100. Cycle Wisdom: 100 Ways We’re Restoring Hope and Health

It’s our 100th episode—and today, we're celebrating by sharing 100 ways Radiant Clinic and Restorative Reproductive Medicine is transforming women's healthcare.

From cycle science to root-cause diagnoses, patient-centered values, fertility support, and whole-person care, this special episode is packed with insights, patient quotes, and practical reasons why RRM offers real hope and real results.

If you're tired of quick fixes and want true answers for painful periods, infertility, perimenopause, or hormone imbalance, this episode will show you what compassionate, personalized care really looks like.

✨ Ready to work with us? Schedule a free discovery call at radiantclinic.com.

Transcript

Monica: 0:02

Welcome back to Cycle Wisdom, where we empower women to restore natural menstrual cycles, to improve health and promote fertility. I'm your host, Dr. Monica Minjeur, and I'm so glad you're listening today. Today is not just any episode, it's our 100th episode, and whether you've been with us since episode number one, or you just discovered us recently, I want to thank you so much for being a part of this journey. We've covered so much together, fertility, hormones, charting cycle health, and everything in between. But for this special episode, I wanted to do something a little different in honor of 100 episodes. I'm going to walk you through 100 ways that restorative reproductive medicine is changing how we provide authentic healthcare for women and couples. Now, some of these reasons are clinical, some of them are practical, and many of them are deeply personal. In fact, things that we often say here in the clinic. But together, all of these ideas paint a picture of what our mission is, our vision, and how we deliver care every single day. So if you've ever felt frustrated, dismissed, or confused about your cycle, or if you're ready to understand your body better, this episode is for you. If any of these reasons resonate with you, there's likely another podcast episode in the past 99 for you to check out for a deeper dive to learn more. Now to help with kind of organizing things for today, I've split things up into different segments and there are 20 different statements within each of these five segments, so I hope you enjoy. We're gonna start with segment one, which is Cycle Science and Understanding. So let's get started. Number one, we use your cycle as a vital sign of your health and as a diagnostic tool. We track real time fertility biomarkers. We recognize irregular cycles as symptoms. We teach you how your body works and explain what cervical mucus actually means. We personalize treatment based on your cycle. We believe periods and your bleeding patterns matter. We chart real hormones, not theoretical ones. Okay. We know that irregular or anovulatory cycles need evaluation. We honor the luteal phase and make sure it is optimal in length. We assess your whole cycle, not just the bleeding. We believe that period pain or ovulation pain is not normal. We explain what estrogen and progesterone should be doing. We acknowledge cycle related mood changes and know that PMS does not have to be normal. We believe in empowering women to understand cycle literacy. We help teens understand their cycles early. We don't dismiss bad periods as normal. We monitor your response to treatment changes by charting. We measure hormonal shifts without suppressing them. We treat symptoms and restore function, and we support the idea that every woman should know and understand her own cycle. Before we scooch to the next section, I just wanna throw in a patient quote within each of these sections that helps to summarize things that we have heard from our actual patients. So here's the first one. In the last several years of trying to grow our family, we've seen so many providers and gotten seemingly every test out there with no real answers or direction. A few months into our treatment with Radiant Clinic, and we already have way more information than any other doctor has ever uncovered. I'm learning so much and now we have a way forward that makes me hopeful. Dr. Menger explains the science and reasoning behind her recommendations thoroughly, but in a way that's understandable. For the first time in years, I feel empowered instead of defeated about this process. Now that story and testimonial is such a clear example of what happens when you stop just treating symptoms and actually ask why. Our next section is all about getting to the underlying cause of what is going on with your symptoms. And these 20 reasons show how restorative reproductive medicine looks deeper to identify underlying issues, create individualized treatment plans, and offer true solutions instead of temporary fixes. So number one, we understand that telling you to just take the pill isn't an appropriate diagnosis. We investigate why your cycles are painful. We ask why you're not ovulating. We treat PCOS without just masking it. We dig into endometriosis and finding the underlying cause and real solutions. We treat hormonal imbalances including thyroid and adrenal gland evaluation. We support gut health and help correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies. We address insulin resistance as a significant leading cause of ovulation dysfunction. We treat chronic inflammation and autoimmune contributors. We coordinate with surgical specialists when needed. We don't stop at a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Digging deeper to explore the underlying causes and associated diagnoses. We explore cervical and uterine issues as an anatomical cause for many symptoms. We address stress as a