Dr. Amber McKinnon ND

Feeling trapped in a diagnosis that has a number of risk factors that you cannot change can feel very overwhelming. This is compounded when you are coping with pregnancy loss.

Below are a list of risk factors for pregnancy loss that you CAN change. I do want to preface this by saying that these changes may not be easy and you may need help along the way.

Modifiable risk factors for pregnancy loss:
👉🏻 Nutritional deficiencies
👉🏻 Caffeine intake (over 300mg/ day)
👉🏻 Alcohol intake
👉🏻 Smoking
👉🏻 Drug use
👉🏻 Working nightshift
👉🏻 Obesity (BMI over 30)
👉🏻 Low Weight (BMI under 18.5)
👉🏻 High stress
👉🏻 Industrial pollution and pesticide exposure

Reach out if you feel you could benefit from more support or clarity.

What is a Naturopathic Doctor?

A conversation I have with patients all the time is around building habits.

I almost never concerned about the things you do on occasion. I am very interested in what you do all of the time!

Building healthy habits that you do REGULARILY (i.e. daily or near to daily) WILL help you to reach your goals.

Exercising once will not help you reach your fitness goal, eating ice cream once will also not derail this same goal.

Aim to build a regular habit and take occasional breaks without the guilt.

It is interesting however that the next major hormone shift that LITERALLY 1/2 OF THE HUMAN POPULATION will transition through is not nearly as well supported. Is it expected that women should just suffer through this stage of life?

My answer is NO.

Know your options. Menopause is an amazing time when women really come into their power.

Let's not continue this pattern. Women deserve better.

Let's talk.

Did you know that following breast cancer can be protective for you!
When breast cancer survivors who did and did not conceive following treatment it was found that those who had a post treatment pregnancy had a 66% better rate of disease free survival and 56% overall survival rate!

Reference:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.21.00535

‼️ This is a difficult to read, but so important! We all need to be aware of this and looking out for it...

Death by su***de is the #1 leading cause of death in women during pregnancy and for the year following delivery.

If there is a woman in your life that is struggling, here is what you need to know:
🤲🏻 Reaching out will not make it worse
🤲🏻 Do not judge
🤲🏻 Let the person know you care
🤲🏻 It is not your responsibility to save them
🤲🏻 There are supports and resources for help
🤲🏻 The mental health crisis line number is: 1-877-303-2642

Reference:
Reid HE, Pratt D, Edge D, Wittkowski A. Maternal Su***de Ideation and Behaviour During Pregnancy and the First Postpartum Year: A Systematic Review of Psychological and Psychosocial Risk Factors. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 24;13:765118. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.765118. PMID: 35401283; PMCID: PMC8987004.

If you are a breast cancer survivor and you have not had children or are considering more of course you have questions about getting pregnant after treatment.

Just last year Lambertini et. al did a systematic review and meta analysis of some key things you want to know.

Breast cancer survivors have an increased risk of the following pregnancy complications compared to non-breast cancer survivors:

🟠 caesarean section
🟡 low birth weight babies
🟢 small for gestational age babies
🔵 preterm birth
This was more apparent in women with a history of chemotherapy exposure.

They did not find any increase in risk of congenital abnormalities or reproductive complications in breast cancer survivors compared to the general public.

Reference:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.21.00535

I get a lot of questions from women about post partum. When to start? What do we know about this?

The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) can be used for those who breastfeed post partum - see my previous post for more information about this.

For women who are not breastfeeding or outside the LAM window they often look to hormonal options to prevent a pregnancy during this time. Unfortunately, we do not know a lot about contraceptive use in this period. To be clear this does not mean that it is not an option, but you should be aware of what we do and do not know when making your decision.... I feel a blog coming on, stay tuned.

In the mean time, do you have more questions about your post partum choices?

Lets talk 🤗

Thank you to the AAND for the spotlight!

Meet our ND’s - Dr. Amber McKinnon, ND 🏔

Like many or even most medical professionals, from a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. This sent me on an academic mission that landed me with a specialized BSc degree in immunology and infection, an amazing research experience with the department of medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Alberta, a publication in the academic journal “Virology”, and finally a degree in naturopathic medicine in 2010. I have been dedicated to my naturopathic medical practice since then and am incredibly grateful to all my patients and mentors for all that I have learned. 🙏

Giving back is very important to me. I have been quite involved in the naturopathic community in Alberta and abroad. I helped to found the Alberta Association of Naturopathic Doctors with a group of amazing and dedicated women and served on the board for a number of years. I have also consulted on other local community and health-related boards. I am currently working on a new project that I hope will be an asset to health professionals locally. I have had the privilege of lecturing at the U of A to dietetic and medical students and have volunteered at a number of job fairs promoting our wonderful vocation. I have spent time abroad helping less fortunate communities in Nicaragua and have planned a charity event locally in support of YESS. ❤️

