About Katie Rose

Why I chose to pursue work in fertility

Long before I had my son, I had a conversation with a health practitioner about life and health. She asked me what my greatest fear was. Without hesitation, and to my surprise, I answered, “not being able to have children.” When I sat back to think about this answer, I realized that my own hormone imbalances and health issues weren’t setting me up for optimal fertility – and even though I had no desire to have children at that time in my life, I had to optimize my health so that when I was ready to have children, it might be easier to do so.

That was over ten years ago.

In the years that followed, I had several close friends who struggled with infertility and it became clear to me that I needed to learn everything possible about the world of natural fertility solutions. My goal is to provide both natural fertility solutions as well as complimentary care and support during assisted reproductive procedures such as IUI and IVF.

Fertility wasn’t a topic that was covered in great depth in medical school. It’s required years of continuing education, conferences, scouring text books, and learning from other’s experience to feel comfortable in this arena. What was covered in depth in naturopathic medical school, however, was how to address root causes of disease, how to help all the systems in the body work in harmony with one another, and how to help patients get healthier overall!

Great health also translates into better fertility.

In a world where up to 1 in 7 couples struggle with infertility, and at least 20% of cases are unexplained, reaching optimal health (in both mind and body) can go a long way toward conceiving a child. There is no greater satisfaction for me than meeting a healthy baby who’s parents conceived using the tools and support of naturopathic medicine.

My Personal Experience with Naturopathic Medicine

If I listed the number of health issues I’d had in the years prior to utilizing naturopathic medicine, most people wouldn’t believe it by looking at me: sinus infections, pneumonia, recurrent urinary tract infections, yeast infections, interstitial cystitis, eczema, irregular cycles, cystic acne, insomnia, anxiety…When I look back on those years, it feels surreal, like an out of body experience. By all appearances, I looked like a really healthy 20 year old, and maybe this is why it took so long for someone to listen. Many of my patients have told me a similar story- one in which they feel terrible but don’t feel heard by their medical practitioners.

For my doctors it was easy enough to prescribe a pill for everything, antibiotics for the sinus infection or UTI, fluconazole for the yeast infections, birth control for the irregular cycles and acne, cortisone cream for the eczema…I think you get the picture. It was getting exhausting, and each time I went in to see my primary care doctor, I felt like we were getting farther from a solution.

Thankfully, a nurse practitioner in this office pulled me aside and said, “You’re too young to be headed down this path of chronic illness, you have to see a naturopath.” At the time, I had never even heard of a naturopath, so I took my time learning about it before I jumped in. I could find excuses not to pursue it: I was in college full time, working part time at minimum wage and my health insurance wouldn’t cover this type of treatment. But as time went on, it became more and more clear that a different path wasn’t a luxury, it had become a necessity. I had always wanted to be a doctor, but with the way my health was going, I felt like it was going to be nearly impossible to accomplish this goal.

The first time I saw a naturopath, I was blown away by the depth of the intake – it wasn’t just about the symptoms – it was about all the aspects of my life that may have contributed to weakness in my health that left me susceptible to illness. We worked together to come up with a plan that included improving my nutrition, decreasing my stress, and using supplements, herbs and acupuncture to strengthen my body. Through specialty testing, we identified that I had sensitivities to eggs, dairy and yeast, so for a while I was on a diet that excluded these foods and all sugar that would contribute to yeast overgrowth. It wasn’t easy at first, but when I started seeing results, it was well worth it. I took a ton of supplements too, and while it wasn’t cheap and I was skeptical at first, I now know how much these helped me to heal- especially my gut and bladder. I didn’t see changes overnight, but my naturopath gave me some tools to ease acute symptoms when they came up and over several months every aspect of my health started to improve.

By sharing my story, I hope to convey that health is a journey, and often takes an unexpected path. As a naturopath, I hope to guide my patients on that journey in such a way that gives them the tools to help themselves reach optimal health.

Outside of practicing naturopathic medicine, I love spending time with my family, gardening, cooking, staying active and checking out a good farmers market!

5 Facts About Me:

1) I was painfully shy growing up! If I had to give a presentation in front of the class, my mouth would get dry, my heart would race, and my ears would ring so loud that I could barely focus on what I was trying to say. It took a TON of practice to feel even remotely comfortable in front of a camera or with public speaking.

2) I used to hate yoga. I couldn’t see why anyone would waste time with an exercise that wasn’t solely focused on toning or trimming. Also, I thought it was kind of boring. Then I started paying better attention to what my body was telling me, and looking at what exercises and lifestyles were associated with longevity, and decided to keep trying different yoga styles and classes until I found one that worked well for me. Now I don’t think I could live without it!

3) I really love chocolate. Even when I did the super restrictive “Candida diet” twelve years ago- which was involved eliminating grains, sugar, dairy, most fruits, condiments, and coffee (and eggs because they were on my food allergy panel)- I found a way to make my own Candida-friendly chocolate without sugar…it was painstaking but worth it, and now I have a fall back since I try to stay away from sugar in general.

4) I am always reading a book, maybe two or three at the same time- one for pleasure (I love a good mystery/suspense/thriller), one for knowledge (patients are always inspiring me to learn more), and sometimes one for sheer entertainment (Tina Fey on Audible is always good for a laugh in the car).

5) My family is everything to me, and this includes my 13 year old golden retriever…dogs are people too, right?

About Naturopathic Medicine

A naturopathic physician (NMD) is a primary care physician clinically trained in conventional medical sciences with an emphasis on holistic preventative care. The goal of a naturopath is to find and eliminate the root cause of a patient’s symptoms while educating, inspiring and empowering the patient to reach optimal health.

In Arizona, naturopathic doctors are licensed and regulated by the State of Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board. Physicians must have completed a bachelor’s degree and then graduated from an accredited four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and pass national board examinations.

The scope of practice in Arizona includes limited prescription privileges, minor surgery, diet and nutrition counseling, homeopathy, acupuncture, botanical medicine, environmental medicine, nutrient IV therapy, physical manipulation and other physiotherapy modalities.

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