🧪 Don’t Guess, Test: Why Hormone Awareness Matters—Especially for Black Women

As a Black woman and a doula, I’ve seen firsthand how often our bodies whisper before they scream. We’re told to “push through,” to normalize pain, irregular cycles, mood swings, fatigue all while not really knowing what’s going on beneath the surface. My therapist told me before “the body keeps score” so we carry so much”.

But here’s the truth:

You can’t fix what you don’t understand. And that starts with your hormones.

✨ The Power of Knowing

Getting my hormone levels checked changed everything.

I went from guessing, trying herbs, tweaking my diet, wondering why I still didn’t feel like myself to KNOWING . Yes as a CERTIFIED HERBALIST I am telling you do NOT touch an herb til you check to see what’s going on 😊

Hormonal imbalances can show up as:

• Fibroids and ovarian cysts

• Anxiety, depression, or extreme PMS

• Fertility challenges

• Irregular periods or missing cycles

• Insomnia and hair thinning

• Fatigue that won’t go away no matter how much you sleep

• Sugar addictions

• Seizures triggered by ovulation and menstruation (I’ve lived this and YES it is a thing)

💡 Why It Matters

As a doula, I’ve held the hands of mamas through pregnancy losses, fertility journeys, postpartum depression, and birth trauma. I’ve seen how much hormone health affects every part of that experience from the womb to the mind.

But let me tell ya…..

You’re talking to a woman who has had to go to three neurologists and five OBGYNS KNOWING something was off demanding they test my hormones and they still didn’t listen, Getting misdiagnosed, and misdiagnosed again. I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t exaggerating. My body was trying to tell me something, and I had to fight to be heard. This is why I advocate so loudly STILL. Because I know what it’s like to be dismissed, to have your symptoms minimized, and to still have to push through in silence.

Awareness is power.

When you know what’s off, you can build a plan to restore balance with herbs (if that’s your choice), food, labwork, and support that’s actually aligned with your body.

You can even choose to follow what the doctors is saying… BUT you can’t do anything if you don’t first know what’s going on with your body. 🖤

So many Black women suffer silently, get misdiagnosed or overlooked. We’re not always offered full lab panels. We’re told it’s “normal” or “oh it’s just stress.”🙃 No one likes to admit this but OUR “normal” isn’t THEIR “normal” (iykyk) 🤧

That’s why we have to be our own advocates. And we have to raise awareness. 🖤🤞🏾🫶🏽

🩸 What to Ask For

Start with your OBGYN. Tell them your symptoms and Ask for a full hormone panel including:

• Estrogen

• Progesterone

• Testosterone

• Cortisol

• Thyroid (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3)

• Insulin & fasting glucose

You can also go through Labcorp, Quest, or online labs if your doctor isn’t hearing you. I get labwork regularly and it’s made all the difference. It hits different when you know.

💡 Why It Matters

As a doula herbalist, advocate, and Educator I’ve walked with many mamas through pregnancy losses, fertility journeys, postpartum depression, and birth trauma. And I’ve seen how much hormone health affects every part of that experience from the womb to the mind. I’m even walked through my own hormonal journal.

Awareness is power.

When you know what’s off find out what is and build a plan with lifestyle changes, and support that’s actually aligned with YOUR body.

🖤 A Call to My Sisters

Black women: let’s not suffer in silence.

Let’s not accept “pain is normal.”

Let’s not wait until it gets unbearable to ask for answers.

You deserve to know what’s going on inside your body.

You deserve healing.

You deserve options.

And if your doctor won’t listen, hear me well 🗣️FIND ANOTHER ONE

Start with labwork. Start with truth. Start with you.

Love & Beyond,

Your doula, herbalist, and sister in healing 💚

I love y’all DEEP and we gon be alright.

-Jas

www.theloveandbeyond.com