After several years as an associate at Le Soleil, the time came when I was ready for a change. I am grateful to Le Soleil for a great learning opportunity and especially grateful to Dr. Pearman and Dr. Marsden for their kindness and friendship. I started Naturally Inclined Health in 2019 with a vision to provide a space where patients and naturopathic doctors could thrive. I have infused a lot of myself into the clinic. I am so honored to have found the people that I have to work alongside me; our team really is an incredible group of caring, committed, and knowledgeable people. Together, they have helped me to create an environment that is warm, inviting, safe, inclusive, collaborative, respectful, and healing. Creating and managing Naturally Inclined Health has allowed me to really explore and play with true entrepreneurship. This is a challenge that is very different but has parallels to, our work as naturopathic doctors. I have really come to enjoy this work. 🩺

Clinically, I have kept a general practice but have had a prenatal/pregnancy/ fertility focus. It has been my absolute pleasure to walk the line of parenthood with so many women and couples. This has been my heart for many years; the extreme highs and lows of this work continue to leave me inspired and in awe. In the coming months, I plan to explore another focus that is also near to my heart. I look forward to sharing this with our community. 🍃

To balance my clinical and business life, I spend my free time in my garden, swimming in a lake, walking the amazing Edmonton river valley, doing yoga, and hiking the amazing backcountry of the Canadian Rockies. 🧘‍♀️

Connect with Dr. McKinnon today:

💻 www.naturallyinclinedhealth.com
📱Naturally Inclined Health Dr. Amber McKinnon ND

Meet our ND’s - Dr. Amber McKinnon, ND 🏔

Like many or even most medical professionals, from a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. This sent me on an academic mission that landed me with a specialized BSc degree in immunology and infection, an amazing research experience with the department of medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Alberta, a publication in the academic journal “Virology”, and finally a degree in naturopathic medicine in 2010. I have been dedicated to my naturopathic medical practice since then and am incredibly grateful to all my patients and mentors for all that I have learned. 🙏

Giving back is very important to me. I have been quite involved in the naturopathic community in Alberta and abroad. I helped to found the Alberta Association of Naturopathic Doctors with a group of amazing and dedicated women and served on the board for a number of years. I have also consulted on other local community and health-related boards. I am currently working on a new project that I hope will be an asset to health professionals locally. I have had the privilege of lecturing at the U of A to dietetic and medical students and have volunteered at a number of job fairs promoting our wonderful vocation. I have spent time abroad helping less fortunate communities in Nicaragua and have planned a charity event locally in support of YESS. ❤️

After several years as an associate at Le Soleil, the time came when I was ready for a change. I am grateful to Le Soleil for a great learning opportunity and especially grateful to Dr. Pearman and Dr. Marsden for their kindness and friendship. I started Naturally Inclined Health in 2019 with a vision to provide a space where patients and naturopathic doctors could thrive. I have infused a lot of myself into the clinic. I am so honored to have found the people that I have to work alongside me; our team really is an incredible group of caring, committed, and knowledgeable people. Together, they have helped me to create an environment that is warm, inviting, safe, inclusive, collaborative, respectful, and healing. Creating and managing Naturally Inclined Health has allowed me to really explore and play with true entrepreneurship. This is a challenge that is very different but has parallels to, our work as naturopathic doctors. I have really come to enjoy this work. 🩺

Clinically, I have kept a general practice but have had a prenatal/pregnancy/ fertility focus. It has been my absolute pleasure to walk the line of parenthood with so many women and couples. This has been my heart for many years; the extreme highs and lows of this work continue to leave me inspired and in awe. In the coming months, I plan to explore another focus that is also near to my heart. I look forward to sharing this with our community. 🍃

To balance my clinical and business life, I spend my free time in my garden, swimming in a lake, walking the amazing Edmonton river valley, doing yoga, and hiking the amazing backcountry of the Canadian Rockies. 🧘‍♀️

Connect with Dr. McKinnon today:

💻 www.naturallyinclinedhealth.com
📱Naturally Inclined Health Dr. Amber McKinnon ND

It was such an awesome week. Thank you 😌✨

This is a heart breaking reality I have to walk far too many of my patients through. I feel like I speak from my soap box all day.... prevention is key!!

Unfortunately, it is human nature... we put it off until we can't ignore it any more.

