The Egg Whisperer Show

By now if you've watched The Egg Whisperer show or have read my articles you get a sense for what I care about. It's pretty simple. I care about your fertility. I want you to protect it. To learn about it, take action, and use it while you still can. It turns out I'm not alone. And thank goodness! Dr. Jerisa is an ER doctor who lives in Florida. Her personal experience with an unexpectedly difficult fertility journey compelled her to start, Secure Your Fertility, which makes it easy for women to test their fertility. To read the full article, click over to my website. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

As a fertility doctor, I help my patients create the family they want, or preserve their fertility for whatever the future may hold. Part of why I love what I do is that I get to understand the whole person that I treat. Not just their body, but their emotional well-being too. We can't look at humans with tunnel vision. Nor can we look at fertility that way either. The act of going through fertility treatment is as emotional as it is physical. If you're going through it this is something you already know. You may be shaking your head and thinking, "duh—yes, Dr. Aimee, I know this. I live this." If that's the case then the next 10 things you read may seem like common sense, but it's worth me repeating them. When you are a fertility patient you need to take care of yourself. Sometimes you need some reminders on what that looks like. To read the full article, click over to my website. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

Odds are if you're reading this then you've searched, "What is IVF?" on Google. And that's exactly why I'm doing this show. Just because IVF is more common does not mean you're expected to know exactly what it means. No question is a dumb one. I want to start by sharing what IVF means to me. Dr. Aimee's definition of IVF = Is Very Fun. Okay, so maybe it's not the most fun you could have. It's hard work. However, I consider it a really efficient way to get pregnant. And that it is worth calling fun. The technology has changed and it makes it an amazing time to be a fertility doctor. There are people I'm helping in 2020 that I may not have been able to help even six years ago. In this episode: - you'll learn what IVF is, and what it is not. - I'm dispelling some myths that are out there about IVF, and explaining some of the anatomy and physiology of the procedure. - I'll also walk through the growth of a fertilized egg, so you will know what to expect. - I'll explain when IVF is a great option for you. - you'll hear all about the IVF calendar I use with my patients - we talk about Egg Retrieval day - I address creating a plan for unused eggs or embryos - you'll learn about the IVF Attrition Pyramid - we talk about the TUSHY Method and your Fertility TEAM Read the full show notes on my site by clicking or tapping here. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

For the past 10+ years I've been retrieving eggs for people. A process that if you're a new patient, can be daunting. You may be wondering, what exactly is involved? Just like any surgery it is serious business and a procedure that goes best when there's careful planning. As a doctor who's been doing this for over a decade, I want to give you my top 9 tips for how to be the most prepared patient. Why? Preparation will help set the stage for your best retrieval experience. Any why wouldn't you want that?! My Top 9 Tips for Your Best Egg Retrieval Experience 1. Know where you're going 2. Know your anatomy 3. Stay hydrated 4. Food as medicine 5. Mindful meditation 6. Make sure you don't have a sperm emergency 7. Know what to expect the day of the surgery 8. Collect your must-haves for post retrieval 9. Ask your doctor when you can expect updates post retrieval Read the full show notes on my site by clicking or tapping here. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

Whether you're an egg donor now, if you're considering it, or you know someone that is — I'm glad you're here. Young women are donating eggs at the time they are most fertile, often times not realizing the implications of what that means. I've had patients come to me in their 40s without enough healthy eggs of their own to conceive. When they share with me that they themselves donated their young and healthy eggs in their 20s or 30s, but that none are available for them, I feel frustrated and sad for them. Frustrated enough that I'm doing something about it. Freeze & Share is a program that helps young egg donors save some eggs for themselves should they need them, while helping another family conceive when they can't on their own. Suffice to say, I don't want anyone to look back at their egg donation and wish they'd known more. Here is your chance — I want to give you all the information I have so that you're equipped with the knowledge to make the best decision for your personal situation. Read the full show notes on my site by clicking or tapping here. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

What you learn from this show has the potential to change your life forever. I'm not talking about sex positions. Fear not, there will be nothing pornographic detailed in what's to follow. Ask yourself: 1. What do I want? Be specific. ex) I'm 32 years old and I want to have a baby. I want to do it naturally. 2. What is it going to take to get what I want? ex) It's going to take having a healthy lifestyle, taking prenatal vitamins, getting preconception tests done, and having sex. 3. Am I willing to do it? If you're not willing to do the things to get what you want, then you have to change #1. If at 37 someone says they want three kids and then I ask them what it's going to take to get what they want. Some people know what it will take. Others may not. Is your plan reasonable? Read the full show notes on my site by clicking or tapping here. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

Some people like mysteries and some don't. When you're going through IVF, I think it's important to know as much as possible about the process — everything from how your body may react to each step to what exactly happens behind the scenes in the IVF lab. What happens after your eggs are retrieved? How are your eggs prepared for fertilization? How do embryologists perform assisted hatching? How are your eggs and embryos frozen? To read the full show notes, please tap here. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

Have you ever used Google Maps and been redirected midway via a better route? Think about this show as your personalized navigation tool for fertility and IVF, as Dr. Aimee shares the five things you need to know about IVF. 1. Be Clear on Why You're Considering IVF. Ask yourself these questions. Why are you doing IVF? What are the fertility factors that are playing a role in your case? Is there something else you can do to improve your chances? 2. Realize Your Relationships May Change This is something I ask my patients to think about before, during, and after IVF. 3. Develop a Plan for Unused Embryos When you're going through IVF this is likely the last thing you want to think or talk about. When I meet patients I always ask them two questions. What do you think the problem is on why you're not getting pregnant? How many kids do you want? 4. Know That Pregnancy Isn't Always Easy When you've had a really hard struggle, most of us feel really guilty about complaining about pregnancy. But the reality is that pregnancy isn't always enjoyable for people. I like to think that all of my patients look gorgeous pregnant, but my patients don't always feel the same. For that reason, the depression or anxiety that people may have during treatment may carry over into pregnancy. It's also why I think it's really important to consider who's on your team. Who will be your support? 5. Understand that Your Feelings May Linger The feelings you had when you had a hard time getting pregnant can sometimes continue during pregnancy, after pregnancy, and beyond. Even if you've gone through IVF and it doesn't work the trauma of the treatment can continue. If you were successful with your IVF cycle you may still feel pain in your heart when you hear other people announce their pregnancies. Even if it's a close friend. You can be happy, but you may also carry with you painful memories of how difficult your journey was to get pregnant. This is okay. You can have conflicting emotions and experience them both at once. You are normal. I want you to know that you're not alone if you're feeling any of this. To read the full show notes, please tap here. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, tap or click here.

To read the full article about this topic, visit Dr. Aimee's site by clicking or tapping here. Talking about your fertility when you're old is not easy, but I want women to stop apologizing for desiring a family. Times have changed. It's okay to want a baby over 40. It's not crazy, nor selfish. Watch my show on this topic here. My approach is for all of my patients to be given their best chance at a healthy pregnancy in the shortest period of time. How do we do this? It starts by not believing everything you read. 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. Please! 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. To subscribe to Dr. Aimee's newsletter, click or tap here.