I am Dr. Nashat Latib, a functional medicine practitioner specializing in fertility. I spend my days working with women who have been told, in one way or another, that their labs “look normal” (so nothing must be wrong) and yet everything feels wrong. That gap is what pulled me into this work, and it is what keeps me in it.
What I have noticed, in patient after patient, is that the menstrual cycle is one of the most underused diagnostic tools in women’s health. Each month, your body is leaving a detailed record of what your hormones are doing. Most of us were never taught how to read it. And right now, when so many women are being handed an “unexplained infertility” diagnosis and told to simply keep trying, learning that language feels more urgent than ever.
I became a functional medicine practitioner because I was tired of watching women be told that everything looked "normal" when it clearly was not. My approach is simple: test, do not guess.
And the first place I always look? The cycle.
Your Cycle Is More Than a Period
Most of us grew up learning one thing about our cycles: the period arrives, and then it leaves. What happens in between, aka the four distinct phases, each driven by a different hormonal conversation, rarely gets explained.
Here is what your cycle is actually doing each month. In the follicular phase, estrogen rises and your body prepares to release an egg. Then ovulation occurs. This is the main event, where the egg is released. After that, the luteal phase begins, progesterone rises to prepare the uterine lining for a potential pregnancy. If pregnancy does not happen, progesterone drops, and your period arrives.
When this sequence runs smoothly, it tells you that your hormones are communicating well. When something is off (in the timing, the symptoms, the flow), it’s worth paying attention.
Your cycle is not just a monthly inconvenience. It’s a report card.
The Ovulation Signal Most Women Miss
Here’s something that surprises many of the women I work with: a regular period does not guarantee ovulation. You can bleed every single month and still not be releasing an egg. These are called anovulatory cycles, and they’re far more common than most people realize, especially in women in their 30s and 40s.
Ovulation leaves clues. In the days leading up to it, you may notice cervical fluid that becomes clear and stretchy, almost like raw egg white. Your basal body temperature will rise slightly after the egg is released and stay elevated through the second half of your cycle. A true LH surge (not just a faint line on an ovulation test, but a clear peak) confirms that your body attempted to ovulate.
What I see often in practice: women who have been trying to conceive for six months, a year, sometimes longer, and no one’s ever confirmed whether ovulation is actually happening. That’s where I always start. Because if ovulation is irregular or absent, everything else in the fertility picture shifts.
The Luteal Phase: Where Implantation Happens (or Doesn't)
Once ovulation occurs, the second half of your cycle (the luteal phase) begins. This is when progesterone takes over. Its job is to thicken and stabilize the uterine lining so that, if a fertilized egg arrives, it has somewhere to land.
A healthy luteal phase lasts at least 10 to 12 days. When it’s shorter than that, or when progesterone is not rising high enough, implantation becomes difficult. Some women experience this as spotting in the days before their period, more intense PMS than expected, or cycles that feel just slightly off (such as shorter than they used to be, or less predictable).
What makes the luteal phase particularly important is that many early losses happen here, before a woman even realizes she was pregnant. A fertilized egg may form but fail to implant properly. Progesterone levels that look "normal" on a standard panel may still not be optimal for a healthy pregnancy. This is a distinction that functional medicine looks at closely.
Luteal phase weakness doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s often connected to chronic stress, undereating, nutrient depletion, thyroid dysfunction, or years on hormonal birth control. When I see this pattern, I look at the whole picture - not just the number on a lab result. Addressing underlying nutrient gaps is one of the priorities, which is why I often value the phase-specific support of Two Moons to help nourish your body during this critical window.
Other Clues Your Cycle Is Leaving Behind
Beyond ovulation and the luteal phase, your cycle gives you information every single month. A few things worth paying attention to:
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Flow and color. Very light, pale periods can signal low estrogen or a thin uterine lining. Heavy, clotty flow may point to estrogen dominance, fibroids, or endometriosis.
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Cycle length. A cycle that is consistently shorter than 24 days or longer than 35 days is worth investigating. Irregular cycles often point to ovulation issues.
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Pain. Some cramping is normal. Pain that disrupts your life, or pain that occurs mid-cycle, is not something to push through. It may point to endometriosis, adenomyosis, or other conditions that affect fertility.
- Mood and energy. The hormonal shifts across your cycle are real. But dramatic crashes, crippling anxiety in the luteal phase, and complete exhaustion after ovulation are signals, not just personality traits.
From Noticing to Knowing
Tracking your cycle is a starting point. Understanding what you’re tracking is what actually moves the needle.
If you’re trying to conceive and something feels off (even if your labs came back normal, even if your doctor said everything looks fine) trust that feeling. In my experience, "unexplained infertility" is rarely unexplained. The explanation is usually there. It just requires looking in the right places.
Start with the basics: chart your cycle for two to three months, track your basal body temperature, and pay attention to cervical fluid. If you’re seeing patterns that concern you, that’s when it’s worth going deeper. Functional testing, beyond a standard FSH and estradiol panel, can reveal what a routine workup misses.
Your cycle has been speaking to you your whole life. Learning its language might be the most important thing you do on your fertility journey.
While this blog discusses health topics, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any question you might have regarding your health.
About the Author
Dr. Nashat Latib is a functional medicine practitioner specializing in fertility. Using a root-cause approach, she helps women uncover the "unexplored answers" standard testing often misses. Explore her work at drnashatlatib.com and join her free masterclass: How to Get and Stay Pregnant Naturally. If you’ve been told everything is “normal” but know something is off, there is always more to find, says Dr. Nashat.