I have another BRAND NEW Story of Hope for you!

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Hi, Instagram. Hi, Facebook. How is everyone? Yay. Yay. Yay. We are here. And today we are doing a story of hope, which is amazing. So as you guys…, Well, I'm Aimee of AimeeRaupp.com, and always happy to be here with you. I am the best-selling author of this book, Yes, You Can Get Pregnant. And I also authored this book, Chill Out and Get Healthy. And this book, Body Belief. It's my most recent one. And this is the one that has a lot to do with fertility, but they kind of all do. This has a really good fertility diet in there, too. We're actually formulating a very new, fertility diet specific book just for you guys. So keep an eye and an ear out for that. It'll be a hundred day, improve the quality of your eggs diet that I basically am putting together based on my three books and my clinical experience. So if you want to be the first to know about that, make sure you get on my email list. Go to AimeeRaupp.com and get on the list.

So one thing I do every month in my clinic, in my clinic with you guys, I have clinics, too. I am an acupuncturist and herbalist. I've been practicing for 17 years. I'm a book author, obviously. And then I also have this online space where I am here to empower, enrich, enliven, awaken you to the best version of yourself. And for many women that also means awakening them to motherhood, to being their most fertile selves. And so we do a monthly story of hope where I pull a story from either my coaching practice or my clinic, some girls do both with me, and I share it with you.

And so up until yesterday, I had another story of hope slated, which I'll share that one soon. She's 46, pregnant naturally, healthy baby girl. But we're not going to do that one today. Instead, so yesterday, I'm going to go to my inbox in my email because I like to… So I have, I have notes here from, this is back before I was digital. Now I do everything digital, but I have notes here. I have her new patient paperwork up here on my laptop. What I do for stories of hope, especially a case like this, this woman, we are going to call her Lucy. She started working with [inaudible 00:02:44] August 14th, 2017. At the time she was 34, about to turn 35. And let me just make sure I pulled that up. Yeah, that's there. Okay. So, but I went all the way back to the very first email I received from her on March 27th, 2017. This is what she wrote.

“Hi, Aimee. I'm thinking about signing up for a one hour consultation with you. I have read your book. Very inspiring. And I'm trying to make several of the changes you suggest in order to get pregnant. I am 34 years old.”

Can we ask any questions? As it pertains to this case, but I'm going to just present the case and then I'll probably look through questions at the end, just so you know, because I get on, like, a stream.

“I'm 34 years old. I've been trying to get pregnant for almost eight months. I'm on Clomid, 100 milligrams. I know I'm ovulating at this strength, confirmed by blood tests. I got pregnant in December and miscarried at four weeks. And since then two months have passed and nothing. My husband's semen analysis showed everything was fine. I was wondering if I signed up for the one hour consult, would I be able to get access to your Facebook support group?”

So even back then, we did not have… You had to sign up for the, she's asking about the Yes, You Can Get Pregnant e-course, which is what I launch every September and comes with office hours weekly, which I just got off of in my Yes, You Can Get Pregnant secret Facebook group. So she wanted that support Because it's amazing. It's an amazing support system. And so now, and even back then, if you coached with me, you couldn't get it. You had to still pay it. You got it at a discount. And so that's how we still do it. And back then I was doing one off consults, and I don't do that anymore. I only do five packs. I have other coaches now who do one-off consults.

So anyway, this was March 27th, 2017. It takes her several months to then go ahead and actually book the appointment. Between then and now she, you can tell, pretty anxious about her fertility. She really wants the extra support in the Facebook group. She is asking questions about supplements. And so she was actually emailing my team a lot of questions. And I think this is a really good opportunity to remind you guys.

So I finally chimed in, she was emailing my team a lot of questions, and I chimed in. It was about different supplements that I'd recommended in the book. What else could she do? And so I finally chimed in and I said, “I'm going to chime in here. I love that you have so many burning questions for us. However, I really think you and I should talk first before concretely answering many of the questions because they may change when we talk. I really do like to individualize my treatment plans. That's the benefit of doing the one-on-one with me.”