medical factor. We consider male fertility factors too. We individualize treatment plans and monitor progress month by month. We don't just prescribe and disappear making sure that our treatments are the right fit for you. We provide ongoing monitoring with labs, cycle review, and ultrasounds when needed. We don't silence your symptoms. We listen to them and use them as diagnostic clues for what we need to do next. We help your body to do what it was meant to do. We support your long-term health by looking at the big picture for what is best for you, not just now, but also in the coming decades. Here's another patient quote. I struggled for years with PCOS, endometriosis and infertility, but felt ignored and alone as I was never given any treatment or guidance. Dr. Menger changed my life through her broad knowledge and passion for finding the root cause. She and her team listened to me and made it very clear that they wanted the best for my overall health by communicating a clear plan forward. I finally had a healthy pregnancy after two losses. She and her team went above and beyond to meet with me throughout the entire pregnancy as well as postpartum. I am forever grateful for Dr. Menger and I wish I had worked with her sooner. She's truly a light in the current world of women's healthcare. Hearing that kind of transformation always reminds me that knowledge truly is power, and that's what this next section is all about. How restorative, reproductive medicine, prioritizes education, patient agency, and body literacy. We don't just prescribe, we partner, we teach, and we help you understand what's happening in your body so you can make confident choices about your health. So let's get started with this next segment, which focuses on our patient-centered values. We listen to your story and offer longer visit times to accommodate that. We believe your pain and your symptoms are real. We take time to explain your lab findings. We believe you deserve answers and prioritize your desires for how you would like to proceed with treatment options. We trust that you know your body best and welcome any questions. We tailor treatment to your goals. We support your values. We treat you as a whole person. We believe healing is possible for the long term. We work with your lifestyle. Knowing that many women come from different backgrounds, have different timelines and different things that impact their care, we respect your boundaries. We empower you to chart your cycles. We see you as more than just a series of your symptoms and diagnoses, but as a unique individual, we honor your timeline. We respond to your messages between visits, via email, text, and phone calls. We educate. We don't dictate what should happen with your cycle or what should happen with your treatment course, but provide a way to bring you along on that educational journey. We celebrate your breakthroughs and your wins. We walk with you through loss or defeat or when things are frustrating. We treat fertility as health. Not disease, and probably most importantly, we believe that every woman deserves dignity. Here's another patient quote that really summarizes our patient-centered values. I always feel listened to and get answers to my questions. I leave appointments understanding and feeling confident in my next steps more than when I visited any other doctor. I never feel rushed out of an appointment, and I appreciate the individualized care that I receive. It's so powerful to hear about these real successes in growing a family with support that feels personal and holistic. And that leads us to our next section, fertility Support and Outcomes. And here I'm gonna be sharing some reasons that show how restorative reproductive medicine provides evidence-based effective support for trying to conceive without jumping straight to high cost or high intervention options. Number one, we help you conceive naturally by timing, intercourse accurately. We monitor ovulation closely and utilize timed hormone support. We confirmed that ovulation occurred with timed ultrasounds when necessary. We work with male factor infertility as well, realizing that this is an important component in the overall fertility journey. We optimize cervical mucus and check for infections or immune factors when needed. We support healthy progesterone and estradiol levels both before and during pregnancy. We offer early pregnancy hormone monitoring and miscarriage prevention strategies. We address repeat miscarriage and look for any underlying factors that may be playing a role, ideally prior to even trying to conceive. Again, we support women who have been told that they have premature ovarian failure or a low A MH or early menopause. We help couples after they've gone through failed IUI or IVF, and we avoid overstimulating the ovaries with excessive hormones. We follow up with monthly labs and make changes appropriately. We know when not to trigger ovulation and when it's better to wait for a more optimal time. We review sperm quality as well as male factor labs in order to determine an appropriate male factor. When it comes to fertility, we reduce unnecessary procedures including assisted reproductive technologies. We celebrate positive tests with you. We see fertility as a sign of health. Knowing that that means we have improved your overall long-term health in addition to your fertility. We follow through after conception and care about your birth outcomes. Tracking our data to make sure that we are constantly improving. We avoid aggressive interventions. We give your body time to respond to our treatment course, and we help you to trust your body. Again, here's a testimonial from one of our patients who was