Matilda’s Story: Finding Hope After Recurrent Miscarriage

When Matilda first reached out to me, she was feeling lost and overwhelmed. In the twelve months prior, she and her husband Kurt had experienced the pain of two miscarriages, both occurring around the five-to-six-week mark. While she was able to conceive quickly, sustaining a pregnancy was proving to be the challenge.

Matilda’s periods were very light and short, often lasting just one or two days, with spotting for several days beforehand. She also noticed headaches around her cycle, tender breasts before her period, and an ongoing sense of anxiety whenever she thought about conceiving again.

On top of this, Matilda had been struggling with low energy, disrupted sleep, and stress from her work as a teacher. Her skin would flare up with perioral dermatitis whenever stress built up, which only added to her sense of being “out of balance.”

Despite all of this, Matilda and Kurt had a strong determination to prepare her body for a healthy pregnancy. Matilda had already changed her diet to be a nutrient-rich diet. She had even stopped drinking coffee, noticing it was leaving her feeling jittery, and had started journaling and meditating to manage her anxiety. What she needed was deeper support to uncover what was happening with her hormones.

Digging Deeper

Through blood testing, we discovered Matilda’s progesterone levels were very low, which explained her early miscarriages. Her iron stores had dropped significantly following her losses, and her DHEA (an important hormone for reproductive function) was also low. Her cycle tracking revealed that she was ovulating later than expected and that her luteal phase (the second half of her cycle) was too short to properly support implantation.

This picture showed us that while Matilda was conceiving easily, her body wasn’t getting the hormonal and nutritional support it needed to hold a pregnancy.

But this was never just Matilda’s journey. Recognising the importance of couple-based care, Kurt stepped in too. Shortly after Matilda’s first consult, Kurt came in to review his own health and fertility—a crucial piece often overlooked.

Kurt’s check-in revealed mild dehydration, vitamin D just under the optimal range, and a slightly low copper-to-zinc ratio. Already taking a men’s preconception multivitamin, he was committed and ready to refine things further. Together, we created a simple plan: drink 2.3L water daily, boost vitamin D through an oral spray and safe sun exposure, and continue with his multivitamin for mineral balance.

From there, the focus shifted to teamwork. Rather than walking their paths separately, Matilda and Kurt decided to journey side by side—sharing hydration and nutrition goals, cutting back on alcohol, and reducing everyday environmental toxins. They found rhythm in evening walks, moments of mindfulness, and open conversations about intimacy, all of which kept them grounded and connected. My role was to walk alongside them, offering guidance, encouragement, and the reassurance that neither of them had to do this alone.

Together, we shaped a plan that became their foundation. Each morning, herbs were taken to gently support progesterone and pituitary function. A quality prenatal with active folate, alongside omega-3 and choline, gave their reproductive health an extra boost. Iron was supported not just through supplements, but also through iron-rich meals—paired smartly with vitamin C foods to help absorption. Small but powerful dietary swaps, like choosing rocket over spinach to ease the load on the liver, and enjoying dried apricots as a natural iron source, were woven into their routine.

It wasn’t just a protocol—it became a shared lifestyle, a daily reminder that they were in this together, building the best possible foundation for the family they dreamed of.

Little Wins and a Turning Point

1 Month later, Matilda was blooming at her follow-up session. The persistent spotting had almost disappeared, her cycles were lengthening, and she felt calmer. Kurt, too, reported better energy, deeper sleep, and a new sense of partnership with Matilda.

Then, just 2 months later, Matilda shared the news that she was pregnant again. This time, she passed the six-week mark — further than she had ever been before. At seven weeks and six days, an ultrasound confirmed a strong foetal heartbeat.

She told me with so much relief and gratitude:

“We have you (Ashlee) to thank — thank you so much.”

Understandably, she still felt nervous, but her anxiety had eased as she realised she had already surpassed the timing of her previous losses. Morning sickness had kicked in, which she joked felt like being “hungover,” but she was managing it well with small, light meals and keeping her blood sugar stable.

When Matilda mentioned her herbal and nutritional support to her doctor, the response was:

“I don’t understand them, so if you trust your Naturopath, keep taking them.”

For Matilda, this was a powerful reminder that she was making the right choice in listening to her body and continuing with what was working for her.

Moving Forward

Matilda is continuing her herbal mix to support progesterone until the placenta takes over at around 12 weeks. She’s maintaining her supplements, with close attention to her iron, and keeping up with her meditation and journaling to stay grounded.

Her journey is still unfolding, but this time she feels supported, hopeful, and empowered — and that makes all the difference.

Matilda and Kurt’s story is a beautiful reminder that recurrent pregnancy loss is not the end of the road. With the right support for hormones, nutrients, and emotional wellbeing, the body can find its way back into balance. Matilda and Kurt's story is a testament to the transformative power of holistic, couple-based preconception care. With empathy, evidence, and teamwork, even the heaviest chapters can turn toward hope — and new beginnings.