Playtimes HK Magazine Winter Issue 2018/2019 | Page 25

maternity
J
enny Ostling and her husband
had been trying to conceive a
baby for six years. After one
round of in vitro fertilisation (IVF)
treatment, Jenny became pregnant
but later miscarried; the second round
proved unsuccessful. Their issue was
male factor infertility but, in the lead
up to a third attempt at IVF, Jenny
discovered she had Hashimoto’s
Disease – a thyroid disease that can
impact fertility. Determined to regain her
health before continuing their journey to
parenthood, Jenny, a holistic therapist
specialising in female health, undertook
tests to determine which foods to avoid
and which minerals her body needed.
Predominantly adhering to the
auto-immune protocol (AIP) diet and
taking appropriate supplements
recommended by a naturopath, Jenny
eliminated dairy, gluten, grains, soy,
sugar (except raw honey and maple),
corn and eggs from her diet. She also
drank numerous fertility-boosting herbal
teas including raspberry leaf, nettle,
dandelion and lemon balm.
“The expected effect was to get
my antibody numbers down from the
Hashimoto’s disease, which is what
happened. I significantly reduced
those numbers and lost five kilos in the
process. My husband also ate the same
foods and was already exercising a lot
(I also did regular yoga and swimming).
The most amazing thing is after just two
months of this lifestyle change we got
pregnant naturally for the first time after
six years of trying. Our nine-week old is
the result!” says Jenny, a co-creator of
Facebook community Hope Hong Kong,
which provides online support and
monthly meet-ups for people struggling
with fertility and loss.
Jenny shares that – while she
had other forms of treatment such
as Traditional Chinese medicine and
regular massages – it was the major
changes in the couple’s diet that led
to her conceiving naturally. “You really
need to cut out foods that cause
inflammation, and nourish your body
with lots of fruits, veggies and good
Winter 2018
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