“Every year, our patients report across the board that their first cycle of the year is a doozy...we've got a pretty good theory on why that is.” - Dr. Krystalyn Lowery

If your period is your report card...why are so many of us getting C's in January?

Over the past couple years, I've started to notice more of our patients report that their first period of the year is rough. Often out of the norm, irregular for them, to the point where they really take note...and we've got a theory on why that is!

Symptoms are communications from our bodies. Sometimes they nudge, sometimes they nag, and sometimes…they yell.

Having worked in the fertility & birth space for over seven years now, and in women’s health even longer <3 I cannot honestly remember who the first person was that said to me “your period is your report card” - and to be doubly honest, I wasn’t a fan of the statement at the time (anyone else out there a type A overachiever who felt a bit of a pang, or was that just me). But, like it or not...it rang true.

I think I’m finally becoming the doctor that I needed me to be all those years ago. While you may not need me, as a young woman… I definitely did. Like so many of my new clients in practice today, I did not understand that my body was trying to tell me something. And what’s worse? I wasn’t really interested in taking the time to listen or do the work to figure it out.

No one told me back then that our bodies are constantly sending us messages and communications, that as humans (and especially as women) we are innately rhythmic and cyclical beings, and that when we tap into those biological signals and tune into our own body, get quiet and listen…we may actually have a lot to say!

…and January sure is a month for saying things! Many people kick off the new year with bold declarations, big resolutions, regimes for weight loss and how to kick the holiday pounds, detoxes, cleanses and juice fasts…but one thing that regularly keeps coming up when I hop back into appointments in January (and even threatens to derail the “new year new me” mojo) is “doc, my period is kicking my butt this month!”

So why is that? If you follow us on social media or are a long time reader of the blog, you may already have an idea what I’m going to say - but don’t worry, we’ll dive deeper than an insta reel in a minute here. Big idea: it’s because your period really is an excellent “report card” so to speak, of your internal environment, health status & how your body has been functioning over the past cycle. It communicates to you if your hormones have been balanced or “out of whack,” if your inflammation is minimal and healthy, or raging out of control, and these factors are magnified by blood sugar imbalances, stressors, and any deficiencies your body may be combatting. So if your body has had quite the uphill battle over the past month…your period might be coming in hot (and you really can’t blame her).

Sticking with the metaphor (we all know I can’t resist a good metaphor or analogy, the lifeblood of my doctor means teacher ethos)…if your period is your report card, then what are the subjects you’re getting graded on? Well we could go down a deep rabbit hole, but for the purpose of not overwhelming you, today we’re just going to cover the top 5 “subjects” that your body is grading you on each month to explain why some seasons (especially just after the holidays) your period really speaks up:

1. Stress

   When we look at hormones, inflammation, dysregulation of our reproductive systems…stress is just a non-negotiable factor. And for many of us (unfortunately), nothing says stress like the holidays. For some, this could be stress over travel, schedules, stressful interpersonal relationships (ahem: family), or just stress over the sheer number of commitments we’ve taken on and the never ending lists of things we feel we must do to make the holiday season merry & bright (more on that later, this is not a blog about boundaries). We work diligently with our clients in the practice on building a resilient nervous system and how to mitigate the negative effects of stress, and we listed stress here first for the same reason: it effects us systemically and significantly.
   Increased stress (called “perceived stress” in the research & literature) affects your brain down to your ovaries, and everything in between. From disrupting your circadian rhythm to spiking your cortisol, increased perceived stress can disrupt more than just your endocrine system. The downstream hormonal imbalances caused by increased stress can cause an early OR a late period, increased irritability & agitation, mood swings, give you a migraine and even delay ovulation.

2. Sugar (and specifically, your blood sugar)

   Not to be outdone, sugar is a (very) close second to stress. Our sugar intake, notoriously increased during the holiday seaons, affects our hormones and our inflammation immensely. When we consume extra sugar, our pancreas has to pump out extra insulin and our liver has to respond to figure out what to do with all of it if we aren't putting it to work and burning it off (welcome to one of the reasons our instagram is full of hiking pictures, dog walks with the family and photos meandering around the park & plaza around December).
   If balancing your blood sugar is something you could use some support on, we also have a blog post with tips for that. Feel free to check it out here, but I'll also link it at the bottom of this blog if you'd like to keep reading here for now.
   Blood sugar, insulin sensitivity are also affected by #3 - lack of sleep.

3. 3. Sleep

   Most of us just do not get enough quality sleep during the holidays. Even if we do hit the hours, it’s often disrupted or poor quality. Once labeled “social jetlag,” the disruption of our regular sleep & wake cycles affect our hunger & satiety, hormones grehlin, etc.
   Many of us romanticize the holidays as a time of rest, a week (or two) “off” to enjoy the family - but that dream often clashes with the reality of the season. Even if we do have more time to sleep, our rhythm tends to be disrupted by schedule changes, travel, perhaps a different time zone, or quite often another typical character in the holiday show: alcohol. Which, in addition to totally disrupting your sleep (no you do not actually “sleep better” after a glass (or three) of wine - sorry, don’t shoot the messenger), will cause a whole snowball of negative health ramifications far beyond the one evening or week of indulging. However, fear not - the positive effects of removing alcohol from the health equation are equally quick to kick in.

4. 4. Deficiencies

   I was having a bit of an “s” theme, so deficiencies didn’t come in until spot #4 - but perhaps that is more like a “best for last” sort of ideal.

5. 5. Dark (and the deficiencies due to it)

   The dark plays a role with deficiencies, really just an extension of #4… vitamin D deficiencies

Still interested in learning more about Balancing your Blood Sugar? Head on over to the Balancing Your Blood Sugar for Happy Hormones & Health article <3

Hormone Health Journaling Checklist:

Here is a quick checklist to get you started with journaling and healing your hormones. Remember imperfect action beats inaction, get started and learn along the journey.

• Do I know where I am in my cycle?

• Create an outline serves your company goals.

• Write conversationally, like if you were telling a story to a friend

• Pick a catchy title.

• Use several media types (gif, short video, or image) to deliver your messages.

• Use data to back up claims or ideas - make sure to cite all sources❗

• Have a call to action and or give your audience something to walk away with.

• Take 30 minutes to practice gratitude