#130 | Why You’re Not Ovulating Regularly, What It Means for Your Fertility And How You Can Still Get Pregnant

If your cycles are irregular, your app says you’re ovulating but nothing’s happening, or you’ve been told your progesterone is “too low”—you’re not alone. And there’s more you can do beyond fertility treatment.

In today’s episode, Dr. Katie breaks down the real reasons ovulation disorders happen, why they’re so often missed, and how they quietly block conception—even when you’re still getting a period. From PCOS and stress to thyroid issues and nutrient depletion, you’ll discover the true root causes of irregular or missing ovulation—and how to bring your body back into balance.

In this episode, you'll...

-Learn the 5 most common causes of ovulation issues—and what most doctors overlook

-Discover how to read your body’s ovulation signs beyond the tracking app

-Get powerful but simple steps to naturally restore ovulation and boost progesterone

Tune in now to decode what your body’s really saying about ovulation—and how to work with your hormones (not against them) to finally get pregnant.

🌟Follow and connect with me on Instagram @the_wellness_pharmacist to fast-track your fertility so you can finally get and stay pregnant naturally!⁠

Finally Get Pregnant Naturally is your go-to TTC podcast for holistic fertility support to help you get pregnant naturally by addressing the root cause of unexplained infertility, secondary infertility, and recurrent miscarriage. Hosted by Dr. Katie Wood, a pharmacist and holistic fertility practitioner, this show offers natural fertility solutions for those on a fertility journey struggling to conceive, navigating miscarriage, or dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, low sperm count, or failed IUI or failed IVF. Whether you're trying to conceive, increase egg quality, optimizing sperm health, or healing after a miscarriage, each episode delivers practical guidance to support your fertility journey. Learn how to improve fertility, balance hormones, regulate your fertile window, and conceive naturally through root cause healing, emotional wellness, and mind-body tools—because true fertility starts from within.

DISCLAIMER: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use it as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. This podcast offers information to help the listener cooperate with physicians, mental health professionals or other healthcare providers in a mutual quest for optimal well-being. We advise listeners to carefully review and understand the ideas presented, and to consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. Under no circumstances shall Pharm to Wellness LLC, any guests or contributors to the Rising into Mindful Motherhood podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Pharm to Wellness LLC be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Episode Transcript

Katie (00:00):
In today's episode, we're breaking down the real reasons why
ovulation might not be happening orhappening irregularly, and what that
means for your fertility journey.
You'll learn the top causes of ovulationdisorders, how to spot the signs your body
is giving you, and actionable steps youcan take to restore ovulation naturally.

(00:20):
If you've ever been told you are notovulating or your progesterone or egg
quality is low, this episode is for you.
Welcome to the finally GetPregnant Naturally Podcast.
The podcast helping women identifythe real reasons you haven't
conceived or stayed pregnant, soyou and your partner can finally
grow the family of your dreams.

(00:41):
I'm your host, Dr.
Katie Wood.
Let's dive in, shall we?
Welcome back to the Finally Get Pregnant Naturally podcast.
Today we're talking about a topicthat affects one in four women who
struggle with fertility and oftengets dismissed or misunderstood
by both patients and providers.

(01:01):
And that topic is ovulation disorders.
So if your cycles are irregular.
Your app says you're ovulating,but nothing is happening, or you've
been told your progesterone islow, then this episode is for you.
Let's dive in.
So what is an ovulation disorder?
Ovulation disorders are conditionswhere ovulation is either irregular.

(01:25):
Absent altogether, or it's happening,but it's not producing a strong
enough hormonal response forconception or implantation to happen.
And this can sometimes be referencedto weak or suboptimal ovulation.
So why does this matter?
Because without healthy, predictableovulation, your body can't release a

(01:49):
mature healthy egg, and without an egg,there's nothing for sperm to fertilize.
So even if intercourse is perfectlytimed, conception won't happen
and can't happen if ovulation.
Doesn't, and here's what's wild is manywomen are ovulating inconsistently or

(02:11):
later in their cycle and they don't evenknow it, and it's because their periods
are still showing up, or they're solelyrelying on fertility tracking apps that
don't account for their unique cycle.
They're just estimations at best.
So how do you know if youhave an ovulation disorder?

(02:32):
Here are some signs that you could bedealing with one so cycles longer than
35 days or shorter than 21, havingirregular or unpredictable periods.
No noticeable shift in cervicalmucus changes throughout your cycle
and temperature charts like basal bodytemperature that don't show a clear shift.

(02:54):
And also there's no LH surge onovulation predictor kits or surges
that can go up and down mid cyclespotting or very light periods and
low progesterone on blood work.
So you may still be bleedingmonthly, but that doesn't always
mean that you've ovulated.
This is called anovulatory bleeding.

(03:16):
When your uterine lining is shedding,but without first releasing an egg.
So let's talk about why ovulationmight not be happening consistently,
and the root cause can varydependent upon your situation.
But here are the five mostcommon ones that I see.
So number one is PCOS orpolycystic ovary syndrome.

