Comments on: Understanding Hormones for Women

By: How and When to Test Progesterone – Dr. Alexandra MacKillop

How and When to Test Progesterone – Dr. Alexandra MacKillop — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:48:46 +0000

[…] Female Fertility 101 […]

By: 3 Reasons for Painful Periods (and What You Can, and Can’t Do About It)

3 Reasons for Painful Periods (and What You Can, and Can’t Do About It) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 14:01:32 +0000

[…] Female Fertility 101 […]

By: The Problem With Birth Control Pills

The Problem With Birth Control Pills — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 13:00:37 +0000

[…] The menstrual cycle is a plays a powerful role in women’s health, and not just in terms of fertility. As I shared in this post, our periods tell us way much more about our sense of well-being than whether or not we’re pregnant, and that information is so, so important! If our cycle is out of sync, it’s really important for us to address those concerns early so that the underlying causes–like thyroid, metabolic, adrenal, or other hormone imbalances–don’t worsen and lead to disease. […]

By: A Different Approach to PMS

A Different Approach to PMS — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 13:02:34 +0000

[…] hormone of the luteal phase of the cycle. I talk about these hormones and phases of the cycle more in this post, but here’s a […]

By: Basal Body Temperature 101 (How to Track Your Cycle)

Basal Body Temperature 101 (How to Track Your Cycle) — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 13:03:27 +0000

[…] Female Fertility 101 […]

By: What’s Causing Your Bloat

What’s Causing Your Bloat? — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 13:17:13 +0000

[…] just volume. Bloating before my period Also normal. Progesterone is the prominent hormone in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and part if its job is to slow down digestive processes. When digestion […]

By: Progesterone Deficiency (the delicate relationship between stress and fertility)

Progesterone Deficiency (the delicate relationship between stress and fertility) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 13:02:07 +0000

[…] Throughout the female cycle, two hormones tend to be held responsible for triggering key events such as ovulation and the start of a period. In the first half of the cycle, estrogen rises and falls, correlating with a hormonal signal from the brain that triggers the release of an egg. Following ovulation, the corpus luteum produces progesterone, which is responsible for thickening the uterine lining in anticipating of pregnancy. After about seven days, progesterone levels peak and begin to steadily decline; once they drop low enough, the lining starts to shed, signaling the start of a period and another cycle. […]

By: Estrogen Dominance (what it is and what you can do about it)

Estrogen Dominance (what it is and what you can do about it) — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 13:03:44 +0000

[…] Throughout the female cycle, two hormones tend to be held responsible for triggering key events such as ovulation and the start of a period. In the first half of the cycle, estrogen rises and falls, correlating with a hormonal signal from the brain that triggers the release of an egg. Following ovulation, the ovary produces progesterone, which is responsible for thickening the uterine lining in anticipation of pregnancy. After about seven days, progesterone levels peak and begin to steadily decline; once they drop low enough, the lining starts to shed, signaling the start of a period and another cycle. […]

By: PCOS, Explained

PCOS, Explained — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 13:05:49 +0000

[…] strategies, and more. As a starting point, I encourage you to check out my fertility overview post (Female Fertility 101) if you aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of your menstrual cycle. That post lays the […]

By: What Your Period Reveals About Your Health (it’s way more than just fertility)

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 13:02:25 +0000

[…] Usually, when we think of the menstrual cycle, we divide it into two parts: period week, and everything else. But there’s so much more going on behind the scenes. Ovulation (the release of an egg) takes place around halfway through the cycle (which would be day 14 or 15 of an average, 28-day cycle) and there are rhythmic fluctuations of hormones released through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, triggering predictable patterns of estrogen, progesterone, and other chemicals. Typically estrogen is highest during the first two weeks of the cycle (called the follicular phase) and progesterone takes over during the last two weeks of the cycle (called the luteal phase). To learn more about the details of hormonal changes throughout the cycle, the four sub-phases of the cycle and what they mean, how to track your own cycle, and ways to find out when you’re ovulating, check out this post: Female Fertility 101 […]