spk_0: 0:01
I am Dr Tabatha, the functional gynecologist. I'm a board certified OBY, giant and functional medicine physician. I've embraced the world of functional medicine and wellness through my own personal health journey. And I'm super excited to share my wisdom and unique perspective as it pertains to women's health. So if you're struggling, hormone imbalance, weight gain, period issues, anxiety and son, you name it, then you come to the right place. I want to be your functional gynecologist, so welcome. Hi, ladies. I'm super excited about today's guests. Her name is doctor Melissa Vander Misson. She goes by Dr Melissa, so she's a functional medicine chiropractic physician that specializes in natural fertility treatments. She apparatus 100% online so that you can work with her no matter where you are. Across the country. She helps restore your fertility naturally, so she works one on one with her clients, as well as through her online programs. She's been successful with helping many couples conceive naturally and then go on to have happy, healthy babies. Check her out the doctor melissa dot com, because right now she is giving away a free guide called Optimizing Fertility Nutrition Plan. You're definitely gonna want to check that out. I just love her. She's a sweetheart, and I know that you're gonna really enjoy our conversation today, So here we go. All right, Dr. Melissa. Well, thanks for joining us. How are you?
spk_1: 1:53
I'm doing great today. You?
spk_0: 1:55
I am so excited to have you on this is awesome. A fellow Michiganders, Er, although I will say, you know, you're in the upper peninsula, so that's a little bit more rustic. Little more rugged. You're still getting snow. It sounds like right
spk_1: 2:10
way have winter. It seems like most of the year. And then summer just lice. I don't have a lot of war months.
spk_0: 2:19
Yeah, you're a brave woman for living up there. So, yeah, I hooked up with Dr Melissa through our mind share community and one of our, you know, fellow health practitioners. Racial. Vargas said you are just such a ray of light and so amazing. And so I've been stalking you. You didn't realize, but I've been super impressed with everything that you're doing around fertility and helping women optimize their health. It's so beautiful. So I would love to hear How did you get into all this? I know that your chiropractor by trade, right?
spk_1: 2:58
Yeah, that is the person foremost saying I'm a chiropractor, but I did go through Ah, formal functional medicine certification program.
spk_0: 3:08
Yeah, that what made you do that?
spk_1: 3:11
So that's the funny part with not funny. But a lot of people assume that Oh, she's working with fertility or infertility. Now. She must have struggled with that herself, right? But it was quite the opposite. Um, we had absolutely no issues conceiving, um, thankfully. And we had a beautiful baby girl that is just turned five of a couple weeks ago. But what happened to me personally as I completely lost my house Postpartum Yes. I was working as a chiropractor full time. I went back to the office three weeks on the day from when I have her. And I don't need to tell you what happened beyond that point, but yeah, my health just tumbled. I was just so focused on nursing, making sure I had enough milk for her throughout the day. While I was at the office working, I forgot about me and my adrenals, my firing, my gut house, my sex hormones. Everything just like went crazy haywire, and I had always had an interest in functional medicine. I had a colleague that had done some work with me while in college. That was just that was just my push. I need it. Even though I had a newborn at home and I was nursing her and I was working full time, that was what I needed. I had to pursue the training that I needed to fix myself because I wanted to be able to do it so that I could maintain my own house and know what was going on. So that's how I came into. This is It was my postpartum period where I crumbled and I was able to put the pieces back together my cell with the help of a lot of colleagues along the way, and, um, I ended up starting my virtual practice. I can't even tell you exactly how it happened. Everything just fell into place. Um, like you said, I live in the Upper Peninsula. There's not many people appear. Oh, for me to make this work, it's with something that I thought would be really cool, and I went with that and have been just doing this since then, fertility or infertility world came into my lap almost by accident because I was starting to work with women that were simply dealing with hormonal imbalance. Some of them didn't think they could have Children because they were told they couldn't more have had to have progesterone or medications or four months who conceive in the past with prior Children. And all sudden, these these women were getting pregnant while working with, You know, nothing is ever by accident in my mind. But I was thinking, Okay, there's something here. I'm gonna roll with it. And then it just started spreading like wildfire where I had a lot of women seeking help for infertility. Naturally,
spk_0: 6:20
Yeah. Oh, that is so beautiful. I love when people figure out their path and their purpose, you know, through their painful times. I just think that's so awesome that you leaned in. You worked on yourself and you figured it all out. Was there any one particular thing that really stood out to you as like, this is what every woman needs to do postpartum to get through and stay healthy so that they don't end up like you did?
spk_1: 6:52
Yes, that's Also part of it is just even if someone's not doing with infertility there, just looking to conceive in the future. I work with them to optimize that preconception period because it's not only about let's try and be healthy so that we don't have to worry about getting pregnant. But we know that the house of that egg, that baby and they're happy genetic programming is happening 90 days before you actually conceive. So we want to make sure that we're taking care of ourselves three months before we conceive, because that's gonna help influence babies, Long term health. But also Mom's long term health, if you go in the pregnancy is healthy as possible. More than likely, you're not gonna struggle as much through postpartum because we're gonna set you up for success. You're going to know these things. And I worked with my women through pregnancy through postpartum, and we keep them on track and, yeah, they just seem to thrive. Thankfully,
spk_0: 7:53
that is so wonderful. I wish there were more doctors like you around, you know, especially doing obstetrics for so long. I took care of a lot of unhealthy women. A lot of pre eclampsia gestational diabetes, you know, different hypothyroidism. And if we can just get to them before they get pregnant, what a world of difference we can make. So bravo to you. That's so awesome. And it must feel so rewarding, Right? Like you're making women feel better and you're getting them pregnant. So
spk_1: 8:28
exactly. It's so fun to get pregnancy tests, text to my phone or emails, babies. And you know these. I know these women. I know them. One on one. I will help them text me sometimes at 10 o'clock at night, telling me my baby's not nursing right or I'm having issues with milk supply. That's my job. I'm taking care of them. I don't mind that. That's what I do. So and I did this myself. So I can also give them personal experience. Sometimes we've got to take the doctor hat off and just be a friend or a fella Mom to these women.
spk_0: 9:08
Yeah, for sure. I love that. Okay, good. So you work with clients? Virtually. Is it all one on one? Is it group programs? Are you doing both?
spk_1: 9:20
Majority right now is 1 to 1. I do. How a six week program where I do group calls that is still kind of in the process. Um, I just end up when I connect with these women before they may be purchased the program. They end up wanting a work one on one, which is great, because I think a lot of women want but one on one. But there are some women that don't necessarily have the time, or they would rather do something that is already, you know, done for them. And it's just videos, and they can do it on their own time because their schedules too busy. But yes, I do both.
spk_0: 10:00
Okay, that's wonderful. And when you do one on one, my understanding is you do testing with them like hormone testing, gut testing through stool tests. Is that correct?
