A supportive and caring environment where Leah aims to guide patients to optimum physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Fertility Support

A person’s fertility is a clear reflection of their natural health and wellbeing – when we are at our peak health, we are also our most fertile. Genetically we are predisposed to this evolutionary protective mechanism. Our body realises that when our health is comprised, the information we would pass on to the next generation would be suboptimal. As such, the body naturally protects passing on this information and reduces our fertility.

Our bodies are constantly changing and responding to our internal and external environments. It is always possible to improve one’s chance of conceiving and bearing a healthy child. It is with this understanding that our Natural Fertility Programs offer couples an opportunity to have a positive advantage towards better parenting and help give their future children their best start in life.

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Conception Support

Supporting conception enables couples to improve their own health and influence their genetic material so that they can pass on the best for their future children. It offers couples the prospect of a healthy, natural conception; an easy pregnancy and labour and most importantly a healthy, vibrant, and happy child. This is achieved through various complementary medicines including nutritional supplementation, dietary modifications, herbal medicines, counselling and lifestyle strategies.

Leah’s conception support protocols have been developed in response to the alarming statistics regarding miscarriage, still birth, infertility, increased prematurity and other concerning considerations which are believed to have been caused by our modern lifestyles. Environmental pollution, poor nutrient levels in soil and foods, polluted water, toxic farming methods, heavy metal exposure, poor diet, lack of exercise, and many others are all believed to be involved.

It is important to remember that we all have choices and that we can choose to make changes that will not only improve our health but the subsequent health of our children and future generations.

Miscarriage Support

Pregnancy loss can happen any time before 20 weeks, however, most take place in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Some miscarriages cannot be prevented – it is nature’s way of ending a pregnancy that is not developing as it should. Statistics suggest that in any given month the best chance of conceiving a pregnancy is approximately 30%. These statistics can be positively influenced especially when you consider multiple considerations for both partners.

Some couples unfortunately experience repeated miscarriages. There are many causes of pregnancy loss, and not all of them are well understood by medical science. Pregnancies can be lost at anytime between fertilisation and implantation, or between implantation and full term delivery. It is unfortunately much more common than many people realise.

There are several key causes for recurrent pregnancy loss that are identifiable and understood by medical science. These include:

Blood clotting (thrombophilic) disorders
Chromosomal abnormalities
Uterine disorders
Sperm irregularities (including DNA fragmentation)
Immune and auto-immune disorders
Hormonal disorders
Infections
Environmental and lifestyle factors
Nutritional deficiencies
Other factors

Leah’s protocols to support miscarriage consider thorough investigation and assessment paramount to helping you conceive your child. With this information, we are then able to individually tailor a specific treatment plan to help you reach your fertility aspirations.

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ART + IVF Support

Some couples require assistance with Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) to help them conceive their much-desired child. Often this is due to medical reasons that interfere with the body’s natural processes.

Naturopathic Medicine works well with couples who require IVF or other assisted reproductive technique programs. Leah’s intention is to integrate with your current treatments in an holistic manner to ensure the healthy conception, pregnancy, birth process and general wellbeing of your child.

Recent research suggest that concurrent naturopathic treatment and IVF more than doubles conception success rates. You will be carefully monitored throughout any assisted treatments. Communication between your IVF fertility specialist, Leah and other health professionals will be encouraged to ensure cohesion between our treatments. This will foster the best possible outcome for all.

Pregnancy, Labour & Breastfeeding Support

Pregnancy Support

Leah’s protocols during pregnancy have been designed to help mothers and their babies during this rapid period of growth and development. Particular focus is placed on the nutritional status of the mother and is modified as the pregnancy progresses. Each trimester has specific nutritional objectives and requirements and has been developed to support the mother and baby. It fosters mutual enjoyment of each of the changes and provides sufficient material to help her baby grow to meet its potential.

Leah has an extensive pregnancy referral network to help you with every aspect of your pregnancy journey. This includes the ability for referrals to childbirth educators, midwives, doulas, birth centres, obstetricians and other pregnancy specialists.

Labour Preparation & Support

During the last trimester, many expectant parents begin to prepare for the much-anticipated birth of their future child. When the moment finally arrives, it is important to know what to expect. Whilst every birth is different, labour is separated into three distinct phases, early, active and transition. Each phase has it’s own distinct characteristics. How fast each phase will go, or how tolerable the process will be will vary from woman to woman. These phases of labour create reference points, and, it is important for expectant mothers to recognise the characteristics of each.

