A Healthy and Fertile Menstrual Cycle

In my work with menstruators, the clinical goal is for each and every person to have a healthy menstrual cycle. It’s actually normal to have a healthy cycle, and if you don’t, it’s a sign that there are things to fix! Restoring a healthy menstrual cycle is also the fastest and best way to optimize your fertility and have a successful conception.

What exactly is a healthy menstrual cycle?

Let’s get precise about what defines a healthy cycle, which is our clinical goal for each woman:

Your period: You bleed for four days, with no cramping, clotting, or spotting. Your flow needs one tampon, pad, or Diva cup every four hours. You don’t need painkillers or heating pads, or have to miss work.

Your basal body temperature: During your follicular phase (cycle days 1-14) it averages between 97.2 – 97.4. Basal body temperature in your luteal phase (cycle 14-28) averages 98.2 settleor higher.

Your ovulation: Happens on day 14 with abundant stretchy cervical mucus.

Premenstrual: You have no PMS (breast tenderness, irritability, bloating, etc) and you’re surprised when you start your period if you’re not paying attention to the calendar.

How to create or restore a healthy cycle

For most women, we can restore a healthy cycle by 80% within 3 months. We do this with treatment that includes:

A precise diagnosis in Chinese and functional medicine that identifies the root cause of the cycle imbalance. This is also called a constitutional diagnosis.

Acupuncture 1-2 times a week with a women’s reproductive specialist (we can help you find one if you’re not in Monterey or Santa Cruz).

Customized herbal formulas (blended tinctures) that change according to your cycle, divided into bleeding (days 1-4), follicular (days 5-14), Kansas City won do you want to 8 AM and luteal (days 15-28).

Collecting your data and then relaxing. Data include basal body temperature, observing cervical mucus, and in some cases testing ovulation. Relaxing means letting us take care of healing your cycle so you can let go of worry, and rest up.

Specific lifestyle medicine for healthy nutrition, stress management, sleep, and movement.

Treating any related conditions, such as hypothyroid, low or high adrenal hormones, gut dysbiosis, or inflammation.

Want some help with your cycle? Please reach out!

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