spk_1: 10:13
Yes, and it really depends on what they need. So my plan is not a one size fits all. I don't even have a plan set up with these women until we cannot. Further initial consultation goes through end up history form that they have done beforehand, and then just sometimes talking with them because it's a 60 minute call, sometimes talking to them about different things on their history. Or they might just say one Raymond tiny little thing as we're having a conversation and it sparks something and I'm like, You know what? We're not doing a hormone test to start with, we need to start with a comprehensive gut test, for we need to start with a food allergy testing because it's not all well, your hormones are imbalanced. Let's start with hormones. There might be a completely different cause to why those hormones are balanced in the first place. So every every testing experience, every quiet has a completely different plan.
spk_0: 11:14
Yeah, exactly. I see that all day long. In my practice, women come in thinking they need their hormones tested, and that is like the root cause of their issue. And I tell them that is just a symptom. That's just, you know, your hormones are bystander that got affected from all of this. There's a deeper issue going on that we need to figure out. So I love that you're taking the functional medicine approach. It's it's just necessary. You gotta fix the root cause right?
spk_1: 11:43
Is in a lot of times that what I've been finding from just my standpoint, obviously I'm not saying millions of people, but with my clients and just talking to other people and colleagues and reading stress is probably the number one culprit to, I would say, every female hormone imbalance in infertility obviously being pumped of the list there. But stress is huge. Physical stress, chemical stress, emotional stress, all those dressers.
spk_0: 12:19
Yeah, well, you explain to my listeners because I get that time and time again, women are like, Oh, I'm not stressed. I'm I'm fine. I'm, you know, doing my day like everybody else. Lean while they haven't stopped to pee or breathe for process their thoughts. But because we're all living that way, they think it's normal. So how do you explain to your clients like you are overstressed and this is what's going on?
spk_1: 12:47
Well, me personally, I struggled with this. This was huge.
spk_0: 12:53
Oh, me too. Hello.
spk_1: 12:56
It's been better since I'm 100% virtual now. When I was juggling both, it was, you know, I was not living when I was preaching, so I just kind of sit down with the or not, Obviously sit down with them physically, really, but sort of computer and we go through their daily schedule. What? Chenery waking up. How long does it take you to get ready? How many people within your household you have to get ready? Like if they have Children at home? Um, you know, we go through their daily schedule and I talked with them about how often do they have trying for themselves? How often are they in silence? How often you know it doesn't have to be an intense workout. How often are you getting healthy movements throughout the day or the week? And a lot of times these answers for the questions to them. They're looking at me like, Well, does anyone Time? Thing means you are in a sympathetic states, stupid, sympathetic, dominant state. When we are not taking time to breathe and taking time, just chill and relax. I mean, right now, a lot of us in the country and in this world are fighting out. We were really stressed before.
spk_0: 14:11
Yeah, yeah, I almost feel like that's the way our but I feel like it's the universe's way of putting us in a time out like you're over doing it. You're doing too much. You need to sit at home and chill for a minute. And so I think as soon as we realize that an embrace that we're gonna all be the better for it, right, instead of sitting here stressing like, Oh, my money situation is gonna be a problem. Where am I gonna get my groceries? Like the universe has this just have faith, you know, it's gonna work out and just roll with it. So I love that you work on the stress. I think that's super important. What is your favorite thing to de stress, or what's your go to?
spk_1: 14:58
Just making sure every single day they're setting themselves five minutes. True themselves. Just five minutes alone. If you have to get five minutes earlier, go to bed five minutes later. Um, you need five minutes of alone time, preferably in silence, to do whatever the heck you want to dio. Just sit and look at yourself or raid right? Something prayer. Meditate. Whatever it is, you need five minutes yourself. Every single day. I teach some some just simple, deep breathing that often on throughout the day, whether they're sitting at a desk or at home with kids running around, they got to just take some deep breaths and reset themselves into more of a pair. Sympathetic state.
spk_0: 15:47
Yeah, isn't that crazy that we have to beg someone to take five minutes? But I get it like I lived that life, I completely understand. And I remember I was at revitalized with mind Body green. It's like, you know, get together with all these amazing health practitioners and a weekend of, you know, breathing exercises and yoga and all of these amazing de stressing tools. And I had one. Practitioners say to me, You know, why don't you just get up 20 minutes earlier in the morning before your kids and drink warm glass of water, have some breathing and some stretching. And maybe you won't be so stressed out through the day because I would, like, literally wait until my kids woke me up. And then we're like Russian around him, make lunches, feed breakfast, get the backpacks and get out the door. It's like I was not paying attention to me and my needs. And when she said that she's like, just set up intention for your day, like take five minutes to think. Hey, how do I want this day to go or toe look like doing want my kids to be happy when they walk out of the house. And then I physically did that for a few days. It was so life changing, and it was so simple, I couldn't believe it. So, yeah, I got my morning set up with my intentions, and then I realized I needed to work at my sleep a little more because I was grumpy when I was getting up because I wasn't sleeping well. So I know that that's part of something that you're preaching to these women, right? Like, get your sleep in order.
spk_1: 17:33
Yes. I think that all women, slightly women especially need at least eight hours of sleep a night. And the gold bedtime is 10 o'clock. And some women say to me how the you got to make it happen? There's you just There's some things that are gonna have to wait until tomorrow. There's always tomorrow, um, and get to bed by 10 oclock. At least think about getting to by 10 oclock and they get a good eight hours if possible on most nights. I know that it's not always doable for everyone. Some people still have young Children that are waking them up at times. But again, we need to get sleep. We need to get uninterrupted sleep if possible. Having the room is darkest possible. Having it, you know, less than 67 degrees, I think, is the gold temperature before bed. If you're on any type of a device, how blue light blocking glasses on or have the night mode set on those devices? I think most phones and ipads and computers now have the night mode where it filters out some of that blue light. Um, unfortunately, TV's do not how that I'm hoping that that some type of, ah acts that future, But, um just trying to feel drunk some of the blue light because it affects the melatonin production. And then we're not going to sleep well, we're gonna wake up feeling grumpy and not well rested because of that.
spk_0: 19:14
Yeah, I love that. And you're saying 10 o'clock because of our melatonin production, right? We want to stay in a circadian rhythm. We want to go to sleep with the sunset and get up with the sunrise, right?
spk_1: 19:29
Yes. Besides, obviously during the winter, when I loathe son, I don't think things like E No. But yes, during the summer time for us, that's the goal is going to bed when the sun goes down, a rising sun rises And, yes, working with our natural circadian rhythm because that helps our adrenals. Which of your adrenals are happy? Usually your sex hormones and thyroid journalists are going to be happy to. But if your adrenals are that happy, nothing's gonna be happy.
spk_0: 20:07
Yeah, can you explain that? How how are Drina? Blends affect our sex hormones? Because I think a lot of women don't get that connection
spk_1: 20:16
with the adrenals. Can dictate a lot with sex formal production when we were in more of a sympathetic stage and we have increased quarters old production that can actually decrease the thyroid conversion. So are after thyroid hormone. Obviously, we've got different thyroid hormones and it has to be activated. And Jewish Quarter Selcan Block that activations that we get more into a hypothyroidism state that affects the pituitary gland which cannot factor sex, were hone production. But we also know that too much cortisol is literally depleting our progesterone levels. Hello.
