We were referred to Dr Guindon after five years of unsuccessfully trying for a baby. In that time, I had discovered that I had two autoimmune conditions and a suspected blocked fallopian tube. My autoimmune conditions had left me with a range of difficult to manage symptoms which restricted my quality of life.
Before meeting with Dr Guindon, we had completed first stage fertility tests with the NHS and been advised to start IVF treatment as soon as possible since I was over 35 years of age. We were reluctant because, as well as having ethical concerns, we were not convinced about the practical impact of IVF. It seemed less than sensible to begin a stressful and invasive process when I was already completely exhausted and unwell.
As I am Catholic, we sought alternative fertility treatments and found the Fiat Fertility Care practice via an online search. We completed a course in NAPRO charting with our fertility care practitioner in the UK via Skype, made some dietary changes which helped ease my symptoms a little and carried out some diagnostic scans. We were a little unsure about the referral to Dr Guindon since our confidence had taken a battering from the challenges we had faced. However, we are both so grateful that we went ahead. We were fortunate to be able to meet with Dr Guindon online due to the Covid travel restrictions which made the process very smooth.
Dr Guindon was very warm, supportive, and efficient. I had previously been told by my NHS gynecologist that my progesterone levels were absolutely fine, however, part of Dr Guindon’s diagnosis identified that my levels were suboptimal. Once I had a recommendation from Dr Guindon my GP was willing to prescribe progesterone for me on the NHS and to carry out some of the recommended blood tests. I started following Dr Guindon’s protocol and with the combination of support from my NHS GP too, my health improved dramatically.
We conceived on our 3rd cycle. Although I felt in good health throughout my pregnancy, the first few months were extremely worrying due to a subchorionic hematoma which can, sometimes, cause complications. However, with Dr Guindon’s regular hormone monitoring we were reassured that the pregnancy was progressing well. At 38 years of age, I delivered a healthy baby at full term via a natural delivery. My baby is nearly 1 year old, but after so many years of difficulty I still sometimes have to pinch myself to check this isn’t just a lovely dream.
We would strongly recommend the NAPRO approach. It teaches women to gain a deeper understanding of their bodies and takes a holistic and thorough approach to discover and treat the cause of infertility – restoring health to a woman’s body to allow for natural conception and pregnancy. It also places support for the couple’s relationship at the heart of the process. This is invaluable for couples struggling with infertility. We wish NAPRO technology was available on the NHS and that there were more NAPRO doctors. In the meantime, we hope the Catholic church might do more to make this technology available more widely, particularly to offer support to those couples who would struggle to afford private treatments.
Thank you to Dr Guindon and to our fertility care practitioner Ira for their skills, faith, and support.
