Folia Fertility & Wellness

10/07/2022

Not sure if you should be on medication for endometriosis? Maybe you've heard of Lupron, Orilissa, Visanne, Lolo, or any form of hormonal contraceptive?

This is NOT an anti-drug post, it's a "re-setting goals" post.

You need to be clear with yourself, and your doctors, about what your goals are with medication.

Is it for pain?
Is it for current fertility?
Is it for future fertility?
Is it for cyst reduction?
Is it for pre/post surgery?

Medications have a purpose. They shut down your body's estrogen production so that less estrogen will lead to less inflammation. You stop ovulating. That's it.

They do not cure a damn thing. They stop working the second you discontinue use.

I'll often hear the same thoughts from my patients "I know I should be taking *insert drug here* but I don't want to"

You don't HAVE to take a damn thing. What we DO have to know is what you're hoping to achieve from treatment. What are your goals?

Endometriosis is an autoimmune condition. If you want to address the root cause of endometriosis you need immune support. You need antioxidants. You need an anti-inflammatory. You need nutrition. AND maybe you need hormonal suppression too!

Your goals matter in your endo treatment. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. It's a long-term journey. Let's figure out what you need.

10/03/2022

We want to earn your trust.

We know that by the time you decide to start working with us you've probably already been to one or two fertility clinics. You may have also already seen a couple naturopathic doctors and even some acupuncturists too!

We get that. Fertility care is really complicated and it's exhausting mentally, physically, and financially. Maybe you're looking for someone who hears you, someone that can explain everything to you, someone with answers?

We want to be that for you.

Most of the conversations I have with my patients start with them saying this: "I just don't get what's wrong, why is this happening to me, why don't I have any options?"

And they end with me saying: "I'm so sorry you've gone through all of this without any real answers, it's my job to figure it all out for you"

And I take that job very seriously. We all do

We want to earn the opportunity to work with you. Here's how we try to do just that.

09/08/2022

Wondering how to start working with us? 👋

Step 1: Choose your appointment type

- If you already know we are the right fit for you, you can get started with an "initial" appointment (both virtual or in-person options)

- If you're still unsure and have a few questions before committing, you'll want to book a free discovery phone call

Step 2: Investigations & Assessment

- We love lab work, we need more than symptoms to understand what's going on in your body

- If you're working with a fertility clinic we will requisition your records directly and review them with you, we'll also offer you more testing options if you're interested

Step 3: Answers & Treatment Plan

- Nothing is truly "unexplainable" when it comes to your health. We will give you answers and provide individualized treatment based on what we have learned about you

Step 4: Ongoing care

- You'll have our support forever!

Interested in booking an appointment? Link is in the bio ⬆️ We can't wait to meet you!

09/01/2022

Don't want to have to talk to someone to book an appointment?? We get it! We like online booking too, that's why we have it!

1️⃣ New patients can book their first virtual and/or in-person appointment online

2️⃣ Existing patients can also book their appointments online and better yet, modify and reschedule appointments too! Life happens, you have 48 hours to reschedule your appointments when you need to

3️⃣ The only exception to online booking is acupuncture, for those appointments you can call or email us to book - our acu calender is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle so you'll have to leave that one to the pros!

We can't wait to see you soon! Access our online booking link in the bio ⬆️

07/06/2022

If you're taking any fertility medications (injections, pills, creams etc.) this is your reminder that you don't have to buy them directly from your fertility clinic. You can *shop around* for the best prices (i.e Costco!) and also call your local pharmacies.

If you have drug coverage, you can purchase your medications from a pharmacy and avoid having to pay out of pocket at a fertility clinic first.

This goes for supplements too! You can compare prices at health food stores and online retailers. You can also check with your insurance company to see if you're covered for supplement expenses. Every little bit makes a difference!

06/29/2022

It means we have something to LEARN before you try again. I've had too many new patients telling me lately that their clinic has told them to start looking into an egg donor after only *one* unsuccessful egg retrieval. That's not fair (not to mention more expensive.)

If you've had an unsuccessful egg retrieval, there are 3 things we need to do before the next one:

1. INVESTIGATE
At , we are always about the WHY. It's OUR job to figure out why your eggs didn't respond/mature/fertilize. We assess for inflammation, autoimmune conditions, nutrient deficiencies, blood flow concerns, insulin concerns, and more. We can give you a treatable answer your clinic hasn't given you.

2. SUPPLEMENT
You were already on supplements? You need different ones. We can use supplements to improve egg quality and follicle maturation. We can also use supplements to prevent damage from stimulating medications (yeah, your meds can do damage AND good)

3. CHANGE YOUR MEDS
If gonal F 200 & Menopur 75 didn't do the trick, you have other options. We can collaborate with your fertility clinic to provide you with a conversation about different stim medications (and adjunct medications) to improve egg quality and growth.

