#147 | How The Vaginal Microbiome Can Sabotage Fertility and Miscarriage Risk Without Symptoms

Could the hidden bacteria in your vaginal microbiome be the reason you’re struggling to get pregnant—or experiencing miscarriage?

Most fertility advice focuses on hormones, ovulation, or sperm health. But the truth is, your vaginal microbiome is the gatekeeper for conception. When this delicate ecosystem is out of balance—even without symptoms—it can sabotage sperm survival, block implantation, and raise your risk of miscarriage.

In this episode, you'll...

– Learn why your vaginal microbiome could be the missing piece in your fertility journey

– Discover how imbalances damage sperm, increase miscarriage risk, and lower IVF success rates

– Get natural, practical steps to restore a sperm-friendly, pregnancy-ready environment

Listen now to uncover how your vaginal microbiome could be silently sabotaging your fertility—and what you can do today to protect your chances of getting and staying pregnant.

👉🏽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):
This, get pregnant now.
Quickie, we're going to discussyour vaginal microbiome and how
it could be silently sabotagingyour ability to conceive and
increase your risk for miscarriage.
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

(00:23):
grow the family of your dreams.
I'm your host, Dr.
Katie Wood.
Let's dive in, shall we?
In today's episode, we're talking about something that's rarely discussed
at your doctor's office, or in the least.
It's not comprehensivelyreviewed and addressed yet.
It can make or break your fertility,and that's the vaginal microbiome.

(00:47):
So today we're gonna talkabout why an imbalance?
Vaginal microbiome can prevent sperm fromsurviving long enough to reach the egg.
How harmful bacteria or yeast canincrease your risk of implantation
failure, and miscarriage and naturalsteps you can take to restore and protect
a healthy microbiome for conception.

(01:10):
So when most people think about fertility,they focus on hormones, ovulation, sperm
health, or maybe the uterine lining.
But here's the thing, the vaginalmicrobiome is like the security
gate for your reproductive tracted.
If the gait is unbalanced or inflamed,the journey to conception can be

(01:33):
sabotaged before it even begins.
What exactly is the vaginal microbiome?
It's a community of bacteria andmicroorganisms that live in the vagina
in a healthy state, this microbiomeis dominated by the lactobacillus
species, which keep the vaginal pHslightly acidic, creating an environment

(01:56):
where healthy sperm can survive,and pathogens are kept in check.
But here's where the problem.
Lies when the microbiomebecomes imbalanced.
A condition sometimes called dysbiosis,harmful bacteria or yeast can begin to
take over and overgrow, and this canhappen due to previous antibiotic use.

(02:21):
Chronic stress, high sugar diets, hormonalchanges, overuse of scented products,
douches or harsh soaps in that sensitivearea, and frequent unprotected sex
potentially with multiple partners withoutgiving the microbiome time to recover.

(02:43):
So why does this matter for fertility?
An unhealthy vaginal microbiome candamage the sperm before they even
have a chance to reach the cervix.
It can trigger inflammationthat makes implantation less
likely, it can increase the risk.
Early miscarriage and it can raisesusceptibility to infections like

(03:04):
bacterial vaginosis, also knownas BV or yeast overgrowth, both
linked to poor fertility outcomes.
Research has shown that womenwith certain microbiome imbalances
have lower IVF success ratesand higher miscarriage rates.
And this is because the vaginalenvironment is directly connected

(03:26):
to the uterine environment.
And if the quote unquote gaitis inflamed or imbalance than
the uterus, often is two.
And I do wanna make a note here.
You don't have to have symptomsor be symptomatic to have an
infection or to have an imbalance.
The imbalance could be present andyou could have no symptoms at all.

(03:50):
So don't think that you're in the clearjust because you don't have any symptoms.
'cause honestly, the majorityof my clients who have this
test done, they don't have anysymptoms and they have dysbiosis.
So what can you do?
Get tested?
We have such easy access to athome vaginal microbiome testing

(04:12):
that can identify imbalancesand pathogens that are present.
You can support your microbiomenaturally with a whole food diet.
Probiotic rich foods likeunsweetened yogurt in keefer.
Proper hydration.
We wanna avoid unnecessary antibioticsand vaginal products that can disrupt

(04:35):
the pH wearing breathable cottonunderwear and avoid staying in damp
workout clothes or bathing suits
we also want to avoid highlyprocessed foods and sugary foods as
well, because sugar is going to feedany yeast that could be present.
And you wanna work with a fertilitypractitioner who is an expert

(05:00):
at addressing these chronicinfections or inflammation.
Bottom line, not looking into thevaginal microbiome is potentially
planting a seed in poor soil.
The conditions simply aren't ideal fornew life to thrive, and by restoring your
balance, you're creating a welcoming,healthy, nourishing environment

(05:25):
for sperm, a receptive uterus, andultimately a healthy pregnancy.
So let's recap.
Your vaginal microbiome plays a verycritical role in the survival of sperm
implantation and miscarriage prevention.
Having an imbalance can comefrom antibiotics, stress diet,

(05:46):
or harsh products, and it cansabotage your conception efforts
without you even realizing.
Proper testing, diet, lifestyle,and targeted treatment can help
restore a healthy, sperm friendly,implantation ready environment.
So if you've been struggling toconceive or have had early miscarriages

(06:07):
without any explanation, this mightbe one of your missing puzzle pieces.
If you want to learn more about the testI use with all of my clients, whether
they have symptoms or not, DM me onInstagram at the Wellness Pharmacist
and mention episode number 1 47.
Thank you so much for listening.

(06:28):
I hope you have a beautiful day,and I'll see you on our next episode
released every Tuesday and Thursday.
Are you ready to finally discover why youhaven't been able to get or stay pregnant?
The Ultimate Fertility Blueprint is aquick, insightful quiz designed to reveal
your overall capacity to conceive and helpyou discover potential root causes and

(06:52):
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
disclaimer, this podcast is foreducational purposes only and is
not a substitute for medical advice.
Always consult your doctor orhealthcare provider before starting

(07:13):
any new supplement or protocol,especially if you're actively trying
to conceive or undergoing treatment.