What I Wish I Knew Before IVF: How Ayurveda & Panchakarma Might Have Saved Me Thousands, and My Gallbladder
- Jessica Haas
- Jun 17
- 3 min read

Looking back, I sometimes wonder how different things might’ve been if I had known about Ayurveda and Panchakarma before stepping into the world of fertility treatments.
This isn’t a story against IVF or modern medicine. IVF gave me the miracle I longed for. But it also brought an avalanche of hormones, physical pain, emotional rollercoasters, and eventually, an emergency gallbladder surgery while I was six months pregnant. I can’t help but wonder...what if there had been another way to prepare my body and my partner's, gently and naturally?
The Hidden Costs of IVF: Not Just Financial
Like many women struggling to conceive, I turned to fertility specialists. After several rounds of IVF, the physical toll became undeniable; extreme hormonal fluctuations, inflammation, liver congestion, and eventually, gallbladder complications that landed me in emergency surgery with a baby inside me. Ayurveda fertility support
What many don’t know is that excessive estrogen and fertility drugs can strain the liver and gallbladder. Several studies have noted that synthetic hormones can affect bile production, leading to issues like gallstones or cholestasis during pregnancy. For me, the stress on my hepatobiliary system was real and life-threatening for me and for my baby. It is literally a miracle we both survived the emergency surgery.
Enter Ayurveda: The Science of Preparation
Had I known about Ayurveda, I believe the journey could have looked very different. This ancient system doesn’t rush the body into pregnancy, it prepares it holistically, months before conception.
Ayurveda teaches that fertility is not just about ovulation, it’s about the health of shukra dhatu (reproductive tissue), digestion (agni), and the flow of prana (life force). If even one is off, conception may not be easy, or sustainable.
In my case, my digestion was weak, I had symptoms of a congested liver, and I was running on empty, emotionally and physically. Ayurveda would have seen these red flags and recommended slowing down, nourishing the body, detoxifying the liver and gallbladder gently, and rebuilding strength before conception.
Panchakarma: The Detox I Wish I Had
Panchakarma, Ayurveda’s detoxification protocol, is traditionally recommended before conception; for both partners. Why? Because it clears ama (toxins), balances hormones, strengthens the liver, and restores natural cycles. It can help reset the body in ways that synthetic hormones often suppress.
I didn’t know about this then. I didn’t know about Basti (medicated enemas that support liver and colon health), or Peya and Manda (gentle herbal broths to strengthen digestion), or even the idea that a woman’s fertility thrives in a nourished, unhurried body.
Today, I know better. And while I can’t go back in time, I can share this with others.
This Isn’t About Blame, It’s About Options
I’m not claiming that Ayurveda would have guaranteed me a pain-free pregnancy or that Panchakarma is a magic fix. But I do believe, with all my heart, that had I been supported by these therapies early on, I might have avoided the painful consequences of multiple hormone cycles, the inflammation, the gallbladder overload, and maybe even the surgery.
The cost wasn’t just financial. It was emotional, spiritual, and physical.
Ayurveda would have asked me to pause, to nourish, to detox with intention, and to align my body with nature, not override it.
You Deserve to Know All the Options
If you're on a fertility journey, I encourage you to explore Ayurvedic support. Not as an alternative to medicine, but as a foundation. A way to enter motherhood feeling strong, clear, and truly supported from the inside out. There are no promises. Just a gentle science that works through time, intention, and deep understanding of the body.
I wish I had known. But now I do and I’m here to share.
References:
Tabrizi, R., et al. (2019). Effect of hormone therapy on liver function: a systematic review. BMC Endocrine Disorders.
Charaka Samhita – Sharira Sthana, chapters on pre-conception planning.
Lad, Vasant. Textbook of Ayurveda, Volume 1–3.
National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine – Panchakarma & Fertility resources.
Comentários