able to conceive and have a full term pregnancy. After multiple first trimester losses of our first baby, we kept hearing from doctors just keep trying and one of these times it'll stick. We had a hard time taking that as an answer and finally found Radiant Clinic. Dr. Menger cares deeply for each of her patients and works hard to find and fix the underlying cause, helping us to get pregnant within just a few months after meeting with her. This is such a powerful reminder that reproductive health is never just about one organ or one hormone. In this next segment, the final section, we're going to talk about whole person care. These 20 reasons highlight how restorative reproductive medicine considers nutrition, stress, sleep, and lifestyle. Not as afterthoughts, but as essential pieces of the puzzle when it comes to restoring long-term health. We consider and constantly are asking about your mental health. We explore sleep patterns knowing that it can be a significant driver of hormonal dysfunction. We look for the things that have been overlooked or have been told that your normal in the past. Things like thyroid, adrenal gland, and gut health. We assess vitamin levels for optimal health, discussing nutrition and referring to dieticians when needed. We do a deep dive when it comes to blood sugar and insulin resistance. We work on weight without shame. Knowing that many hormonal drivers play a role when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, we support women throughout the perimenopause transition. We treat teens holistically from the start, empowering them to have a better understanding and better advocacy of their body. We help with postpartum recovery, including return of normal cycles, breastfeeding support, as well as postpartum depression or anxiety. If that plays a role, we avoid quick fixes or the bandaid approach, knowing that we are looking for long-term health. We believe health is whole body and whole person, not just one body system or one set of labs. We include men in fertility care, knowing that they play a vital role, not only in supporting their partner, but also from a medical standpoint. We offer lifestyle based interventions and talk through those goals on a regular basis in order to help ensure that you are meeting your personal goals. We help to promote healthy ovulation as seen with your charting as well as lab findings. We recognize hormonal migraines or other symptoms that are cyclical. We teach and empower women to have body literacy as well as to be able to advocate for themselves when they see their healthcare professionals. We individualize, supplement and nutrient based support. We offer evidence-based nutrition and partner with health coaches and dieticians in order to help those long-term health goals. We don't just cover up symptoms. Instead, we look for those underlying diagnoses and treat appropriately. And finally, we believe that healing is possible at any age. Our final patient quote from today says this. The Radiant Clinic team has provided me with incredible care over the past year. I can honestly say I feel like a new person. After working on my thyroid and hormonal issues, other doctors told me my blood work and symptoms were normal, which turned out not to be the case. I felt validated, heard, and relieved to finally get answers even after our first appointment. Now if this episode had you nodding along or shouting, finally, then I want to invite you to take the next step. At Radiant Clinic, we don't just talk about these 100 facts that I just presented. We live and breathe these principles every day. So whether you're struggling with infertility, painful periods, psycho irregularities, or just tired of being handed the same prescription over and over again, we're here to help you get real answers. Our mission is to change the conversation and empower women and couples about reproductive healthcare. We offer personalized care, rooted in science, and centered on you. Imagine if your cycle was no longer a mystery, if your symptoms finally made sense, and if you had a team walking beside you with hope and a plan. My team at Radiant Clinic, and I believe that you deserve that and we'd be honored to be a part of your journey. Thanks so much for walking with us throughout these 100 episodes. We look forward to the next 100, and I would ask a favor of you. Please send us a message hello@radiantclinic.com or find us on Facebook and Instagram and drop us a DM there. Let us know what you want to hear about in these next 100 episodes, and I will make sure to record an episode just for you to tackle whatever concern or question you have. I can't wait to give you more information on our next episode of Cycle Wisdom. If you're ready to work with our elite team of healthcare professionals, go to our website, radiant clinic.com to schedule a free discovery call and learn more about our package based pricing for comprehensive care. We are currently able to see people for in-person appointments in our Cedar Rapids, Iowa Clinic, or can arrange for a telehealth visit if you live in many different states across the us. Check out our website for current states that we can serve medical clients and let us know if your state is not listed to see if we can still cover you there as we are constantly expanding our reach. Please note that our fertility educators are able to take care of clients no matter where they live. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. Please share this podcast with someone in your life who would benefit from our services. Remember to subscribe to this podcast for more empowering content that I look forward to sharing with you on our next episode of Cycle Wisdom.