back to… So, the IVFs, you were doing standard IVF growing out to day five, that kind of thing?

Sophia:

Yes.

Aimee Raupp:

And what was the typical medications you were doing? What was the dosing?

Sophia:

I mean, typical Menopure and Gonal-F, high. At the end, it was I want to say 300 Gonal and 150 Menopure.

Aimee Raupp:

And who were you with? Can I ask if you want to say?

Sophia:

I was with Shady Grove. I'm in Maryland, so I was in Shady Grove Fertility, and then I did one cycle at CCRM in Northern Virginia.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah, so right now are you thinking more IVF? Are you thinking trying naturally? Where's your head at?

Sophia:

So I've been trying naturally for a year now, and then obviously, there's nothing.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah. And sperm's been rechecked, and that's all fine?

Sophia:

Yeah, I mean sperm was checked a year ago.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay. I maybe would repeat that,`.

Sophia:

Yeah?

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah.

Sophia:

Okay. I don't know. I'm thinking some IUI now that I've… I did your diet.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, and what changed. Was there anything? The psoriasis get better? Any other symptoms shift or change?

Sophia:

Unfortunately, the psoriasis did not get better. I started taking an immunosuppressant because it was so bad that I couldn't even part my hair. That's how much growth was there.

Aimee Raupp:

What kind of immunosuppressant?

Sophia:

Tremfya, it's once every two months.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, so it's a biologic, injectable?

Sophia:

It's biologic.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay.

Sophia:

Yeah. So I started taking that. I've been on that for five months now.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, and what are your periods like? Are they-

Sophia:

Honestly, I don't think they're that great. They're very regular, but I have just light flow.

Aimee Raupp:

Did you have that prior to this 36-week loss?

Sophia:

I did, yeah. I always had… well, in my 20s, I had a great flow and then birth control for 10 years. After that, it changed. I stopped getting that heavy flow. I'd bleed for two days, basically.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, okay. And then, like you said, the lining is on this inner side for transfers, too. That's what they've been told.

Sophia:

Yeah. They give me estrogen to boost it up, and it gets up to seven and change, and then that's their cutoff, and I basically just need their cutoff.

Aimee Raupp:

Right. Okay. Yeah, I mean I think things like… obviously the hysteroscopy is where I would've gone first, and you've just gotten that done. So I think there's one piece that is maybe the scar tissue has been the issue all along. The scar tissue could be the issue with the lining. So if we see the periods change and shift, I think that's something clear to us that the scar tissue was impacting the ability for the lining to build and impacting implantation. So that could be why we haven't fallen pregnant. And then the other thing is, yeah, so you have a good reserve, it sounds like. You're collecting a good amount. We're just not growing out to blast well?

Sophia:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I had think 10 the first time, eight. I feel like for my age they were like, “Wow, your numbers are really good.” And yeah, I can't get any past. I ended up… the last one was probably my worst. I had two, and they just didn't grow to blast.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah. So I mean there's a couple thoughts there, too, of the medication protocol was probably too aggressive for you. So even though you have a good reserve, you are a woman in your 40s. And I believe the research is getting more and more clear on this that lower-dose meds seem to do better. There's Dr. Murphy, who am good friends with and work closely with. He doesn't use Menopure in any woman over the age of 40 because he thinks it really compromises egg quality.

Sophia:

Okay.

Aimee Raupp:

You could go to the route of what I would call more of the boutique IVF clinics where they're smaller. They're willing to do mini or low-dose, low-stem IVF, or the other side of it is you've gotten pregnant naturally. Do we just go back? Yeah, maybe IUIs increase your odds, or we're going back to trying naturally. I would get sperm rechecked. You've already done the hysteroscopy. I would do all our things that we're telling you to do, castor oil packs, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, the diet, increase the fish oil, like the vitamin D. Low vitamin D is linked to poor implantation rates, too, so getting vitamin D up is really important.

And it's either trying… I mean you've been doing that for a year, so maybe it's starting with some IUIs, seeing how that feels with trigger and timed intercourse, or it's going to mini low-stem IVF and maybe not growing out to blast because I always think about it like this. If you're willing to take the risk trying naturally at home with getting pregnant with a genetically abnormal and miscarrying, then are you willing to take that same risk transferring day threes? And I feel like we see more success, at least from what I can see clinically, women, 44, 45 higher, day threes and fresh transfers, maybe frozens. It kind of depends on some things. But that's another option for you to think about because you have the eggs in there.

But I would really kind of hang your hat on, which is frustrating, really frustrating that none of your clinics did a hysteroscopy on a woman who had a 36-week loss. Honestly, I fucking think it's unethical, and then to do a transfer, and to not have looked in the uterus, I think is really… it's baffling to me, but it's either here nor there. That scar tissue could have been the reason all along, to be honest-

Sophia:

I hope so.

Aimee Raupp:

… that nothing's happened since. I know it's good that the endometrial biopsy came back clear. And I think, too, the psoriasis and the biologics, so that is making me think there could be some autoimmune stuff going on. So, if you wanted to do more testing to collect more data, I think the Pregmune would be the smart way to go, and then it's finding a physician who will run those tests for you. I find that Kindbody, they're kind of everywhere. I know there's one in that area where you are. They seem very open to running tests on my patients.

Sophia:

Kindbody.

Aimee Raupp:

I can get them to do the Pregmune testing. You don't have to do fertility treatments with them. You can act like you're going to, or you could just say, “I want to get this testing done. Would you do this?” You could also do a consult with Vidali so we're in and get it run that way. They're in New York, but they'll work with you, and you do the Pregmune, and then you would pay additional for him to review and then make recommendations. But where are you again? You're in the DC area?

Sophia:

I'm in Annapolis.

