1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,359 Speaker 1: Wind Down with Janet Kramer and I'm Heart Radio Podcast. 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 2: All Right, this week's a We've got doctor Lucky sekan 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: On and if you are wanting another Babes but maybe 4 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 2: you struggle with fertility, or if you just want to 5 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 2: know some hot tips. She's got a new book coming 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: out called The Lucky Egg, Understanding Your Fertility and how 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 2: to Get Pregnant. Now, she's double certified ARII based in 8 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: New York City, so she's very busy. So let's get 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: her on. 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 3: Hi. How are you, doctor Lucky, Doctor Lucky. 11 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: I love your distins actually your name Lucky. 12 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 4: Yes, wow name. 13 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 1: I love that. 14 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: Did you love it growing up? 15 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 4: No? I actually hated it. 16 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: And I was just going to joke that I could 17 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: pull my parents and from the next room because I'm 18 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: with my siblings and my whole family for Christmas, and 19 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: they could tell you themselves that there was no real 20 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: reason behind it other than I'm the third daughter, and 21 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: they were like, oh, third tries the charm, third time Lucky. 22 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 4: My sisters have normal names, what are you like? 23 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: Sarah and a Jene, Melissa and Junior in the next room. 24 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: It's not the most common names, but Vicky and Ruby, 25 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: so out. 26 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, but it worked out. Now it's great. You know, 27 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 4: it's a fertility doctor. I think it. 28 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 2: Well that's what I was just gonna say, and we'll 29 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: jump right into it. But I mean it. I feel like, yes, 30 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: it takes doctors and all that, but it does take 31 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: a little bit of luck, you know, and we need 32 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: got yeah doctor, and you got a lucky you know. 33 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 2: So like this is good. So we're happy to have 34 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: you on. We both have dealt with infertility. M hm. 35 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 2: You never end up doing to IVF. 36 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 3: Just I could make babies pretty easily, I just couldn't 37 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 3: keep them. 38 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I was the same and I also did IVF, 39 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 2: and then I could always have the like the baby 40 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: would attach and then the baby would go away multiple times. 41 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: And so but what I learned was that so I 42 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: had to My two babies from my previous marriage happened 43 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 2: post A positive, so I was pregnant with the embryos 44 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: from the IVF and then it was the natural cycle 45 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 2: on the next round. So I kept thinking I needed 46 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 2: that progesterone and all the stuff that I was boosted 47 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 2: with with IVF. So now every time anyone's having or 48 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: the aspirin, the baby aspirin that I was taking, so 49 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: anytime that I had or someone that I know it's 50 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: dealing with, I'm like, take baby aspirin, do progesterone. But 51 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: I'm like, I'm not a doctor, so I should probably 52 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 2: stop giving these advice. So what is for families that 53 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 2: are struggling with infertility? What is the first step? Because 54 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: they say, right, wait six months or was it six 55 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 2: months or a year? 56 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: It really depends on who you are in your situation. 57 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: There's no one size fits all answer. But in general, 58 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 1: the guidance we give is that if you're under thirty five, 59 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: especially if you're in your twenties, you may have a 60 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: little bit more time to be persistent with your attempts 61 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: because human reproduction is so inefficient and no matter who 62 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: you are, even in your twenties, at best, we're thinking, okay, 63 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: each month when you ovulate, if you're someone who even 64 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 1: ovulates every month, if you get a regular cycle, there's 65 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: like a twenty percent chance max that that could result 66 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: in a pregnancy. And so we do need to normalize 67 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: the idea that it can take time and persistence to 68 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 1: finally get pregnant. And that is true whether you're twenty 69 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: or whether you're in your forties now. The difference is 70 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: is that we have a biological clock, so you want 71 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: to have a lower threshold to go seek expert help. 72 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: If you're thirty five and older, don't wait longer than 73 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: six months of trying. And if you're in your forties, 74 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: it's a good rule of thumb to see someone after 75 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 1: even three months of trying. 76 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: Here's the funny thing about that, though, is the easiest pregnancy, 77 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: like getting pregnant was when I was thirty nine. It 78 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: was the first time, like, how's it happen. 