The Egg Whisperer Show

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing a recent Ask the Egg Whisperer episode. I love answering your questions, and Ruth sent in a great one about endometriosis. Here’s what she wrote, “I am 35 and had endometriosis (stage 1) excision surgery 5 months ago. I would like to freeze my eggs after a recent breakup, but I'm concerned about bringing my endo/pain back as I know the hormones can do that.  My RE said that this is a real risk, but she can't tell me how likely it is. She said that using lower doses of hormones would also help mitigate the potential endo growth. What would you advise?” I am so glad that she asked this question, because it is something that I deal with all the time. Let me tell you what I would do in a case like yours: First, if you were a patient of mine, I would add letrozole to your protocol if we are worried about worsening endometriosis. This may reduce the risk of worsening endo during stim. Second, I would have you take N-Acetyl Cysteine (in addition to coq10 as an additional supplement) and have you consider taking this long-term. Third, after your cycle is over, we would talk about how we can prevent endometriosis and protect your fertility. We would talk about: birth control pills, IUD, and other strategies to minimize bleeding which would also reduce risk of endometriosis recurrence.  To submit your own question to Dr. Aimee for a future episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, click here.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School

On the podcast today, I’m answering a question from Helena from a recent Ask The Egg Whisperer episode. Here’s what she asked, “After stopping the birth control pill, is there any reason to wait a few months before trying to get pregnant? Are the first eggs released after stopping the pill potentially weaker, riskier or prone to miscarriage?” There are a lot of myths out there, and this is one of them. A lot of people are told that once you stop birth control pills, you need to wait a certain period of time to get pregnant. This is not true. There's a reason why you have to take a birth control pill every single day.  And the reason is if you don't take it every day, you'll ovulate through it.  Some studies have shown that you're actually the most fertile right after you stopped the birth control pills.  So to answer your question, if you are taking the pill, and stop it - it’s safe to try and get pregnant right away. You don't need to do a post birth control pill wash out or a detox or anything like that.  To submit your own question to Dr. Aimee for a future episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, click here.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School

I'm so excited to have Dr. Felice Gersh is joining me on the Egg Whisperer Show podcast, and we are talking all about PCOS, CBD, fasting and more.⠀ Dr. Gersh is not just a board certified OBGyn but she’s also board certified in Integrative Medicine. She brings a special mix of research, proven years of practice, and curiosity to the field that is both refreshing and exciting.  Dr. Gersh is the author of PCOS SOS and PCOS Fertility Fast Track. To read the full article, click over to my website.To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

When you’re doing IVF, it’s important to be prepared. I want you to have the best outcome possible, and for me that includes making sure you have everything you need on hand to support your physical, mental, and emotional health as you go through the process. Today on the podcast, I’m sharing my top 10 things you need when you’re embarking on IVF: Get your electrolyte rich drinks ahead of time Stock up on a protein powder+shake that you love Consider scheduling a food delivery service Prepare for a poop emergency: stool softeners are your friend Purchase panty liners because you can spot and that’s considered normal after an egg retrieval and waterproof underwear helps with the discharge too Egg Whisperer fertility pants Grab that Tylenol or Advil ahead of time and a heating pad too for aches and pains Take precautions against Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) Build your fertility TEAM Get your TUSHY checked I know that’s a lot of info to pack into a single post here - so you can get all sorts of details and additional information over at the website, where you can also listen to the whole episode. What I want most for you is to feel comfortable, and prepared as you take the next step on your fertility journey, and so that is why I’m sharing the essential must-haves that my patients have found to be helpful in making their experience and recovery more comfortable. You can find the link to this podcast episode and story in my profile. You can get more details from me directly in my next IVF Class.  Or, look for The Egg Whisperer Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America’s most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

On today’s podcast, I’m sharing an Ask The Egg Whisperer episode. CJ writes in after having a miscarriage. Here’s part of her question, “I’m 37 yrs old, have 13 months of infertility! I've been through the ANGEL method tests and nothing screams out – My periods are very light (not a new thing post-D&C) - only 1.5 days and 2 tsp of blood; often brown and small clots.  OB doesn't think this is an issue- called me "lucky.”  I'm trying baby aspirin and vitamin E this month, but I've tried baby aspirin in the past. Does a light period mean thin lining? Any thoughts?” Here are some of my thoughts for CJ, and anyone who is going through something similar. Listen to your gut. Your uterus is telling you a story. Your uterus is saying “pay attention to me.”  Of course, what I talk about here on Instagram and on The Egg Whisperer Show is just for educational purposes and not meant to replace medical advice from your personal physician. So if you're a patient of mine, I would say this: sounds like we need to rule out Asherman's syndrome. Asherman's Syndrome is when your lining gets really thin, and one of the risk factors for Asherman's syndrome is a D+C procedure. You also shared that even before the D+C maybe your lining was a little light. It's very possible that the thin lining is interfering with the healthy implantation and might increase your risk of having implantation issues and a miscarriage. To submit your own question to Dr. Aimee for a future episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, click here.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School

