In Episode 53 of our podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Sophie, a remarkable client whose journey through fertility challenges and endometriosis offers hope and inspiration to many women facing similar struggles.
Sophie began her journey in 2019 when she started trying to conceive. After experiencing a miscarriage and multiple unsuccessful fertility treatments, she underwent laparoscopic surgery in late 2020. This surgery revealed that she had stage 3 Endometriosis, including a small endometrioma on one ovary, which was likely contributing to her poor egg quality. Surprisingly, Sophie was completely symptomless except for her fertility issues.
Following her diagnosis, Sophie adopted an anti-inflammatory diet based on the book “It Starts With the Egg” and sought my help as a Nutrition Health Coach specializing in endometriosis and fertility. Together, we created a comprehensive plan that included lifestyle changes, stress management techniques, holistic strategies, and functional testing.
Sophie’s perseverance, combined with the surgery and our targeted support, led to her becoming pregnant after just four sessions. Her journey continued as we worked through her pregnancy and postpartum recovery, ultimately preparing for a second child. Today, she is the proud mother of two healthy children.
In this episode, we discuss not only Sophie’s experiences but also the emotional rollercoaster of her journey. She shares valuable insights on the importance of informed decision-making when it comes to treatment options like IVF versus laparoscopic surgery. Sophie emphasises that personalised nutrition and health coaching can play a crucial role in overcoming fertility challenges and effectively managing endometriosis.
In this episode we talked about:
Here’s a list of key topics discussed in the episode:
Initial Struggles with Conception: Sophie shares her experience of trying to conceive, including her first pregnancy ending in miscarriage and the emotional toll it took.
Fertility Treatments: Discussion of the various treatments Sophie underwent, including Letrozole for ovulation support and multiple cycles of IVF.
Laparoscopic Surgery: The decision-making process that led to her laparoscopic surgery, the findings of endometriosis, and how it changed her fertility journey.
Endometriosis Diagnosis: Sophie’s surprise at being diagnosed with Stage 3 endometriosis despite having no prior symptoms.
Impact of Surgery on AMH Levels: How Sophie’s Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels improved significantly after her surgery, challenging common beliefs about egg quality.
Post-Surgery Recovery: The importance of recovery time and maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet during her healing process.
Personalised Nutrition Health Coaching: How working with a Nutrition Health Coach helped Sophie implement lifestyle changes that supported her fertility.
Emotional Rollercoaster of IVF: Insights into the emotional challenges associated with IVF treatments and the mental health aspects of fertility struggles.
Lifestyle Changes for Fertility: The specific lifestyle adjustments Sophie made, including diet and stress management techniques to improve her chances of conception.
Success After Surgery: Sophie’s joy at becoming pregnant after just a few sessions post-surgery, leading to the birth of her daughter.
Lessons Learned: Reflections on what Sophie would have done differently regarding surgery versus IVF and the importance of informed decision-making in fertility treatments.
Maintaining Health Postpartum: Discussion on how Sophie balanced her health and nutrition during pregnancy and postpartum while preparing for a second child.
Sophie’s story is a powerful reminder that each journey is unique. If you’re facing fertility challenges or managing endometriosis, know that there is hope and support available.
Mentioned resources
It Starts with the Egg by Rebecca Fett: A book and facebook group providing insights into improving egg quality for better fertility outcomes.
Dr Natalie Masson’s (Fertility from the Soul) 7 Day TTC Chill Out Retreat
Lily Nichols Food for Pregnancy Book
Upcoming Podcast Episodes:
- EF#54 – Preparation & Recovery Support for Endometriosis Surgery
- EF#55 – Endometriosis, Fertility and Epstein Barr Virus with Kasia Kines
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.
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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.