spk_0: 21:02
Hey, man.
spk_1: 21:02
Many women with low protest row nowadays, right?
spk_0: 21:06
Yes, I would say probably eight out of 10 of my women have to go on progesterone. You know, it's just they're stealing all their progesterone to make all that court is all it. It's frustrating. That's there's.
spk_1: 21:21
There's a lot that happens when we're in that high stress, high sympathetic mode and too much quarter sales rolling out. And if it happens like that for too long, then you're gonna end up having to little quarter song because we're messing up the whole feedback between the gland in the brain. So that's something that some women struggle with is now. It's hard for them to get their quarter sold back up to where it needs to be. Has been in such a chronic stress state for so long.
spk_0: 21:52
Yeah, and that that's then you're really far gone, then It's a lot
spk_1: 21:56
of work that's a lot of a long running, but I have some women that have been on this long world with me since the beginning and were years in, and they're finally doing much, much better. But you have to maintain, and you have to be more careful fully off of falling off the wagon.
spk_0: 22:16
Yeah, yeah, exactly what is the most common reason clients air seeking you out for? Is that because they're adrenal fatigue, exhausted type symptoms? Or is it mostly for infertility or you kind of get in everything?
spk_1: 22:32
It started out where I was getting everything because I was new in it. And, um, I was just working hormone imbalance for the most part. So I still have several clients that I'm still working less that are in menopausal age or peri menopausal and some that just are, you know, wanting hormone balance after having Children. But right now, most of my newer clients are in that infertility stage right now. Not that I wouldn't take anyone else on, but I just I really enjoy working with, um during that phase, I feel like it's so rewarding. Teoh, obviously, how the be undersold. Be healthy, baby, right?
spk_0: 23:20
Yeah, exactly. Do you have any specific diet that you follow with your clients, or is it all individualized?
spk_1: 23:28
Nestle individualized? I would say it's more paleo based. Okay? Not that everyone's got to be stripped paleo not have any grains, but that would be the base diet. But I told everyone, let's at least look at this. And let's stick to this for the most part because I think that's the healthiest. They're getting healthy protein and healthy fats and, um, for the vegetables and some fruits and nuts and seeds. But again, depending on if we do a food allergy panel on them. What that tells us to right, but can rule out a lot of those so called healthy boots. Someone can pop up where they have a new immune reaction to seven or eggs or broccoli or Brussels roads. And these are things that we know are common fertility foods.
spk_0: 24:23
Yeah, you want them to be able to eat those types of foods, right? Exactly some time out
spk_1: 24:28
of their body has a immune and inflammatory reaction to that, right? So they go into the drawing board and make sure that we're getting a more personalised diet for them.
spk_0: 24:40
And when you see women who have, like multiple food sensitivities, are you worried about got health at that point?
spk_1: 24:48
Yes, so it's usually a symptom based not saying that if someone has no digestive symptoms at all, they can't have these issues. But that's why we do end up history and really talk about things, and I usually start with a gut test and then go to the food allergy or sensitivity test according to what the gut test tells me. Get their secretary. I g. A levels are really high. We know we have to go onto the allergy test. If they're not, then we usually do. Not again, depending on each client,
spk_0: 25:25
right? So what else are we looking for in the stool? Testing That's gonna help us understand what's going on with these women.
spk_1: 25:34
How well they digested absorbed their food, especially their fats again. Those inflammatory immune markers making sure that their bacteria balance is where it needs to be infections that's huge. It's very rare for me to have a stool test, come back and not have any type of infection, whether it's bacterial or fungal or parasitic, these air things that unfortunately are common. So that's usually something we need to work on, Um, or looking at an enzyme called beta blue Khurana days, which is, if it's too high, is that good for us? But also not good if it's too low. So a lot of women that haven't elevated enzyme in their guts and that being oxygen dominant because that ends I am is basically face three extra gin detoxification. We have too much of that. It shuttles are estrogen that is supposed to be going out through our poop back into our body and can go back into circulation. Hello, Astros in dominance.
spk_0: 26:41
Yes. Yes. And you're not going to get pregnant that way, and you're gonna have heavy, painful periods, painful breast tenderness. You're gonna be not nice person to be around, right
spk_1: 26:53
innocents. And sometimes that is the underlying factor to something like a name. Atrial cess. Yeah. Where you know, these women are are dealing with so much, so much pain. And there's not a lot medically that can be done besides just covering up the symptoms. And it might be their gut. That's the culprit. Yeah, and then you fixed out, and slowly they're able to get back on track and gain balance within the hormones again.
spk_0: 27:25
Yeah, well, you just reiterate to my listeners how important your poop really is because people don't want to talk to me about it. They think Oh, my gosh, it's so embarrassing. I'm like, honey, no, This is super important. We need to talk about it. I talk about poop with every patient because it's such a window into what's going on in your hormones in your body.
spk_1: 27:50
It ISS. Then if they can't talk about poop, should be having a baby every single day. Several times a day. After you have a baby, you're gonna be talking about poop whether they go to Grandma's house or their at day care, how many times they put what they're pooping?
spk_0: 28:06
Yeah, exactly like
spk_1: 28:08
poop. At that point, just use the Jag about poop
spk_0: 28:11
exactly, and then wait till they turn like eight. And that's their favorite word in the world. And you know it's so funny. Poo poo poo for my
spk_1: 28:21
daughter's first word is still whatever be saying. What is this letter PPS for booby?
spk_0: 28:28
Yeah, that's laughing hysterically for five minutes, but
spk_1: 28:34
it's it's so important. Just like your immense sees your menstrual cycle, knowing your flow, what color the blood is if you have claws, how long you're bleeding, like these things they're being excreted from our body are giving us so many signs to what's going on. So yeah, I don't think I've ever I had a conversation with any client where we don't talk about Coop and talk about their menstrual cycle. We're talking about their period. That's just the things that we have strong because they give us signs into if we're making improvements and you know what's really going on?
spk_0: 29:18
Yeah, I see so many women whose primary complaint is constipation. You know, they're going once or twice a week. Family, of course, you're absorbing your estrogen's back into your bloodstream and recirculating them. I mean, that's an easy fix. Right there
spk_1: 29:35
is. If you don't know coop everyday, your estrogen dominant. Yeah, that I tell every one of my clients I wouldn't be getting when they tell me if, Like you said, if they're dealing with Congress constipation and they're only going a few times a week, that's absolutely horrible. It doesn't matter. That enzyme on your stool test is elevated or not. If you're not pooping every day, you are your estrogen dominant.
spk_0: 29:58
Yeah, exactly. Uh, I'm so glad that I'm not the only one preaching this, Uh, you know, a lot of calls. That's awesome. Are there any supplements that you use on a regular basis to help women balance their cycle and optimize their fertility before they get pregnant.
