In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson, holistic OB-GYN and founder of Vera Health and Fertility, tackles one of the most emotional and misunderstood topics in women’s health — miscarriage.
Dr. Sarah shares the four main causes she sees most often and how to prevent them: poor egg quality, hormone imbalance, uterine lining issues, and inflammation. She walks you through how each of these areas affects fertility and offers practical, science-backed ways to strengthen your body, balance your hormones, and increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy.
You’ll learn why one miscarriage is reason enough to do a full workup — and how small optimizations can make a big difference in future pregnancies.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
🩸 Why You Deserve Answers After a Miscarriage
You shouldn’t have to wait for multiple miscarriages before getting tested.A single miscarriage can reveal important clues about your health and hormones.A full fertility workup helps prevent future loss.
🧬 1. Egg and Sperm Quality
Up to 90% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo.Egg quality depends heavily on antioxidants — eat leafy greens, berries, avocado, turmeric, and drink green tea daily.Key supplements that support egg and sperm health: CoQ10, resveratrol, alpha-lipoic acid (under provider guidance).Don’t forget your partner — poor sperm quality contributes just as much as poor egg quality.A sperm analysis can check for morphology, motility, and chromosomal integrity.
It takes 3–4 months for your body to recruit and mature an egg — hormone health during that time is crucial.Estrogen must rise steadily in the follicular phase to prepare a strong follicle.After ovulation, the luteal phase relies on progesterone and estrogen balance to support implantation.Signs of imbalance: short luteal phase, spotting before period, PMS, or inconsistent cycles.Each healthy cycle builds momentum — strong hormone flow month to month improves egg quality and future fertility.
🏡 3. Uterine Lining Health
The uterine lining (endometrium) needs to be thick, healthy, and inflammation-free to support implantation.Endometrial biopsies can reveal hidden issues like infection or chronic inflammation.Red flags: brown spotting, pain, light or irregular periods.A healthy uterus should “shed clean” each month — incomplete shedding can build unhealthy layers over time.Think of your uterus like a hardwood floor, not a shag carpet — smooth, stable, and strong for implantation.
🔥 4. Inflammation & Whole-Body Health
Systemic inflammation can affect your uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.Autoimmune disease or undiagnosed immune activationGut inflammation or leaky gutChronic infections or virusesEnvironmental allergies or food sensitivitiesAddressing gut health is key — the intestines sit directly over reproductive organs and can spread inflammation.Supporting the immune system, identifying triggers, and using anti-inflammatory nutrition or therapies helps restore balance.Miscarriage is not random — most have identifiable, treatable causes.Testing after one miscarriage can save time, heartbreak, and future loss.Focus on four core areas: egg quality, hormone balance, uterine health, inflammation.Each cycle is an opportunity to improve your future fertility.You deserve a provider who will dig deeper, not tell you to “wait and see.”If you’ve experienced a miscarriage or are preparing for pregnancy and want to optimize your fertility, Dr. Sarah and the Vera team can help uncover root causes and create a customized treatment plan.
🌐 Learn more or schedule a visit: verafertility.com
📧 Follow along on social: @verafertility