79 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: That's why I titled my book The Lucky Egg, because 80 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: statistics and everything go out the window when you're talking 81 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: about yourself as an individual, and when you're ovulating an 82 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: egg in a given cycle. It is very much like 83 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: a lottery, And of course the lottery results can be 84 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: skewed depending on how many winning tickets there are, and 85 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: as we get older, we have less winning eggs, less 86 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: eggs that are capable of actually resulting in a healthy pregnancy. 87 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: But you still do have healthy eggs even in your forties, 88 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: and it's just a matter of being able to randomly 89 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: ovulate or access that lucky egg. 90 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 4: And so Statistically, what you can expect. 91 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: As you get older is it may take many more 92 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: random ovulations for the right one to ovulate, and for 93 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: all the things after ovulation lining up that need to 94 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: line up happening, and there can be a higher risk 95 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: of things like miscarriage if you ovulate the wrong egg 96 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: that has missing or extra DNA. It's not that you 97 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: did anything wrong, but if it happens to have enough 98 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: to get to the stage where it becomes an embryo 99 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: and implants, but then doesn't have what it takes to 100 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: keep going, that's how ninety percent of first trimester miscarriages 101 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: play out. And when you're both telling me about your 102 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: personal journeys both in having miscarriages in your past, that 103 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: does not shock or surprise me, because miscarriage is shockingly 104 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: common because nobody has perfect eggs, and this is not 105 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: a moral failing. It's not something you didn't do or 106 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: that you should have been doing. Often it's something that's 107 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: very much out of our control, and that it comes 108 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: down to just our reproductive biology and us knowing that 109 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: there's always the ability to ovulate an egg that has 110 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: typos or errors in it, and it's really not anything 111 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: you could have done anything different. 112 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: About and that is such a calman reassurance, like it is, 113 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 2: but we know it's I'm not a woman. And that's 114 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 2: why when my ex husband, you know, no sorry my 115 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: now husband was like, that's a typo, but. 116 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 4: Yeah, I know. 117 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,359 Speaker 2: I'm like, I got a few, but no where it's like, 118 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 2: what do you want a baby? I'm like, listen, I'm I 119 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 2: don't know if I could go through that feeling again, 120 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 2: a feeling like I'm not a woman and losing that baby, 121 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 2: because I get it from when I'm not in the 122 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 2: pain of it, right of course, but when you're in it, 123 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: it's like and that's what I'm referencing my ex husband 124 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 2: where it's like he didn't understand, Like he's like, okay, 125 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: we'll try a get I'm like, you don't know that. 126 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 2: I don't I'm not I'm not a woman. I can't 127 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 2: carry a baby, like ill, what is And it's like again, outside, 128 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 2: we know and this is so comforting, but when you're 129 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: in that heartbreak, it's like it's it's hard to know 130 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 2: that it's. 131 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 1: Very hard to uncouple this idea, this fallacy that you 132 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: can will your way to a healthy pregnancy, you know, 133 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: and I think that it's because we go through our 134 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: lives equating our amount of effort and what we put 135 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: into what the achievement is, what the result is when 136 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: it comes to academic achievements, our jobs, even you know, 137 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: people approach dating and relationships that way. Not that you 138 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: always have control, but it's like a very intentional focus. 139 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: And I think that's why what I see and a 140 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: lot of my patients and a lot of the people 141 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: that follow me online and are looking for fertility advice, 142 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: is that they're always seeking ways to control the situation 143 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: and to feel like they're. 144 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 4: Putting their best foot forward. 145 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 1: And it can be a really double edged sword, because yes, 146 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: you want to take ownership and you know, you want 147 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: to show up to the table optimizing your health and 148 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: doing all the things that you can, but there's also 149 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: this connotation of, oh my gosh, there's this perfect formula 150 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: and if you're struggling right now, it's because you didn't 151 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: follow it and you didn't try hard enough. 152 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 4: And that messaging is. 153 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: Very put your legs up in the air for this 154 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: six minutes you're supposed to like put the legs up, 155 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 2: because that's actually is that true or not? 156 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: No? 157 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 4: I mean people get pregnant all the time using. 