spk_1: 30:22
There's, I mean, obviously being a good multivitamin and good prenatal, less the proper forms of B vitamins. You know, you never want to be taking the synthetic full of acid or Sino Kabbalah mean, especially if someone has the I'm teaching our mutation. But even if you don't have that, you still want to be on a good form of B vitamin built into that into that multi. Sometimes we do enough should be complex. I ju nutrient panels also so we can actually look at all their nutrient status and vitamin status and see what they need to be doing extra off One of my favorite herbs that I use a lot with my women is by tax stream. Yeah, I find it just so, so helpful again. I like to test before using these things because we know that herbs air powerful their medicine. A lot of pharmaceuticals are actually synthetic forms of herbs, right? So you don't just want to start taking all these things just because of symptoms or something you read online. But that one usually is very, very helpful. But again, you being a doctor, we know that not are all herbs or all supplements are created equal. You need to make sure that you're getting a from a reputable source. Right? Old herbs I use are actually from Australia. I trust the herbs more than any of the herbs here. Um, I feel like the just the whole process is spot on. So that's where all the herbs come from. That Miley's use.
spk_0: 32:01
That's awesome. Yeah, I think you need pharmaceutical grade. You need a company that has third party testing? Yes, that what's in the bottles? Actually in the bottle at the dose, It says it says, Please myself
spk_1: 32:15
Bolin's or anything like that.
spk_0: 32:19
Amazon, Walgreens. Things like that. The dollar sore got. Help me. Yeah. So, No, I love Chase Trias. Well, I think it's really nice at balancing out your cycle after you make sure that you know what you're dealing with is just basic estrogen dominance, Right? So yes, Yes. What about a little bit of progesterone support for some you know, women having infertility issues or recurrent miscarriage? Do you deal with that at all?
spk_1: 32:53
I've honestly never had to Omar. Um, if their lower with progesterone, we try and deal with the adrenals on get that back on track and then chased her is actually more of a progesterone supporting herb, You know, that's why we find it really helpful for women that are absolutely dominant because it's it's more of a supportive, supportive towards progesterone production, and it works tour. It actually helps with communication with the pituitary gland eso. It's helping with that whole communication process with feedback that we have. So I have knock on wood. Not had Teoh do anything. I personally I cannot prescribe anything for women anyway. Any hormones or medications. I do have a lot of women that work with their there. Obviously, there will be in the process. And I think we there's a couple little bees in our local that we have several women in common, and they're very, very accepting and helpful with them doing more of a natural approach with support of supplements and herbs of while they're doing, um, you know their medical stop at the same time.
spk_0: 34:11
Okay, that's great. Yeah, I think it's so important to be able tow work in conjunction with conventional medicine doctors. You know, they they can do some things, but They have a lot of limitations. I know, because I did that for over a decade. You know, I felt like I didn't have a lot of tools in my toolbox when it came to infertility. You know, I could rule out endometriosis. I could make sure they're cavity was clear. They didn't have big fibroids, you know? But that was about it and that that was the extent of my training. And so learning functional medicine opened up a whole new world for me. And I just feel so blessed that I have tools in my tool kit now to deal with infertility is so I really hope more physicians, you know, get functional medicine training like we have, because it's so necessary. I mean, the importance of our gut microbiome and our stress management and our diet is just It can't be understood. It can be stated enough, right?
spk_1: 35:24
Exactly. I think that the Cleveland Clinic now all of their students have to go through ah, functional medicine round. Yeah, for the Graduate, which I think is amazing. And it's a start, and I think that don't wake medical doctors and those in the medical profession. I think they want it, they just they've not been able to get it. And once you graduate, you're so overload.
spk_0: 35:50
Oh, yeah.
spk_1: 35:51
You don't have time to pursue extra education on your own.
spk_0: 35:56
No, you don't. And I honestly didn't know anything about it because you get so consumed in your conventional world, then you know you're not even exposed to it. You don't even know anything about it. I didn't know about this world of wellness until I had my own back injuries. So I love that they are finally getting residents and medical students on board while they're still doing their conventional training. Because I think once your eyes air opened, then you can't go back. Then you want to read the new science. You want us to figure out the root cause so we definitely need to support that, that's for sure. So tell me, what is your number one recommendation? Just two women listening today to optimize their health like one thing that they could dio that could be a game changer,
spk_1: 36:51
I think. Honestly, way we talked about the whole straws component and it sees your something done.
spk_0: 36:58
A stress. Yeah, like you and I trying to juggle our schedule for the past four days to find one hour to talk to each other. That's crazy. But it's that bad. It really is.
spk_1: 37:13
I know it is. But being a mama and a doctor's I'm playing is your juggling a lot of effort?
spk_0: 37:20
Yes. All you can do is keep trying, right?
spk_1: 37:24
Yes. And you know, just be more forgiving of yourself. And you got a set time aside right now because you're going to regret it when baby comes and you don't even know what it's like. Toe, have it just There's a lot of things that I wish I could say. But yes, try and decrease your stress. Take time for yourself, be more forgiving of yourself. And, um, just make some schedule changes. No, because it will be so much easier later on.
spk_0: 38:01
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I think that once you have a baby, you realize you had more time than you thought you did. You know, cause then you really don't have any time that you're not even going to the bathroom by yourself after that. So I think I know it's a good trade off right there. They're worth it. Okay, so. So women if they want to work with you where they work and they find you.
spk_1: 38:35
My website is the doctor melissa dot com. I'm on Facebook and Instagram Dr. Melissa Vander Meson. Um, and right now for everyone. I have no idea when this podcast is going to go live if we're still gonna be quarantined or not. But I do have my my five day, many fertility course that I'm offering for free right now.
spk_0: 39:02
Well, that's awesome
spk_1: 39:04
for everyone out there that needs that. That just needs to kind of hunker down, do a little bit off self care. Super super easy things like go buy a bag of absence salt or order it on Amazon. Yeah, that's one of the things to do. So yeah, just super simple things. Awesome. Just trying to be as helpful as possible for all these women.
spk_0: 39:27
I love it, so yeah, definitely. Check that out. Because now is the time for self care. Now we are stuck at home now, you know, start exercising. Start making those food changes. Don't stay in your pajamas all day. Don't sit on the couch and Netflix your way through three weeks like take this opportunity that the universe is given you and do something with it, right? Get healthy.
spk_1: 39:54
Exactly. Beachbody on demand. Yeah, I always work out from home. I work from home. This is this is pretty much my normal life. It's hard because I know I'm personally
spk_0: 40:08
Yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh. Well, I'm so glad that we connected. I love it. So we're gonna have to hang out in person sometime, but yes. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with my guests. You're just a wealth of knowledge, and they definitely need to check you out, Dr Melissa. So thank you. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Take care. You too. Bye. So wasn't she awesome? I love Dr Melissa. Definitely follow her on Facebook and Instagram. And I'd love it if you'd follow me. A doctor. Tabatha d r t a b a t h a No eyes just aids. And if you're enjoying the functional gynecologist podcast, please hit the subscribe button shared with all the women that you know and maybe even give me a five star review. That would be awesome. This all helps guarantee that I can keep bringing you this important information and keep supporting you guys. So shoot me out your questions. I would love to show you out on my Friday question of the week. So? So I can better serve you. Now go out and kick some butt and have an amazing week. Show yourself some love and hang in there. Hopefully this stay home will be over soon. Bye, guys.
