We’re digging into how EMDR can help improve pregnancy success. The fertility journey can be filled with triggers, heartbreak and frustration. A theme we see with couples on the fertility journey is trauma. We often see childhood trauma (i.e. physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect. emotional neglect. mental illness, divorce and substance abuse). We especially see the trauma that results from the fertility diagnosis and visualizing a different path to parenthood. This can...
Aug 22, 2022•41 min•Ep. 363
We’re digging into how tracking our hormones can help improve pregnancy success. Tracking our hormones can be confusing, triggering and frustrating (sometimes all at once). There are a lot of fertility trackers on the market. How do we really know our hormone status without spending time getting blood drawn every month? How can knowing our hormone numbers empower us rather than causing additional stress? Today I'm excited to welcome Aastha Jain to the podcast. Aastha is the social media speciali...
Aug 15, 2022•30 min•Ep. 362
We’re digging into the top trends in women's health and femtech. My goal for the podcast is to bring you cutting-edge practices in functional medicine, functional nutrition, mindset and spirituality so that you can increase your chances of pregnancy success. I’m excited to share the latest in femtech, sexual health (yes, we’re talking erotica), at-home test kits, the newest research funding, how to know which companies to trust and way more. Today I'm welcoming Georgie Kovacs back to the podcast...
Aug 08, 2022•54 min•Ep. 361
We’re digging into what your blood chemistry results mean for your fertility. You may have been told that your blood work is “normal.” Or you may have been told that some markers are out of balance. Sometimes medication can be given to bring these markers into balance, but typically there is no strategy to address WHY there is an imbalance in the first place. This can lead to frustration and confusion. You may even feel like IVF is your only hope. However, moving ahead to IVF without addressing ...
Aug 01, 2022•32 min•Ep. 360
We’re digging into what to do next if you’ve already tried all the diet/lifestyle strategies, but they’re not working. When you're trying to solve a problem - it's tempting to try ALL the things. We naturally assume that doing everything will be better than focusing on one at a time - or get us quicker results. But doing everything just puts you and your partner in a state of overwhelm and makes it even MORE difficult to identify and solve the real issue. Then we get frustrated that things aren'...
Jul 25, 2022•27 min•Ep. 359
We’re digging into sexual health and how we can increase intimacy while TTC. Ultimately what we all want is connection. During the fertility journey, the connection with our partner may be strained, and intimacy can be less about pleasure and more about babymaking. What if we could reconnect and deepen our connection with our partner? What if truly being present, vulnerable, and sharing was the road to deeper intimacy and better sex life? We can learn how to create a safe space so we can ask for...
Jul 18, 2022•52 min•Ep. 358
We’re digging into lipid panels and what you need to know when you are TTC. So many of us are afraid of fat. The low-fat craze was a bait and switch tactic to get us addicted to sugar. We need healthy fats when we are trying to conceive. We’re doing a deep dive into the lipid panel so that you can understand what these markers mean for your fertility. Even if you’ve been told your cholesterol is perfect or that your triglycerides are in range, we regularly see missed healing opportunities for co...
Jul 11, 2022•48 min•Ep. 357
We’re digging into why these symptoms matter when you are TTC. Many times we get myopically focused on egg health and miss all the other symptoms that may be contributing to our fertility diagnosis. Our body wants to procreate, but right now, it may be under attack by seemingly healthy foods, gut infections, environmental toxins and more. We can research and figure out what worked for someone else or take a targeted approach and determine what is right for our bodies. With a targeted approach, y...
Jul 04, 2022•33 min•Ep. 356
We’re digging into the fertility awareness method and how this can help us more accurately track our fertile days. Many women we work with have irregular cycles, absent cycles, absent cervical mucus, anovulation, excessive or light bleeding with periods, irregular basal body temperature and more. This can be very frustrating because our menstrual cycle gives us vital clues that tell us a lot about our fertility. And if you’re relying on ovulation predictor kits, you may be missing essential info...
Jun 27, 2022•50 min•Ep. 355
We’re digging into how to be joyful now when you are TTC. Have you ever thought, “I’ll be happy when I have my baby”? Chasing happiness can make us feel stuck and take us out of the present moment. So many of us on the fertility journey have put joy on hold. We spend our time researching fertility, feeling stuck in comparison and triggered by baby announcements or figuring out how to avoid going to a baby shower. Setting boundaries is essential (no, you don’t need to attend every baby shower). H...