So with that said, and then, I answered some of her questions. She was asking about dosing on CoQ10, and our girls do. They get email support from us. We don't do unlimited anymore for this reason, because sometimes we get really bombarded. So we try to just keep it to while you're coaching with us, and then join the e-course group where you get office hours with me every week, and then I get to answer your questions every single week, which is amazing.

So then we finally schedule our consult, and I want to read from you, basically, where… So then she signs up for the e-course. She then does the paperwork with me. And she includes some information here. “I'm so excited to be working with you. I bought your book in May, 2017, and I'm slowly and steadily implementing all the changes you suggested. I've been on your diet and following a strictly.” So, the diet from Yes, You Can Get Pregnant. “Following it strictly for the past three weeks. We started trying naturally when I was 33, but wasn't tracking or monitoring. Basically just having unprotected sex, but never really went to my OB GYN.”

So then when she went in for a yearly, the OB GYN suggested Clomid. But she had no idea about diet or supplements or anything like that. So at 34 she started trying Clomid and it showed that she wasn't oscillating. So they upped the dose from 50 to 100 and then it caused her to ovulate, and she got pregnant and had a very early miscarriage chemical pregnancy. And then she took a break from the meds after that. And then she started again a couple months later. Three rounds of Letrozole. Did not ovulate. And then went back to Clomid. I'm just trying to summarize this. Somewhere in this timeframe, she found my book. So, sometimes she was ovulating, sometimes she wasn't, is basically what was going on. And even on the meds, she wasn't always ovulating.

And then she said, “As of right now, I've completed about three and a half weeks of your diet, have taken a break from fertility medications. I'm cycle day 19, and I haven't ovulated yet. I'm disappointed. And I'm also quite anxious to know if I'm going to ovulate. Changing my diet and including supplements that brought up several good changes, like better skin, improved digestion, more peaceful mood. I'm also getting weekly acupuncture.” And then she gave me some of her labs. Her AMH at this point was a 4.17. TSH was a 2.0. “I wonder if I have PCOS,” which is the first thing I think of when I see a name AMH that high. I know some girls would be like, “Oh, my God. I would kill for an AMH that high.” It tells us there's a lot of eggs in there, but it's also an indicator of PCOS. And then coupling that with the anovulatory cycles, I'm very convinced that she's PCOS at this point.

She's also wondering if herself. She said, “I don't have any classic PCOS symptoms. But all my life, I always feel really carbohydrate sensitive.” Very interesting. “It would take nothing for me to gain weight and I've kept myself at a stable weight, always watching what I eat. Given the fact that I don't ovulate in my own time makes me wonder. Do you think my AMH levels are indicative of PCOS?” Yes, I do. “And do you think I should take the myo inositol?” So she's got a ton of questions going into our initial consult.

So on the initial consult, again, she's 34 at the time. She's about to turn 35. She's really anxious. At this point, she's done four Clomid cycles. She had one chemical pregnancy. Right? And she's got no major health conditions. She doesn't list her supplements. She is working out two to three times a week, about 40 minutes each time. She eats eggs and fruit, fish and baked vegetables, chicken, fish, veggies. So she's on my diet.

So anybody who posts questions right now, or comments, I'm not going to see them until the end. Just keep in mind. Because I'm, like, in my zone. Okay? Doing the case.

She's hoping to achieve fertility. So a couple of her red flag symptoms, acne. She's got really bad cystic acne. Which, by the way, is a PCOS symptom. Cold hands and feet. Irritability. Too hot, too cold. So she has fluctuation in temperatures. And nighttime urination. She, like I said, had had that one chemical pregnancy.

So our first call, which again, at this point she was cycle day 21. She had no ovulation yet. No signs of ovulation. Her BBT was still pretty low. And she was wanting to know if I thought she had PCOS. I recommended to get the FSH to LH ratio to me, because that's another common sign of… We can then see if there's PCOS there. It's usually a two to one ratio.

So before she changed her diet, before she changed to the Yes, You Can Get Pregnant diet, horrible periods, cystic acne, slowly getting better, definitely hangry episodes. Her period, she used to have four days of bleeding, dark red with clots. The Clomid definitely lightened her period, as it does. It thin uterine lining. But since the dietary changes, three days of flow, no clots, one solid day of bleeding, bright red blood, no more need for NSAIDs. So, painkillers. And a little tired during her period. Definitely feels hot. Not seeing any cervical mucus. So to me, that's a sign of like, okay, there's still Yin deficiency. We need to nourish. We need to make those eggs juicer, is basically my opinion.

