About Fertility Refresh
Shauna McMillan
I'm Shauna. A mummy to 2, wife, nurse and advocate of using medical and holistic means to optimise couples fertility health.
Fertility is an area of healthcare that remains extremely underfunded, often resulting in oversights. Therefore it is my great privilege to compile the lived and clinical experiences of couples who have been impacted by pregnancy loss, infertility, and those who want to optimise their fertility potential with preconception care.
My nursing career began in the Regional Intensive Care Unit where I cared for critically ill patients, gaining a wealth of medical and life experience during my time in this employment. I met many families who were at the mercy of the staff to do everything they could to preserve life. I was involved in organ donation during my time in RICU, alongside rigorous training to ensure my knowledge and skill set met the demands of this high pressured department.
Following on from my time in RICU, I worked in a busy gynae & and early pregnancy ward. The work here was very different, however the skill of counselling patients and families during vulnerable stages of life, was very transferable. I nursed many women following the diagnosis of miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, cancer diagnosis, hyperemesis, hysterectomy, preterm delivery, and many other gynae complications and conditions. I quickly realised that this area of nursing was my area of speciality. I have a huge passion for women’s health, particularly health promotion and education.
I found that reflexology married very well with gynae nursing. I often performed reflexology during night shifts on patients who were going through cancer treatment or diagnosis, and women admitted with hyperemesis. Reflexology was always well received and welcomed in these circumstances, I found that reflexology and modern medicine make a dynamic team when used well together, ultimately enhancing health and wellbeing.
I specialised my career in fertility and optimising sub fertility. Through witnessing years of pregnancy loss and infertility in my clinical exposure, I became very curious about the causation around miscarriage and sub fertility.
I noticed very quickly the oversight in male factor testing, and the discomfort surrounding these conversations, particularly following recurrent pregnancy loss. My effort did not go unnoticed, and I was invited to be a medical board adviser for Examen (who specialise in male factor sub fertility testing).
Following years of intimate conversations with patients, both during reflexology sessions, and within the hospital, listening to patient experience and where the patient felt the oversight was, I geared my independent training towards reproductive health.
I have spent time within fertility clinics, both in Northern Ireland, and in London to observe practise, in an effort to meet the criteria for my nursing fertility framework. This also allowed me to witness how the best clinics treat fertility health, and introduce this in the heart of Mid Ulster. Fertility Refresh came about as a passion project where I have collated years work of experience and clinical exposure, in an attempt to assist couples in optimising and prioritising their health, and subsequently their reproductive health.
I view reproductive health in a (w)holistic way. I have created a diagnostic care package, that will enable you to have bloods, scans, analysis and other biomarkers completed, analysed and assessed. More so though, Fertility Refresh encompass reflexology, acupressure, and nutritional advisory service, to help you on your journey to parenthood.
Reflexology is the application of pressure through the feet where the nerve endings of the bodies systems lie. This is used to increase blood flow to problem areas of the body to help in their healing and function. This has many benefits including treating ailments, digestive health, sleeping problems, stress and anxiety.
Mens health and their part in fertility is something that I aim to change through Fertility Refresh. Sperm counts and quality have dropped significantly in modern times. Stigma's, fears and lack of knowledge around testing is where I intend to focus for men to be able to optimise their chances of becoming a father.