Laura MacLeod, Naturopathic Doctor
3269 Bloor St. W, Suite 203 M8X 1E9 Toronto, ON, Canada

Can’t wait to chat with @justbreathemama.ca tonight about women’s hormones and mental health! From PMS to postpartum, we’re going to cover the impact that hormones can have on your mood. Get cozy on your couch and grab a tea or glass of wine and join us tonight at 8:30 over at @justbreathemama.ca #drlaura_nd #etobicokenaturopath #womenshealth #mentalhealth #postpartum #pms #pmdd #anxiety #depression

PRECONCEPTION HOW TO GET STARTED Part 4 of 4 Consider making some lifestyle changes to optimize your health. WHAT TO EAT: Eating a well rounded diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins and avoiding refined sugar and processed/packaged foods is an integral piece to supporting egg and sperm health. The mediterranean diet has the best research support. The greatest adherence to a mediterranean diet (vs a western diet) showed t...he lowest difficulty with getting pregnant. A Netherlands study found that couples undergoing IVF/ICSI and eating a mediterranean diet had an increase probability of pregnancy (odds ratio 1.4) MOVE YOUR BODY: Exercise is so important for your immune system, metabolism, mood and stress levels. I recommend an enjoyable form of activity 3-5 times per week. Especially when it comes to trying to conceive, exercise is an excellent way to discharge any anxieties or worries and empower you to take your health into your own hands and improve your chances. We know from research that the best pregnancy and live birth rates are with a BMI between 20-25 . The chances of perinatal and neonatal complications are also improved with a BMI in this range. #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #naturopathy #womenshealth #fertility #pregnancy#preconception See more

PRECONCEPTION HOW TO GET STARTED Part 3 of 4 Start learning about your body and your menstrual cycle. This is especially true if you have been on hormonal birth control for most of your life. Your menstrual cycle will look different when you are not on the pill. Many women that I work with are not aware of when they ovulate, how to tell when they ovulate and how to time intercourse for your best chances of conceiving. NOTE A tracking app CANNOT predict whe...n you will ovulate! Unless you are tracking in other ways (LH strips, basal body temperature, cervical mucous, cervical position), your app is making an educated guess based on your cycle length. So PSA do not rely on an app or you may be missing your fertile window. Without knowledge of the clinical signs that your body expresses to notify you of fertile window (see above ) you could be missing your window and not even know it. This can be an unnecessary stressor on couples and can be made much more predictable by learning about your cycle and the factors that influence it. Need help with learning about your fertile window and how to track ovulation? I can honestly say this is one of my favourite teaching topics with clients. Book a free meet and greet to learn more! Link in bio #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #naturopathy #womenshealth #fertility #pregnancy#preconception See more

PRECONCEPTION HOW TO GET STARTED Part 2 of 4 You should start a prenatal supplement at least 3 months prior to conceiving (and your partner should consider taking a prenatal as well it takes two!). WHY? It takes 3 months for your eggs and sperm to mature. In order to produce eggs and sperm of optimal quality, it is important to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrients to support egg and sperm development.... This can be accomplished in many ways, one of which is to take a GOOD QUALITY prenatal supplement. Not all prenatal supplements are created equal. It is important to speak to your Naturopathic Doctor about which prenatal they would recommend. Don't’ waste your money on a prenatal supplement that isn’t giving you the best bang for your buck! A prenatal supplement should include: The most active forms of vitamins/minerals in order to optimize absorption and use by the body A form of iron that is easier to digest and won’t cause constipation or nausea A prenatal supplement should not include: Preservatives Fillers Dyes (aka those cute pink and blue pills If you want to learn more about prenatal supplements and preconception care, book in for a free virtual/in person meet and greet with me Link in bio #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #naturopathy #womenshealth #fertility #pregnancy#preconception See more

PRECONCEPTION HOW TO GET STARTED Part 1 of 4 Thinking about starting a family is a big decision for you and your partner. There are some other factors to consider when starting down your family planning journey that I find are often overlooked. This is no fault of the client/their partner but rather a major gap in knowledge translation from the education we get from school, health care providers and whereever else you learn about your body. So let’s get started: ... GUIDELINE #1 If you are on hormonal birth control, I would highly suggest discontinuing this approximately 1 year before you plan to try to conceive. WHY? Oftentimes women have been on birth control for most of their adolescent/adult life which means their bodies have little to no practice producing their own hormones, ovulating and having unmedicated cycles. Remember that when you are on hormonal birth control, you are not having a REAL period. It is considered a withdrawal bleed from the synthetic hormones therefore it could be a decade or longer since your body had a period! You need to give your body time to adjust to not having synthetic hormones and cycling on its own. For some women, it can take up to a year to start having regular periods again. This is even more important if the reason that you went on birth control in the first place was to address hormonal concerns (painful periods for example) or to regulate your cycles. There could be an underlying reproductive health concern that needs to be diagnosed and treated in order to optimize your chances of conceiving If you have questions about how I can help on your fertility journey, book a free meet and greet! Link in bio #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #naturopathy #womenshealth #fertility #pregnancy See more