Birth preparation enables you to actively prepare your body for the upcoming arrival of your little one. It ensures that your health is optimised, that your nutritional needs are met, that complications are prevented and that your recovery will be optimised. Furthermore it aims to improve the health and wellbeing of your child.

The beauty of engaging Leah’s support is that we will help you to make conscious changes to improve this experience and provide useful strategies to cope with each phase. Furthermore, she provides support for expectant partners and give them tools to help mothers journey through this transition as easily as possible.

Post Natal & Breastfeeding Support

Following delivery of one’s child Mums can feel depleted and worn out. Leah’s support for the post natal period provides guidance and specific treatment recommendations to help Mums enjoy this process. It promotes ease of breastfeeding and encourages greater bonding between Mother and child.

The perfect scenario often sounds something like the following:

You have the perfect pregnancy, no problems, no concerns and your baby grows perfectly. You then have the perfect labour – long enough so you feel comfortable with its pace but short enough so that you only have to be in the final stages for a short time. Supportive and loving people surround you; you feel comfortable and trust your body. Then your beautiful baby makes its appearance into the world. It is placed on your belly and moves up towards your breast, attaches and suckles. You feel this incredible feeling of deep connection with your child and the journey of breastfeeding begins.

Breastfeeding is a natural process. Above all, it is an incredible bonding experience between mothers and their children. It encourages the development of the mother’s instinct and helps her trust her body and her innate wisdom to care for her child. Furthermore, it helps babies connect and bond with their parents. From a health perspective breastfeeding is the ideal nutritional and immunological super-food. It is biochemically unique and specific to the needs of your child. On a practical level, it is convenient, economical and does not require heating. It’s the perfect package to care for the baby as it develops.

Unfortunately breastfeeding is not possible for some women due to choice or individual circumstances. Leah understands this with no judgement. She is able to work with you and your personal decision. There are wonderful strategies and modifications one can make to improve the ability to breastfeed successfully. Alternatively, if baby formula is chosen Leah will be able to advise and support you to make the best decisions for you and your child.

Seeing Leah as a Patient

Please note that there is currently a 10-12 month wait for all new patients.

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Consultation process

Leah’s consultations are time dependant with initial consultations lasting 1 hour for individuals and 2 hours for couples. Follow up appointments are 30 minutes for individuals and 1 hour for couples, however, you will be charged based on the time spent with her.

First Appointment

Once you have requested your appointment and it has been scheduled, you will be emailed an introductory pack which includes a questionnaire, privacy and consent form and other important information. You will need to email these documents back prior to your appointment .

Second Appointment

At the second appointment (typically held 4 weeks after the first appointment) you will review assessments and develop your treatment plan. This appointment also lasts one hour for individuals and two hours for couples.

Follow-up Appointments

Your follow up appointments from this point are entirely dependant on your presenting health complaint, its duration and identified roadblocks to health. Often Leah will see patients more regularly in the initial stages and then appointments are conducted on a monthly basis until your health has stabilised.

Fee Structure

Leah’s hourly fees are $400/hour from 1st July 2022. This reflects her professional standards, education and expertise. With respect to the time taken to complete tasks outside of appointments, any paperwork required will incur a fee and will be charged as per the hourly rate. This includes: email consultations, treatment plan modifications, letters, reports etc. You will be contacted to ensure your approval is given prior to beginning the work.

Cancellation Policy

Please be courteous and notify us by phone or email if you are unable to attend an appointment at least 2 working days (Monday to Friday) prior to your scheduled appointment. We will then be able to allocate this time to someone on our waiting list. For example, for a Tuesday appointment, please notify us by the Thursday before.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the dispensary work?

Our clinic provides a comprehensive dispensary including nutritional supplements, herbal medicines in a variety of preparations (tablets, liquids, powders and other), homoeopathics, flower essences, natural skincare and makeup, essential oils, books, CDs, and other natural products.

We stock a variety of practitioner only brands and are constantly updating and adding to our dispensary to meet the needs of our patients. We are committed to supplying high quality products to enhance our treatment outcomes and adhere to the principle that if we wouldn’t use something, we won’t prescribe it!

Purchasing from the dispensary

Following your appointment you may be prescribed various prescriptions. You will typically be supplied with enough medicines to last you till your next appointment as treatment programs are regularly updated and modified at each consultation.

Should you require additional amounts of any customised prescriptions (such as liquid herbal medicines or homoeopathics) in between appointments, please note that there is a $5 dispensing fee per item. Packaged items such as supplements are free from this surcharge.

If you ever require additional medicines in between appointments, we have an easy courier system for their delivery. Please note that 48 hours notice is required when placing an order to ensure adequate preparation time. Credit card details are required to organise this service.

