#140 | 7 Hormonal Imbalance Signs Blocking Fertility and Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Are your hormones secretly sabotaging your chances of getting pregnant?

If you’re experiencing irregular periods, unexplained fatigue, or even just a sense that your cycle is “off,” your body might be waving red flags that your hormones need support. In this episode, Dr. Katie Wood breaks down seven subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs of hormonal imbalance that could be interfering with ovulation, implantation—or even causing early miscarriages.

In this episode, you'll...

– Learn how to recognize the most overlooked signs of hormone imbalance affecting fertility

– Discover why “normal” lab results might be missing the real problem

– Get practical guidance on functional hormone testing and the next steps to rebalance and restore your body for conception

Listen now to uncover if hidden hormonal imbalances are standing between you and the pregnancy you’ve been dreaming of.

👉🏽Take the Ultimate Fertility Blueprint Quiz HERE⚡

🌟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 Finally Get Pregnant Naturally 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 this episode we'll be breaking down seven signs your body is giving
you that indicate a hormonal imbalancethat could be blocking your fertility.
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

(00:20):
grow the family of your dreams.
I'm your host, Dr.
Katie Wood.
Let's dive in, shall we?
Today we're breaking down seven signs that your hormones might
be working against your fertilityand how to recognize the subtle
and also not so subtle ways yourbody might be waving a red flag.

(00:40):
So if you've been trying to conceiveand feel like something is off,
but don't know exactly what thatis, this episode is for you.
So let's get started.
Hormones are our body's messengers, andwhen they're balanced, they are going to
help and support ovulation implantationand maintain a healthy pregnancy.

(01:05):
But when even just one is out of sync,the whole fertility picture can shift.
And the trouble is most people arenever taught how to recognize hormonal
imbalance unless it shows up as a bigdiagnosis like PCOS or endometriosis.
So think about someone who maybehas unexplained infertility

(01:25):
where labs look quote unquote.
Normal.
So today we're gonna be going deeperand talk about what you could be
experiencing if your hormones aren'tsupporting your fertility goals.
So here are seven, sometimes dismissedor overlooked, but common signs that

(01:45):
you may have a hormonal imbalancethat's blocking your conception.
So number one is irregularor missing periods your.
Monthly cycle is your hormone report card.
If your periods are all over the placeor missing altogether and ovulation
isn't happening consistently, it likelymeans that estrogen and progesterone

(02:09):
are out of sync, possibly some otherreproductive hormones, and at the end of
the day, without ovulation, there's noegg in natural conception cannot happen.
Number two is a short lutealphase, anything less than 10 days.
The luteal phase is the time betweenovulation and your next period.
And if this phase is too short,then your body may not be

(02:33):
producing enough progesterone tosupport a healthy implantation.
So it's possible that the early stagesof conception is happening, but you don't
even know because the pregnancy itselfcan't stick with proper implantation.
And a lot of times people with a shortluteal phase, they automatically think.

(02:55):
How can I increase my progesterone?
And sometimes they go about it thewrong way, when realistically it
all starts with a healthy, highquality egg in the follicular phase.
Number three is mid cyclespotting or random bleeding.
Spot in between periods, especiallyaround ovulation or the luteal phase

(03:17):
it can be a sign of hormonefluctuations that are involving
estrogen and also progesterone.
And these imbalances can affectthe uterine lining and egg quality.
Number four is PMS or premenstrualsymptoms that feel out of control.
So this could include mood swings,irritability, breast tenderness, or

(03:39):
bloating that takes over your lifein the second half of your cycle.
And no.
It's not just a part of being a woman.
Okay?
Society will have you think thatthis is common and it's just what
we have to deal with as women.
No, common does not equal normal,and these are really strong signs
that your estrogen and progesteronelevels are not balanced and it

(04:02):
can interfere with your ability toconceive or even maintain a pregnancy.
Number five is trouble sleeping,especially before your period.
So if you experience sleepstruggles, especially in the luteal
phase, this can be tied to lowprogesterone because progesterone
has a calming effect on the brain.
And if it's too low in the lutealphase, then you may find yourself

(04:26):
waking up anxious wired or restless.
And we all know that poor sleep.
Can add more stress onto the body, whichcan then cause more hormone disruption.
So unfortunately, it is a vicious cyclethat can just keep feeding into itself.
Number six is low sexdrive or vaginal dryness.

