Five years.


That is how long my husband and I waited to become parents.


For five years, we hoped, researched, tracked, changed our routines, pursued treatment, and tried to understand why pregnancy was not happening.


The most frustrating part was that, on paper, we looked fine, we actually looked perfect and I had spent the last decade of my life avoiding pregnancy. 


My testing was considered normal. My husband’s testing looked reassuring. Yet, there was no obvious explanation for why we were struggling to conceive.


We were given the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility".


But when you are living through infertility month after month, “unexplained” does not feel like an answer.

It feels like the investigation stopped too soon ad there needs to be a reason. 


I Was Doing Everything I Knew to Do

Before trying to conceive, I had been on hormonal birth control for approximately 13 years.

When I stopped taking it, I expected my body to settle into a healthy rhythm and pregnancy to happen relatively easily.

That was not what happened.

My cycles were not functioning as well as I had hoped, and conception did not occur.

I started researching fertility, hormones, nutrition, and reproductive health. I read the available literature and tried to make thoughtful changes.

Early in the process, I removed gluten and dairy from my diet. I took supplements. I went to acupuncture. I tracked my cycle. I paid close attention to my body.

I was committed, informed, and willing to do the work.

Yet my cycle still was not improving significantly enough for me to become pregnant.

Looking back, I now understand that doing “all the things” is not the same as having an individualized investigation.

A healthy diet can be helpful. Supplements may be appropriate. Acupuncture can be supportive.

But those tools cannot answer every question.


Without looking carefully at hormone patterns, thyroid function, nutrient status, metabolic health, inflammation, digestion, environmental exposures, sperm health, and the timing of ovulation, it is easy to miss the specific barriers affecting an individual person or couple.

At the time, I did not know which questions still needed to be asked.


From Clomid to IUI to IVF

As time went on, we moved further into fertility treatment.

I completed a round of Clomid.

Then we went through three intrauterine inseminations, or IUIs.

When those were unsuccessful, the next recommendation was IVF.


This is a familiar progression for many couples:

  • Try for a period of time.
  • Complete basic testing.
  • Use ovulation medication.
  • Try IUI.
  • Then move to IVF.


For some people, IVF is absolutely the right next step. It is an extraordinary medical technology, and I am deeply grateful that it exists.

IVF ultimately helped me become a mother.

It gave me my two daughters, and there is no part of me that takes that gift for granted.

But our journey also came with an enormous emotional, physical, and financial cost. Altogether, we spent approximately $90,000 pursuing treatment and trying to build our family.


I often found myself wondering:

Was IVF the only path available to us, or was it simply the next path offered?

What Was Never Investigated?

I cannot go back and know with certainty what would have happened if someone had taken a deeper look earlier in our journey.

I cannot say that a functional or restorative approach would have guaranteed a natural pregnancy or eliminated our need for IVF.


Fertility is complex, and no ethical practitioner should promise a specific outcome.

But I do believe there were important questions that were never fully explored.

No one took a comprehensive look at how my years on birth control may have intersected with my nutrient status, cycle function, or hormone patterns.

No one closely investigated whether my thyroid was functioning optimally for fertility rather than simply falling within a broad laboratory reference range.

No one evaluated my metabolic health, inflammation, digestive function, environmental exposures, or nutrient needs in a truly integrated way.

No one helped us understand whether there were subtle male-factor concerns beyond a basic semen analysis.


Most importantly, no one brought all of those pieces together and asked: What is this body trying to communicate?

That question stayed with me and it changed the direction of my career.


Why “Unexplained” Should Not End the Conversation

An unexplained infertility diagnosis does not necessarily mean there is no reason for the struggle.

It often means that the reason was not found through the testing that was performed, in other words it is underinvestigated!


Conventional fertility work up and testing is essential. It can identify blocked fallopian tubes, severe sperm abnormalities, diminished ovarian reserve, ovulatory disorders, structural concerns, and other important factors.

But standard testing does not always evaluate the full range of issues that may influence reproductive health.


A Functional Medicine investigation may include:

  • Thyroid function and thyroid antibodies
  • Blood sugar and insulin regulation
  • Iron, vitamin D, B vitamins, magnesium, and other nutrients
  • Inflammation and oxidative stress
  • Ovulation timing and luteal-phase hormone patterns
  • Gut and vaginal microbiome health
  • Environmental and occupational exposures
  • Sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and DNA fragmentation
  • Autoimmune or immune-related concerns
  • Stress physiology and nervous-system regulation


Not every person needs every test.

The goal is to ask better questions and select the testing that makes sense for the individual story.


The Question That Led Me to Vital Fertility

What stayed with me most was not that we eventually needed IVF. It was wondering what no one had investigated before we got there.

That experience led me to study functional medicine, reproductive health, and restorative approaches to fertility.

It changed the way I understood the body.

It also changed the way I wanted to practice medicine.

I did not want other women to be told that everything looked normal when they knew something did not feel right.

I did not want couples to feel that their only choices were to keep trying without answers or move immediately to more invasive treatment.

I wanted to create a place where people could receive a more thoughtful investigation before assuming there was nothing else to learn.


That is why I created Vital Fertility. We Investigate Before We Escalate


My work is not about convincing people to avoid IVF.

It is not about promising that every case of infertility can be resolved naturally.

And it is not about blaming women for not eating perfectly, taking enough supplements, or managing stress well enough. Infertility is not a personal failure.


My approach is about helping women and couples understand their health more fully,  before, during, or after fertility treatment.

-Sometimes that investigation may help a couple conceive without assisted reproductive technology.

-Sometimes it may improve the foundation they bring into IUI or IVF.

-Sometimes it may identify a concern that needs treatment before pregnancy.

-Sometimes it simply provides clarity after months or years of being told that everything is normal.

There is value in knowing more about your body, even when IVF remains part of the plan.


Fertility Is About More Than Getting Pregnant

My goal is not only to help someone achieve a positive pregnancy test.


I want to help people build a healthier foundation for conception, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and long-term maternal health and infant health, why wouldn't you want to start with giving your child the healthies foundation possible?


The same factors that influence fertility often matter beyond fertility and correlate with longevity.

Blood-sugar regulation, thyroid health, nutrient status, inflammation, digestion, sleep, environmental exposures, and sperm health can all affect the broader health of both parents.

When we support those areas, we are not simply chasing pregnancy.

We are supporting the health of the entire family.


You Deserve More Than “Everything Looks Normal”

Maybe you have been trying to conceive for months or years.

Maybe you have experienced pregnancy loss.

Maybe you are preparing for IUI or IVF and want to use the time beforehand wisely.

Maybe treatment has already failed, and you are wondering what could have been missed.

Or maybe you have simply been told that your results are normal while your cycles, symptoms, or intuition tell you otherwise.

I know how lonely and confusing that can feel.

I also know what it is like to research endlessly, do everything you are told, and still feel as though you are missing a piece of the puzzle.

You deserve care that takes your full story seriously.

You deserve a practitioner who is willing to look for patterns, ask deeper questions, and acknowledge what is still unknown.

And you deserve to understand that “unexplained” does not have to mean the conversation is over.

Sometimes, it means the deeper investigation is only beginning.



Vital Fertility offers several starting points depending on where you are in your journey, including foundational fertility testing, comprehensive fertility programs, advanced functional testing, and support before IUI or IVF.


Not Sure What Your Next Step Should Be?