Jun 20, 2022•56 min•Ep. 354
We’re digging into the connection between food and mood and why this matters when you are TTC. We all know that we are what we eat. But do we really know how food impacts our mood? For years I was eating food that did not support my body or fertility. Before I figured out the food/mood connection, I thought I was irritable, cranky and anxious. As I began understanding exactly how what I place on my fork daily dramatically impacts my state of mind, I no longer feel like I’m on a rollercoaster of ...
Jun 13, 2022•51 min•Ep. 353
We’re digging into the biggest mistakes we see in hiring a fertility practitioner. There’s a lot of information about what you need to do to improve your fertility. You may be making the changes by yourself or you may be ready to hire an expert to help you figure out how to fast-track your chances of pregnancy success. Whether you’ve had failed or cancelled cycles or been told donor eggs are your only option, there is hope for you to conceive and have your baby. If it has worked for someone else...
Jun 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 352
We’re digging into energy and how to trust that you can get pregnant and have your baby. The fertility journey can feel like a roller coaster filled with uncertainty, comparison, anger, jealousy and grief. You can be swept up by overwhelming emotions that leave you feeling powerless and hopeless. Or you can meet your miracle part way. That is why our Fab Fertile Method includes the mind, body, and spirit approach. Because if you don’t truly believe it is possible you’ll be easily distracted and ...
May 30, 2022•47 min•Ep. 351
We’re digging into how to select a fertility acupuncturist We recommend acupuncture to our clients as part of our Fab Fertile Method. Let’s face it, many practitioners offer acupuncture as part of their services. But do they have the appropriate training to help with fertility? It can be confusing so we’re breaking down how to select a fertility acupuncturist so that you don’t waste time or money as you prepare for pregnancy success. Today I’m welcoming Tsao-Lin Moy back to the podcast. Using he...
May 23, 2022•46 min•Ep. 350
We’re digging into autism and why this matters when you are TTC. Focusing on preconception health is important for your health, postpartum period and the health of your children. I didn’t focus on my health prior to having my children and my postpartum period was rough. Both my kids have food sensitivities, asthma, ear infections, ADHD and more. It may feel like we need to rush to the fertility clinic to get pregnant ASAP. After all, the fertility industry tells us that we’re too old, our eggs a...
May 16, 2022•47 min•Ep. 349
We’re digging into why including your partner on the fertility journey sets you up for success. Both the male and female partner needs to focus on preconception health to improve pregnancy success. It’s not about the woman changing everything in her life and no one has even completed a semen analysis. What we find is that most male partners are very supportive. However, they may not know how to optimize pregnancy success. Or we see women making all the changes and nagging their partner to take t...
May 09, 2022•27 min•Ep. 348
We’re digging into how the thyroid impact fertility. For years I was told my thyroid was “normal”… but my hair was falling out in chunks, my skin looked like a lizard and I had cold feet and hands. Not until I pushed my doctor to look beyond the TSH did my symptoms begin to improve. Looking only at the TSH does not give us the whole picture. If you are struggling to conceive or if you have an ovulation disorder, irregular menstrual cycle, recurrent miscarriage optimizing your thyroid is key. And...
May 02, 2022•56 min•Ep. 347
We’re digging into how to know if IVF is your next best step to improve your chances of pregnancy success. You probably feel like you’ve already tried everything. And although IVF can be successful (average 30% success rate) what about the couple that has failed cycles? It's heartbreaking and financially devastating. Before you commit emotionally and financially to another IVF cycle I want you to know the exact steps you can take to improve your chances of pregnancy success. This is for you if: ...
Apr 25, 2022•36 min•Ep. 346
We’re digging into how the biology of trauma impacts the fertility journey. If you are like me you can probably take on a lot. I’m a doer. If you want it done call me. But at what cost to my health? When I was diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency at 28 I went straight into action. I didn’t take any time to grieve. I didn’t stop to listen to what my body was desperately trying to tell me. I went straight to donor eggs. And getting stuff done is my superpower. But what I’ve learned after...
Apr 18, 2022•57 min•Ep. 345
We’re digging into pelvic floor health and why this matters if you are TTC. Our Fab Fertile Method takes a personalized approach to fertility so that we can address missed healing opportunities that uncover the reason why you may be struggling to conceive. There are many types of stressors that could impact your body, from mental/emotional stress to food sensitivities, gut infections, environmental toxins and structural stress. Structural stress could be a pinched nerve or back pain, but it also...