You don't need an egg donor unless you're ready for an egg donor.

Don't do the same thing over again and expect different results. Let us do things differently for you. Let us support you with the eggs you have!

06/10/2022

Welcome to Folia Fertility [online]!

We see you.
We hear you.
We are you.

Now we finally have a website that reflects our values, our mission, and our WHY. Check it out so you can learn why we are so passionate about what we do and why we really want to work with you!

Link in bio 🔗

Endless thank you to for taking our heart and turning it into code and beauty

05/27/2022

It's our incredible Patient Care Coordinator - Chantal Fung! Chantal is the face behind your requisitions, records, and of course all of those emails! Chantal is the brightest light in the clinic and forms such a special relationship with our patients. She is a friend to us all and makes everyone in the clinic feel so comfortable and welcome! I feel so lucky to have had her help for over a year now, I could not do it without her 💕

If you're lucky, on a Thursday night you might get to meet her fur baby, Toby. Swipe to see him at work in the lobby. Thanks for hanging out with us Toby! He's actually the best behaved dog ever

Chantal is amazingly talented in so many ways. You should check out her .beauty page for gorgeous lash work! Is there anything she can't do?!

We are all so thankful for you, Chantal!

05/24/2022

[RE] Introduction to Dr. Georgia Parousis! Georgia has been with us for almost a year now and we are so grateful to have her! She is our resident go-to for diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) and low AMH. She's also excellent in supporting male factor fertility.

With a focus in fertility and preconception health, Georgia’s passion is supporting individuals and couples trying to conceive. Whether it be stand-alone care or a supplement to your current medical care plan, she uses modalities such as acupuncture, supplements, herbs, and nutrition/ lifestyle counselling to optimize the landscape from which conception can take place. Working collaboratively with fertility clinics for patients undergoing procedures such as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), In-vitro Fertilization (IVF), egg and/or s***m preservation, and other Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs,) she sees the benefit that an integrative model of care has in optimizing clinical success rates! 

When Georgia isn’t tending to her patients, you can find her spending time in nature with her Siberian Husky and loved ones or continuing to further her education by attending fertility conferences and digging deep into patient research.

05/20/2022

[RE] Introduction to Dr. Laura Meyers! She is our resident PCOS advisor and you should definitely follow her for the best reels and PCOS advice ⬇️ .laurameyers.nd

Dr. Meyers is passionate about providing patients with the knowledge & resources they need to feel more empowered throughout their fertility journey. With an empathetic approach, Dr. Meyers focuses on implementing sustainable & effective treatment plans that can be easily incorporated into your life.

She loves the work that she does, and feels grateful to be a part of her patients' journey.

When she isn't focused on patient care, you can often find her hiking with her family, cooking new recipes and gardening throughout the summer ☀️

Email or call to book an appointment with the incredible, Dr. Meyers!

05/13/2022

Things are starting to look a lil different around here....

It's been a long time coming, we're excitingly rebranding to reflect the powerhouse team we have to support you now! It's not just me anymore!

Dr. Georgia Parousis and Dr. Laura Meyers .laurameyers.nd are at the core of Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND & Associates]. Together, we're setting the foundation for your fertility from the ground up 🌿

Our mission at Dr. Caleigh Sumner, ND & Associates] is to undo the diagnosis of "unexplained" infertility. To give you real answers and individualized treatment. To invite you to be an active participant in your own healthcare decisions. To trust in your body again. To be heard and understood.

We are so grateful to work with you and I am so thankful to have this badass team!

03/04/2022

We're growing again! If you're a fertility-focused ND we would be thrilled to work with you 🩺

11/29/2021

It's that time of year again! 🌲For the next THREE weeks I am collecting donations of pads, tampons, new underwear, and cloth masks for the local charity . This year, due to COVID restrictions, we unfortunately cannot collect purses.

It's really, really hard in the world right now, for so many upsetting reasons. Like me, you might feel like you don't know where to start to make a difference. So I ask that you start with a box of tampons, and we go from there. A tiny act from a handful of people can make a world of a difference to a lot of people.

If you're able to pick up a second box of pads next time you're at the store, I welcome all donations at my clinic in Etobicoke. If you're shopping online, you can ship them to my clinic too! Even opened boxes and individual products you won't be using are welcomed. All donations will be provided to marginalized menstruators who deserve better 💕

Let's start with a tampon and see what happens....

11/01/2021

10/31/2021

Reporting for "Trick or Treat" duty 🍬

09/18/2021

A longggg overdue welcome to Dr. Georgia Parousis! We started out as friends and now we, thankfully, get to be colleagues 👩‍⚕️Dr. Parousis has been a much needed asset to the team. Her amazing expertise in 🥚diminished ovarian reserve has been so well received by our patients. We are so lucky to have her incredible knowledge and passion for fertility medicine. Thank you for everything that you do, Dr. Parousis! Welcome!