158 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 2: So you don't have to have your legs hanging up 159 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 2: in the air to let thee they don't, Okay, So 160 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 2: that is a myth. 161 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: Sperm know how to swim and their microscopic little cells 162 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: that they're following chemical signals and they're going to where 163 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: they need to go. And this idea that if you 164 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: get up and you know, excuse a visual, but you 165 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: know things are coming out of you, you're thinking, oh 166 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: my gosh, I'm not getting as much sperm and I'm 167 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: not going to have as much exposure. 168 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 4: But the sperm know where they need to go. 169 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: And people get pregnant all the time in all different 170 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: situations and it doesn't require you know, being in a 171 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: specific position. That's a very common old wives tale. 172 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 2: Talk to me about stress because when you when it, 173 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 2: when you break it down so scientifically in a matter 174 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: of fact, with that, I think of the same thing. 175 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,239 Speaker 2: I know how stress can affect but if the sperm 176 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 2: is still swimming, like, the sperm's not stressed, but then 177 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 2: how to stress actually affect us getting pregnant. 178 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 3: There's been a lot of talking about how sperm aren't stressed. 179 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,439 Speaker 3: The holiday season really showed that the sperm weren't stressed. 180 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 4: Doctor Lucky. 181 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 1: I've seen a lot of stressed out sperm under the 182 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: microscope and I'm just kidding. 183 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 2: Is it telling you your feelings your. 184 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: Sperm needs a therapist's Yeah. What it is is basically 185 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: this idea of okay, stress, stress is causing my infertility 186 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: is actually very much not the case. And that is 187 00:08:57,640 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: the opposite of what society tells you. This is where 188 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,959 Speaker 1: you get well meaning, unsolicited advice. And I'm sure you 189 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: know during the holidays, this is like an overdrive of 190 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: just relax, like you guys need to take a vacation 191 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: and just don't stress. 192 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 4: Your job is too stressful. 193 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: Again, it's placing the blame on the person going through infertility. 194 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: And I'm here to tell you as a New York 195 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: City based fertility expert who sees a lot of high 196 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: powered women and couples that have extremely stressful jobs, it's 197 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: not the stress. 198 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 4: Right. 199 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: Maybe stress indirectly can impact your overall health because maybe 200 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: you're not sleeping, Maybe there are coping mechanisms like drinking 201 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: more than you should, or people who might be addicted 202 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: to smoking and their chain smoking because they're stressed. So 203 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: That is the indirect way that I would say stress 204 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: can theoretically impact your fertility and your general health is 205 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: that people tend to not do the healthiest things when 206 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: they're stressed out. But just feeling that psychological stress or 207 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: that burden of oh my god, I have a board meeting, 208 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: I have an exam. 209 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 4: I'm studying for. That's not the reason why not getting 210 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 4: pregnant or able to stay pregnant. 211 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: There's just no proof or scientific evidence linking those things. 212 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: And if you have profound physical stress or even profound 213 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: psychological stress, the one way that it might impact your 214 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: fertility at a very extreme level that's like chronic and persistent, 215 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: is it could impact irregular ovulation, right, especially a few 216 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: factor in people that don't eat when they're stressed like 217 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: that over a long period of time and in a 218 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 1: very extreme way, could throw off your ovulation. Even things 219 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: that seem like good sources of stress, like people moving 220 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: or traveling, you know, going through different time zones. I 221 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: think that that can also throw out your cycle, but 222 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: it's not going to cause it infertility. It might throw 223 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: off your cycle for one or two cycles. 224 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 2: I kind of feel like I owe my ex husband 225 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 2: an apology because I've blamed my miscarriages been like I'm 226 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 2: stressed and you cheated so many times, and. 227 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 3: Like, yeah, I don't know if we just jumped to 228 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 3: that yet. 229 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 4: I don't think you owe them an apology sound. 230 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 2: But I'm just saying like, if it's not the stress 231 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 2: that caused it, you know, yeah, cause I feel like 232 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: I was ingrained that stress was. 233 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 3: Still honestly until today. 