Wondering why your cycles feel off or you’ve been told “everything looks normal,” yet you still can’t get answers? Let’s look at a hidden piece of the puzzle… mold and mycotoxins with Deidre Bloomquist. I’ll walk you through how they impact hormones, how to test your home and your body, and a safe, step-by-step plan for preconception and pregnancy.
EPISODE 33 | HOLISTICALLY WELL PODCAST: HOW MOLD EXPOSURE DISRUPTS HORMONES AND BLOCKS FERTILITY
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🎧 Holistically Well Podcast on Apple | Episode 33
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💻 Holistically Well Podcast on YouTube | Episode 33
How Mold and Mycotoxins Affect Fertility and Hormone Balance
Most women are told to monitor estrogen and progesterone. Fewer are told to screen for mycotoxins. These tiny toxins can:
- Lower stomach acid and pancreatic enzymes, slow gut motility, and drive dysbiosis, SIBO, and fungal overgrowth
- Create leaky gut, food sensitivities, and repeat “candida cleanses” that never stick
- Confuse the immune system, increase inflammation, and alter implantation-critical immune balances
- Impair thyroid conversion (T4 to T3), raise the risk for Hashimoto’s, and push the adrenals into cortisol chaos
- Disrupt ovulation, luteal sufficiency, and endometrial receptivity
If you have “normal” labs yet feel off, or you have cyclical headaches, brain fog, stubborn GI issues, repeat respiratory illnesses in winter, eczema in little ones, or fatigue that does not match your lifestyle, mold most definitely belongs on your differential!
Step 1: How to Find the Source of Mold in Your Home
Mold problems are often hidden, especially in HVAC systems, behind tile/grout, around windows, past roof leaks, basements, appliances, and even in vehicles.
Best first mold test for the home (and your fertility):
- EMMA dust test (RealTime Labs)
- Captures fungal count and mycotoxins from house dust and a 2″×2″ slice of your HVAC filter
- Mycotoxin classes (e.g., trichothecenes) can flag danger even if spores are missed on that dust sample
- Captures fungal count and mycotoxins from house dust and a 2″×2″ slice of your HVAC filter
If positive or strongly suspicious:
- Hire a qualified IEP (Indoor Environmental Professional) or Building Biologist
- Expect a full-home assessment: moisture meters, infrared, attic and roof checks, appliances, windows, crawl spaces
- Use a separate remediation company that follows IICRC S520 containment and safety protocols
- Know that “remediation” includes both source removal and post-clean cleanup. Source removal is non-negotiable; cleanup scope can often be staged to fit budgets.
Step 2: Screen your body
When exposure is current or historical, ask your clinician about urine mycotoxin testing. Different molds produce different mycotoxins, which:
- Dictate which binders actually work
- Point to liver pathways that need support
- Help you and your inspector locate likely sources (different molds favor different moisture patterns)
The preconception plan.. drainage first, then targeted detox!
Aim to begin 6–12 months before trying to conceive. Typical focused phases run 4–6 months, personalized to your results.
- Open drainage pathways
- Daily bowel movements. Support with hydration, minerals, fiber, and magnesium (glycinate or oxide as needed).
- Gentle motility support when appropriate.
- Support liver and gallbladder
- Nutrition for bile flow and fats, plus herbs like milk thistle and dandelion if indicated.
- At-home supports like castor oil packs.
- Hydration and electrolytes
- True cellular hydration matters for moving toxins.
- True cellular hydration matters for moving toxins.
- Cell membrane health
- Omega-rich fatty acids help membranes release toxins more effectively.
- Omega-rich fatty acids help membranes release toxins more effectively.
- Gut and immune balance
- Address dysbiosis after drainage opens. Avoid endless antimicrobials without removing the toxin burden driving regrowth.
- Address dysbiosis after drainage opens. Avoid endless antimicrobials without removing the toxin burden driving regrowth.
- Targeted binding and antifungal support
- Choose binders that match your specific mycotoxins rather than throwing everything at the wall.
- Choose binders that match your specific mycotoxins rather than throwing everything at the wall.
- Rebuild and replete
- Correct iron, vitamin D, and other micronutrients essential for ovulation, luteal phase, and implantation.
Important: Active detox is for preconception, not pregnancy or early breastfeeding.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding with Mold Exposure
Do: Remove the source of exposure, optimize air quality, lower stress, and focus on nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich foods and healthy fats!
Avoid: Active detox and aggressive antifungals while pregnant and during early breastfeeding, since mobilized toxins can enter circulation and breast milk.
FAQ
Is ERMI okay, or do I need EMMA?
ERMI can help, but EMMA measures both spores and mycotoxins, and the HVAC-filter sample increases the chance you catch hidden problems.
What if my house is clean but I am not?
Past exposure can lead to colonization where fungi produce mycotoxins inside the body. This is when urine mycotoxin testing and a targeted plan matter.
Do I need to throw everything away?
Soft, porous items from highly contaminated areas are hardest to clean. An IEP can help you triage what to keep, clean, or replace.
How long until cycles normalize?
Many women notice improved energy and digestion within weeks of opening drainage and removing exposure. Ovulation quality, luteal health, and cycle regularity often improve across 3–6 cycles once the plan is in motion.
Immediate Mold Remedies
- Check your environment
- Order an EMMA dust test and include a HVAC filter piece.
- Order an EMMA dust test and include a HVAC filter piece.
- Get data on your body
- Work with a practitioner to run a urine mycotoxin test, review thyroid markers, iron, vitamin D, and a comprehensive stool test if GI symptoms are present.
- Work with a practitioner to run a urine mycotoxin test, review thyroid markers, iron, vitamin D, and a comprehensive stool test if GI symptoms are present.
- Map your timeline
- If you plan to conceive, prioritize a drainage-first, targeted detox window in preconception. During pregnancy, focus on exposure removal, nervous system regulation, and nutrition.
- If you plan to conceive, prioritize a drainage-first, targeted detox window in preconception. During pregnancy, focus on exposure removal, nervous system regulation, and nutrition.
Concieve Naturally with Dr. Kayla
A woman in her late 30s came in with barely-there periods, a history of GI motility issues, and recurrent faint spells. Testing uncovered past mold exposure driving gut and thyroid-adrenal stress. By opening drainage, remediating her internal burden, normalizing digestion, and repleting nutrients, her cycle returned. She conceived naturally within months!
How the Holistically Well Preconception Program Can Help
If you’re looking for movement routines and guidance tailored to preconception, my Holistically Well Preconception Program provides everything you need to set yourself up for success!
- Strength and stability training
- Reducing toxin load
- Mobility and breath work
- Functional medicine to support your journey
- Community resources and lifetime support
- And so much more!
Ready for Holistic Expert Support?
If your instinct says there is more to the story than your labs reveal, you are probably right. With the right sequence and support, your body knows how to heal and prepare for pregnancy.