I am Dr Tabatha, the functional gynecologist. I'm a board certified OBY, giant and functional medicine physician. I've embraced the world of functional medicine and wellness through my own personal health journey. And I'm super excited to share my wisdom and unique perspective as it pertains to women's health. So if you're struggling, hormone imbalance, weight gain, period issues, anxiety and son, you name it, then you come to the right place. I want to be your functional gynecologist, so welcome. Hi, ladies. I'm super excited about today's guests. Her name is doctor Melissa Vander Misson. She goes by Dr Melissa, so she's a functional medicine chiropractic physician that specializes in natural fertility treatments. She apparatus 100% online so that you can work with her no matter where you are. Across the country. She helps restore your fertility naturally, so she works one on one with her clients, as well as through her online programs. She's been successful with helping many couples conceive naturally and then go on to have happy, healthy babies. Check her out the doctor melissa dot com, because right now she is giving away a free guide called Optimizing Fertility Nutrition Plan. You're definitely gonna want to check that out. I just love her. She's a sweetheart, and I know that you're gonna really enjoy our conversation today, So here we go. All right, Dr. Melissa. Well, thanks for joining us. How are you?
spk_1: 1:53
I'm doing great today. You?
spk_0: 1:55
I am so excited to have you on this is awesome. A fellow Michiganders, Er, although I will say, you know, you're in the upper peninsula, so that's a little bit more rustic. Little more rugged. You're still getting snow. It sounds like right
spk_1: 2:10
way have winter. It seems like most of the year. And then summer just lice. I don't have a lot of war months.
spk_0: 2:19
Yeah, you're a brave woman for living up there. So, yeah, I hooked up with Dr Melissa through our mind share community and one of our, you know, fellow health practitioners. Racial. Vargas said you are just such a ray of light and so amazing. And so I've been stalking you. You didn't realize, but I've been super impressed with everything that you're doing around fertility and helping women optimize their health. It's so beautiful. So I would love to hear How did you get into all this? I know that your chiropractor by trade, right?
spk_1: 2:58
Yeah, that is the person foremost saying I'm a chiropractor, but I did go through Ah, formal functional medicine certification program.
spk_0: 3:08
Yeah, that what made you do that?
spk_1: 3:11
So that's the funny part with not funny. But a lot of people assume that Oh, she's working with fertility or infertility. Now. She must have struggled with that herself, right? But it was quite the opposite. Um, we had absolutely no issues conceiving, um, thankfully. And we had a beautiful baby girl that is just turned five of a couple weeks ago. But what happened to me personally as I completely lost my house Postpartum Yes. I was working as a chiropractor full time. I went back to the office three weeks on the day from when I have her. And I don't need to tell you what happened beyond that point, but yeah, my health just tumbled. I was just so focused on nursing, making sure I had enough milk for her throughout the day. While I was at the office working, I forgot about me and my adrenals, my firing, my gut house, my sex hormones. Everything just like went crazy haywire, and I had always had an interest in functional medicine. I had a colleague that had done some work with me while in college. That was just that was just my push. I need it. Even though I had a newborn at home and I was nursing her and I was working full time, that was what I needed. I had to pursue the training that I needed to fix myself because I wanted to be able to do it so that I could maintain my own house and know what was going on. So that's how I came into. This is It was my postpartum period where I crumbled and I was able to put the pieces back together my cell with the help of a lot of colleagues along the way, and, um, I ended up starting my virtual practice. I can't even tell you exactly how it happened. Everything just fell into place. Um, like you said, I live in the Upper Peninsula. There's not many people appear. Oh, for me to make this work, it's with something that I thought would be really cool, and I went with that and have been just doing this since then, fertility or infertility world came into my lap almost by accident because I was starting to work with women that were simply dealing with hormonal imbalance. Some of them didn't think they could have Children because they were told they couldn't more have had to have progesterone or medications or four months who conceive in the past with prior Children. And all sudden, these these women were getting pregnant while working with, You know, nothing is ever by accident in my mind. But I was thinking, Okay, there's something here. I'm gonna roll with it. And then it just started spreading like wildfire where I had a lot of women seeking help for infertility. Naturally,
spk_0: 6:20
Yeah. Oh, that is so beautiful. I love when people figure out their path and their purpose, you know, through their painful times. I just think that's so awesome that you leaned in. You worked on yourself and you figured it all out. Was there any one particular thing that really stood out to you as like, this is what every woman needs to do postpartum to get through and stay healthy so that they don't end up like you did?
spk_1: 6:52
Yes, that's Also part of it is just even if someone's not doing with infertility there, just looking to conceive in the future. I work with them to optimize that preconception period because it's not only about let's try and be healthy so that we don't have to worry about getting pregnant. But we know that the house of that egg, that baby and they're happy genetic programming is happening 90 days before you actually conceive. So we want to make sure that we're taking care of ourselves three months before we conceive, because that's gonna help influence babies, Long term health. But also Mom's long term health, if you go in the pregnancy is healthy as possible. More than likely, you're not gonna struggle as much through postpartum because we're gonna set you up for success. You're going to know these things. And I worked with my women through pregnancy through postpartum, and we keep them on track and, yeah, they just seem to thrive. Thankfully,
spk_0: 7:53
that is so wonderful. I wish there were more doctors like you around, you know, especially doing obstetrics for so long. I took care of a lot of unhealthy women. A lot of pre eclampsia gestational diabetes, you know, different hypothyroidism. And if we can just get to them before they get pregnant, what a world of difference we can make. So bravo to you. That's so awesome. And it must feel so rewarding, Right? Like you're making women feel better and you're getting them pregnant. So
spk_1: 8:28
exactly. It's so fun to get pregnancy tests, text to my phone or emails, babies. And you know these. I know these women. I know them. One on one. I will help them text me sometimes at 10 o'clock at night, telling me my baby's not nursing right or I'm having issues with milk supply. That's my job. I'm taking care of them. I don't mind that. That's what I do. So and I did this myself. So I can also give them personal experience. Sometimes we've got to take the doctor hat off and just be a friend or a fella Mom to these women.
spk_0: 9:08
Yeah, for sure. I love that. Okay, good. So you work with clients? Virtually. Is it all one on one? Is it group programs? Are you doing both?
spk_1: 9:20
Majority right now is 1 to 1. I do. How a six week program where I do group calls that is still kind of in the process. Um, I just end up when I connect with these women before they may be purchased the program. They end up wanting a work one on one, which is great, because I think a lot of women want but one on one. But there are some women that don't necessarily have the time, or they would rather do something that is already, you know, done for them. And it's just videos, and they can do it on their own time because their schedules too busy. But yes, I do both.
spk_0: 10:00
Okay, that's wonderful. And when you do one on one, my understanding is you do testing with them like hormone testing, gut testing through stool tests. Is that correct?
