Cycle Wisdom: Women's Health & Fertility

Dr. Monica Minjeur
  • 5.0 (25)
  • Medicine
  • Weekly

Welcome to Cycle Wisdom: Women's Health & Fertility, where we empower women to achieve natural menstrual cycles to improve health and promote fertility. This enlightening podcast is hosted by Dr. Monica Minjeur, the physician-founder of Radiant Clinic, who specializes in Restorative Reproductive Medicine. She shares her expertise and passion for helping to find root cause solutions for menstrual cycle irregularities, educating on the importance of lifestyle modifications for improved health, treatment for recurrent miscarriages, and natural solutions for fertility troubles.  Tune in for valuable insights, expert advice, and a deeper understanding of your body's natural menstrual cycles.https://radiantclinic.comBook a Free Discovery Call with Dr Minjeur: https://radiantclinic.com/discovery-call

  1. 2d ago

    168. Are Over the Counter Meds Hurting Your Fertility?

    Send us Fan Mail You have cleaned up your diet, eliminated alcohol, stopped the pill, started exercising, and improved your sleep, yet something still feels off with your cycles. What is sitting on your bathroom shelf may be part of the answer. Common over-the-counter and prescription medications can interfere with ovulation quality, cervical mucus, and the hormone signals your cycle depends on. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur, DO walks through the most common medication categories that can sidetrack your progress, and what better options may exist. Through Harper's story, a 32-year-old whose daily ibuprofen and nightly antihistamine were creating a charting picture that looked like a hormone problem, you will see how a simple medication review changed her cycles within two months. You will learn: How NSAIDs like ibuprofen can block follicle rupture, and when it is safe to use themWhy antihistamines and vitamin C can dry up cervical mucus and shorten your fertile windowWhich prescription categories, including SSRIs, antipsychotics, and spironolactone, deserve a conversation with your provider before conceptionIf your cycles still feel off despite doing everything right, this episode will help you look in a place most evaluations skip. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

  2. Oct 21

    167. Improving Your Egg Quality in the Next 90 Days

    Send us Fan Mail "Your eggs are getting older." "Your biological clock is ticking." "Your egg quality is declining." Most women pursuing fertility evaluation have heard some version of this, and almost none of them have been told what it actually means or what they can do about it. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur, DO reframes the egg quality conversation entirely. Your eggs are not perishable goods with an expiration date. The egg itself cannot be changed — but the biological environment in which it matures absolutely can. And that environment, shaped by mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, metabolic health, and nutrition, is responsive to targeted intervention in the 90 days before conception. Through Naomi's story, a patient who had failed two IVF cycles and been offered donor eggs, you will see what a complete metabolic and nutritional evaluation reveals that a standard workup misses, and what a specific optimization protocol can change. You will learn: Why mitochondrial function, not the egg itself, is what drives chromosomal errors and poor embryo development, and what you can do to support itWhat coenzyme Q10, N-acetylcysteine, vitamin D, and an anti-inflammatory diet actually do for developing follicles, and why the 90-day window mattersWhy insulin resistance, low DHEA, and vitamin deficiencies are among the most commonly missed contributors to poor egg quality,  and how identifying them changes the approachIf you have been told your egg quality is declining and offered no path forward beyond higher stimulation or donor eggs — this episode is for you. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

  3. Oct 14

    166. Egg Freezing Is Not the Answer to a Low AMH Result

    Send us Fan Mail A single lab result is sending women in their 20s and 30s into a fertility panic — and directing them straight into the egg-freezing consultation rooms of clinics that profit from their fear. AMH, or anti-Müllerian hormone, is one of the most commercially marketed fertility tests available. And its implications are being consistently misrepresented to millions of women. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur, DO sets the record straight on what AMH actually measures, what it does not predict, and why egg freezing should never be the reflexive first response to a low result. Through Isabelle's story — a 29-year-old who came to us convinced she was running out of time after an at-home test flagged her AMH as low — you will see how accurate clinical context changes everything. You will learn: What AMH actually measures and what it does not — including why a 2013 landmark study found that low AMH in women under 35 with regular cycles did not reduce natural conception rates over 12 monthsThe real data on egg freezing success rates — and why the conversation most clinics are having with women is incompleteWhat a complete ovarian reserve evaluation actually looks like and what treatment options exist for women with genuinely low AMHIf a low AMH result has sent you into panic mode — this episode will give you the accurate clinical context you deserved from the beginning. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

  4. Oct 7

    165. Could Sperm DNA Damage Be Behind Your Fertility Struggles?

    Send us Fan Mail Normal count. Normal motility. Normal morphology. And still no pregnancy — cycle after cycle. What a standard semen analysis does not measure is the quality of the DNA inside those sperm. And that is a very different question with very different implications for treatment and outcomes. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur, DO walks through sperm DNA fragmentation — what it is, why it matters, how to test for it, and what actually works to improve it. Through Fiona and David's story — two early miscarriages, multiple normal semen analyses, and an answer that had been there all along but never tested for — you will see how a complete male factor evaluation changes everything. You will learn: What sperm DNA fragmentation is, why it is not captured on a standard semen analysis, and what the 2023 AUA and EAU guidelines say about it as a biomarker of male infertilityThe most common modifiable drivers of elevated DNA fragmentation — including infection, varicocele, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and sleep deprivationWhy IVF and ICSI do not solve the problem — and why improving sperm DNA integrity before conception matters for both fertilization and miscarriage riskIf you or your partner have been told semen analysis is normal and the evaluation has stopped there — this episode will show you what the next step should be. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