Recently, on Ask The Egg Whisperer, Elizabeth wrote in with this question: “Hi Dr. Aimee, I'm 34 and suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss. We had a son in 2017 with a very easy pregnancy & delivery. Since then we have had 3 losses. I am PCO-ish, AMH 6.52, normal BMI. Thyroid and hormones are normal. TUSHY check done with the exception of sperm. Should my husband get his sperm checked?” I want Elizabeth to know that she’s not alone in what she has experienced. I’m honored that she reached out and that she’s shared her question and story with us. She shares that she is 34 and in good health. I’m glad that you’ve taken the time to get your TUSHY checked. When you’re facing recurrent pregnancy loss, I also want you to look at the ANGEL Method  (you can go to angelmethod.com to learn more about it). What is included? A: Age, autoimmune, and anatomy.  Have you checked for a uterine septum? Has your doctor ruled out adenomyosis as a possibility as to why this keeps happening? Any type of surgery can cause scarring so rule out ashermans too.  N:Nutrition: look at your diet and eat healthy  G: Genetics. Check the chromosomes of you and your husband and a carrier screen  E: Endocrinology. Since PCOS is on your problem list, do look at your testosterone, TSH, prolactin, hemoglobin A1C, and make sure that everything is optimized. L: Lifestyle: look at your habits and do what you can to live your healthiest life. And last but not least: I do think that sperm DNA fragmentation testing in certain cases can be helpful to look at if you've had a number of miscarriages. Even if the sperm sparkles on a semen analysis, sometimes that sparkly sperm can still have high DNA fragmentation.  To submit your own question to Dr. Aimee for a future episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, click here.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School

On a recent episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, Ana Lucía shared a great question. Here’s what she wrote, “Thank you Dr Aimee for your show! I just had a miscarriage. I am 42, my progesterone and estradiol levels are very low (8  and 147).  I've been taking estradiol 6mg and Crinone daily. Why are they low and how can I improve them? Thank you very much for your guidance.” In answering this question, it’s important to understand how you’re taking progesterone (Crinone) and estradiol. Let’s break this down a little: for progesterone, the level in your blood is based on the mode of administration. When I have a patient on Crinone (vaginal form), and their progesterone level is 8 - that's because you're placing it vaginally. It has to go through the walls of the vagina, get absorbed, and then go into your bloodstream.  You could add more progesterone to your protocol to raise your progesterone, but I certainly don't want you to worry that your progesterone levels were too low for a healthy implantation to occur if this is a level checked after a frozen embryo transfer. I like the level to be around 10 in a medicated FET cycle if using vaginal progesterone.  These numbers sometimes make us worry unnecessarily (especially when we go to Google for answers). You might see things that make you really upset, like information saying that your progesterone should be over 20. And, that’s sound advice if you're using an injectable form of progesterone. But, with Crione, which is a vaginal form, you're just fine. Talk to your doctor and share your concerns for additional reassurance.  As far as your estrogen level, it's pretty similar to the level that you would see around ovulation time.  To submit your own question to Dr. Aimee for a future episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, click here.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School

I’m excited to have one of my favorite fertility docs, Dr. John Norian from HRC joining me today on the Egg Whisperer Show podcast to talk about IVF Challenges. We will talk about the IVF challenges of having no eggs at retrieval, no blasts, sensitivity to pelvic exams and injections and so much more. Dr. Norian does a great job of answering so many of my questions about different scenarios and offering his insight.  Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America’s most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

Talking about your fertility when you’re over 40 is not easy. I want women to stop apologizing for wanting to grow their family. Times have changed. It’s okay to want a baby over 40. It’s not crazy, nor selfish. Today on the podcast I’m sharing the approach I take with all of my patients so they have the best chance at a healthy pregnancy in the shortest period of time.⁠ ⁠ It upsets me when I read some of the headlines out there. There’s an international headline I saw recently on BBC news that fertility doctors are exploiting “older” women and “dealing false hope”.⁠ ⁠ Do I believe that fertility doctors deliver false hope? No way! I do not.⁠ ⁠ Do I believe that it’s imperative to get a diagnosis before treatment, regardless of who you are and your age? Yes! Diagnosis before treatment. ⁠ ⁠ I want my patients over 40 to understand their follicle count. Then I want them to decide if moving forward with treatment using their own eggs is the best path forward. There are so many ways to have a baby if your own body is not making it happen there are other creative paths to explore. Egg and embryo donation and adoption are a few examples.⁠ ⁠ If you’d like to learn more about how to talk to your doctor about your fertility over the age of 40, and get more details, tune in and listen to today’s episode.  Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America’s most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

On the podcast today, I’m answering a question from Phylicia who wrote in to Ask The Egg Whisperer. She wants to know about embryo glue and how it works. Here’s her question: “Hi Dr. Aimee! I’m 35 and currently doing IVF. I have severe endometriosis with adhesions on both ovaries and patchy adenomyosis on the back wall of my uterus (as seen on a recent MRI).  I’ve gotten the ok to start ivf and try a fresh transfer and my question is, what are your thoughts on embryo glue? I’m wondering if it makes sense to glue my embryos to the front wall in my uterus since there is no adenomyosis there. Is that a crazy idea?? Does embryo glue work that way?” This is such a great question, because it gives me a great chance to talk about embryo glue. Here’s the thing. “Embryo glue” is a great marketing term, but it’s not quite what you think it is.  It's just a trademarked name for something that really isn't what it is.  Don't you feel fooled? I certainly did. When I first learned about it, I was so hopeful thinking it was something that actually works like glue. When you look at the literature and the science behind it, you realize that it’s just a clever name for fluid we use in the lab. It really isn't glue. Every lab has their own special sauce. So talk to your doctor about what their sauce includes.  At the end of the day, once we put an embryo in, I think of it as a peanut in a chunky peanut butter jar. When you take that chunky peanut butter jar and you shake it, nothing's going to happen to the peanuts inside. But there is no way to stick an embryo to a specific location within the uterus, even though I love the idea itself. So for you, Phylicia, it is not a crazy idea at all. One day, maybe we're going to use something like that. I imagine, almost like a little robot camera that we can send in with the embryo. We can almost have little joysticks outside and we can show the embryo where to go and direct it into that spot and maybe use something like embryo glue or something like that to get it to implant better. To submit your own question to Dr. Aimee for a future episode of Ask The Egg Whisperer, click here.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School