spk_1: 10:13
Yes, and it really depends on what they need. So my plan is not a one size fits all. I don't even have a plan set up with these women until we cannot. Further initial consultation goes through end up history form that they have done beforehand, and then just sometimes talking with them because it's a 60 minute call, sometimes talking to them about different things on their history. Or they might just say one Raymond tiny little thing as we're having a conversation and it sparks something and I'm like, You know what? We're not doing a hormone test to start with, we need to start with a comprehensive gut test, for we need to start with a food allergy testing because it's not all well, your hormones are imbalanced. Let's start with hormones. There might be a completely different cause to why those hormones are balanced in the first place. So every every testing experience, every quiet has a completely different plan.
spk_0: 11:14
Yeah, exactly. I see that all day long. In my practice, women come in thinking they need their hormones tested, and that is like the root cause of their issue. And I tell them that is just a symptom. That's just, you know, your hormones are bystander that got affected from all of this. There's a deeper issue going on that we need to figure out. So I love that you're taking the functional medicine approach. It's it's just necessary. You gotta fix the root cause right?
spk_1: 11:43
Is in a lot of times that what I've been finding from just my standpoint, obviously I'm not saying millions of people, but with my clients and just talking to other people and colleagues and reading stress is probably the number one culprit to, I would say, every female hormone imbalance in infertility obviously being pumped of the list there. But stress is huge. Physical stress, chemical stress, emotional stress, all those dressers.
spk_0: 12:19
Yeah, well, you explain to my listeners because I get that time and time again, women are like, Oh, I'm not stressed. I'm I'm fine. I'm, you know, doing my day like everybody else. Lean while they haven't stopped to pee or breathe for process their thoughts. But because we're all living that way, they think it's normal. So how do you explain to your clients like you are overstressed and this is what's going on?
spk_1: 12:47
Well, me personally, I struggled with this. This was huge.
spk_0: 12:53
Oh, me too. Hello.
spk_1: 12:56
It's been better since I'm 100% virtual now. When I was juggling both, it was, you know, I was not living when I was preaching, so I just kind of sit down with the or not, Obviously sit down with them physically, really, but sort of computer and we go through their daily schedule. What? Chenery waking up. How long does it take you to get ready? How many people within your household you have to get ready? Like if they have Children at home? Um, you know, we go through their daily schedule and I talked with them about how often do they have trying for themselves? How often are they in silence? How often you know it doesn't have to be an intense workout. How often are you getting healthy movements throughout the day or the week? And a lot of times these answers for the questions to them. They're looking at me like, Well, does anyone Time? Thing means you are in a sympathetic states, stupid, sympathetic, dominant state. When we are not taking time to breathe and taking time, just chill and relax. I mean, right now, a lot of us in the country and in this world are fighting out. We were really stressed before.
spk_0: 14:11
Yeah, yeah, I almost feel like that's the way our but I feel like it's the universe's way of putting us in a time out like you're over doing it. You're doing too much. You need to sit at home and chill for a minute. And so I think as soon as we realize that an embrace that we're gonna all be the better for it, right, instead of sitting here stressing like, Oh, my money situation is gonna be a problem. Where am I gonna get my groceries? Like the universe has this just have faith, you know, it's gonna work out and just roll with it. So I love that you work on the stress. I think that's super important. What is your favorite thing to de stress, or what's your go to?
spk_1: 14:58
Just making sure every single day they're setting themselves five minutes. True themselves. Just five minutes alone. If you have to get five minutes earlier, go to bed five minutes later. Um, you need five minutes of alone time, preferably in silence, to do whatever the heck you want to dio. Just sit and look at yourself or raid right? Something prayer. Meditate. Whatever it is, you need five minutes yourself. Every single day. I teach some some just simple, deep breathing that often on throughout the day, whether they're sitting at a desk or at home with kids running around, they got to just take some deep breaths and reset themselves into more of a pair. Sympathetic state.
spk_0: 15:47
Yeah, isn't that crazy that we have to beg someone to take five minutes? But I get it like I lived that life, I completely understand. And I remember I was at revitalized with mind Body green. It's like, you know, get together with all these amazing health practitioners and a weekend of, you know, breathing exercises and yoga and all of these amazing de stressing tools. And I had one. Practitioners say to me, You know, why don't you just get up 20 minutes earlier in the morning before your kids and drink warm glass of water, have some breathing and some stretching. And maybe you won't be so stressed out through the day because I would, like, literally wait until my kids woke me up. And then we're like Russian around him, make lunches, feed breakfast, get the backpacks and get out the door. It's like I was not paying attention to me and my needs. And when she said that she's like, just set up intention for your day, like take five minutes to think. Hey, how do I want this day to go or toe look like doing want my kids to be happy when they walk out of the house. And then I physically did that for a few days. It was so life changing, and it was so simple, I couldn't believe it. So, yeah, I got my morning set up with my intentions, and then I realized I needed to work at my sleep a little more because I was grumpy when I was getting up because I wasn't sleeping well. So I know that that's part of something that you're preaching to these women, right? Like, get your sleep in order.
spk_1: 17:33
Yes. I think that all women, slightly women especially need at least eight hours of sleep a night. And the gold bedtime is 10 o'clock. And some women say to me how the you got to make it happen? There's you just There's some things that are gonna have to wait until tomorrow. There's always tomorrow, um, and get to bed by 10 oclock. At least think about getting to by 10 oclock and they get a good eight hours if possible on most nights. I know that it's not always doable for everyone. Some people still have young Children that are waking them up at times. But again, we need to get sleep. We need to get uninterrupted sleep if possible. Having the room is darkest possible. Having it, you know, less than 67 degrees, I think, is the gold temperature before bed. If you're on any type of a device, how blue light blocking glasses on or have the night mode set on those devices? I think most phones and ipads and computers now have the night mode where it filters out some of that blue light. Um, unfortunately, TV's do not how that I'm hoping that that some type of, ah acts that future, But, um just trying to feel drunk some of the blue light because it affects the melatonin production. And then we're not going to sleep well, we're gonna wake up feeling grumpy and not well rested because of that.
spk_0: 19:14
Yeah, I love that. And you're saying 10 o'clock because of our melatonin production, right? We want to stay in a circadian rhythm. We want to go to sleep with the sunset and get up with the sunrise, right?
spk_1: 19:29
Yes. Besides, obviously during the winter, when I loathe son, I don't think things like E No. But yes, during the summer time for us, that's the goal is going to bed when the sun goes down, a rising sun rises And, yes, working with our natural circadian rhythm because that helps our adrenals. Which of your adrenals are happy? Usually your sex hormones and thyroid journalists are going to be happy to. But if your adrenals are that happy, nothing's gonna be happy.
spk_0: 20:07
Yeah, can you explain that? How how are Drina? Blends affect our sex hormones? Because I think a lot of women don't get that connection
spk_1: 20:16
with the adrenals. Can dictate a lot with sex formal production when we were in more of a sympathetic stage and we have increased quarters old production that can actually decrease the thyroid conversion. So are after thyroid hormone. Obviously, we've got different thyroid hormones and it has to be activated. And Jewish Quarter Selcan Block that activations that we get more into a hypothyroidism state that affects the pituitary gland which cannot factor sex, were hone production. But we also know that too much cortisol is literally depleting our progesterone levels. Hello.
spk_0: 21:02
Hey, man.