234 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 4: That's where I'm at. 235 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 2: Why is the messaging that and not like, hey, how 236 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 2: can we fix it? So which I want to go 237 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 2: to that too, So why the messaging on that. 238 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: I think it's just one of those things that's like intuitive, 239 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 1: like people assume, you know, stress is bad for them 240 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: because it makes them feel bad, right, and you have 241 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: these autonomic reflexes of like your heart break goes up, 242 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: Like there are real, organic, physical things that happen. 243 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 4: To our bodies when we're stressed. 244 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: But I think it's a bit of a stretch to 245 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: be like you have a stressful job and that's why 246 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: you have infertility. Now, I do think it's more about 247 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: the day to day and like your overall health and 248 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: are you prioritizing your health, like there are things you 249 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: can be doing to optimize yourself. But there's also many 250 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: people that are doing all of the right things and 251 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: more and they're still not getting pregnant or they're still 252 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: having miscarriages. 253 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 4: And so that's what I'm saying. 254 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: There is an element of things that you can't control, 255 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,839 Speaker 1: things that you can't will away, and it doesn't matter 256 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: how much you want it or the effort you're putting 257 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: into it. Fertility is not a meritocracy. And that's a 258 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: really important message to get across. I think that too 259 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: many people are thinking that it's all in their hands, 260 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: and especially when I'm dealing with couples, you know, speaking 261 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: of relationships, a lot of the onus tends to fall 262 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: on the female partner. 263 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 4: I see that a lot. 264 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: Even though we know that sperm health plays a huge 265 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: role in someone being able to get pregnant and even 266 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: stay pregnant. We know sperm DNA fragmentation, which can arise 267 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: from chronic medical conditions that are uncontrolled or really unhealthy 268 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:42,319 Speaker 1: lifestyles or behaviors that kind of are persistent over time 269 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: that can actually translate into miscarriacter risk, and the partner 270 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: certain obstetrical risks like high blood pressure and pregnancy even 271 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: things like mourning sickness have been related to that. 272 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 4: And the health of the future child. 273 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: So men are fifty percent of the equation. Everyone needs 274 00:12:57,920 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: to be doing what they can to be the healthiest 275 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: for of themselves, and both partners should be tested concurrently 276 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: to investigate the causes of infertility if they've been trying 277 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: for a year or six months, depending on their age 278 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: and their situation, because you can have more than one 279 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: thing going on at the same time, so it doesn't 280 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: really make sense to approach it in a step wise 281 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: fashion because then you end up wasting a lot of time. 282 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 3: Tell me how much this is something that I always 283 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 3: really wonder and I love brains like yours. How much 284 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 3: of our outside world, like our perfumes, our products, our skincare, 285 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 3: our foods. Do you place in responsibility like a ratio 286 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 3: for this kind of like what it feels to be 287 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 3: at least from my seat, and probably a lot of 288 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 3: people see like this rise in infertility, this hormone disruptive 289 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 3: kind of environment that we're all existing in and trying 290 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 3: diligently not to and then also trying to make a baby. 291 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think our. 292 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: World has changed, you know, and a huge factor in 293 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,199 Speaker 1: why we are seeing more infertility. 294 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 4: One is we're talking about it more, which is great. 295 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 4: I actually that's wonderful. 296 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: I can't imagine what it was like for our moms 297 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: and our grandmas and their moms who didn't have options 298 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: or you know, science just wasn't there yet to provide 299 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 1: potential solutions and workarounds, let alone people being accepting, Like 300 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: people were shunned for having this problem. Now we're talking 301 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: about it more, so there is more of an awareness, 302 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: but there is also I think a higher prevalence. And 303 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: a big part of that is and I'm a part 304 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: of this example is us starting to try and build 305 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: our families at a later age than what previous generations did. 306 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 4: And there's a lot of good that came from that. 307 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: I mean, there's you know, we're on equal