Former IVF provider Dr. Lauren Rubal encourages alternative to restore women’s fertility
In June at Live Action’s first-ever Women’s Summit: Return to Eden, board certified OB/GYN Dr. Lauren Rubal shared her journey from a conventional IVF provider to an advocate for restorative reproductive medicine.
Key Takeaways:
Dr. Lauren Rubal told attendees of her past experience with IVF, sharing how she came to realize that IVF is not pro-life.
She shared an alternative to help those struggling with fertility: Restorative Reproductive Medicine.
She also offered actionable tips for women who want to improve their fertility.
The Details:
During her speech, Rubal invited attendees to reexamine how society views fertility and the dignity of human life.
“Fertility is … a profound gift”
“Who among us hasn’t wrestled with anxiety about our fertility?” she asked. “Fertility is an incredibly personal part of our lives. It’s a profound gift, but one that many of us try to manage, fix, control — especially when things don’t go as expected.”
She explained that as a board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, she spent years helping women through IVF. But over time, she began to question the very foundations of the practice.
“I believed, like so many well-intentioned people, that whatever helped a couple conceive had to be good… but I was wrong.”
“Children are not products”
Rubal described the IVF process in detail — from stimulating egg production to creating embryos in a lab — and reflected on the fact that she once held two contradictory beliefs. “As a medical student, I knew life begins at fertilization… but as a fertility specialist, I acted as if life began at implantation,” she said.
Over time, she came to realize this “blind spot.”
“The very embryos that I was helping create, sustain, freeze, and sometimes discard were human lives.”
Finally, she reached an awakening.
“It dawned on me. We are playing God with life itself,” she said. “Children are not products—they are persons. We cannot commodify them or pretend we have the right to create them on demand just because the desire is good.”
She presented statistics that should give pause to those considering IVF.
“Only 37% of IVF cycles result in live birth. Millions of embryos are being frozen, discarded, or destroyed,” she said. She also cited emerging trends in embryo selection based on sex and genetics, and warned of medical risks including stillbirth, sepsis, and birth defects.
Restorative Reproductive Medicine
Rubal offered an alternative to those who may be tempted to resort to IVF: Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM).
“Restorative reproductive medicine is built on a simple principle: if something in the body isn’t working, identify the root cause and restore normal function.” She explained that RRM doesn’t suppress or override natural fertility but cooperates with it, treating infertility as a chronic condition rather than a one-time failure.
RRM works in three phases: identifying the underlying issue through hormone tracking and cycle observation; treating the root causes with targeted approaches including nutrition, medication, and sometimes surgery; and finally, allowing conception to occur naturally or with minimal assistance.
“Studies show that RRM has live birth rates that rival IVF—with far fewer risks and at a fraction of the cost,” she emphasized.
She also gave practical advice to women wanting to improve their fertility. Among her recommendations:
“Start with your food. You are what you eat.”
“Heal your gut—70% of our immune system resides there.”
“Support your detoxification: sweat, hydrate, and ensure regular bowel movements.”
“Know your numbers—get your hormones and nutrients tested.”
“Learn about your body—fertility awareness methods are empowering.”
“Restore, don’t override. Infertility is a symptom, not your identity.”
“Give yourself grace. Let this journey be one of healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”
The Bottom Line:
She ended with a call to action, saying, “Let’s start building a culture that honors the sacredness of life and the intelligence of God’s design, of the design of our bodies.”
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