Whether you are a regular listener or this is your first time joining us here on the Fertility Confidence podcast, welcome. I am your host, Dr. Kelsey Duncan, naturopathic doctor, and the founder and creator of the Fertility Confidence method. 

It is such a beautiful day where I am, and while I’d love to be plunging into a pool right about now, I thought, how about we dive into today’s topic - Irregular Cycles.

Today, I will be covering Step Two of Four regarding Irregular Cycles which is Investigation. I will provide you with the information you need on my top five recommended lab tests to run; while highlighting throughout the importance of accessible, early, and effective cycle management, treatment options, and support.

Before we begin, I recommend grabbing a pen and paper to jot down the five important lab test groupings we will cover in this episode for future reference.

• Defining Irregular Cycles and variation
• Irregularity ‘treatments’ for teens vs those on their TTC Journey 
• To properly treat we must investigate and understand 
• My Five Recommended Lab test groupings to run - Thyroid, Fasting Insulin / Fasted Glucose, Androgens, Pituitary function / Prolactin and Cortisol 

If you’d like me to cover Step One of Irregular Cycles- How to Properly Track Your Cycle in a future episode, please do let me know. 

You can do this by sending me a message via the Fertility Confidence Instagram @fertilityconfidencemethod or through our Facebook group Be Hormonally Confident with Dr.Kelsey. 

 My sincerest thanks for pressing play today. By doing so you are joining a growing community of strong, hopeful women, each on their own fertility confidence journey; as well as those that are listening to gain the knowledge and understanding needed to support them.

If you could do me the honor of hitting the subscribe button, leaving a review, and sharing the podcast with a friend that needs to hear these conversations, I would be forever grateful.

If you’re curious about how you can work with me and my team, I encourage you to book your free clarity call here: https://fertilityconfidencemethod.as.me/fertilityclaritycall#

Vocabulary:

• Luteal phase - Phase of the menstrual cycle that occurs after ovulation and before menstruation
• TTC Journey - Trying To Conceive 

1. Thyroid: Full Thyroid panel is TSH T3, T4, anti TPO (anti thyroid proximities) and anti TG (antithyroglobulin)
2. Fasting insulin and Fasted glucose
3. Androgens: Free testosterone, total testosterone and D H E A S
4. Pituitary Function and Prolactin: Day three LH and FSH
5. Cortisol: Four point Cortisol curve and Urine metabolite

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects the reproductive system and the endocrine system. This means that the ovaries and uterus are affected, but so are insulin and glucose production and processing. Conceiving with PCOS requires tracking and treating the body’s hormonal imbalance.

Dr. Samina Mitha is a naturopathic doctor and a PCOS specialist. Her passion for helping women navigate life and fertility with PCOS stems from her PCOS diagnosis when she was 19. She emphasizes that the first hurdle to overcome with PCOS is often getting properly diagnosed and making a plan to treat the syndrome itself, not just its symptoms.

Dr. Mitha emphasizes that irregular periods with PCOS often indicate that it will take some work to figure out exactly when a person is ovulating, but that most people are still ovulating. Dr. Mitha recommends several ways to track ovulation and also outlines some common treatment options she discusses with patients to correct PCOS-caused hormonal imbalances.

If you’re curious about how you can work with me and my team, I encourage you to book your free clarity call here: https://fertilityconfidencemethod.as.me/fertilityclaritycall#

This episode is the first of many Fertility Warrior stories that I will bring to the podcast to share the journeys of the people who go down a path to fertility confidence. Our first story is about Megan.

As a first-time mom, Megan is navigating the world of motherhood and postpartum as a Fertility Confidence Graduate. As an #endowarrior, Megan spends time with her 4-month-old son Henry, husband Mike, and two pups, Molly and Merle. When she isn’t busy managing her crazy crew, Megan is the owner, candle maker, designer, accountant, delivery man, etc at Porch Light Candle Co! This business is found on a love of non-toxic living and a dream turned to reality.  Connect with Megan to learn more about her journey to motherhood, battle with endometriosis, and dramatic birth story over at @porchlightcandleco on Instagram.

If you’re curious about how you can work with me and my team, I encourage you to book your free clarity call here: https://fertilityconfidencemethod.as.me/fertilityclaritycall#

If you’re curious about how you can work with me and my team, I encourage you to book your free clarity call here: https://fertilityconfidencemethod.as.me/fertilityclaritycall#

Half of the information that makes a baby comes from sperm, but sperm are often forgotten in fertility conversations and action plans. About 60% of infertility cases have a sperm component to them, so we should be pursuing pre-conception care long before trying to conceive.

Research shows a clear decline in average sperm health over decades. Modern sperm counts, motility, morphology, and concentrations all make it harder to conceive. But nutrition and lifestyle habits can improve sperm quality and quantity.

Kelsey outlines some concrete steps to start taking today to boost sperm health.

Call to Action: Fertility Confidence Method is built in such a way to help support male factor fertility as well. If you’re curious about how you can work with me and my team, I encourage you to book your free clarity call here: https://fertilityconfidencemethod.as.me/fertilityclaritycall#

Erin McCollough joins Kelsey on the podcast to discuss how Yoga can change the modality of how women approach motherhood. One of the best parts of this conversation is the way that Erin speaks about how yoga can be more than just a fitness tool. She discusses how you can use yoga in a variety of different ways that can benefit your overall mindset. 

Erin is the Founder of Fertile Hope Yoga, the world’s first online fertility yoga studio allowing women to practice from the comfort of their living room floor.

For more than a decade, Erin has been leading the industry with her in-person yoga fertility program at the CNY Fertility Center owned by Dr. Robert Kiltz. She's the Co-Creator of The Fertile Secret book and has helped thousands of women reach out and hold their baby after they had been told they could never get pregnant.

She calls upon her 20 years of training and practice in the healing arts: yoga teacher training, licensed massage therapy, Reiki certified, Doula trained, myofascial release, Arvigo Therapy certified to name a few, and uses the modalities to change how women approach motherhood.

Instagram/Facebook: @fetilehopeyoga https://www.instagram.com/fertilehopeyoga/

Website: www.fertilehopeyoga.com

Dr. Kelsey Duncan talks about the science behind her 30 minute morning routine to help boost fertility. She talks about how it may not be this structure, but breaks down the why behind each piece of the routine and how consistency of healthy habits over time is important. 

The morning routine includes 4 easy steps to accomplish consistently to help you move and nourish your body, work on your mindset and help you track your cycle over time.

Download your 30 min morning routine guide: www.kelseyduncan.click/boost

Meditation Resources:

Circle and Bloom: https://circlebloom.com?ref=9454 ExpectfulCalmInsight Timer

10% Off TempDrop: http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/SHX632UENTTU5

CODE: SHX632UENTTU5

There are many choices of Prenatal Vitamins available on the market and we want to make sure that we get the best one out there, but which one is the best choice you? Choosing the proper Prenatal Vitamin can be confusing and intimidating that is why Dr. Kelsey Duncan talks about this subject in this episode. 

She provides you with a full understanding of what Prenatal Vitamins are supposed to do for you; how they work; what vitamins should be included and in what forms. She also lists some of the non-medical ingredients that can be found in some products that just don't make sense. 

The specific thread where I review a bunch of prenatals inside Be Hormonally Confident: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2453339948271726/permalink/2541074679498252