footing in 308 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: terms of education and with relationships. I mean, we can 309 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: choose to put ourselves in situations where we're like, this 310 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: is a healthy partnership and this is the environment I 311 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: want to bring a child into. But it's taking longer 312 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: for a lot of people to be financially independent and 313 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: you know, in a place where they have the wherewithal 314 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: to start trying and as a result, with our biological 315 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: clock not evolving. With societal changes and shifts, we are 316 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: seeing more people have age related problems with fertility, especially 317 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: on the female side. The ability to ovulate that healthy 318 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: egg and for that egg to actually stick and turn 319 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: into an embryo, that that becomes a baby. That becomes 320 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: more challenging as we get older, and treatment becomes more 321 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: challenging because we have less eggs to work with, et cetera. 322 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: But it's not just that, and I do think that 323 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: you're right. We have to think about how our food 324 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: has changed, how products that we're using have changed. 325 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 4: And there's a lot of reasons for these changes. 326 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, things have a longer shelf life now, 327 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: so there's more preservatives and things. But you can't live 328 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: in a bubble, and there really are no good studies 329 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: that are going to allow us to accurately quantify what 330 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: is the true impact of our environment. 331 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 4: I mean, there were things, you know, fifty years. 332 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: Ago in our environment that we're not dealing with now 333 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: because we know better. 334 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, like parents were probably smoked, like my 335 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 2: mom smoked when. 336 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 3: She has the same and one hundred percent. 337 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 4: And also we know a lot more about nutrition. 338 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I only knew about white bread growing up, 339 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: you know, like I didn't. There was no concept of 340 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 1: trans fats, and so but I do think obviously we 341 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: have an obesity problem. We are seeing rising rates of obesity. 342 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: I think that it's going to be so interesting to 343 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: see how that curve is changing, or if it changes 344 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: or at least flattens out over the next decade with 345 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: the advent of things like GLP one agonists, which have 346 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: been a game changer for a lot of people. But 347 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: even prior to that, I mean, we've just been seeing, 348 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: you know, a rise in even childhood obesity. Like our 349 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: foods have changed and become less nutritious, in more calorie dense, 350 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: and there's just a lot more crap that we're consuming, 351 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: and so I do see a direct correlation between that 352 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: and fertility. There is a very buzzy term that's being 353 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: thrown around on social media called insulin resistance. But I'm 354 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: here to tell you that it's an actual, real problem 355 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: and it's very prevalent. A lot of us are walking 356 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: around and are a bit resistant to insulin or a 357 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: lot resistant to insulin, and that hasn't been diagnosed, it 358 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 1: hasn't been flagged because when you go for your physical 359 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 1: it doesn't show that you have diabetes your numbers are 360 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: below a certain threshold. 361 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 4: But what insulin resistance. 362 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: Is and why it's related to fertility is basically, insulin 363 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 1: is a hormone in our body that's so important. It 364 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: helps us to store our blood sugar into our cells, 365 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: into our tissues. And if your cells are a little 366 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 1: bit resistant and not listening to that signal of insulin, 367 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: then your body turns out more insulin. It's like, okay, 368 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 1: I need you to store the sugars effectively. And insulin 369 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: can actually create a very pro inflammatory, unhealthy environment. So 370 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 1: it can create a different environment in the ovaries when 371 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: the eggs are being matured and make them more prone 372 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: to errors than they would be just based on age alone, 373 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: and so it can be harder to ovulate that healthy 374 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: egg and there can be a higher risk of things 375 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: like miscarriage. Now, insulin resistance again is not your fault necessarily, 376 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: it's not a moral failing. It is often some is 377 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: how you're just genetically wired. So when someone says to me, 378 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: I've been gaining weight, especially around a mid section, and 379 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: it's been really hard to lose that weight, I have 380 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: a strong family history. You know, I have multiple family 381 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: members with type two diabetes. My parents developed type two 382 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: diabetes later in life. You know, maybe even I'm having 383 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: excess hair where I didn't notice that, like I'm having 384 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: some chin hairs pop up, or I'm having acne around 385 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 1: my cycle. 