She's having daily bowel movements. Her weight is a little low. And so I want her to gain some weight. She's 115 pounds. She was 112, went up to 115 so far on the diet. But her BMI was pretty low. I don't have the calculation here, but at like 5'6″ and 112, it's a pretty low BMI. So, and she was having these 40 day cycles. So she's not classic PCOS because she's ovulating somewhat regularly. But it seems like she's having anovulatory cycles, too.

She started acupuncture. And that month, the month before she did acupuncture with electrical stimulation and got a positive OBK the next day. And I was like, acupuncture is amazing for reestablishing ovulation. So she was really nailing the diet and she was really, really, really into it. So after that first consult, I told her, my follow-up to her was discuss with your acupuncturists about getting acupuncture two back-to-back weeks of the month to focus on optimizing ovulation. I think somewhere around 14, 15, 16, and then the following week would be great. Have her do e-stim on the low abdomen during these visits. I recommended some smoothie recipes. I recommended that she get the MTHFR test, and I also gave her my MTHFR recommendations. I also put her on Ovasitol daily.

In addition to that… So she was on Ovasitol, liver, Cod liver oil, methyl folate, probiotics, spirulina, beet root powder. And so from there, she does this one consult with me, and then she was looking into learning more about PCOS. Now she's in the e-course group, as well. So now she's getting access to me every single week, in office hours, asking questions. So we go through… That first consult, again, was in August. And then she keeping me in the loop. She ovulated. She went for acupuncture with electrical stimulation and she finally ovulated, which was amazing. And then she was asking about seed cycling, and what did I… And her lab results, let's see what her labs showed so I can remember.

Her white blood cells were low. Her hemoglobin was along the low side. Hermatocrit was a little low. Cholesterol was a little high, which makes me think `some inflammation that we need to manage. Her A1C was also a little high, which makes me think the insulin resistance type of thing. Her TSH is a 2.15. Her D was super low, a 24.3. C-reactive protein was a little elevated. Homocysteine was a little elevated. So I was like, there's some inflammation going on here. She also had some thyroid antibodies. Super low, like an 11, but some kind of auto-immunity is going on here. Right? So I forget what I write back to her, but probably something like that.

Okay. Keep anonymous. “Antibodies are there. They are low, but they are there. And it looks like there's definitely inflammation in your body. Did you have an infection or anything? Your white blood cells are low. Homocysteine is a nine, and I like to see a below a nine. And vitamin D is very low.” And I'm directing her to office hours, which is a lot what I do. Let's bring this question to office hours because everybody in office hours will learn from these questions.

So I told her seed cycling would be okay. “I did not have a recent infection. Following your diet pretty strictly. 90% compliant. When I got my labs drawn… What should the game plan be here, from here on out? Should I be a hundred percent dairy free and gluten free because of the thyroid antibodies?” “Absolutely, yes” I said. “I'm not on a vitamin D.” So I put her on a vitamin D. “Due to the presence of the thyroid antibodies, would you say I have Hashimoto's? Are antibodies in the blood a sign of Hashimoto's?” They are. “What do you think of my high cholesterol?”

To me, like in a woman this age and her weight and her history, I think it's more of a sign of inflammation than it's a concern about… Obviously inflammation will lead to heart disease, so we want to get it under control. But to me there's some kind of inflammatory response going on that we need to fix. She was thinking it was eating too many eggs. I didn't think it was that.

So I said, “Yes. Gluten free, dairy free, no soy. Take your vitamin D with fat. And yes, it does mean you have Hashimoto's.” I said, “Was this a fasting test diet? Dietary cholesterol intake has very little to do with cholesterol numbers. It is more likely a sign of your liver not working efficiently. It should level out. But also if this wasn't a fasting test, it's not accurate.” You guys should all know that. The cholesterol is not taking fasting, it is not accurate. And I think it turned out hers was not fasting. So anyway, we go on to email. So now it's September, 2017 and we're going to do a 20 minute consult, and let's see… And she does another consult with me.

