Miss Conception

In this final episode of this nine-part series, I answer the question you’re probably wondering: could this approach actually help me? As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I walk you through exactly how my four-month Conception program works, from the first 90-minute health history to your first custom herbal formula, and why no two protocols I create are ever the same.

• Why your health history matters, and why what you don’t yet know about your body may matter even more

• How an approach can work whether you have PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, or an “unexplained infertility” label, or you simply don’t know what’s going on

• Why many women, including nurses and a pharmacist I’ve worked with, were never taught how their cycles work

• How combining clinical herbalism with the Symptothermal Method gives you a clearer picture than a single test

• What happens in the first two 90-minute sessions: your full health history and learning to chart your basal body temperature and cervical mucus

• How charting can take about a minute a day once you know how

• What it looks like to have your charts reviewed every two weeks

• Why four months is a realistic window to see what’s going on and start making meaningful changes

• How to feel supported through the emotional waiting period between ovulation and your next period or pregnancy test

• Why being over 35 doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to try or understand

Essential listening if you’ve followed this series and want to know whether personalized support is the right next step for you.

Ready to talk? Visit www.kapu.community/services to apply for Conception, my four-month fertility support program, or book a free 20-minute call with me.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I am not a medical doctor. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care, including starting any herbal or dietary supplement. Individual results vary, and no outcome, including pregnancy, is guaranteed.

There’s a big difference between feeling like you’re running out of time and actually running out of time.

In episode eight of this nine-part series, I take on the question behind every other question: is it too late? As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I explain how long an egg takes to mature, why a low AMH doesn’t tell me much about natural fertility, and why a gentler, body-led approach can be worth the wait.

• How the 3 to 4 months it takes an egg to mature can become a window to support your health

• Why only one egg is ovulated each cycle (unless twins), and what that means for how you think about egg supply

• What a low AMH result tells IVF clinics and fertility doctors, but why I don’t find it useful when working on natural fertility

• What you can work on in a four-month window: hormone balance, digestion, sleep, stress response, uterine lining and so much more

• How rushing fertility with medications or procedures can sometimes set back your health and your timeline

• How charting basal body temperature and cervical mucus gives you real information instead of pressure

• What to do if your story feels complicated, private, or “unexplained”

Essential listening if you’re over 35, worried about your timeline, and wondering whether there’s still time to do this naturally.

Ready to start? Visit www.kapu.community/services to apply for Conception, my four-month fertility support program, or book a free 20-minute call with me.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care, including starting any herbal or dietary supplement. Individual results vary, and the information shared in this episode is not a guarantee of any outcome.

What if the thing missing from your fertility plan isn’t another supplement, but someone who can connect the dots?

In episode seven, I explain why copying your best friend’s supplement routine or following a google “top fertility supplements” list probably isn’t what gets you pregnant. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I share why knowing why you’re taking something matters as much as what you take, and how one client’s popular supplement turned out to be less useful for her than a simple swap.

• Why what worked for your best friend or a “top supplements” list may not work for you

• How to tell when it’s time to stop trying things on your own and get a whole-picture assessment (especially after six months or more)

• Why a plan that explains what each herb or supplement does in your body can end the guesswork

• How one client’s experience shows that a commonly recommended supplement isn’t always the best fit for an individual

• Why practical factors like how many capsules you’re willing to take should shape your plan

• How to know whether something is actually helping, with a clear plan and timeline

• What a collaborative, informed approach to your fertility looks like

• Why feeling like an active participant in your health matters, especially in something as vulnerable as fertility

Essential listening if you’ve tried everything on the list and want to understand your body instead of adding one more thing to the pile.

Ready to connect the dots? Visit www.kapu.community/services to learn about Conception, my four-month fertility support program.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care, including starting any herbal or dietary supplement. Individual results vary.

Here’s what can show up before a positive pregnancy test. 

In episode six of this nine-part series, I share the signs that tell you your efforts are working before you ever see a second line. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I walk through four client stories sharing the signs they received before getting pregnant.

You’ll Learn

• Why your cycle can’t be rushed, and what a cycle that’s too short or too long can tell you

• How better mood, energy, sleep, and digestion can signal your hormones are rebalancing, sometimes within one to two cycles

• Why easing PMS, PMDD-type symptoms, and cyclical headaches or migraines can be a step toward hormonal balance

• What it can mean when mid-cycle or premenstrual spotting stops

• How shifts in your cervical mucus can show you’re moving in the right direction

• What a warming basal body temperature and a lengthening luteal phase can reveal

• How an ultrasound showing a thicker, healthier uterine lining can be a measurable sign of progress

• Why checking your chart regularly helps you adjust your approach instead of guessing

• How to tell whether what you’re doing is working before a positive test

Essential listening if you’re doing everything you can and need to know it’s leading somewhere.

Want personalized support? Visit www.kapu.community/services to learn about Conception, my four-month fertility support program.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care, including starting any herbal supplement. Individual results vary, and the client stories shared in this episode are not a guarantee of any outcome.

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all fertility herb, or blend of herbs.  