386 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 2: Chin hair, that one chin hair. 387 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, what that tells you is that who 388 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 3: your friends are, Doctor lucky that chin hair will determine 389 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 3: quickly if you have motalad. 390 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: Yes, that or one of those like up close mirrors 391 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: that I'm like, only masochistic people must actually look at 392 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: themselves in those mirrors. But yeah, anyway, I think it's 393 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: important to understand that insulin can actually make your ovaries 394 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 1: overproduced testosterone. Yes, women make testosterone, but it needs to 395 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: be in healthy balance. And so if you make someone 396 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: more more sensitive to insulin, which naturally you can do 397 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: by really considering how you eat and not shying away 398 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: from carbs altogether, but pairing carbs with protein and fiber, 399 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: things that stabilize blood sugar and exercise building muscle, because 400 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: that will make you more sensitive to insulin. That can 401 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: really kind of get this process under control. And it 402 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: can I've seen it do wonders for people that have 403 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,640 Speaker 1: come to me with a history of failed IVF cycles 404 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 1: and they're like, I don't know for my age. I'm 405 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: only thirty two, but I'm not making normal embryos. And 406 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, well, you're insulin resistant and this has 407 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: not been addressed, and we can address it with lifestyle changes. 408 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: We can address it with certain medications. There is a 409 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: drug called met forman. Some of my patients who also 410 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: struggle with weight have done really well with GLP one agonists. 411 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 4: But it's not for everyone. 412 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: But there are strategies, and this is one clear example 413 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,919 Speaker 1: of how we eat and our lifestyle and how it 414 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: can feed into problems with fertility. But it's more nuanced 415 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: and complex than what people what the traditional narratives have been. 416 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 2: Obviously since Ladies you know again, thirty nine is when 417 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,880 Speaker 2: I had my third Do you recommend freezing eggs if 418 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:21,360 Speaker 2: you're going to wait until you're mid thirties and older? 419 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: So egg freezing and embry or freezing are the two 420 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: main paths that you can use to try and preserve 421 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: your fertility. And I'm a huge proponent of anyone who 422 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,880 Speaker 1: thinks that they might be in their mid to late 423 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: thirties or beyond and still building their family. It could 424 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,239 Speaker 1: even be like baby number two or baby number three. 425 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,719 Speaker 1: Do the calculation, it takes like nine months of the pregnant, 426 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: it's going to take some time to get pregnant, maybe 427 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: you'll be breastfeeding after who knows you're going to be recovering, 428 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:49,479 Speaker 1: Like it's usual for it to take, you know, two 429 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: or three years between pregnancies, and so if you do 430 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: the math and you're like, I'm most certainly going to 431 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: be over thirty five or in my late thirties while 432 00:20:57,680 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: I'm trying, whether it be for baby number one, two, 433 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: or three, depending on your goals, it's never a bad 434 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: idea to consider. And not everyone who comes to me 435 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: to talk about their you know, strategy for family building 436 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: and how to work around their biological clock will actually 437 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 1: go and freeze eggs or embryos. But I do think 438 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: the biggest mistake people make is baring their head in 439 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 1: the sand and saying I don't want to do it, 440 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: so I'm not going to talk about it because there's 441 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: so many misconceptions. 442 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 4: And I'm a poster child for this. You know, I 443 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 4: have two children. 444 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: I started in my early to mid thirties and I 445 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: had no issues to the baby number one. I very 446 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: quickly went and froze embryos with my husband at thirty four, 447 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: knowing what I know and seeing all the things that 448 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: I see, knowing that I wasn't going to be prepared 449 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 1: or ready to start trying for baby number two, but 450 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: it was important for me to retain the ability to 451 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: have two or three kids, and I said, Okay, let 452 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: me just do this step. It actually proved it proved 453 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:50,439 Speaker 1: to be a little bit difficult for me because I 454 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: had a hard time responding to the meds and I 455 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: had a lower egg count. So that helped me gain 456 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: perspective that I didn't have previously as a fertility doctor 457 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: that helps so many women tackle those issues. But I 458 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: did end up having what I thought might happen secondary 459 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: and fertility at thirty seven, and then I very quickly 460 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 1: relied on the embryos that I had frozen to plan 461 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:09,479 Speaker 1: for that. 462 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 4: So I am a. 463 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: Poster child of fertility preservation and then actually relying on 464 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: what you froze to help build your family. And I 465 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:18,360 Speaker 1: do think of it as like a bridge that can 466 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: help you kind of with that gap of time that 467 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: often can be more difficult because of the biological clock. 