This is February, 2018. So now she's on the diet, herb supplements. I had put her on herbs, too, after our first consult for five to six months. Much less cystic acne, still happens. Acne feels hard and deep. Her period has gotten heavier, which is amazing. And she's going to make a note. She's making an appointment to see a reproductive endocrinologist for March of 2018. Feels like she's tired all the time. She thinks she's maybe depressed. She ovulated on cycle day 23. So her ovulation is getting more efficient and she's seeing more cervical mucus.

So things are moving in the right direction. She's having sex every day. She's exhausted from it. Her weight is now 122. So now she's in a healthy BMI. She's, again, doing all her supplements. She's getting some dandruff. Her skin and nails are still dry. She's not sleeping enough, six hours a night. A lot of working and a lot of cooking, she said she's doing. So I'm trying to get her to sleep more and slow down a little bit. And so I continue to have her on herbs. And then, like I said, she's ovulating more regularly, which is amazing. So things are moving in the right direction. Ovulating more regularly, heavier period flow, seeing cervical mucus.

So then she's getting frustrated. She gets her period, again. She wants to know what she should do differently. I keep telling her it's like consistency and frequency. And she says, “Biggest hug ever. I will pick myself up, keep doing what I'm doing. I promise to commit to this program to another four months, at least. So a total of six months. I will keep emailing you my charts and keep you aware of overall progress.” And so she does just that. So time goes on, she's still on her herbs. I'm just looking through emails, guys. I want to get to the ones where she talks about the fertility clinic, because I think that's the super important ones. So we get into February, March. Okay. So here we go.

Cycle day three testing in March shows LH at an eight, FSH at an eight. Estradiol at a 30. So, looks pretty good. The one-to-one ratio… Oh, and her AMH, sorry, was again a 2.80. So it went down, which I took as a good sign because I'm thinking that now the PCOS is getting better managed. And I told her the FSH LH ratio could be indicative of PCOS, but I was wrong. And then I corrected myself. See, sometimes I make mistakes. I'm like, “Oops. A two to one ratio.” And then let's see. So, I want to go on.

So then, let's see, I check in with her in May of 2018 because I hadn't heard from her for a while. She was working a ton, but she had another chemical pregnancy, and she was really excited. “I found a functional medicine doctor, nurse practitioner, that prescribed me low dose naltrexone.” Which made sense to me because there's some auto-immunity. Low-dose naltrexone will help manage the auto-immunity, lower inflammation. Then she gets pregnant. It was chemical.

“I ovulated by myself, no problems. Day nine progesterone was at 13 and then it fell to a six. So maybe the progesterone caused it. I'll never know. I'm getting back on the train again, though. I feel optimistic about this chemical. And now that I ovulate regularly, I feel much more optimistic. My skin has been crystal clear, and I'm 35 year old. For the first time in my life, I have crystal clear skin.” So she's really still in the diet and the supplements and everything. And really, I still always thought she was a little overworked and high stress. Right?

And so at this point then we move on to, basically, two months later, she's still working with the functional medicine, and… Right. So you had the chemical pregnancy in April. So now she's in July. She's committed to the diet of Can, about 90 to 95% compliant. She never expected it to take this long. She said, “I wouldn't say I'm getting crazy desperate, but more anxious to move on. I'm 35 and a half. It's been two years since the beginning. I recently made the decision to switch jobs at 70% position instead of 100%, with the hope that I'll be able to pick up a few extra shifts to compensate for the loss in income. I'm I think I'm ready to go to IVF. I booked a consult for October 17th.”

And so, I was very supportive. And so I want to fill you in on what… We did an IUI last month and it didn't work. They saw a cyst, and so she's asking how I can help with a cyst. So I said, talk to her acupuncturist and if not, then I would do the herbs. The RE thinks I have, this is October 22nd, maybe I have endometriosis or unexplained infertility. So at that point is when we kind of shifted gears a little bit. And so she went from the Yes, You Can Get Pregnant diet to a little more aggressive diet, with the Body Belief diet. And I said, “I want you to go a hundred percent soy free.” She was still having some soy. Keep sugar low. Do castor oil packs. Get your seven plus hours of sleep. Stay warm. Get in five to six servings of vegetables, good amounts of fat. You know, like I was just reiterating.

