Stillbirth, Secondary Infertility, Miscarriage & What Grieving Moms Really Need

When I first thought about starting this podcast, there was one guest I knew I had to have on, and today she’s here! Dr. Natalie Crawford is a reproductive endocrinologist, co-founder of Fora Fertility, author of The Fertility Formula, and honestly the OG of fertility doctors online. (One of my Fight Club girls calls her the Taylor Swift of fertility doctors, and I couldn’t agree more.) What makes Natalie so special is that she’s been on both sides of the desk. She’s a fertility doctor, and she’s also walked through four pregnancy losses herself. She was told to “wait for one more loss” before anyone would run tests on her. That experience shaped everything about how she cares for her patients today. She believes you deserve answers, you deserve to understand your body, and you deserve a doctor who will actually explain things to you. We talk about why so many people leave their consult hearing “you need IVF” with no explanation of why. We cover the five lifestyle non-negotiables Natalie and I both swear by, and why sperm is 50% of the equation (guys, this one’s for you too). Natalie also shares how she helps patients hold onto hope without sugarcoating the hard stuff, and how she and her partner built Fora Fertility from the ground up to put patients first. Plus, she answers questions straight from my Fight Club girls, and we play a quick round of Fight or Fold! In this episode, we talk about: Why Natalie calls being a fertility doctor “the best job and the worst job” at the same time Why you shouldn’t have to “fail first” before getting tested Her five non-negotiables: anti-inflammatory eating, removing toxins, sleep, stress management, and building muscle Inflammation, gluten, dairy, and how her own journey led to a celiac diagnosis years later Male factor fertility, and the #1 lifestyle habit she sees affecting embryo quality Life after an ectopic pregnancy and how to manage the fear of it happening again What low egg yield and maturity can tell you about your IVF protocol The test she wishes every clinic ran earlier, the supplement she loves, and the sneaky one she wants you to stop taking The myth she’s corrected thousands of times: does IVF or egg freezing use up your eggs?

Nine IVF cycles. Eleven embryo transfers. Five fertility clinics. And 12 PGT-A normal embryos still waiting for answers. Today's guest, Melissa, has been part of the Fertility Fight Club for years, and she's one of the women who show up on every call, ask the hard questions, and cheer everyone else on, even when her own journey has been unbelievably hard. Her story doesn't fit a neat fertility diagnosis, and that's exactly why I wanted to share it. Melissa carried her daughter after her very first transfer. So why have things been so different since? For years the answer she heard was "it's your eggs" or "it's your age." She kept asking what was missing, and in this conversation she walks us through what she's uncovered along the way, from recurring adhesions to overlooked sperm DNA fragmentation testing to a health scare that finally validated what she'd been saying all along. If you've ever felt dismissed, been handed the same protocol over and over, or wondered whether a normal embryo should be enough, this one is for you. In This Episode, We Talk About Why a "mild" adhesion that keeps coming back deserves more attention What it's like to carry a baby once, and then face secondary infertility The story behind Melissa's IVF journey, from her first fertility testing through five different fertility clinics Why "it's your eggs" was never the full answer, and what changed when she found a doctor who looked at the whole picture Why sperm DNA fragmentation testing matters and the role male factor played in her results What to investigate before a transfer, even with PGT-A normal embryos (immune testing, microbiome testing, a sonohysterogram) The support tools Melissa used to prepare her lining, including HBOT and uterine PRP How she's protecting her peace, from setting boundaries with family and friends to stepping away from social media Why she keeps fighting: her daughter, her family, and the belief that this isn't just bad luck

