What is Estrogen Dominance and why it may be keeping you from getting pregnant

First off, estrogen is a critical hormone for fertility

BUT

Without enough estrogen, you may experience:

• less fertile days

• delayed ovulation

• lighter periods

• vaginal dryness

• low libido

• painful sex

• sleep challenges

• mood imbalances

You want to have a "goldilocks" amount.

juuuuust right

In a state of estrogen dominance or low progesterone, you may:

• Feel down, anxious or depressed

• Experience bloating throughout your cycle

• Retain water

• Be critical of your body image

• Experience irregular periods

• Have mid-cycle spotting

• Deal with severe PMS

• Have a nonexistent libido

• Experience shorter cycles (less than 24 days)

• If you’re tracking Basal body temperature (BBT), track a shorter postovulatory/luteal phase (see this post for how to identify ovulation)

• Experience early pregnancy loss or recurrent miscarriages

• Have heavy periods and/or 7+ days long

• Deal with hormonal headaches throughout your cycle

• Have tender breasts, especially before your period

• Gain weight

• Have trouble sleeping

• Be tired all the time

What conditions are associated with estrogen dominance?

• Endometriosis

• PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome)

• Infertility

• Heavy menstrual bleeding (or menorrhagia)

• PMS

If you’re experiencing any of those symptoms or conditions above, then you could benefit from supporting estrogen metabolism and elimination. Interested in learning what you can do to support your fertility?

I have a free masterclass just for you, Unlock Your Fertility: How to Transform Your Habits for Optimal Pregnancy Success

Why is estrogen dominance a problem?

Estrogen is a critical hormone that’s necessary for optimal fertility. However, anything in excess can be detrimental to health. When it comes to fertility, estrogen dominance can interfere with a woman’s ability to release an egg (ovulate), can reduce the number of days she’s fertile in her cycle, and can create too thick of an endometrial lining, impairing the ability for a fertilized egg to implant. When estrogen is too high, it also reduces the ability of progesterone to be impactful and when progesterone is ineffective, it’s much harder to get pregnant and stay pregnant.

Modern lifestyles put women (and men) at risk for having too much estrogen in our bodies for a variety of reasons.

Some factors that contribute to estrogen dominance:

• Use of plastics

• Excess toxic burden

• Nutrient Deficiencies

• Excess body fat (fat tissue has an enzyme called aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogen)

• Clogged up elimination pathways

  • digestion (constipation)

  • liver ( limited nutritional resources and too much to process)

  • skin (inadequate sweating and exercise)

It’s not always that women are producing too much estrogen, but rather that we are reabsorbing what our livers were trying to eliminate in the first place.

This is called enterohepatic recirculation (entero: gut, hepatic: liver)

What can I do if I have estrogen dominance?

• Focus on clearing elimination pathways

• Provide your liver with foundational detoxification nutrients that support every phase of detoxification

• Balance your blood sugar

• Support your gut health and ensure you’re pooping daily

Now if only there was a step-by-step strategy that would guide you through this exact process…

Oh wait… there is! Module 3 of my course Resilient Motherhood, a self-paced guide to preparing for conception and beyond walks you through every one of these steps that it takes to build a foundation for healthy hormone balance and thus, optimal fertility.

If you’re not ready to commit just yet but want to learn my Top 3 Ways I think you can get pregnant faster, join my free masterclass!

What other questions do you have about estrogen dominance? Tell me in the comments!