FOUNDER FERTILITY NOTES
Reflections on fertility, health, and the human journey toward creating life.
Drawing from more than two decades of caring for people trying to build families, Dr. Spence Pentland shares observations, clinical insights, and ideas that reach beyond tests, treatments, and protocols.
These notes explore not only what we can do to support fertility, but who we may become along the way – offering perspective, direction, and a more human way to understand the fertility journey.
Armpits for August: PCOS gets its own awareness month
This month marks the second annual event named Armpits 4 August, an event that raises awareness for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Although not as well known as Movember, the month in which men grow their moustaches for prostate cancer awareness, Armpits 4 August will likely see an increase in the number of supporters for this years event.
Being a dad…
I am so blessed to have been given a chance to provide 2 healthy little boys a safe environment where they can grow into whatever they are meant to become, and I get to do it with the love of my life Chantal. There is no other way to put it other than ‘being a dad is the best job in the world’.
Natural Treatment of Menopause Symptoms with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Many women consider the symptoms of menopause to be an unavoidable reality of life. The discomforts associated with menopause are in no way obligatory women’s burdens, they are important signs of imbalances in the body that can be addressed and treated. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been successfully treating the symptoms of menopause, both in management and prevention,
Easy Pressure Points for Stress and Anxiety
I would venture to say that every human being on the planet knows what it is like to feel stressed. For some, it may be a few fleeting moments, triggered only perhaps by extreme circumstances. For the large majority of others, stress can be a lot more than just a passing feeling,
Improve Your Sperm Quality with a Handful of Walnuts
A group of researchers in California conducted a randomized control trial to determine if walnuts provided the some of the necessary components for improved sperm production. It was discovered that as little as 75 g of walnuts per day added to a Western style diet improved sperm vitality, motility, and morphology (normal forms). The improved semen quality was associated
with increases in blood serum omega-6 fatty acids and in the plant source of omega-3 (ALA).
Imago & Being Intentionally Single
What distinguishes Imago Relationship Therapy from other types of therapy it that it provides an immediate, positive impact on relationships and tools to manage conflict in a way that feels safe and supportive. Imago consists of several important principles: we are born in relationship, wounded in relationship, and heal in relationship. In addition, we find ourselves attracted to someone who fits an unconscious profile of our primary caregivers and our lost parts.
PCOS Treatment – Step #1
First of all, I want to express my humble opinion that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a very treatable condition if commitment to necessary lifestyle changes and recommended treatment is sustained over a reasonable period of time. This should be empowering and aid in cultivating hope that you can restore health and achieve pregnancy.
It all starts with the creation of specific goals,
Getting Pregnant…Again
Are you struggling to conceive this time around? Time and time again our Fit 4 Two alumni tell us how although they got pregnant quickly the first time, it just doesn’t seem to happen as easily the second time around.
I am NOT a fertility expert so can only share my own personal experience.
Acupuncture for headaches during pregnancy
It is fairly common during pregnancy to experience headaches. This is true regardless of whether or not you were prone to headaches before you fell pregnant. Your hormone levels are flooding, your blood flow is being shunted from its regular course to the developing contents of your uterus, and your overall blood volume is increasing.
Pregnancy Loss. Unburden Your Heart.
Trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage is an emotional journey. If a woman has suffered several miscarriages, the journey has taken a toll on both her body and her spirit. Often, questions of why and how are being asked – is it because of my egg quality? is there a genetic incompatibility? is there something wrong with my uterus?
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month
Endometriosis is a common and sometimes debilitating condition experienced by many women of reproductive age. This disease causes chronic pelvic pain and may be a contributing factor causing infertility.
The signs and symptoms of endometriosis may differ from one woman to another but often include the following:
- pain with or before the menstrual period
- pelvic pain at other times of the month
- pain with intercourse
- pain with bowel movements or urination that occurs during a woman’s menstrual period
- lower back pain
- heavy or clotted periods
For many women,
