The Hormone Cafe

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson, holistic OB-GYN and founder of Vera Health and Fertility, tackles one of the most emotional and misunderstood topics in women’s health — miscarriage.

Dr. Sarah shares the four main causes she sees most often and how to prevent them: poor egg quality, hormone imbalance, uterine lining issues, and inflammation. She walks you through how each of these areas affects fertility and offers practical, science-backed ways to strengthen your body, balance your hormones, and increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy.

You’ll learn why one miscarriage is reason enough to do a full workup — and how small optimizations can make a big difference in future pregnancies.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

🩸 Why You Deserve Answers After a Miscarriage

• You shouldn’t have to wait for multiple miscarriages before getting tested.
• A single miscarriage can reveal important clues about your health and hormones.
• A full fertility workup helps prevent future loss.
  

🧬 1. Egg and Sperm Quality

• Up to 90% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo.
• Egg quality depends heavily on antioxidants — eat leafy greens, berries, avocado, turmeric, and drink green tea daily.
• Key supplements that support egg and sperm health: CoQ10, resveratrol, alpha-lipoic acid (under provider guidance).
• Don’t forget your partner — poor sperm quality contributes just as much as poor egg quality.
• A sperm analysis can check for morphology, motility, and chromosomal integrity.
  

🌸 2. Hormone Balance

• It takes 3–4 months for your body to recruit and mature an egg — hormone health during that time is crucial.
• Estrogen must rise steadily in the follicular phase to prepare a strong follicle.
• After ovulation, the luteal phase relies on progesterone and estrogen balance to support implantation.
• Signs of imbalance: short luteal phase, spotting before period, PMS, or inconsistent cycles.
• Each healthy cycle builds momentum — strong hormone flow month to month improves egg quality and future fertility.
  

🏡 3. Uterine Lining Health

• The uterine lining (endometrium) needs to be thick, healthy, and inflammation-free to support implantation.
• Endometrial biopsies can reveal hidden issues like infection or chronic inflammation.
• Red flags: brown spotting, pain, light or irregular periods.
• A healthy uterus should “shed clean” each month — incomplete shedding can build unhealthy layers over time.
• Think of your uterus like a hardwood floor, not a shag carpet — smooth, stable, and strong for implantation.
  

🔥 4. Inflammation & Whole-Body Health

• Systemic inflammation can affect your uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.
• Common root causes:
  • Autoimmune disease or undiagnosed immune activation
  • Gut inflammation or leaky gut
  • Chronic infections or viruses
  • Environmental allergies or food sensitivities
• Addressing gut health is key — the intestines sit directly over reproductive organs and can spread inflammation.
• Supporting the immune system, identifying triggers, and using anti-inflammatory nutrition or therapies helps restore balance.

Key Takeaways:

• Miscarriage is not random — most have identifiable, treatable causes.
• Testing after one miscarriage can save time, heartbreak, and future loss.
• Focus on four core areas: egg quality, hormone balance, uterine health, inflammation.
• Each cycle is an opportunity to improve your future fertility.
• You deserve a provider who will dig deeper, not tell you to “wait and see.”