139: Understanding Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA), Missing Periods + Infertility

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I chat with a fellow registered dietitian, Cynthia Donovan. Cynthia specializes in reversing hypothalamic amenorrhea, helping women get their periods back, restore their health, and regain fertility. This episode is a deep dive into all things hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), starting with what it is and why it occurs. Cynthia shares her own personal struggle with missing periods and infertility, and the trouble she had getting an HA diagnosis. We talk about the impact of exercise and stress on the menstrual cycle, reminding listeners that they do not need to identify as an athlete to have exercise affect their hormones. Cynthia and I discuss our experiences helping women recover from HA and regain their periods through adjusting their nutrition, training, and mindsets.

Cynthia’s HA recovery was motivated by a desire to become pregnant, and today she is a proud mother of two! Cynthia and I discuss fertility and ovulation: having a period does not mean you are ovulating and able to conceive. Cynthia gives listeners tips for assessing your fertility and considerations for fertility treatments, emphasizing the importance of HA recovery first in order to conceive and maintain a healthy pregnancy. We talk about HA recovery timelines and expectations, when to get support, and individual considerations when it comes to regaining a regular menstrual cycle. 

In this episode, Cynthia recommend this book: The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

For more on Cynthia and her business, check out her website www.periodnutritionist.com  

Apply for Period Recovery Coaching w/Cynthia: https://p.bttr.to/3ybjfOb 

Tune into her podcast, The Period Recovery Podcast: https://www.periodnutritionist.com/podcast 

Follow Cynthia on Instagram and TikTok @period.nutritionist and me, your host Lindsy Cortes, on Instagram @female.athlete.nutrition 

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In this episode we talk about:

3:20 Understanding hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA)

5:40 Cynthia’s struggle with missing periods, HA and RED-S

13:45 Helping women with HA

16:00 Exercise stress and HA, even among non-athletes

22:30 Nutrition and exercise for HA recovery 

28:50 HA vs PCOS and other reasons for missing periods and infertility

34:15 Regaining periods for pregnancy; understanding ovulation and fertility

42:15 Limiting beliefs and recovery mindsets 

45:50 The menstrual cycle and athletics 

49:20 HA recovery timelines and expectations; individual considerations and when to seek support

55:20 Fertility treatments: they do not replace HA recovery

1:01:05 End of the podcast questions