Picked up a fertility blend at the health food store and still not pregnant? In episode five of this nine-part series, I explain why real fertility support has to be tailored to you. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I’ve never made the same formula for two women, because your health history, cycle patterns, and constitution all change which herbs make sense.

I also share the story of a client who believed she had two periods every month. Charting with the Symptothermal Method revealed severe mid-cycle and premenstrual spotting instead, and with an herbal protocol designed just for her, her fourth chart showed no spotting and a crystal-clear temperature rise, revealing healthy ovulation and no more confusion. 

• Why generic fertility herbal blends may not work for you

• How two women of the same age trying to conceive can need completely different herbal protocols

• How a full health intake and cycle history guide a truly personalized protocol

• Why herbal formulas often shift during the first couple of months, and why that’s a good sign

• How charting your fertility signs shows you quickly whether a protocol is working

• Why dose and frequency matter just as much as which herb you take

Essential listening if a generic fertility blend hasn’t worked for you and you want to understand what personalized herbal support looks like.

Want herbal support formulated around you? Visit www.kapu.community/services to apply for Conception, my four-month fertility support program.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care, including starting any herbal supplement. Individual results vary, and the client story shared in this episode is not a guarantee of any outcome.

Your app can try to predict your fertile window, but it can’t teach you what your body is actually saying.

You’ve invested in LH strips, a fertility monitor, or a smart ring, and you’re still not pregnant. In episode four of this nine-part series, I explain why observation beats prediction when you’re trying to conceive. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I break down how the Symptothermal Method, which uses cervical fluid and basal body temperature, reveals what apps and gadgets can’t. 

I share two client stories. One had been told she had PCOS, but her temperature chart pointed to stressed adrenals and a thyroid that needed support, which had gone unflagged through a year of other programs. The other had been trying for a year with LH strips and a smart ring. Her chart showed a short luteal phase and excess estrogen. She conceived naturally in her third cycle with a custom herbal protocol and by timing intercourse with her cervical fluid. Her LH strips never showed a positive surge that cycle, showing they are not fail-proof and should not be solely relied on. 

• Why observation and education give you more reliable fertility information than prediction

• How LH strips and fertility monitors can miss your fertile window

• Why waiting on a positive LH strip could cause you to miss peak fertility

• What your basal body temperature can reveal about your thyroid, adrenals, and progesterone

• How cervical mucus patterns reveal invaluable information

• How you can still use the Symptothermal Method if your cycles are irregular or you aren’t ovulating

Essential listening if you’ve been relying on an app, ring, or LH strips and still feel like you’re missing something.

Ready for personalized support? Visit www.kapu.community/services to apply for Conception, my four-month fertility support program.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care. Individual results vary, and the client stories shared in this episode are not a guarantee of any outcome.

If ovulation were the whole answer, everyone who timed sex perfectly would be pregnant. So what's missing?

You’re ovulating, you’re timing intercourse right, and you’re still not pregnant. In episode three of this nine-part series, I explain why ovulation is only one piece of the picture. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I walk you through what I look at instead: the health of your whole fertility cycle, including both the follicular and luteal phases, and what your cycle length, cervical fluid, PMS, and spotting may be telling you.

I also share the story of a client who came to me for cyclical migraines, severe PMS, and short 24-25 day cycles. She had been through an unsuccessful round of IVF and had tried for years to conceive. After an in-depth intake, I gave her an herbal protocol, supplements, and diet and lifestyle suggestions to support both halves of her cycle. Her PMS improved within weeks, and less than a month later, she told me she was pregnant.

• Why ovulation and perfectly timed intercourse aren’t the whole story when you’re trying to conceive

• How tracking your whole cycle, from day one of your period to your next, reveals more than LH strips alone

• What your follicular and luteal phase lengths say about your fertility

• Why cycle length, whether 20, 29, or 80 days, is valuable information

• How to read your cervical fluid, and why what you thought was an infection may be a sign of healthy fertility

• What PMS, spotting, and period symptoms can reveal about hormonal balance

• Why supporting your body can be more effective than trying to control or manipulate ovulation

• How herbs, targeted supplements, and lifestyle changes can support the liver, digestion, and a healthy luteal phase

• Why looking at your patterns over one to three months gives you a clearer picture than a single cycle

• How the Symptothermal Method differs from predictive apps and LH strips

Essential listening if you’re ovulating regularly and still wondering what’s keeping you from a positive test.

Ready for personalized support? Visit www.kapu.community/services to apply for Conception, my four-month fertility support program.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care. Individual results vary, and the client story shared in this episode is not a guarantee of any outcome.

Your labs are "normal," your ultrasound is clear, so why aren't you getting pregnant?

If you've been told everything looks fine but you still don't feel fine (or you're still not pregnant), I want you to know you're not imagining it. In episode two of this nine-part series, I explain why lab work and ultrasounds alone often don't tell the whole story. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I show you what your symptoms, cycle patterns and digestion and sleep for example, may be revealing that standard testing misses.

