If you’re wondering how your period can affect fertility, let’s start thinking about how your period really acts as a report card. It gives us key insights into your overall health and wellbeing – both mentally and physically. How your menstrual cycle plays out will give us an indication as to how well your hormones are functioning and whether or not they are struggling to find balance.
Your fertility will be affected by the state of your health, how nourished you are, how balanced you are, whether you’re digesting and absorbing all your nutrients, how well your organs are functioning and so much more…
I will add this as well: whether you are trying to conceive or not, as a woman, you should pay mind to how your period plays out month to month because balanced hormones simply mean a more balanced lifestyle, energy and mood!
Seeing as it is such an integral part of our wellbeing, it’s the reason why I review in great detail all my female clients menstrual cycles. Happy hormones have the ability to reduce/remove irregular periods, support fertility, pregnancy and even our postpartum experience! Let’s break it down.
Common Fertility Issues
Infertility can be presented in a couple ways: the inability to conceive, or frequent miscarriages (the inability to carry a pregnancy to completion).
It can be really frustrating and difficult to navigate, there’s no doubt about it – just know that for the most part, there is almost always a way to increase your odds at a healthy pregnancy when certain steps are taken to bring balance back into your mind, body and tissues.
Assuming that you are timing intercourse at the right time, your period is regular, you eat well and are doing “all the right things” it’s always possible that there is something deeper going on.
Irregular Periods & How They May Affect Fertility
Irregular periods may present differently for different people – maybe your cycle ranges from 20-35+ days, maybe you’re bleeding heavily, you have severe cramping or experience a lot of large clotting… In any case, it’s a sign that your hormones are out of balance and they need a little TLC.
Hormone imbalances are often the first thing that is discussed when it comes to infertility. Now, why these hormone imbalances exist in the first place are a whole other topic of discussion, but for the sake of discussing hormones and signs of imbalances, let’s leave the nitty-gritty stuff to a later discussion. For personalized support, you can book a free discovery call to dive in deeper!
Causes of infertility and hormone imbalances may not always be obvious and they can sometimes be really hard to diagnose, taking many years and after seeing many different practitioners.
Hormone imbalances can present in many different ways but they affect fertility in that they can signal to the body that it is not a safe time to conceive – that of the body is in a state of scarcity and it does not have the necessary resources to fertilize and maintain pregnancy.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The state of your hormones has the ability to impact your fertility, your pregnancy, your birth and your postpartum experience! Making sure that you are doing all that you can to bring balance into your world can make or break your fertility journey.
Are Period Cramps Normal?
Excruciating period cramps are not normal. They are common, but not normal. This is just one example of one period irregularity that is a sign of hormonal imbalances.
While it is normal for some mild discomfort in your lower abdomen during your menses, being in so much pain that you’re unable to think or move is not normal. If you’re needing to take pain killers on a monthly basis just to get by, I dare say there is an underlying issue that needs addressing.
What Hormone Imbalance May Look Like
- Severe period cramping
- A lot of large clotting
- Severe pains running through your back and legs
- Heavy period, a lot of blood
- Light period, very scanty
- Short period (2 day period or less)
- Skipping periods and not pregnant
- Period acne
- Endometriosis
- PCOS
- Infertility
- Frequent miscarriage
- … and so much more
All of the symptoms listed above come from a place of imbalance, they are not normal and they have the ability to affect fertility. These symptoms are a sign that something is not quite right and that we need to make some adjustments to better serve ourselves. If you’ve been told the only way to balance your hormones is by going on birth control, I beg you consider other options, because the pill will only act as a bandaid to your underlying issue. You can read more about birth control methods in that blog post for more.
So let’s talk about hormones and how they may change through the month
How Your Hormones Change Throughout the Month
Your hormones act as little messengers to activate chemical reactions in your body, setting off a reaction of events that lead to a specific outcome – so long as everything else is in place and there are no interferences.
Men have a 24 hour hormonal clock, women have a 28 day hormonal clock (longer for some women) that changes with each new phase (more below).