spk_1: 21:02
Many women with low protest row nowadays, right?
spk_0: 21:06
Yes, I would say probably eight out of 10 of my women have to go on progesterone. You know, it's just they're stealing all their progesterone to make all that court is all it. It's frustrating. That's there's.
spk_1: 21:21
There's a lot that happens when we're in that high stress, high sympathetic mode and too much quarter sales rolling out. And if it happens like that for too long, then you're gonna end up having to little quarter song because we're messing up the whole feedback between the gland in the brain. So that's something that some women struggle with is now. It's hard for them to get their quarter sold back up to where it needs to be. Has been in such a chronic stress state for so long.
spk_0: 21:52
Yeah, and that that's then you're really far gone, then It's a lot
spk_1: 21:56
of work that's a lot of a long running, but I have some women that have been on this long world with me since the beginning and were years in, and they're finally doing much, much better. But you have to maintain, and you have to be more careful fully off of falling off the wagon.
spk_0: 22:16
Yeah, yeah, exactly what is the most common reason clients air seeking you out for? Is that because they're adrenal fatigue, exhausted type symptoms? Or is it mostly for infertility or you kind of get in everything?
spk_1: 22:32
It started out where I was getting everything because I was new in it. And, um, I was just working hormone imbalance for the most part. So I still have several clients that I'm still working less that are in menopausal age or peri menopausal and some that just are, you know, wanting hormone balance after having Children. But right now, most of my newer clients are in that infertility stage right now. Not that I wouldn't take anyone else on, but I just I really enjoy working with, um during that phase, I feel like it's so rewarding. Teoh, obviously, how the be undersold. Be healthy, baby, right?
spk_0: 23:20
Yeah, exactly. Do you have any specific diet that you follow with your clients, or is it all individualized?
spk_1: 23:28
Nestle individualized? I would say it's more paleo based. Okay? Not that everyone's got to be stripped paleo not have any grains, but that would be the base diet. But I told everyone, let's at least look at this. And let's stick to this for the most part because I think that's the healthiest. They're getting healthy protein and healthy fats and, um, for the vegetables and some fruits and nuts and seeds. But again, depending on if we do a food allergy panel on them. What that tells us to right, but can rule out a lot of those so called healthy boots. Someone can pop up where they have a new immune reaction to seven or eggs or broccoli or Brussels roads. And these are things that we know are common fertility foods.
spk_0: 24:23
Yeah, you want them to be able to eat those types of foods, right? Exactly some time out
spk_1: 24:28
of their body has a immune and inflammatory reaction to that, right? So they go into the drawing board and make sure that we're getting a more personalised diet for them.
spk_0: 24:40
And when you see women who have, like multiple food sensitivities, are you worried about got health at that point?
spk_1: 24:48
Yes, so it's usually a symptom based not saying that if someone has no digestive symptoms at all, they can't have these issues. But that's why we do end up history and really talk about things, and I usually start with a gut test and then go to the food allergy or sensitivity test according to what the gut test tells me. Get their secretary. I g. A levels are really high. We know we have to go onto the allergy test. If they're not, then we usually do. Not again, depending on each client,
spk_0: 25:25
right? So what else are we looking for in the stool? Testing That's gonna help us understand what's going on with these women.
spk_1: 25:34
How well they digested absorbed their food, especially their fats again. Those inflammatory immune markers making sure that their bacteria balance is where it needs to be infections that's huge. It's very rare for me to have a stool test, come back and not have any type of infection, whether it's bacterial or fungal or parasitic, these air things that unfortunately are common. So that's usually something we need to work on, Um, or looking at an enzyme called beta blue Khurana days, which is, if it's too high, is that good for us? But also not good if it's too low. So a lot of women that haven't elevated enzyme in their guts and that being oxygen dominant because that ends I am is basically face three extra gin detoxification. We have too much of that. It shuttles are estrogen that is supposed to be going out through our poop back into our body and can go back into circulation. Hello, Astros in dominance.
spk_0: 26:41
Yes. Yes. And you're not going to get pregnant that way, and you're gonna have heavy, painful periods, painful breast tenderness. You're gonna be not nice person to be around, right
spk_1: 26:53
innocents. And sometimes that is the underlying factor to something like a name. Atrial cess. Yeah. Where you know, these women are are dealing with so much, so much pain. And there's not a lot medically that can be done besides just covering up the symptoms. And it might be their gut. That's the culprit. Yeah, and then you fixed out, and slowly they're able to get back on track and gain balance within the hormones again.
spk_0: 27:25
Yeah, well, you just reiterate to my listeners how important your poop really is because people don't want to talk to me about it. They think Oh, my gosh, it's so embarrassing. I'm like, honey, no, This is super important. We need to talk about it. I talk about poop with every patient because it's such a window into what's going on in your hormones in your body.
spk_1: 27:50
It ISS. Then if they can't talk about poop, should be having a baby every single day. Several times a day. After you have a baby, you're gonna be talking about poop whether they go to Grandma's house or their at day care, how many times they put what they're pooping?
spk_0: 28:06
Yeah, exactly like
spk_1: 28:08
poop. At that point, just use the Jag about poop
spk_0: 28:11
exactly, and then wait till they turn like eight. And that's their favorite word in the world. And you know it's so funny. Poo poo poo for my
spk_1: 28:21
daughter's first word is still whatever be saying. What is this letter PPS for booby?
spk_0: 28:28
Yeah, that's laughing hysterically for five minutes, but
spk_1: 28:34
it's it's so important. Just like your immense sees your menstrual cycle, knowing your flow, what color the blood is if you have claws, how long you're bleeding, like these things they're being excreted from our body are giving us so many signs to what's going on. So yeah, I don't think I've ever I had a conversation with any client where we don't talk about Coop and talk about their menstrual cycle. We're talking about their period. That's just the things that we have strong because they give us signs into if we're making improvements and you know what's really going on?
spk_0: 29:18
Yeah, I see so many women whose primary complaint is constipation. You know, they're going once or twice a week. Family, of course, you're absorbing your estrogen's back into your bloodstream and recirculating them. I mean, that's an easy fix. Right there
spk_1: 29:35
is. If you don't know coop everyday, your estrogen dominant. Yeah, that I tell every one of my clients I wouldn't be getting when they tell me if, Like you said, if they're dealing with Congress constipation and they're only going a few times a week, that's absolutely horrible. It doesn't matter. That enzyme on your stool test is elevated or not. If you're not pooping every day, you are your estrogen dominant.
spk_0: 29:58
Yeah, exactly. Uh, I'm so glad that I'm not the only one preaching this, Uh, you know, a lot of calls. That's awesome. Are there any supplements that you use on a regular basis to help women balance their cycle and optimize their fertility before they get pregnant.