And so then in, let's see, “I want to just keep you posted.” So then at this point she starts, “January 20, 2019. I went through my IVF cycle last month. I got eight eggs. Lower than expected at 36. But good thing, seven of those were mature and five made embryos. We did a PGS test on day five. We only had two or three developed. Day six, did a fresh transfer and didn't take. I'm so scared. I'm doing everything right. All the supplements, acupuncture, diet, almost no added sugar, and minimal grains. I eat exclusively paleo and I'm on Levothyroxine from my functional medicine provider. Can you please offer some wisdom? What should I be doing for next steps?”

And so then again, in May, she reaches out. So now there's time in between. She had another failed frozen embryo transfer and now her period has gone missing. So she was super stressed. That was May, 2019. And then she wants to do a coaching call with me, and I think she cancels it last minute. And then December 10th, 2019, I sent her a message. She doesn't respond. I'm like, what the heck's going on? And then, yesterday, I get an email. “Hi, Aimee. It's been so long since I've been in touch with you. It's been a journey for me, but I have some great news to share. I conceived naturally.” So right at, basically, the beginning of the new year, and had a baby boy about two weeks ago. So yeah, we could do the math. So January, meaning then, she conceived in… Was that March? Right at the beginning of COVID.

So she was about to… Well, she'll just tell me. “He was born a month and a half after my 38th birthday. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the guidance you provided in your Yes, You Can Get Pregnant e-course. It truly was the best money I've ever spent. I think everything I learned from you and your group healed me. It definitely helped me create healthy embryos via IVF.” So mind you, remember, she wasn't… She was getting embryos, they weren't testing. Then she did a couple of transfers. They didn't work. So then she started testing. She got five healthy embryos, but she felt like implantation was her issue.

“COVID struck and all fertility treatments were shut down. I finally stopped antagonizing on whom to contact next and what to do, and finally relaxed. I also had my mom here at the time who was a source of great help around the house and moral support. I think some combination of finally relaxing, having support, and knowing that I had multiple options going together…” Because she had these embryos on ice. “Something just clicked and worked. I also have PGS tested embryos from when I am possibly ready for a sibling with trying to conceive… Along trying to conceive naturally.” And then she had some questions about her milk supply and things of that nature.

So it's a long case and I don't want everyone to have to wait that long to have their baby. But I think it's really important to see it from a perspective of consistency and frequency. And for you guys to to see it that way. Consistency and frequency is really where it's at, and that she just kept fishing and finding things. I thought her thyroid number was in range, but just like my functional doc, like they want to see all the numbers in range. And so getting the right thyroid support, I thought, was really important for her.

And then also, it was the stress component, too. And I would love to say how we could erase stress. But she started sleeping more because of COVID. She had more support. She felt more hopeful because she was making normal embryos. And so, whole combination of things that then finally, it sealed the deal and it came together. And mind you, she had had basically two chemicals along the way. So two losses. And then this third pregnancy is the one that stuck. Which was amazing, in my opinion.

I only see one comment on Facebook. I'm not sure if that's correct or not, Beth? But if there major burning comments, I'm going to have you show them to me. Let's see. Any questions along the way in here? I'm just looking. “I work with one of your specialists, Sarah. She's been a huge source of wisdom. When I have a followup question, I can email her and feel supported.” Oh, you're so welcome Carolina. And let's see, “Can we ask any questions?” Okay. So nobody did. Well, this is amazing. So you guys just listened? well, this is good. It's a good learning experience, right?

So do we have any burning questions on Facebook? I am not seeing them. Okay. So there you have it. So it was three years. So she started working with me right before 35. She gave birth right before 38. So it was really like three years from the beginning of the process til birth of a child, which you got to count 10 months in there. And I said to her, “I'd reached out a couple of times and you didn't respond to me.” And I do that with my girls. Like, I don't hear from you? I also reach out. Like, “Hey, I'm on your team. Where'd you go?” And she said, “I didn't want to jinx anything.” She's like, “I couldn't believe I fell pregnant naturally. I couldn't believe I was still pregnant. And then I wanted to tell you so many times, but I was just so scared to jinx it.”

