EF#30: Reproductive microbiome, Endometriosis and fertility with Debbie Cotton

Today's interview is about the balance of microbes that live in and on the reproductive organs with Debbie Cotton from Invivo Healthcare. We discuss how Endometriosis can affect this balance, and then how this can affect your fertility.

Debbie an integrative psychotherapist, naturopath and herbalist. She is currently the Head of Clinical Education at Invivo Healthcare, a company who specialises in the human microbiome. She is a busy clinician and lecturer in the health sciences for over 15 years both in Australia and the UK. Her work centres on what it is to be human, and how ecosystem relationships (human, natural and microbial) shape who we are.

In this episode we talk about:

• What the reproductive microbiome is
• How the wider ecosystem of our planet affects human health and our own microbiomes
• How hormonal imbalance, including estrogen dominance can influence your vaginal microbiome
• How Endometriosis, and those with high levels of estrogen affects the balance of the reproductive and vaginal microbiome
• Symptoms and signs of vaginal dysbiosis to look from Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) to thrush (Candida)
• How dysbiosis can affect the implantation of an embryo and cause early miscarriage
• Difference and similarities between the gut and vaginal microbiome
• Link between the oral and gut microbiome and the vaginal microbiome

As always there is lots more information about this episode on my website, i.e. what exactly was discussed, references, and the mentioned podcast episodes, blogs or resources: https://www.endofertilityspecialist.com/endo-fertility-podcast/

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