You guys know I don't bring just anyone onto this podcast, and today's guest is one of my absolute favorites: Dr. Rahi Victory, reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and founder of Victory Reproductive Care. Dr. Victory and I have worked together for years - so many late nights and weekends spent going back and forth on patient cases - and it's because we're cut from the same cloth. We both hate seeing someone repeat the same failed protocol for six months, a year, three IVF cycles, without anyone asking why it isn't working. We dig. We question. We don't accept "that's just how it's done." So in this episode, I brought him on to answer the questions you've been asking me for years - and a few that might get us both in a little trouble. We're covering: The truth about being told "unexplained infertility" - and why Dr. Victory believes it's often a sign of insufficient testing, not an actual mystery Endometriosis - why "endo doesn't matter for IVF" is one of the most dangerous myths out there, and what the data actually shows The fertility misinformation epidemic - mold, parasites, cortisol... Dr. Victory shares why chasing a single "root cause" trend can do more harm than good T-shaped uteruses - what they are, whether they can be fixed, and why so many women are told they can't be The testing most clinics skip - vitamin D, thyroid antibodies, microbiome, and why these basics matter more than you think Irregular periods - Dr. Victory doesn't hold back on why skipping cycles long-term is a real health risk, not just an inconvenience PCOS, GLP-1s, and what's actually helping patients right now Miscarriage - how many losses before you should start investigating (the guidelines have changed), and what to do after a loss of a "normal" embryo Egg quality and IVF protocols - can you overstimulate your ovaries? What's the deal with low-dose protocols? And the "embryo math" behind how many eggs actually become a baby The guys - why sperm health gets overlooked, and what's actually in your control DNA fragmentation testing - is it a scam, or something every couple should be asking about? Red flags - when to question your clinic, when to get a second opinion, and when it's time to walk away completely

If you've ever felt like your fertility journey keeps throwing curveball after curveball, this episode is for you. I'm sitting down with Kara, one of my Fertility Fight Club members, and she is sharing her whole story. Kara's journey started with two ectopic pregnancies (including a rupture that landed her in the hospital), which led her into IVF. From there, she went through failed transfers, a lab mishap that put her embryos in question, and months of testing to find answers her original clinic never looked for - including a stubborn case of ureaplasma, low iron, and low vitamin D. But the biggest twist in her story wasn't medical. In the middle of prepping for a transfer, Kara made the decision to leave her marriage - and chose to move forward on her own, with a sperm donor, rather than put her dream of being a mom on hold. We talk about: Trusting your gut when doctors dismiss your symptoms What it actually means to "optimize" your body for a transfer (iron, vitamin D, microbiome, building muscle) The judgment women face when they choose to do this alone Choosing yourself, even when it means walking away from what you thought your path would look like

If you've ever had that giant box of fertility meds show up at your door and thought, "what on earth do I do with all of this?" - this episode is for you. I'm back with Nurse Lindsay for a full walkthrough of everything IVF medications: what each one actually does, how to store them, how to mix them, how to inject without spiraling, and what the trigger shot is all about. We cover the stuff you already knew you had questions about, and a bunch you probably didn't know to ask yet. We get into where to store your meds (and where not to), what to do if your dose changes and you don't catch it in time, how to handle needles, traveling with medications, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with all of it - because yes, you might want to throw something at your husband, and no, that doesn't mean something's wrong with you. Lindsay also walks us through the real "911 calls" she gets from patients - missed doses, dosing mistakes, forgetting if you already injected - so you know exactly what to do (and not panic) if it happens to you. A huge thank you to Nurse Lindsay for bringing her expertise and calm energy to this one. If you're heading into a cycle soon, save this episode - you're going to want to come back to it. A reminder: your own medication doses, timing, and storage instructions should always come from your fertility clinic and pharmacy. This episode is here for educational purposes only and does not replace your care team. More from The Fertility Fight Club: FertilityBlooms.com Join The Fertility Fight Club Fertility Coaching Programs Follow on Instagram: @fertilityblooms Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 IVF Meds 101 00:45 Storing Your Meds Safely 07:07 Traveling With Meds 11:44 Gonal F Injection Demo 18:32 Sharps and Refills Planning 22:39 Menopur Mixing Walkthrough 31:38 Rotate Injection Sites 35:49 Cetrotide Mixing & Timing 42:07 Cetrotide Reactions Explained 43:22 Injection Mistakes And Fixes 47:59 Trigger Shot Timing 56:04 Side Effects And Safety Signs