In this latest podcast episode, Lizzie’s chatted with Alison Hall, a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner. With a background as a TV producer, Alison’s life took a transformative turn following her personal experiences with miscarriage and challenging pregnancies. These events inspired her to retrain in nutritional therapy, focusing on preconception care, IVF preparation, and pregnancy nutrition.
From Television to Therapy
Alison’s transition from television to nutritional therapy was fueled by her desire to understand the impact of nutrition on fertility. After facing significant challenges during her own pregnancies, she recognised the need for supportive care that combines nutritional science with emotional understanding.
The Importance of Personal Experience
Throughout our conversation, Alison shares her heartfelt story of loss and resilience. She emphasises that those who have walked the path of fertility struggles often possess a unique empathy that allows them to connect deeply with their clients. This connection is vital in creating personalised plans that address both physical and emotional health.
Breaking the Silence on Miscarriage
One of the key themes of our discussion is the stigma surrounding miscarriage. Alison highlights that approximately one in five pregnancies ends in loss, yet many individuals suffer in silence. By fostering open dialogues about these experiences, we can create a supportive community for those navigating similar challenges.
Practical Insights for Couples
Alison provides practical advice for couples looking to enhance their fertility through nutrition and lifestyle changes. She advocates for a team approach, where both partners are involved in making informed decisions that can positively impact their chances of conception.
Join us as we delve into this important topic. Alison’s dedication to helping others through their fertility journeys is truly inspiring and I felt so connected with her. Listen now to gain insights into how nutritional therapy can play a crucial role in optimising your fertility and achieving successful pregnancies.
Alison Hall (Nutritional Therapist)
Alison Hall is a registered Nutritional Therapist. A former TV producer, Alison left the world of television after suffering late miscarriage, subsequent loss and a number of challenging pregnancies.
These experiences led her to retrain in nutritional therapy. She now specialises in preconception care, IVF preparation and pregnancy nutrition, with a particular interest in miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage. Viewing fertility very much as a ‘team game’ she works with couples, using nutritional science and lifestyle recommendations to create achievable, personalised plans; helping couples to reduce their individual risk factors and improve their chances of a successful pregnancy.
Alison runs a busy on-line clinic and is now mum to three daughters.
In this episode we talked about:
Alison’s personal fertility journey: She recounts her emotional journey through pregnancy challenges, including multiple scans, tests, and the heartbreaking loss of her baby at 21 weeks.
Impact of nutrition: Alison discusses how she began to understand the significant role nutrition plays in fertility and overall health after experiencing her own challenges.
Empathy in practice: Her personal experiences have given her a deep empathy for clients facing similar struggles, allowing her to connect with them on a profound level.
Understanding miscarriage: The episode highlights the emotional and psychological impact of miscarriage, emphasising that it involves not just the loss of a pregnancy but also the loss of dreams and hope.
Commonality of loss: Alison points out that one in five pregnancies ends in loss, which rises to one in eight when considering those who report their losses, stressing the need for open conversations about these experiences.
Support systems: The importance of having empathetic support during fertility journeys is emphasised, as many individuals feel isolated and misunderstood.
Stigma and silence: Alison discusses the stigma surrounding miscarriage and fertility issues, noting how societal silence can make it difficult for individuals to seek help or share their experiences.
Role of functional medicine / nutrition: She explains how a functional medicine approach can provide a more holistic understanding of fertility issues, addressing underlying causes rather than just symptoms.
Encouragement for listeners: The episode serves as an empowering reminder for those struggling with fertility or loss that they are not alone and that there are resources and support available to help them navigate their journeys.
Join us as we explore the intersection of nutrition, emotional health, and fertility with Alison Hall, who is dedicated to supporting couples on their journey to parenthood.
Mentioned resources
This episode is sponsored by the Ultimate Endo Fertility Library – sign up HERE to get yourself on the mailing list and started with a Quick Start Endo Fertility E-book, a symptom tracker, delicious recipes, workbooks, guided meditations, and other helpful resources.
- Endo Fertility Podcast Goodie Bag 📦 each week check this out for new goodie’s from Lizzie and her guests.
- “It Starts with the Egg” by Rebecca Fett: This book provides insights into improving egg quality and overall reproductive health through lifestyle and nutritional changes.
- “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler: A comprehensive guide on understanding the female body, this book covers fertility awareness and natural family planning.
- “The Miscarriage Map” by Dr. Sarah Buckley: This book offers guidance on navigating the emotional and physical aspects of miscarriage, aiming to provide support and understanding.
Tommy’s – Baby Loss Charity:
Saving babies’ lives – Charity for Babies | Tommy’s
Counselling to work through trauma (refer back to Episode 47 with Kat Cuthbert)
Sensate to support nervous system: Stress Relief Technology for Meditation & Relaxation | Sensate
Upcoming Podcast Episodes:
EF#50 – 5 Signs of Healthy Ovulation
EF#51 – Mayan abdominal massage with Jacks Feet
- EF#52 – Optimising Male Fertility
How to contact Alison:
North London & Online Clinic: www.alisonhallnutrition.co.uk
Instagram: @alisonhall_fertility
How to work with Lizzie:
One off 1:1 coaching sessions e.g. blood test reviews and fertility strategy sessions
Bespoke 1:1 Endo Fertility Coaching Programs (starting at 12 weeks long with different levels of coaching support: bronze (meet once a month), silver (fortnightly) and gold (weekly)).
Book your free 30 minutes 1:1 health review >>HERE<<
- [COMING SOON] Endo Fertility Mastery Monthly Membership – join the waiting list HERE.
I’m excited to announce that I’m setting up an affordable monthly membership program “The Endo Fertility Mastery Membership“. This initiative aims to help women transform their health, manage endometriosis symptoms, and optimise their fertility at an AFFORDABLE cost, as not everyone can afford to do 1:1 coaching programmes especially alongside costly fertility treatments.
If you are interested in knowing more, then sign up for the waiting list below and I will send you out further information as soon as it is available.
Further Endo Fertility resources:
This episode is sponsored by the Ultimate Endo Fertility Library – sign up HERE to get yourself on the mailing list and started with a Quick Start Endo Fertility E-book, a symptom tracker, delicious recipes, workbooks, guided meditations, and other helpful resources.
If you have a question or feedback for the podcast – you can leave me a 90 second voice note >>HERE<< I can also leave a short voice note reply to you!
Join my Endo Fertility community – find us in the FREE Thrive and Conceive with Endometriosis Facebook Group.
Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any future episodes – which will be out weekly on Wednesdays – ready to download for your commute! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a rating and a review? Thanks!
If you want to be on the podcast or have feedback please email: info@endofertilityspecialist.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. As I do not know your personal circumstances, none of my podcast episodes, blogs, guidance in the Facebook group or any other materials available to you where I have not taken you on as a one to one client shall be construed as medical advice and I shall have no liability to you in any circumstances should you choose to rely on any of the materials I publish.