Happy Canada Day everyone! I celebrated with my two favourites @ Prince Edward County

BUMP NOTICE It’s becoming harder to conceal what I’ve been working on building over the past 20 weeks. I’m now half way through my first pregnancy and it’s been quite a journey. I was already fascinated with fertility, pregnancy and birth before beginning my own journey and now that passion has only been strengthened from going through it first hand. As always, I want to walk alongside my clients on their health journey and I thought what better way to do that then t...o share my experiences, what I’ve learned and my tips for every stage from preconception, trimesters 1-3 and postpartum! Stay tuned for more information on #preconception with #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #fertility #pregnancy #womenshealth See more

I’ve been doing a lot of listening, watching, reading and learning. It is a very heavy time and I’ve been reflecting on my role in this. What I have learned is that I, with my white privilege, owe it to POCs to put in the work to become more than just ‘not racist’. I need to be an anti-racist and an ally. To do this, I need to educate myself, listen to POC, ask them what they need from me, and actively engage in calls to action. Not just for this week or next, for the rest of my life. I need to be committed to doing my part to make this world a better place, a safer place. I am listening, I am learning, I can and will be better. @sacree_frangine #blacklivesmatter #indigenouslivesmatter #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath

Happy Naturopathic Medicine Week! 6 years ago, I made a decision to make a HUGE career move. I had been nursing at SickKids for 3 years and started getting the itch for something different. I knew that I wanted to stay in the health care field because I have a true passion and calling to care for others. I went back to the drawing board to examine what was important to me. I wanted to deliver holistic, client-centred, individualized care. ... I wanted to sit down with someone and listen, REALLY listen and have the time and space to do so. I wanted to normalize, validate and provide compassionate care. I wanted to focus on optimal rather than common and to raise expectations for and with my clients on how good they can feel. I wanted to support women, raise them up and empower them with knowledge about their bodies. And so here I am, 2 years into practice, at a clinic that I love, helping women with their hormones, fertility, pregnancy and digestive health. It’s been the most challenging career switch and it pushes me to grow in ways that I didn’t know I could. It’s been a labour of love and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share in my client’s health journey. #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #naturopathy #womenshealth #fertility #pregnancy #digestivehealth #naturopathfornurses #naturopathicmedicineweek See more

This is a great offering for those of you in healthcare who are on the frontlines and affected by COVID-19. There will be expert speakers weekly to guide us through these unprecedented times. Sign up is free and it starts today, May 19! Link in my bio to sign up #naturopathfornurses #drlaurand #mindfulness #covid19 #frontlineworkers

Happy Nurses Week everyone! With the state of the world right now, nurses have been receiving more celebration and acknowledgement for the tough work we do. I would argue this recognition shouldn’t have started with COVID. Nurses are hero’s everyday, in small and large ways: They are the helping hand to guide you through difficult times. The encouragement and motivation you need to push forward. ... The warm, generous and thoughtful listener when you fear no one is hearing you. The educator to bridge the gap between medical jargon and true informed consent/understanding of your/your families care. The diligent, detail oriented and skilled provider to notice small trends leading to bigger health consequences. The advocate to help you fight your battles. The calm and proficiency in the midst of emergencies and crisis. The one you can always count on. Recognize the nurses in your life now and everyday, covid or not. #happynursesweek2020 #nurseheroes #etobicokenaturopath #naturopathfornurses See more

This week is National Infertility Week One of the areas of focus in my practice is fertility and here is what I have learned: Infertility can be incredibly isolating, scary and stressful Infertility is something you cannot see - the couples out there struggling could be in your circle, struggling in silence for fear of judgement/stigma or simply just acknowledging that it is real ... Infertility is both a female AND male problem 40% of the time it is a female factor, 40% of the time it is a male factor and 20% of the time it is a combination of both partners or unexplained. And here’s what else I know: There is a lot that can be done with Naturopathic Medicine to improve fertility, such as: A comprehensive, holistic look at all the factors that could be at play this always includes meeting with both partners and uncovering underlying causes such as thyroid disorders, PCOS, diminished ovarian reserve and so on. Laboratory testing to identify root causes and distinguish normal vs optimal hormones, egg and sperm health Cycle specific acupuncture to improve pelvic blood flow and calm the mind A customized, evidence-based treatment plan including dietary changes and high quality supplements to support and optimize egg and sperm health, an environmental/occupational assessment to decrease exposure to environmental toxins and lifestyle changes Working with the other providers in your circle of care such as your fertility clinic to ensure a seamless interdisciplinary approach that puts you at the centre of your care. If you are struggling to conceive, know that you are not alone and you have options. Book a virtual meet and greet appointment to find out more about how I can help. @morganharpernichols #drlaurand #etobicokenaturopath #fertility #womenshealth #nationalinfertilityweek See more