spk_1: 30:22
There's, I mean, obviously being a good multivitamin and good prenatal, less the proper forms of B vitamins. You know, you never want to be taking the synthetic full of acid or Sino Kabbalah mean, especially if someone has the I'm teaching our mutation. But even if you don't have that, you still want to be on a good form of B vitamin built into that into that multi. Sometimes we do enough should be complex. I ju nutrient panels also so we can actually look at all their nutrient status and vitamin status and see what they need to be doing extra off One of my favorite herbs that I use a lot with my women is by tax stream. Yeah, I find it just so, so helpful again. I like to test before using these things because we know that herbs air powerful their medicine. A lot of pharmaceuticals are actually synthetic forms of herbs, right? So you don't just want to start taking all these things just because of symptoms or something you read online. But that one usually is very, very helpful. But again, you being a doctor, we know that not are all herbs or all supplements are created equal. You need to make sure that you're getting a from a reputable source. Right? Old herbs I use are actually from Australia. I trust the herbs more than any of the herbs here. Um, I feel like the just the whole process is spot on. So that's where all the herbs come from. That Miley's use.
spk_0: 32:01
That's awesome. Yeah, I think you need pharmaceutical grade. You need a company that has third party testing? Yes, that what's in the bottles? Actually in the bottle at the dose, It says it says, Please myself
spk_1: 32:15
Bolin's or anything like that.
spk_0: 32:19
Amazon, Walgreens. Things like that. The dollar sore got. Help me. Yeah. So, No, I love Chase Trias. Well, I think it's really nice at balancing out your cycle after you make sure that you know what you're dealing with is just basic estrogen dominance, Right? So yes, Yes. What about a little bit of progesterone support for some you know, women having infertility issues or recurrent miscarriage? Do you deal with that at all?
spk_1: 32:53
I've honestly never had to Omar. Um, if their lower with progesterone, we try and deal with the adrenals on get that back on track and then chased her is actually more of a progesterone supporting herb, You know, that's why we find it really helpful for women that are absolutely dominant because it's it's more of a supportive, supportive towards progesterone production, and it works tour. It actually helps with communication with the pituitary gland eso. It's helping with that whole communication process with feedback that we have. So I have knock on wood. Not had Teoh do anything. I personally I cannot prescribe anything for women anyway. Any hormones or medications. I do have a lot of women that work with their there. Obviously, there will be in the process. And I think we there's a couple little bees in our local that we have several women in common, and they're very, very accepting and helpful with them doing more of a natural approach with support of supplements and herbs of while they're doing, um, you know their medical stop at the same time.
spk_0: 34:11
Okay, that's great. Yeah, I think it's so important to be able tow work in conjunction with conventional medicine doctors. You know, they they can do some things, but They have a lot of limitations. I know, because I did that for over a decade. You know, I felt like I didn't have a lot of tools in my toolbox when it came to infertility. You know, I could rule out endometriosis. I could make sure they're cavity was clear. They didn't have big fibroids, you know? But that was about it and that that was the extent of my training. And so learning functional medicine opened up a whole new world for me. And I just feel so blessed that I have tools in my tool kit now to deal with infertility is so I really hope more physicians, you know, get functional medicine training like we have, because it's so necessary. I mean, the importance of our gut microbiome and our stress management and our diet is just It can't be understood. It can be stated enough, right?
spk_1: 35:24
Exactly. I think that the Cleveland Clinic now all of their students have to go through ah, functional medicine round. Yeah, for the Graduate, which I think is amazing. And it's a start, and I think that don't wake medical doctors and those in the medical profession. I think they want it, they just they've not been able to get it. And once you graduate, you're so overload.
spk_0: 35:50
Oh, yeah.
spk_1: 35:51
You don't have time to pursue extra education on your own.
spk_0: 35:56
No, you don't. And I honestly didn't know anything about it because you get so consumed in your conventional world, then you know you're not even exposed to it. You don't even know anything about it. I didn't know about this world of wellness until I had my own back injuries. So I love that they are finally getting residents and medical students on board while they're still doing their conventional training. Because I think once your eyes air opened, then you can't go back. Then you want to read the new science. You want us to figure out the root cause so we definitely need to support that, that's for sure. So tell me, what is your number one recommendation? Just two women listening today to optimize their health like one thing that they could dio that could be a game changer,
spk_1: 36:51
I think. Honestly, way we talked about the whole straws component and it sees your something done.
spk_0: 36:58
A stress. Yeah, like you and I trying to juggle our schedule for the past four days to find one hour to talk to each other. That's crazy. But it's that bad. It really is.
spk_1: 37:13
I know it is. But being a mama and a doctor's I'm playing is your juggling a lot of effort?
spk_0: 37:20
Yes. All you can do is keep trying, right?
spk_1: 37:24
Yes. And you know, just be more forgiving of yourself. And you got a set time aside right now because you're going to regret it when baby comes and you don't even know what it's like. Toe, have it just There's a lot of things that I wish I could say. But yes, try and decrease your stress. Take time for yourself, be more forgiving of yourself. And, um, just make some schedule changes. No, because it will be so much easier later on.
spk_0: 38:01
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I think that once you have a baby, you realize you had more time than you thought you did. You know, cause then you really don't have any time that you're not even going to the bathroom by yourself after that. So I think I know it's a good trade off right there. They're worth it. Okay, so. So women if they want to work with you where they work and they find you.
spk_1: 38:35
My website is the doctor melissa dot com. I'm on Facebook and Instagram Dr. Melissa Vander Meson. Um, and right now for everyone. I have no idea when this podcast is going to go live if we're still gonna be quarantined or not. But I do have my my five day, many fertility course that I'm offering for free right now.
spk_0: 39:02
Well, that's awesome
spk_1: 39:04
for everyone out there that needs that. That just needs to kind of hunker down, do a little bit off self care. Super super easy things like go buy a bag of absence salt or order it on Amazon. Yeah, that's one of the things to do. So yeah, just super simple things. Awesome. Just trying to be as helpful as possible for all these women.
spk_0: 39:27
I love it, so yeah, definitely. Check that out. Because now is the time for self care. Now we are stuck at home now, you know, start exercising. Start making those food changes. Don't stay in your pajamas all day. Don't sit on the couch and Netflix your way through three weeks like take this opportunity that the universe is given you and do something with it, right? Get healthy.
spk_1: 39:54
Exactly. Beachbody on demand. Yeah, I always work out from home. I work from home. This is this is pretty much my normal life. It's hard because I know I'm personally
spk_0: 40:08
Yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh. Well, I'm so glad that we connected. I love it. So we're gonna have to hang out in person sometime, but yes. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with my guests. You're just a wealth of knowledge, and they definitely need to check you out, Dr Melissa. So thank you. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Take care. You too. Bye. So wasn't she awesome? I love Dr Melissa. Definitely follow her on Facebook and Instagram. And I'd love it if you'd follow me. A doctor. Tabatha d r t a b a t h a No eyes just aids. And if you're enjoying the functional gynecologist podcast, please hit the subscribe button shared with all the women that you know and maybe even give me a five star review. That would be awesome. This all helps guarantee that I can keep bringing you this important information and keep supporting you guys. So shoot me out your questions. I would love to show you out on my Friday question of the week. So? So I can better serve you. Now go out and kick some butt and have an amazing week. Show yourself some love and hang in there. Hopefully this stay home will be over soon. Bye, guys.
