An interview with Jillian C. Stalling, MD, Director, FertilityCare Program and Lisa Weber RN, MS, FertilityCare Program Manager
By Pam Hall
I feel completely different! I’m a new woman. I wish I had found this years ago!” Such response is not unusual for Dr. Stalling and her team. Whether it’s in a hair salon, grocery store, or their medical offices, women don’t hesitate to stop and share their appreciation.
Dr. Stalling’s approach to women’s health is based on science and technology, yet completely “natural. ” After all, we worry about additives in our food … should we care less about the way we treat a woman’s body?
How did you become interested in women’s health?
In medical school, I discovered I had a passion for learning and understanding the intricate, beautiful, and complex system of reproduction and the way hormones function. And I love working with my hands. I’ve lost count of how many babies I’ve delivered; over a thousand in my residency alone!
What’s different about your view of women’s health?”
We view fertility, pregnancy, and children as a gift, rather than a failure or a disease that needs to be prevented or treated. Many women still do not know about the workings of their cycles of fertility and infertility. Without that knowledge, it’s hard to understand the way her body works.
So what do you recommend?
We use the Creighton Model and Natural Procreative Technology (NaProTechnology). The Creighton Model is the standardized observation and charting of biological markers that are essential to a woman’s health and fertility. The Creighton Model charting has been scientifically shown to be a valid, reproducible system that allows a woman to monitor and maintain her gynecologic health.
Women can experience a number of abnormalities such as heavy flow, irregular cycles, pain, abnormal bleeding, premenstrual syndrome, multiple miscarriages, infertility; these and other concerns can be helped with Natural Procreative Technology.
With Creighton Model charting, women work with trained medical providers to target a woman’s complex menstrual and fertility cycle to evaluate its function when they are experiencing abnormalities. The ability to target the woman’s cycle is unique in gynecologic medicine, and allows NaProTechnology-trained medical providers to work cooperatively with the natural system
Is this a new approach?
Not at all. Research began in 1976 and continues to this day. It has an extraordinary degree of scientific understanding and validity.
You mentioned fertility… is the Creighton Model only for those women who wish to achieve… or avoid pregnancy?
It is helpful to women of all ages, from a girl’s first menstrual cycle all the way through menopause. However, it is particularly useful for couples that wish to plan their family. Many women have seen several doctors before they come to us. Unfortunately, mainstream gynecologic medicine often relies too heavily on medications, which don’t help and can actually harm a women’s current and future fertility.
How can you help young women and girls?
Girls may have irregular, heavy, or painful periods at a young age and some doctors prescribe birth control pills to regulate their cycles. As our manager, Lisa Weber, points out, people don’t usually read the label; side effects include blood clots, high blood pressure, and even breast cancer.
If a young girl learned the Creighton Model she could use it until menopause, says Lisa. As things change throughout her lifetime she will really know her body and be empowered to make informed health care decisions.
Can you give an example of a woman you’ve helped with a non-fertility related issue?
Absolutely. We had a patient with severe pre-menstrual syndrome. She became angry, depressed, irritable, and suffered from terrible headaches. This didn’t just affect her, but it also affected the people at home and at work!
Some doctors would treat such a patient with anti-depression drugs such as Zoloft® or Prozac. That, however, doesn’t address the underlying cause.
The Creighton Model and NaProTechnology worked for her and restored her to normal functioning, without the potential harmful side effects of anti-depression drugs.
Research shows that targeted hormonal therapy is significantly more effective than Prozac . In addition, the treatment effect is much more rapid and helps a woman so she actually feels more normal and does not feel “drugged.”
Editor’s Note: Dr. Stalling’s knowledge of reproduction isn’t just theoretical; she is the mother of five children, ranging in age from 11 years to 6 months. How does she do it? “An awesome husband.“
Dr. Stalling and her team can be reached by phone at 309-683-8156 or online at www.osfhealthcare.org/locations/medical-group/services/fertility-care/. FertilityCare Centers can be found in Peoria, Galesburg, Ottawa, and Bloomington;Creighton Model education may be covered under many insurance plans.