This is my gentle reminder (from my soap box) to have a good look at your lifestyle, assess your risk, let's make a plan to mitigate it, and aim for health that will inspire others to do the same!

We all know that you can't get pregnant when we are nursing right?

Unfortunately, this is not entirely true...

This method of birth control is called the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM).

The recommendation according to the Faculty of Sexual Reproductive Healthcare, is that this method is "highly effective" if:

1) you are less than 6 months post partum
2) you are exclusively breast feeding (no solid foods for baby)
3) and your period has not yet returned

Reference:
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. https://www.fsrh.org/standards-and-guidance/documents/contraception-after-pregnancy-guideline-january-2017/. Accessed Jul 26, 2022.

https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-lots-bed-head-tigi-dove-and-tresemme-dry-shampoo-products-recalled-due -node-72024-field_affected_products-0

Check your cupboards!

Certain lots of Bed Head TIGI, Dove and Tresemmé Dry Shampoo products recalled due to detection of benzene - Canada.ca Immediately stop using the recalled product and dispose of it in accordance with the instructions for disposal on the packaging. Consumers may contact the company for reimbursement.

Breast mammography cannot diagnose breast cancer.

Breast mammography is a screening tool to find suspicious lesions that should be biopsied.

Breast cancer is diagnosed by biopsy.

Breast biopsy is invasive, this is why we screen using mammography.

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/mammograms.htm

The heart breaking side of working with fertility and pregnancy for as long as I have is that I have also seen a lot of pregnancies that do not have a happy ending. These losses are devastating and each one has touched me in a very special way. I am always in awe of the strength a perseverance of the people I work who experience this kind of loss. Today, I honor the lives that were not lived and the parents who loved all of these children.

... I have nothing further to add...

This was a hard one to write....

Writing this blog was very vulnerable for me. The topic of breast cancer is very real for me, but it is time to share my story to encourage women to take the steps to understand their risk and to do the work to manage it.

Link in bio. 🎗

✔️Hair loss after pregnancy is normal.

❌ If your hair does not grow back following this loss, this is not normal and should be assessed.

Let's unpack this a bit:

During your pregnancy the hormonal climate keeps you hair in the active growth phase ( ). Once you give birth many of your hair follicles enter the phase where they are resting and before growing a new hair. This telogen phase takes 2-4 months and the old hair will be shed from the follicle somewhere in this time to make way for the new hair. This is why the shedding that happens around this time, and generally peaks at 4 months. It is also important to note that you may also see changes to your hair with changes in breast feeding.

The key is not to panic! This is a normal process and my hope is that this clarity will help to calm your nerves a little.

So, what should you expect? Typically your hair should return to it's previous volume by your child's first birthday.

If you are still noting excessive loss and not seeing a return of volume by this time, you will want to have this assessed as it could be an indication of a bigger problem.

If you are concerned that your hair is not returning postpartum or you have more questions about this, let's talk.

Hormones, they have so many far reaching effects in the body!

Did you know that our estrogen levels play a role in a number of factors that affect osteoarthritis?

"Menopause has a multitude of effects that affect KOA, including hormonal shifts; loss of bone mineral density, muscle mass, and tendon strength; and changes to pain perception." (2022 Curry et. al.)

Each of these items are targets to be considered and addressed in management of menopause and osteoarthritis.

Where to start?
📌 see your trainer for a safe and effective strength building routine
📌 check your vitamin D levels
📌 see you ND

Reference:
Curry, Zachary A. MD, PhD; Beling, Alexandra MD; Borg-Stein, Joanne MD. Knee osteoarthritis in midlife women: unique considerations and comprehensive management. Menopause: June 2022 - Volume 29 - Issue 6 - p 748-755
doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001966

*This content is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat. For more information about how this information applies to you please seek the advice of a regulated health professional.*

Most often in my practice I am dealing with PCOS in the context of fertility.

Infertility is a common "symptom" of Polycystic ovarian syndrome, but the vary same mechanisms that result in infertility also have life long health effects.

Often women do not know that they have PCOS before they try to conceive. Working together our first goal is to help you to conceive, carry and birth a healthy baby. This however, is only the beginning of the journey... Managing PCOS is a lifelong commitment, and it changes in different stages of life.

I implore you, if you have PCOS, work with your ND to build a plan to prevent and manage the long term effects of PCOS.

Most often in my practice I am dealing with PCOS in the context of fertility.

Infertility is a common "symptom" of Polycystic ovarian syndrome, but the vary same mechanisms that result in infertility also have life long health effects.