The flow of your female hormones have adapted brilliantly in such a way that they trigger your eggs to mature, trigger your follicles to grow, trigger the release of cervical fluid to support fertilization and implantation. Hormones are also responsible for helping us shed our uterine wall should fertilization not take place. Hormones are then released to help clear out the old, making space for a new round to start approximately 28 days later.
When balanced, hormones are responsible for helping us feel good and energized leading up to, and around ovulation. They are also going to help you slow down and rest around the time of your menses, as one should do!
Menses Overview
The literal goal of our female physiology is to procreate. Period. In our menstrual years, we have a menstrual cycle every month so long as we are not pregnant.
Your cycle can be broken down into 4 phases:
- Menstrual Phase (DAYS 1-7): The shedding of your uterine lining (when pregnancy has not occurred)
- Follicular Phase (DAYS 4-14): The period between your bleed and ovulation
- Ovulation Phase (DAY 14-17): When your mature egg is released to be fertilized
- Luteal Phase (DAYS 15-35): The period where implantation may take place and the formation of a new organ (corpus luteum*) takes place. If not, the cycle starts over.
Each phase serves a specific purpose throughout your cycle, and each phase has a certain energy to it as well. Understanding the different phases of your cycle can help you better understand your energy through the month, it can also help you to figure out where their may be irregularities. Those irregularities can help you determine where more support may be needed, as well. Something I often discuss and review with all my clients!
If you are looking for help with understanding and tracking your cycle (Cycle Literacy), I have a guide here that I’ve made just for you!
You should also know that when it comes to your menstrual cycle and infertility, it takes 3 months for your eggs to mature and be released, which is why…
*The health of the corpus luteum will be determined by the state of your overall health and how well-nourished you are. This organ needs a lot of energy and produces a very important hormone called Progesterone which is necessary in high amounts to carry out pregnancy, especially in the first 3 months. A corpus luteum only forms after you ovulate. Ovulation is key.
It Takes 3 months to Produce a Healthy, Fertile egg
While 1 menstrual cycle typically lasts 25-35 days, the process starts at least 3 months ahead of time. What you choose to eat, expose yourself to and how you choose to live has the ability to impact the quality of your oocyte (egg).
When dealing with menstrual irregularities or conditions like infertility – it will be important to keep this big detail in mind.
The choices you make today will have an impact on your current health, the health and strength of your egg and your ability to procreate. If you are looking to conceive, I also have a blog available that discusses what you can do to prepare for conception!
How Your Period Can Affect Fertility: Summary
At a minimum, when trying to conceive at any stage in life, whether it be for your first, second, third, or fourth baby, you should always give yourself 3 months to support your body as best as possible to make the best egg, the best corpus luteum and the best possible chance at becoming pregnant and maintaining that pregnancy. More on that in a later post!
The point to this post is really this – how your period plays out from month to month has the ability to determine your fertility, your pregnancy and so much more.
If you have period irregularities or hormone imbalances – it may be time to revisit what is causing them!
You can email or call anytime for guided information to help you find balance or feel free to stick around as I share more through these blogs.
In the meantime, I wish you health and happiness.
Veronique, CNP
Your fertility and nutrition coach.
What is a Healthy Menstrual Cycle?
Olla beautiful women! Yes, I'm talking to you, whoever is reading this blog post. You're beautiful. Ladies, today we're talking all things menstrual cycles, menses, periods, your menstrual flow, that time of month... what ever you want to call it, it doesn't matter -...
When am I Most Fertile?
So you've decided that you're ready to conceived, you're noticing all the signs of readiness and now you're wondering: "When am I most fertile?" Maybe you're wondering when you're most fertile with the hopes of avoiding pregnancy - either way you're in the right...
Signs You’re Ready to Have a Baby
Spring is on its way and nature is starting to wake up after a nice long (or short, let's be honest, it was a mild winter) winter hibernation. If you're starting to feel a little more lively, a little more frisky and a little more flirty, it could be that, like your...