Where is the clinic?

The clinic is located at: Level 1, Suite 8, 300 Pacific Highway, Crows Nest NSW 2065.

The building is conveniently located next to the corner of Shirley Road and Pacific Highway.

Where can I park?

Parking is available at:

Woolworths car-park
Surrounding council car-parks – Nicholson Street, Hume Street, Holtermann Street, Alexander Street
Local street parking

What public transport is available?

The clinic is a short 10 minute walk from St Leonards train station as well as having a number of buses stop outside the building. Please see the Transport and information website for more specific details regarding timetables.

Is there disabled access?

The building provides stairs or lift access to the first floor.

Which payment methods are available?

Consultations are GST-exempt, however, all medicines and other prescribed remedies incur GST. We accept credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express), or direct deposit payments.

Please note that we do not offer accounts and fees are due on the day of the consultation.

Which private health fund rebates are available?

Nutrition consultations are eligible for health fund rebates from some private health insurance companies. Please check with your individual provider for specificities pertaining to your individual health.

How do I reorder prescriptions?

Please email [email protected] for all dispensary orders. Please note that due to the high volume of orders received we require a minimum of 2 days to process your order.

What are the fees payable?

As at 1 July 2022, Leah’s hourly rate is $400/hour – i.e. you will be charged based on the time spent with her.

What happens if I miss an appointment?

Missed appointments and late cancellations prevent Leah from helping someone else in need. Please provide 48 hours notice (during business hours). I.e. an appointment scheduled for 9am Monday will need to be cancelled no later than 9am Thursday morning. Missed consultations or late cancellations without 48 hours notice will incur the full consultation fee.

Can I book a phone or email consultation?

Current patients are able to apply for a direct phone or email consultation with Leah in acute scenarios. These consultations are helpful if patients have questions in between appointments. They are usually available within 24-72 hours depending on Leah’s commitments.

Phone or email consultations must be booked through reception. You’re welcome to email or call reception to coordinate this. These consultations do not replace a proper follow up appointment and cannot be used for your initial consultation.

These consultations are useful for situations including:

Updating information about a particular issue
Queries about ongoing management and treatment
Discussing results of a test
Sending copies of test results and reports
Organising tests and referrals

There is a fee involved and phone/email consultations are based on the time taken for Leah to complete what is required. Generally it is anticipated that it would take between 15-30 minutes and you are charged accordingly. Payment is made via credit card and you will be issued with a receipt within 24 hours. These consultations are not rebatable with health funds.

I live outside Sydney – can I consult with Leah?

Consultations with Leah are available for those residing outside of Sydney. Patients are requested to have their initial appointment face-to-face where possible due to industry requirements, however, alternatives are available but this will need to be discussed with Leah. Ongoing treatment is conducted in an identical manner whereby consultations are scheduled through reception and are held via phone/webcam. Naturopathic prescriptions are then couriered/posted. Fees and charges are the same as for face-to-face consultations, however, health fund rebates may differ.

Where do I send previous medical test results?

Please bring copies of any past test results to your consultations to ensure thorough assessment at your consultation and to prevent unnecessary repetition. If you are having these documents forwarded directly to our clinic, please include a cover letter – Attention: Leah Hechtman. If you experience any difficulty in obtaining these results, please speak with Leah directly in your consultation.

I have a question to ask Leah

For any clinical queries relating to your treatment, please email Leah directly. Please note that email is not the recommended way to be consulted (unless you have a pre-arranged email consultation, which is billed as per Leah’s hourly rate) and Leah requires a minimum of 3 days to reply to emails. Dependent on your query, you may be asked to schedule a consultation so you can be best advised by Leah.

How is my personal information dealt with?

At the centre, we have strict confidentiality and privacy policies that respect our patients. All patient files are stored in a locked, secure location and only your practitioner will access your information. Content of files will be stored for the obligatory 7 years and will then be destroyed. Our administrative staff have restricted access to patient files. If you require test results or have treatment queries, you are asked to contact Leah directly.

I have another question

Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any queries or concerns. We are here to help you on your health journey.

About Dr Leah Hechtman (PhD)

Dr Leah Hechtman (PhD) is a renowned naturopathic clinician specialising in fertility, pregnancy, and comprehensive reproductive health. In addition to her clinical expertise, she is an engaged researcher, published author and a dedicated educator in her field. Widely recognised for her expertise, Dr Hechtman (PhD) receives numerous referrals from fertility specialists and IVF clinics on a global scale.

”Our children choose us with purpose and wisdom; the timing and method of their arrival is part of their unique journey.
Dr Leah Hechtman (PhD)