(04:48):
So this is probably one of the moreoverlooked or dismissed signs of a
hormone imbalance because estrogenplays quite a big role in our libido
and cervical mucus production.
Which both are critical for conception,and if you're not feeling that burning
desire to do what it takes to create ababy, or if you're noticing dryness around

(05:13):
ovulation, then this is definitely a signthat your hormones need some support.
Number seven is hair loss acne, orunexplained weight fluctuations.
So these physical symptoms are yourbody's way of saying, Hey, your
hormones, like testosterone, insulin,or cortisol might be out of range.

(05:34):
If you're noticing more hair in theshower, drain breakouts around your
jawline, maybe hair growth in areasthat you wouldn't expect, or weight gain
that is just not matching your nutritionor lifestyle, then your hormones could
definitely be interfering with eggquality ovulation or embryo implantation.
So what can you do about it?

(05:58):
If you nodded your head in agreementto one or even more than one of
these signs, I want you to know this.
You are not alone.
Your body is not brokenand it is not failing you.
It is actually trying to communicate withyou through these signs and symptoms,
and this is not the end of the road.

(06:19):
Hormone imbalances areyour body's signals.
It's not a permanent diagnosis,and they're absolutely shiftable.
With the right support.
So this is where functional testing androot cause work comes in, especially
in the way that I help my clients.
We want to look under the hood of yourhormones and look at things like a

(06:42):
full thyroid panel, not just your TSH.
I wanna see the full pictureof your thyroid health.
Estradiol, FS, H, and LH on cycleday three of your follicular phase.
And then also what does your progesteronelook like about seven days post ovulation
testing your DHEA, testosterone andcortisol rhythms, and then of course

(07:05):
blood sugar and insulin markers.
These are just to name a few.
The testing I do with my clientsis a lot more comprehensive.
Even doing a Dutch test canbe so informative in terms of.
What is actually going on with yourhormones, the metabolism of your hormones.
And then from there, you canchoose personalized protocols

(07:28):
to be able to begin shifting andbalancing your hormones again.
So when we put these pieces together,we can create a clear roadmap for
rebalancing and restoring yourbody to its natural, fertile state.
So to quickly recap, the seven signsof possible hormone imbalance we cover
today are irregular or missing periods.

(07:49):
Short, luteal, phase, spotting betweencycles, intense PMS, poor sleep,
especially pre period, low libido ordryness, hair loss, acne or weight
shifts, and if any of these resonate.
It's definitely time to digdeeper, not just with labs, but
with support that addresses yourbody and your nervous system.

(08:13):
You deserve answers and you deservesolutions that are going to work
for your body and your hormones.
So until next time, trust your body.
Trust the signs and symptoms thatyour body is communicating with you.
Trust the process and justknow that you're not alone.
And there's so many options outside ofjust jumping into fertility treatments

(08:36):
if that doesn't feel right to you.
So thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a beautiful rest of yourday, and be sure to check out Thursday's
episode where I'm going to be talkingabout a trendy hormone balancing herb,
and whether it's really the magic fix forhormone imbalances in fertility support.
Are you ready to finally discover why youhaven't been able to get or stay pregnant?

(09:01):
The Ultimate Fertility Blueprint is aquick, insightful quiz designed to reveal
your overall capacity to conceive and helpyou discover potential root causes and
areas to address to improve your fertilityso you can finally get and stay pregnant.
You will find the link in theshow notes as a quick reminder and

(09:21):
disclaimer, this podcast is foreducational purposes only and is
not a substitute for medical advice.
Always consult your doctor orhealthcare provider before starting
any new supplement or protocol,especially if you're actively trying
to conceive or undergoing treatment.