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The Period Party Podcast · EP. 295 · July 7, 2023

What You Need to Know About Blood Work in Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum

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podcast guest

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

MaryAnn Marks & Sara Russell have worked with hundreds of fertility clients in their combined 19 years of nutrition experience. They teamed up for their current project—What You Never Learned About Blood Work in Preconception, Pregnancy, & Postpartum—after discovering major gaps in the now widely used functional blood chemistry ranges that so many naturopathic and functional medicine doctors and practitioners use in their practices.

In this episode, we talk about the specific blood tests that are helpful in preconception, pregnancy and postpartum, the need for pregnancy-specific ranges for thyroid hormones, discrepancies in pregnancy and postpartum ranges that other clinicians may overlook, and so much more!

Episode Highlights

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Resources Mentioned

Fix Your Period

How Fix Your Period Supports Women on Their Fertility Journey

Whether you're trying to conceive, using fertility awareness, or optimising your cycle health before pregnancy — Fix Your Period gives you the tools and education to understand and support your fertility.

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Cycle Tracking for Fertility

Track cycle length, ovulation signs, cervical mucus patterns, and basal body temperature — the key data points for understanding your fertile window and cycle health.

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Fertility & Preconception Protocols

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Cycle Literacy Education

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Nicole.AI

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Personalised Protocol

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from this episode — and how Fix Your Period can help.

What is Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)?
Fertility Awareness Method involves tracking fertility signs — primarily basal body temperature, cervical mucus, and cycle length — to identify fertile and infertile phases of the cycle. It can be used both to achieve pregnancy and as a form of non-hormonal birth control when practised correctly.
How does cycle health affect fertility?
Ovulatory cycles with healthy hormonal patterns — adequate estrogen in the follicular phase, a robust LH surge, and sufficient progesterone in the luteal phase — are foundational to fertility. Cycle irregularities, short luteal phases, anovulatory cycles, and poor period blood quality can all signal underlying hormonal imbalances that affect conception.
What can I do to optimise my fertility naturally?
The most impactful steps include regulating blood sugar, supporting gut health and liver detoxification (which affect hormone clearance), managing chronic stress, ensuring adequate nutrient status (particularly folate, iron, magnesium, and omega-3s), and reducing exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Is Fix Your Period useful for women trying to conceive?
Yes. Fix Your Period's free assessment gives you personalised results based on your current cycle health. Fix Your Period Premium unlocks fertility and preconception protocols, Nicole's Period Pillars education, and Nicole.AI — all designed to support women on their journey to conception.
Can Fix Your Period help if I'm using fertility awareness as birth control?
Yes. Fix Your Period includes cycle tracking tools and — with Premium — Nicole's dedicated Fertility Awareness protocol and Period Pillars education on understanding your cycle signs, whether you're using FAM to achieve or avoid pregnancy.
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