Aimee Raupp:

Annapolis, okay. I have some names on my website. I'm just trying to think. There's definitely clinics who take the Pregmune and those results more seriously, especially in a case like yours because now you're technically in… you've had two miscarriages. And then, since you've worked with Sarah too, and I'm sure she's so thorough, but make sure that we've run the complete clotting factor panel because a lot of times they do a third of it or two thirds of it. They don't do the whole thing. I mean, you already, no matter what would be doing the Lovenox upon a positive, right?

Sophia:

Yeah.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah, and so baby aspirin, too. And then, has steroids ever help the psoriasis? Did you ever try a prednisone or

Sophia:

I did topical steroids, I don't think anything other than that.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay.

Sophia:

And that did not help.

Aimee Raupp:

It did not help? Okay, and nothing's helped since, so it could be the low vitamin D, and then we put you on higher dose fish oil, right.

Sophia:

Yep.

Aimee Raupp:

I'm assuming.

Sophia:

I'm taking the one Sarah recommended, Thorne Super EPA.

Aimee Raupp:

Perfect, and then two of them a day? Yeah.

Sophia:

Three of them.

Aimee Raupp:

Three of them, okay, good, and then the proteolytic enzyme. So we usually recommend Wobenzym or SerraGold is the one we're recommending right now.

Sophia:

SerraGold is the one I'm taking.

Aimee Raupp:

I would do that, too. See if that helps.

Sophia:

That's helped me-

Aimee Raupp:

And then some of it-

Sophia:

… tremendously-

Aimee Raupp:

Oh.

Sophia:

… with digestion.

Aimee Raupp:

Really? Okay.

Sophia:

Honestly. Yeah.

Aimee Raupp:

That's really good.

Sophia:

I feel like that's changed my life.

Aimee Raupp:

Okay, so that's a good insight, too, because it's like, Okay, maybe now we're going to start to absorb and break down our fats, and then we're going to start getting the nourishment our skin needs to heal and grow. And then, I would also translate that to fat is imperative to optimal egg quality to optimal hormones. So, all of that Chinese medicine, we're all about, are we absorbing? And so then, we can make blood, and we can nourish ourselves, and nourish these growing eggs, and build that lining, so all of those things. So I think all of that added together, plus removing the scar tissue. Yeah, and I mean, I get the sense of urgency at 44, and obviously this has been a long and painful journey thus far. So the IUIs might feel like, “Okay, I'm doing something. I'm not doing the same thing over and over again, just expecting different results.”

Sophia:

Yeah.

Aimee Raupp:

And then, I might look into doing more of the low-stem style IVF like CCRM, and they want to grow out to day five. They only want transfer blasts that are tested. Shady Grove is very similar, so finding more of I like to call them the boutique clinics, and I would see that. And then, you could look into the Pregmune testing, too, which it's just pregmune.com. I think it's about $900 for the testing. And then, your insurance tends to cover a lot of it. It kind of depends on who calls it in for you, but that would give you even more information. And it's a beautiful report, and it gives you lots of tips and things, what to do next, and different medications. And someone said, “What was the supplement for digestion?” So they're actually proteolytic enzymes. This one's called SerraGold by Enzymedica. They're all on my website under aimeeraupp.com/fertility supplements. We use it not really for digestion. It's really meant to… it helps break down proteins, and kind of masses, and accumulations, but it does seem to help digestion as well.

Sophia:

Okay, interesting.

Aimee Raupp:

Yeah, and then, I mean, I'm sure you have, but I would also just kind of consider doing some trauma work around the loss, like some EMDR, something like that because-

Sophia:

Hard to find a certified, just a-

Aimee Raupp:

I know. We have one on our team, by the way. Samantha is EMDR psychotherapist, and she does all her work virtually. She's our fertility trauma coach, but she's actually a PhD psychotherapist that does EMDR.

Sophia:

What was her name?

Aimee Raupp:

Samantha.

Sophia:

Samantha, okay.

Aimee Raupp:

So it's on the same site, aimeeraupp.com/coaching. You'll see there's fertility trauma coaching, and then there's fertility coaching. So she's the trauma coach. She's brilliant, and she gets it. But I also just think from that emotional inflammation perspective of working that through and then also getting in that space of, “It's safe for me to get pregnant again. It's safe for me to try this again.” And also I think have a game plan. “When I am pregnant again, I'm going to schedule a C-section, and we're going to do it in like 36 weeks,” whatever it is, and, “I'm going to be doing all these things,” and you're going to be high risk. You're going to get a lot of attention, but it's going to be scary as fuck. It just is because of what you went through. So I think you own that on some level, but it's also like, “Is it so scary that it's going to prevent me from ever trying again?”

Sophia:

And that's why I'm like, “I can't let it scare me that much.”

Aimee Raupp:

No. But it's devastating.

Sophia:

Yeah.

Aimee Raupp:

And you were in it. You were just about to have a baby, and it was taken from you, and that sucks, yeah, and for the whole family, I mean everybody knew, so it was like that's-

Sophia:

Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm still not okay.

END TRANSCRIPT.

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not a medical doctor. I have been a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 17 years and I will be speaking from my clinical experience helping thousands of women conceive. The office of Aimee E. Raupp, M.S., L.Ac and Aimee Raupp Wellness & Fertility Centers and all personnel associated with the practice do not use social media to convey medical advice. This video will be posted to Aimee’s channels to educate and inspire others on the fertility journey.

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VISIT MY WEBSITE: Aimee Raupp is a best-selling author, fertility detective, acupuncturist, herbalist and scientist who has helped thousands of women conceive. She has been in clinical practice for 20+ years and works with women all over the world to help them optimize their fertility so they can get pregnant faster.

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