Apr 11, 2022•35 min•Ep. 344
We’re digging into how emotional eating impacts the fertility journey. As you may know, optimizing the diet is one of the first steps in our Fab Fertile Method. But what if you are ready to upgrade your diet and optimize your fertility but you’re an emotional eater? You may find yourself with a healthy eating plan but then life intervenes and you drown your feelings in a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream. It can be a vicious cycle filled with guilt and shame that only keeps us stuck and unable...
Apr 04, 2022•38 min•Ep. 343
We’re digging into the basic supplements you need to know about if you are TTC. There's a lot of information about which supplements are right for fertility. And like most women that I speak with you are probably taking A LOT of supplements. But are these supplements optimizing or harming your fertility? And taking supplements for years and not really knowing WHY or if they are helpful... doesn’t make sense either! As you may know, we take a functional approach to fertility and while supplements...
Mar 28, 2022•36 min•Ep. 342
We’re digging into the vaginal microbiome and why this matters when you are TTC. For years I struggled with yeast infections, urinary tract infections, recurrent bacterial vaginosis (yep, that’s no fun!) and general dysbiosis in my vagina. I remember one practitioner told me to put some garlic up my vagina (because of its antimicrobial properties). She said to tie a string around the garlic and up it goes. Except (as my handy husband told me later – I should have used a grommet hole in the garli...
Mar 21, 2022•48 min•Ep. 341
We’re digging into multiple sclerosis and autoimmune disease while on the fertility journey. One of the themes we see with our clients is an autoimmune disease. Studies show that over 1/5 of premature ovarian insufficiency cases also have an autoimmune disease. We commonly see women with low AMH/high FSH also presenting with autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s, Celiac, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Multiple Sclerosis. ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6885484/ ) The conventional appro...
Mar 14, 2022•45 min•Ep. 340
We’re digging into why these symptoms matter when you are TTC Many times we get myopically focused on egg health and miss all the other symptoms that may be contributing to our fertility diagnosis. Our body wants to procreate, but right now it may be under attack by seemingly healthy foods, gut infections, environmental toxins and more. We can research and figure out what worked for someone else or we can take a targeted approach and determine what is right for our body. With a targeted approach...
Mar 07, 2022•32 min•Ep. 339
We’re digging into toxin-free feminine hygiene products when you are TTC. One of the quickest changes you can make to reduce toxins in your life is to swap out your menstrual products. Why? Because many of the mainstream conventional disposable products contain harmful ingredients such as plastics, artificial fragrances, adhesives, and chemical gels. Some of these are inserted directly into your body via your tampon, while all of them are cozying up to one of the most sensitive areas on your ent...
Feb 28, 2022•56 min•Ep. 338
We’re digging into how to trust you are on the right path during the fertility journey. If you are like me you probably set some New Year's intentions. And then January came along and many of those intentions may have gone out the window. Let’s face it we place a lot of pressure on ourselves. And all of this pressure can feel heavy and may have you throwing your hands in the air in defeat. The fertility journey can be difficult. It can impact all areas of our life. We may be filled with uncertai...
Feb 21, 2022•47 min•Ep. 337
We’re digging into how to optimize male fertility. Although we specialize in complex cases such as low AMH, high FSH, diminished ovarian reserve and premature ovarian insufficiency, more couples are coming to us with both female and male factor infertility. The Fab Fertile Method is effective at addressing both male and female fertility conditions. Even if the male partner tells us his semen analysis is fine – we always include a blood chemistry review and a review of his semen analysis using fu...
Feb 14, 2022•44 min•Ep. 336
We're digging into how acupuncture can help with diminished ovarian reserve. As you may know, we work to support couples with low AMH, high FSH, diminished ovarian reserve and premature ovarian insufficiency to get pregnant naturally or improve their chances of pregnancy success with their own eggs. When we address the stressors that impact fertility the body comes back into balance, which optimizes fertility. Acupuncture can support the body as we prepare for pregnancy success if we have dimini...
Feb 07, 2022•47 min•Ep. 335
We're digging into how acupuncture can help improve fertility. Studies ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11937123 ) prove that using acupuncture pre and post-transfer increases the success of IVF. We love acupuncture and recommend it to our clients. However, it is very important to select a practitioner who is experienced with infertility. Check out our blog here for more details about TCM and acupuncture: https://www.fabfertile.com/blog/traditional-chinese-medicine-and-acupunture-a-proven-m...
Jan 31, 2022•46 min•Ep. 334