And so I told her, “I had another story of hope prepared for today, but do you mind if I do yours?” And she was like, “Oh, my God. I'd be so honored.” She said “The one thing that always got me through where those stories of hope, and I can't believe I get to be one of them now.” I'm getting emotional. And so that was just this morning we were emailing. So I always do ask permission before I go and share these stories. Most girls are so willing and eager to share. But yes, she's there now with her beautiful baby boy. She sent me pictures and I'm just so happy for her.

And then she also does have these embryos on ice. And she said to me, “I know the work that you and I did together is what got me to those healthy embryos.” And so, because I wrote back and I said, “Oh, my gosh. This is such great news. You've been on my mind so much. I sent a few check-in emails. I never heard back from you.” And she said, “Thank you for your reply. I wanted to tell you throughout the pregnancy. But I was so scared I would jinx myself. So I waited and I waited and I realized…” Oh, she forgot to add the pictures.

“I also want to let you know that I have five PGS tested embryos from retrievals that I had done. I know getting PGS tested, good quality embryos differently had everything to do with following all the recommendations you gave us. I am so thrilled he is here, Aimee. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all your knowledge and support.” And there we have it.

So there's another story of hope for you all. Yeah. Truly is a story of hope, isn't it? I mean, three years is a long time. I know a lot of you guys can relate to that. But she didn't give up, and she knew. She knew her in her heart and she really did take advantage of the support that I offered in my group and through coaching, and I give her a lot of credit for that. She looked under every stone. Everybody's going to have their own path to that baby. But, yeah. She knew it. And now, I think she's pretty set. She could have another one, I think, naturally on her own. She's already asking, “When can I start trying again? I had a C-section. What should I do?” I love those conversations. Her confidence has been really restored.

And so, hopefully, in a year. I said a year to a year and a half, she can start trying again. And then also, she does have this nice, if you will, insurance policy with five PGS tested embryos that she made while doing that as she got older. Right? So she made those embryos at 37. Right, guys? So she was already almost two years into the process, and the work we did together got her to create five PGS normals. That's significant in my opinion, which is why I'm working on this diet. The Egg Quality Diet is what I'm calling it. A Hundred Days To Better Quality Eggs. And I can't wait to get it all to you guys.

So, there you have it. And I'm going to go because I have another call in 10 minutes that I want to prepare for. So I will see you guys soon. I love you. If you want to know more about me, AimeeRaupp.com. Pick up one of my books. This is the book that Lucy found and changed her game. And then she did kind of move into this diet, as well. And again, if you want to be the first to know about this egg quality book, just get on our email list. Go to my website and join our list. Okay? Ciao. Have a wonderful day. Bye, guys.

 

Aimee Raupp is a licensed herbalist, natural fertility expert and acupuncturist in NYC, offering natural fertility treatment, care & coaching solutions to women who want to get pregnant! Get pregnant fast with natural fertility care, Aimee’s online fertility shop & coaching solutions. Aimee Raupp has helped hundreds of women to get pregnant naturally! Aimee and her team are experts in Chinese Medicine, Massage & Eastern Nutrition! Get pregnant naturally, achieve optimal health & vitality, take control of your health! Aimee is excited to work with you at one of the Aimee Raupp Wellness Centers NYC. Aimee's Fertility Coaching Program is a personal guidance along your fertility journey. If you are trying to get pregnant naturally, this program is for you! Aimee Raupp offers holistic, wellness and natural fertility books. Learn how to enhance your fertility and get pregnant naturally with Aimee’s cookbooks and diet guides! Shop Aimee Raupp's natural fertility shop with online workshops, videos, consultation and coaching on fertility, meditation and healthy nutrition! Shop Aimee Raupp Beauty – Natural Hormone Balancing Skincare. Achieve natural hormone balancing with the Aimee Raupp Beauty Line of organic, gluten-free, dairy-free & cruelty-free skincare products! FREE US shipping! Natural Oils, Creams & Balms for Face And Body. Unbeatable anti-aging results!

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