Progesterone is one of the most important—and most commonly misunderstood—hormones in women’s health. While it’s best known for supporting the luteal phase and early pregnancy, it also plays a key role in cycle regularity, inflammation control, and hormone balance across conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. Whether you're trying to conceive or simply want smoother cycles, understanding how progesterone affects your body can help you take more informed steps in your hormone healing journey.

If you suspect low progesterone might be behind your symptoms—like spotting before your period, a short luteal phase, mood swings, or trouble conceiving—you’re probably wondering how to actually test for it. The truth? Most women are told to “check it on day 21,” but this doesn’t work for everyone—and could lead to missing a true deficiency altogether.

If you’ve ever felt like your period symptoms are “off” but labs come back “normal,” there’s a good chance progesterone might be the missing piece. This essential hormone is only produced after ovulation and plays a major role in PMS symptoms, fertility, mood, and cycle regulation. Many women aren’t told what to look for—or how to support it. So in this post, we’ll go over 10 signs of a progesterone deficiency and how to naturally support your levels for better cycles, smoother luteal phases, and improved fertility.

If you’re trying to conceive, progesterone is one of the most important hormones to have on your side. It’s what prepares the uterine lining for implantation, helps maintain early pregnancy, and plays a key role in reducing PMS symptoms. But many women today are dealing with low or borderline progesterone levels, often without even realizing it. If you’ve been told your labs look "normal" but you’re still struggling with irregular cycles, short luteal phases, spotting before your period, or difficulty getting pregnant, low progesterone might be the root cause.

If you're trying to conceive but struggling with irregular cycles, hormone imbalances, or unexplained infertility, your gut health could be a missing piece of the puzzle. Hidden gut infections—like H. pylori, Candida overgrowth, or bacterial dysbiosis—can cause chronic inflammation, hormone disruptions, and nutrient malabsorption that directly impact ovulation, progesterone levels, and implantation. Standard fertility testing often ignores gut health, but functional lab testing like the GI MAP test can reveal underlying infections and imbalances that may be affecting your ability to conceive. Let’s dive into why gut infections impact fertility and how to test for them.

When it comes to hormone balance and fertility, we often focus on progesterone, estrogen, and ovulation timing. But what if your period problems, irregular cycles, or ovulatory issues were actually linked to mineral imbalances? Minerals are the building blocks for hormone production, ovulation, and even stress regulation. If you’re deficient or out of balance, your cycle can become irregular, ovulation may be weak, and PMS symptoms can feel worse. In this post, we’ll explore the most overlooked mineral imbalances that impact your period, ovulation, and fertility—and how to test and correct them.

Progesterone is one of the most important hormones for fertility and overall hormone balance. It plays a key role in regulating menstrual cycles, supporting implantation, and maintaining early pregnancy. If you’re experiencing low progesterone symptoms like short luteal phases, spotting before your period, irregular cycles, or PMS, you may be wondering how to increase progesterone naturally—without medication or synthetic hormones.