Even though the holiday season is supposed to be about joy, togetherness, and celebration, let’s get real about one thing: The colder months can usher in feelings of stress, sadness, and loneliness. Some of those feelings may be a mere consequence of shorter days, colder temps, fewer fun activities on the horizon, and a constant parade of cold-weather viruses. But if your symptoms of sadness feel extreme, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (also known by its very appropriate acronym, SAD).  Contrary to popular belief, SAD can actually present during other times of the...

Even though the holiday season is supposed to be about joy, togetherness, and celebration, let’s get real about one thing: The colder months can usher in feelings of stress, sadness, and loneliness. Some of those feelings may be a mere consequence of shorter days, colder temps, fewer fun activities on the horizon, and a constant parade of cold-weather viruses. But if your symptoms of sadness feel extreme, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (also known by its very appropriate acronym, SAD).  Contrary to popular belief, SAD can actually present during other times of the...

Life is stressful, and when you add in trying to conceive, it reaches entirely new bounds. Those stressors can impact everything from your desire for sex to your period.  If the stress is short-lived, you may miss a period or be a few days late. But if your stress lingers, it can impact more than one cycle or even tie into other physical symptoms.  How does stress affect your period? "If you go through a time of high stress, your body reacts with an increase in stress steroids and alterations in your hormones that can temporarily...

It’s a chicken and egg question: Does iron deficiency — a condition caused by losing too much iron from your red blood cells — cause heavy periods, or do heavy periods cause iron deficiency? With one-third of women suffering from some form of iron deficiency due to heavy periods, it’s something we are asked about quite often! Let’s dig in: What is iron deficiency?  Iron deficiency happens when your body has too little iron for your red blood cells to effectively carry oxygen through your body. Iron deficiency is a condition that can seriously interfere with your ability to live...

When it comes to fertility, many factors come into play. Did you know that your gut health could be one of them? The gut microbiome, a collection of microorganisms in your digestive tract, has been found to have a significant impact on fertility. Understanding how it affects reproductive health is crucial for anyone trying to conceive. Let’s break down the gut microbiome and why it’s such a big deal when it comes to getting pregnant. Plus, we’ll share tips on getting your gut into tip-top shape for a growing baby to thrive. What is the gut...

Maybe you’ve seen TikToks (and billboards!) about how all hot girls have IBS, or maybe your nieces and nephews have hit the age where all bathroom jokes are hilarious. Either way, it seems like everyone is talking about poop.  So much of women’s health is shrouded in shame and secrecy, and poop is no exception. However, poop and digestion are things you should take seriously because they can tell you a lot about your overall health and wellbeing. Let’s dive in and explore why:  Stool consistency: What can it tell you about your health? While poop...

At 17, I created a five-year plan for myself. It was a Google Doc, color-coded with defined “life categories": school, career development, side hustles, and wellness. Anytime I felt overwhelmed, my knee-jerk reaction was to bullet my anxieties and carefully outline my plan of attack in the “wellness” category.  Something that was not in the plan: blood cancer at 18.  I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma about four years ago. When they told me the news, I opened up my laptop in my hospital bed and tried to adjust the plan. It didn’t work, of course,...

As women, many of us may have historically viewed our cycles, especially our periods, as “curses.” But it turns out, they can be our superpower if we’re willing to fully lean into each stage and give our body what it needs in those moments.  Part of what sets women apart is that we operate off of two biological rhythms instead of one.  Woman’s second biological rhythm: The menstrual cycle  Everyone has a circadian rhythm, aka your 24-hour “biological clock” that controls your sleep-wake cycle, hormone production, energy, metabolism, body temperature, and more. However, women have a...

The path to parenthood can be filled with complexities, uncertainties, and challenges. No matter where you are on your journey you deserve to feel supported, empowered, and educated during the process. In seeking additional guidance, two roles that frequently come up are fertility coaches and fertility consultants. While their names may sound similar, these professionals have different levels of experience and offer different types of support.  In this article, we'll break down the key differences between a fertility coach and a fertility consultant to help you make an informed decision about the right support for your...

From age 11 to 22, I played competitive sports after recovering from a rare autoimmune condition called Dermatomyositis. Distance running, swimming, basketball, softball, rowing, volleyball, and more — I couldn’t seem to get enough. I was so ingrained in sports following my illness, that I didn’t realize how much of a toll being an athlete was taking on my body, specifically my iron levels.  It wasn’t until high school when I started experiencing strange symptoms like fatigue, headaches, thinning hair and nails, and shaky legs that I finally began to take note.   When I initially described these symptoms to...