I share two client stories. The first client suspected PCOS, but her bloodwork showed normal androgens. She still had irregular ovulation, excess chin and jawline hair, and afternoon fatigue. With fertility charting and a targeted herbal protocol, she noticed changes within a month and conceived naturally in the second month, before getting a first period (since it had been a while since her last period, and ovulation comes before a period). The second client showed normal labs, a normal ultrasound, and clear fallopian tubes, yet her intake revealed signs of excess inflammation, high stress, and a very small appetite her medical team hadn't picked up on.

• Why "normal" labs and a clear ultrasound don't always mean there's nothing you can do

• How your symptoms, cycle history, digestion, and sleep can reveal what testing can't

• Why visible signs like excess facial hair matter, even when bloodwork looks normal

• How androgens relate to PCOS criteria, and why focusing on symptoms can matter more than the label

• How a holistic approach can support more regular ovulation, energy, and better sleep

• What a 90-minute health intake can uncover that conventional testing may miss

• How a small appetite, inflammation, and stress can quietly affect fertility

• Why charting your fertility signs is a life skill only you can do for yourself

• How to start asking whether your testing is giving you enough information to make meaningful changes

Essential listening if you've been told your results are normal but you know something is still off.

Ready for personalized support? Visit www.kapu.community/services to book a free 20-minute call with me and learn about Conception, my four-month fertility support program.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen or fertility care. Individual results vary, and the client stories shared in this episode are not a guarantee of any outcome.

What if the thing you’ve been told to do after 35 isn’t the only serious option you have?

You’ve probably heard that IUI or IVF is the next step. In this first episode of a nine-part series, I challenge that assumption. As a registered herbalist and certified fertility awareness educator, I explain why ovulation, cycle health, and hormone balance matter more than age labels or a single AMH number.

I share the story of my client Lisa, who at 42 stopped getting her period after a failed IVF round and was told she had entered early menopause and would need a donor egg to try again. I looked at the same picture and saw something different. With a customized herbal protocol, Lisa began ovulating again within weeks, conceived naturally within 6 months and gave birth to a healthy baby girl at 43.

• Why the “advanced maternal age” label doesn’t define what your body can do

• Why a low AMH result isn’t the end-all predictor of natural conception

• Why medicated IUI and IVF don’t guarantee a faster path

• How a short luteal phase can make it hard to maintain an early pregnancy

• How charting basal body temperature, cervical fluid, mood, and energy gives you real data, cycle after cycle

• Why a thorough health intake can uncover what labs alone miss

• How herbs, diet, lifestyle, and supplements can support a healthier luteal phase

• Why one client’s “early menopause” diagnosis after IVF turned out to be a temporary shutdown of hormone communication

• How to approach your fertility with curiosity, respect, and self-kindness instead of pressure

Essential listening if you’re over 35 and want to understand your cycle and your options beyond the default medical path.

Want personalized support? Visit www.kapu.community to learn about my Conception program and book your free 20-minute consult with me.

What if the herb monks once used to *suppress* their libido is the same one helping women restore ovulation, lengthen a too-short luteal phase, and finally see two pink lines after failed IVF? In this episode of The Miss Conception Show, clinical herbalist Veronica Ricksen breaks down Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry), one of the oldest documented herbs in women's reproductive health.

I talk about why so many women today are dealing with missing ovulation and luteal phase deficiency, which is one reason behind severe PMS, short cycles, low progesterone, infertility and recurrent early miscarriage. These patterns are often overlooked in a standard fertility workups. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, I walk through how Vitex works upstream at the pituitary gland to help recalibrate hormonal signaling, and why that "top-down" mechanism makes it a foundational herb in my clinical practice.

Drawing on nearly two millennia of recorded use (Vitex appears in the first-century text De Materia Medica) and my own years of one-on-one client work, I share three real case studies— including a client who conceived naturally within a month of starting her protocol after a failed IVF round, and another who was told she'd entered early menopause (after IVF) before going on to have a healthy baby girl. 

As a registered clinical herbalist who has worked both in private practice and inside a fertility clinic setting, I bring a credible and hopeful attitude to what herbal medicine can do alongside nutrition, stress reduction, and proper medical care. Etc. 

You'll Learn

- What Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry) is, where it grows, and how it's traditionally harvested and prepared

- Why it's called "monk's pepper" and the surprising history behind that name

- How Vitex works on the pituitary gland to indirectly support hormonal balance

- Two main ways Vitex is used clinically: restoring missing ovulation and supporting a healthy luteal phase (Ant there are many other uses for it as well)

- What luteal phase deficiency is and the signs that may indicate it (short cycles, severe PMS, low progesterone, recurrent miscarriage)

- How charting basal body temperature and fertility signs can confirm whether ovulation is actually happening

- Real client stories of using Vitex after failed IVF, with PCOS, and after an “early menopause diagnosis” after medically induced amenorrhea 

- Why herbal dosing is highly individualized and best guided by a qualified practitioner

- How Vitex fits into a broader natural fertility protocol alongside nutrition and stress reduction

If you've been told your options are limited, or you're looking for a natural complement to your fertility journey, this conversation offers hope.

https://www.kapu.community/