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IVF Support
Most of an IVF cycle happens between clinic visits: the eating, sleeping, injections, and waiting. That is the part we support, with evidence-informed preparation in the months before your cycle, steady care through stimulation and transfer, and guidance that always works alongside your fertility clinic's protocol.
Preparing for an IVF Cycle?
IVF outcomes depend heavily on factors set before the cycle begins: the quality of eggs matured over the preceding three months, the receptivity of the uterine lining, thyroid and metabolic status, and your physical reserves going in. Clinics optimize the protocol; preparation optimizes the biology the protocol works with.
Support also matters during and after. Stimulation medications are demanding, the two-week wait is its own endurance event, and cycles that don't succeed need both processing and a smarter foundation for the next attempt.
Naturopathic IVF support may fit if you:
- Are planning IVF or egg freezing in the coming months
- Want your body as prepared as the protocol
- Have had a previous cycle with fewer eggs than hoped
- Have thyroid, insulin or nutrient findings to optimize
- Want support managing stimulation side effects
- Are heading into a frozen embryo transfer
- Need steadier ground through the two-week wait
- Are regrouping after an unsuccessful cycle
What does IVF preparation involve?
The Three-Month Egg Window
Eggs retrieved in your cycle began maturing about ninety days earlier. Nutrition, blood sugar stability, targeted supplementation such as CoQ10 where appropriate, and reducing oxidative stress during this window are the core of evidence-informed preparation.
Thyroid and Metabolic Readiness
Fertility-range thyroid optimization and steady insulin function support both egg development and implantation. These are testable, correctable and worth confirming before you invest in a cycle.
Endometrial Environment
The lining that receives an embryo responds to circulation, hormones and overall health. Preparation for transfer, particularly frozen transfers scheduled weeks ahead, is a distinct phase with its own focus.
Reserves and Resilience
Stimulation, retrieval and the emotional load draw on iron stores, sleep and stress capacity. Entering with reserves full changes how the cycle feels and how you recover.
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What testing supports an IVF cycle?
We begin ideally two to three months before your cycle, reviewing your fertility history, previous cycle details, clinic plan and labs, then filling gaps: thyroid and iron optimization, a supplement protocol screened against your clinic's medications, nutrition and sleep groundwork. During stimulation, care adapts week by week for side effects and wellbeing. Around retrieval and transfer, we follow evidence and your clinic's guidance conservatively.
Naturopathic IVF support complements the medical protocol.
How does IVF support work?
The time between embryo transfer and pregnancy testing (often called the two-week wait) can be one of the most emotionally challenging parts of IVF. We provide support through the uncertainty, helping you understand what’s happening, what’s worth focusing on, and how to care for yourself during the waiting period.
If your cycle is successful, we can support the transition into early pregnancy. If the outcome isn’t what you hoped for, we’re here to help you process the experience, review what the cycle may have revealed, and decide what support feels right moving forward.
How Somewhere Health helps
Care starts with the bigger picture rather than a single test. If you've already been diagnosed, we build on what you know. If you suspect something deeper but have never had a full workup, we can order the testing that gets you clear answers.
Your first visit is 75 minutes with a licensed naturopathic doctor who has reviewed your full intake. Together you'll create a plan that may include nutrition and lifestyle changes, targeted supplementation, and functional testing where appropriate. Bloodwork happens at any LifeLabs or Dynacare, and specialty panels like the DUTCH test ship to your door.
Appointments are completely virtual, so you can access care from anywhere in Ontario, and visits are covered by most extended health benefits plans.
Our Approach
- Nutrition and dietary guidance
- Lifestyle recommendations
- Stress and sleep support
- Targeted supplementation
- Functional or laboratory testing when appropriate
- Ongoing monitoring and treatment adjustments
- Collaborative care with your broader healthcare team when needed
How it Works
Dr. Courtney Ranieri is a licensed naturopathic doctor with Therapeutic Prescribing authorization, in practice since 2018. She holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and an Honours BSc from Western University, and her clinical focus is women's health: hormones, fertility, digestion, pelvic floor and metabolic care. She sees patients across Ontario virtually.