  5. Sep 30

    164. MTHFR Is Not a Fertility Emergency But Here Is What You Need to Know

    Send us Fan Mail MTHFR gene mutation is one of the most searched fertility topics online — and one of the most misunderstood. Some clinics treat it as a fertility emergency. Others dismiss it entirely. The truth lands in a much more nuanced place, and most women who receive a positive result are left without a clear explanation of what it actually means for them. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, we cut through the confusion and explains exactly what the MTHFR gene variant does, when it matters for fertility and pregnancy, and what downstream markers actually tell you about how your body is functioning. Through Amber's story — a patient who received two completely opposing opinions from two different doctors after two pregnancy losses — you will see how a complete clinical picture changes everything. You will learn: What MTHFR actually is, how common it is, and why finding a variant does not automatically explain a miscarriageWhy homocysteine levels — not the variant itself — are the key downstream marker that determines clinical actionWhy methylfolate matters more than folic acid for women with MTHFR variants — and what to look for in your prenatal vitaminIf you have received an MTHFR result and do not know what to do with it — this episode will give you the clarity you deserve. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

  6. Sep 23

    163. Heavy Periods and Infertility — Could It Be Adenomyosis?

    Send us Fan Mail Heavy, painful periods. Large clots. An enlarged uterus on ultrasound. And a workup that keeps coming back normal. If this sounds familiar, there is a condition called adenomyosis that is responsible for a pattern of suffering that has been normalized for far too long — and it is found in up to 35% of women with recurrent pregnancy loss or infertility. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur, DO walks through exactly what adenomyosis is, why standard ultrasound frequently misses it, how it impairs implantation and contributes to pregnancy loss, and what a restorative approach to evaluation and treatment looks like. Through Hailey's story — a woman who had failed two IUI cycles, a shortened luteal phase, and years of normalized period pain — you will see how the right evaluation finally connected the dots. You will learn: What adenomyosis is, how it differs from endometriosis, and why the two frequently coexistWhy a normal ultrasound does not rule out adenomyosis — and what an experienced sonographer and MRI can find that standard imaging missesWhat treatment looks like when preserving fertility is the goal — and why hysterectomy should never be the first conversationIf you have been told your heavy periods are just your normal — this episode will help you ask better questions at your next appointment. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

  7. Sep 16

    162. "We've Tried Everything" — Finding Answers Beyond "Unexplained" Infertility

    Send us Fan Mail "We've tried everything." It is one of the most heartbreaking sentences heard in fertility care — and almost always, it is not true. Not because couples have not worked hard or followed every recommendation, but because everything in conventional fertility care is often a surprisingly short list. And a landmark study published this year confirms just how short that list actually is. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur walks through what the standard fertility workup is consistently missing — and what finding those answers can change. Through Vivian and Robert's story, a couple who went through two IUIs and a failed IVF transfer and were told everything looked fine, you will see how a complete evaluation revealed multiple identifiable and treatable causes — and how they conceived naturally eight months later without another IVF cycle. You will learn: What a landmark 2025 study co-authored by Dr. Minjeur found about how often guideline-recommended diagnostics are actually completed before IVF begins — and why the findings are staggeringThe four most common missed findings in standard fertility evaluations — poor ovulation quality, subtle thyroid dysfunction, adrenal insufficiency, and chronic endometritisWhy "your labs are normal" is not the same as "everything is functioning optimally" — and what the distinction means for your next stepIf you have been told you have unexplained infertility or that IVF is your only remaining option — this episode is for you. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com. Journal articles mentioned: Real World Fertility Evaluation & Care Prior to In Vitro Fertilization: Care Gaps That Could be Addressed by Restorative Reproductive Medicine Public Awareness, Perceptions, and Preferences in Fertility Treatment: Secondary Analysis of Two Public Surveys

  8. Sep 9

    161. Ovulation Is Not Optional — It Protects Your Whole Body

    Send us Fan Mail Ovulation is not just about getting pregnant. It is the primary hormonal event of the entire female cycle — and when it is missing, whether because of a medical condition, a lifestyle pattern, or years of hormonal contraception, the consequences build quietly throughout the entire body, often long before anyone notices. In this episode of Cycle Wisdom, Dr. Monica Minjeur makes the case that ovulation is not optional — it is necessary for long-term health. Through Charlotte's story, a 28-year-old who had been on the birth control pill since age 17 and came off to find her cycles never returned, the bone density of a 50-year-old, and an underlying PCOS/PMOS diagnosis that had been masked for over a decade, you will see what years of suppressed ovulation can silently cost. You will learn: Why ovulation — not just a period — is required to produce progesterone, and what the downstream consequences are for bone, brain, cardiovascular, and endometrial health when it is absentWhy a period does not confirm ovulation — and why a withdrawal bleed from hormonal contraception is not the same physiologically as an ovulatory cycleWhat chronic anovulation actually does to cholesterol, bone density, mood, and long-term cancer risk — and what restoring ovulation can change even after years of suppressionIf you have been told your period means your hormones are regulated — this episode will show you why that answer is not complete. Learn more or schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

See All (168)

5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Welcome to Cycle Wisdom: Women's Health & Fertility, where we empower women to achieve natural menstrual cycles to improve health and promote fertility. This enlightening podcast is hosted by Dr. Monica Minjeur, the physician-founder of Radiant Clinic, who specializes in Restorative Reproductive Medicine. She shares her expertise and passion for helping to find root cause solutions for menstrual cycle irregularities, educating on the importance of lifestyle modifications for improved health, treatment for recurrent miscarriages, and natural solutions for fertility troubles.  Tune in for valuable insights, expert advice, and a deeper understanding of your body's natural menstrual cycles.https://radiantclinic.comBook a Free Discovery Call with Dr Minjeur: https://radiantclinic.com/discovery-call

Information

You Might Also Like