(03:38):
And this is one of the most commoncauses because with PCOS, you're
experiencing hormonal imbalances,especially high androgens.
And this can disrupt thedevelopment and release of an egg.
And not all women with PCOS have cysts.
Not all are overweight.
Many can be lean and appearhealthy on the outside.

(04:00):
So PCOS can be commonlyundiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
And number two is hypothalmic amenorrhea.
And this is often caused by chronicstress over exercise and undereating
or low body fat.
Your body is sensing it's insurvival mode and it shuts down
ovulation to conserve resources.

(04:23):
Even women who look healthy on theoutside and probably lead what appear
to be healthy lifestyles with exerciseand eating healthy, they may be
unknowingly suppressing ovulation dueto high cortisol and calorie imbalance.
And then number threeis thyroid dysfunction.
Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidismcan throw off ovulation.

(04:49):
The thyroid is your body's masterregulator, so when it's off
even slightly, it can affect theentire hormonal cascade needed for
ovulation and implantation to happen.
Number four is elevated prolactin.
So this hormone often associatedwith breastfeeding can be elevated

(05:11):
even in a non-nursing woman.
Due to stress pituitary imbalancesor certain medications, high
prolactin suppresses ovulation,and that's why a lot of people.
View exclusive breastfeedingbeing a form of birth control,
although that is not foolproof.
I will add.

(05:31):
And number five is prematureovarian insufficiency or
diminished ovarian reserve.
So when your ovaries aren'tresponding to hormonal signals
properly, either due to aging.
Autoimmune conditions or environmentaltriggers, ovulation can become
irregular or stop entirely.

(05:52):
And this is not always about agebecause I've seen women in their
twenties, early thirties with signsof ovarian insufficiency and women
in their forties who still ovulateconsistently with the right support.
So what can you do about it?
Here's the most important part.
Ovulation disorders are not so black andwhite, and they're not life sentences.

(06:16):
In many cases, they can bereversed or improved with the
right root cause approach.
So if you're listening and thinkingI've been told my body doesn't ovulate
on its own, I want you to know thatthat doesn't mean that it can't.
Never will again.
So here's some steps you can take.

(06:36):
Number one, find your root cause.
Run functional labs and tests toassess your sex hormones, thyroid,
adrenal function, nutrient status.
You wanna test, don't guess,and I will die on this hill.
But the tests and labs that your doctoris doing at your regular doctor, your OB

(06:58):
and your fertility specialist, they'renot digging into this type of stuff.
They're just doing surface level baselinetesting to see what they can give
you in terms of fertility treatment.
Number two, fuel your body.
So ovulation is a luxury thatyour body is providing when
it feels safe and nourished.

(07:20):
When your body is in a stateof thriving and not surviving,
then it feels safe to not onlynourish you, but nourish creating.
Life.
So prioritizing blood sugar balance,including healthy fats, quality
proteins, minerals, and enoughcalories to support hormone production.

(07:44):
Number three, reduce stress andregulate the nervous system.
So this is huge, especiallyfor women who are constantly.
On or meaning you have anever ending to-do list.
You are always on the go doingsomething, whether it's for work,
your social life, your family life,you can just never take a break.

(08:04):
So this is where breath work,nervous system support, and energetic
tools can make all the difference.
And I have seen this shift in myclients in just a couple of cycles.
You can use herbal or supplementalsupport strategically for your specific
situation and your unique root cause.

(08:27):
And then get support, right?
You don't have to do this alone.
You don't have to figure this out alone.
You don't have to do all the things thatyour doctor is saying you have to do.
If it doesn't feel right to you.
If you have an inkling that somethingelse is going on and you wanna figure
it out, working with a fertilitypractitioner who can track your

(08:48):
ovulation beyond a generic app.
Can assess patterns in your chart andinterpret functional labs can save you
time, energy, money, and heartache.
So today we talked about ovulationdisorders, what they are, why they matter,

(09:10):
and the most common reasons they showup, like PCOS, thyroid issues, stress
low ovarian reserve, and we also coveredhow to start identifying the root cause
in simple but powerful ways to supportyour body in restoring healthy ovulation.
Because remember, ovulation isn'tjust about releasing an egg.

(09:33):
It's an ultimate sign that your bodyfeels safe, nourished, and in balance.
So if ovulation has been a mysteryor a missing piece in your journey,
I want you to know you're not alone.
It's one of the most common blocksI see and one of the most empowering
ones to address, because when yourbody starts to ovulate regularly again,

(09:55):
it's a sign that your whole system.
It's coming back into balance andthat's where conception happens.
Not just in the womb, but in the bodythat feels safe, supported and seen.
And you don't have to guess.
You don't have to wait.
This is something that we canabsolutely work on together.
So I just wanna thank you so much forlistening and I will see you on this

(10:19):
Thursday's episode where we'll unpack acommon fertility saboteur, that may be a
big reason why you haven't conceived yet.
I'll see you there.