Often women do not know that they have PCOS before they try to conceive. Working together our first goal is to help you to conceive, carry and birth a healthy baby. This however, is only the beginning of the journey... Managing PCOS is a lifelong commitment, and it changes in different stages of life.

I implore you, if you have PCOS, work with your ND to build a plan to prevent and manage the long term effects of PCOS.

❤️

Does autoimmune thyroiditis like Hashimoto's effect your ability to conceive?

YES.

In this recent meta- analysis by Li, et al (2022), they concluded that there is a link between Hashimoto's thyroiditis and diminished ovarian reserve.

If you have an autoimmune thyroid condition does this mean you will be unable to conceive? NO

Understanding what you are bringing to the table in your fertility journey is important. There are ways to work with this diagnosis to conceive and carry a healthy pregnancy to term.

Unfortunately, all too often in my practice I see women struggle to conceive or suffer through recurrent miscarriages before testing is done that identifies autoimmune thyroid as the underlying issue. My preference is to test early to help prevent the heart ache.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567576922001540?via%3Dihub

Does anyone else feel as though this hits a bit too close to home?

💯

In a 2021 study of North Carolina women, Monney et.al looked at pregnancy eating habits, perceived stress and motivation to eat well during pregnancy and for 1 year after. The conclusion was that stress wins.

"During pregnancy, women may relax effortful control over eating to reduce stress; thus, stress may override motivation to eat healthfully" "During pregnancy, women may relax effortful control over eating to reduce stress; thus, stress may override motivation to eat healthfully".

Most women have the best of intentions for eating well during this special time in their life but there are many reasons that this can be difficult. If stress is getting in the way of you following through on our pregnancy diet goals, lets have a chat.
Stress is normal. stress taking over your ability to make healthy choices is a maladaptive response to the stress. Success in this arena is not all about reducing your stress, but about how you can adapt to the stress in your life and stay in alignment with your healthy pregnancy.

Let's talk stress, diet and your pregnancy.

Dr. M

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105207

My garden is my therapist. She keeps me smiling, nourished, feeling whole, and grounded.
🪴💖👩🏻‍🌾

How do you stay grounded?

💚

I always laugh when I hear friends of family introduce me and try to explain what I do.
While people are becoming more and more familiar with NDs and they way we practice it still is a bit unclear in most people minds.

☝️ I often hear "she is a wholistic doctor"

This is kind of true... We look at patients and their concerns in a wholistic way, but this is a description and not a title. "Naturopathic Doctor" is a protected title that is only allowed to be used by people with specific qualifications approved by governments and regulatory bodies. This means when you seen an ND that you are seeing someone who has at minimum met these criteria which include a minimum of 7 years of post secondary education, they have passed North American standard licensing exams and me the regulatory criteria for the jurisdiction you are seeing theme in.

☝️ Sometimes I hear "she's a doctor... I means a natural doctor... I means she practices with natural remedies"

Also kind of true... We do use natural remedies, but we also use things that are not natural, or synthetic forms of natural items and often we are using these nutrients/ vitamins in supraphysiological doses.

☝️ My personal favorite "she is a witch doctor"

I do often prepare custom tinctures and teas for patients and while they may look like potions, they are not haha.

We also have a broom in the office, but I assure you it is only for cleaning 😂

So what is an ND???

Let me try to summarize....

An ND is a licensed (regulated) health professional who is grounded in science and guided by nature; who loves to put together as many pieces of your health picture as possible to map a strategic path forward to manage your health concerns and health goals.

Why don't you come in and see for yourself 🙋‍♀️

This is a great simple review of one of the most fascinating papers I have read in a long time. As many of you know immunology was my first science love and I come from a research background in the area. Our immune systems are incredibly complex and the interplay between the cells is frankly incredible. To see in real-time and identify specific "words" used (or misused) by macrophages leaves me in awe once again of the beautiful and intelligent dance that makes us tick.

Immune Macrophages Use Their Own ‘Morse Code’ In the language of Morse code, the letter “S” is three short sounds and the letter “O” is three longer sounds. Put them together in the right order and you have a cry for help: S.O.S. Now an NIH-fu…

Much needed research.

NIH begins study of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and postpartum Researchers will evaluate antibody responses in vaccinated participants and their infants.

I continue to get the question about whether people are asking about immune health more now during the pandemic, my answer is no. In fact most people less worried about their immune health and more concerned with their mental health. They are noting they are anxious and this is what I see all too often, anxiety and loneliness. Here is a great little article from the NIH on spotting and combatting lonliness.

Good Sleep for Good Health Does getting a good night’s sleep seem like a dream? Find tips for getting a better night’s sleep.