468 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: But your uteruses an age, and the amount of time 469 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: that eggs or embryos are frozen have no varying on 470 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 1: their reproductive potential, so that it's a very convenient hack 471 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: to try and work around the biological clock. 472 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 2: So obviously you know doing IVF is very expensive. In 473 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,479 Speaker 2: your book The Lucky Egg, Understanding Your Fertility and how 474 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 2: to Get Pregnant Now you can get it January thirteenth, 475 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 2: are there things in there that can helpfully help them 476 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 2: to maybe because I know some people just they have 477 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 2: to do IVF it might be the last option. But 478 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 2: are there things that you've obviously put in there even like, hey, 479 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: maybe try this or try that to hopefully I not 480 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 2: have to have that very hard cost too. 481 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely. 482 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: I mean I remember early conversations with my editor when 483 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: I was writing the book and we were talking about. 484 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 4: Okay, like much how much can we buy it off? 485 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 4: How much can we chow? 486 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: There's so much to talk about, And I want this 487 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: to be like the fertility Bible. I want this to 488 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: be the go to resource, not just for people that 489 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: are doing iv effort, for people who are, like I'm 490 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: preparing and I want to know what I need to 491 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: know beforehand, or I want to prepare my body for pregnancy, 492 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,639 Speaker 1: or I'm in my twenties and I just want to 493 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: understand the biological clock so I can be more informed. 494 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: And you know, health class in grade school was not 495 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: enough to give people the information they need to navigate 496 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: their twenties and thirties and have this important essential information 497 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: and not rely on just scrolling on TikTok, right, because 498 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: that can be dangerous. So I think it's really, you know, 499 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: important to know that there is not only scientific information 500 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: but practical information in the book, like about cost and 501 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: what you should know. 502 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 4: And I think that that is really important, especially. 503 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: As younger women are navigating you know, jobs and careers. 504 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: I'm a big proponent of you should bring this up 505 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: at your interview, like what are your benefits because especially 506 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 1: if you work in a city like New York City 507 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: where it's a competitive marketplace like it is something that 508 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: employers are increasingly providing to their companies because it's making 509 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: them more and more of an attractive, inclusive place to work. 510 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 1: So that's my PSA talk about you know, the need 511 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: for fertility benefits with your HR and if you're going 512 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,439 Speaker 1: on job interviews, but I included it even though I 513 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: was like, these costs and this information might change over 514 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: the years, but it's such a huge elephant in the room. 515 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: And you're absolutely correct that it is so unfair. I mean, 516 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: it's improving every day, and thank god for that, but 517 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: there are still people that are fully paying out of 518 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 1: pocket because their plan just doesn't consider fertility a real 519 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: medical problem. And we all need to be on the 520 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: same page and we should all of access to the 521 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 1: same care and it needs to be universal because not 522 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 1: to sound dramatic or you know, hyperbolic, but I feel like. 523 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 4: This is a big issue. 524 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: It's becoming more prevalent for all the reasons we talked about, 525 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: and it's about the. 526 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 4: Perpetuation of the human race. 527 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: Like we've all read the headlines about the shrinking population 528 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: and the demographic changing, but we're not doing anything to 529 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,400 Speaker 1: support people, even with public policy around you know, supporting 530 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: people once they actually have a child. So we really 531 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 1: need to think hard and long as a society, like 532 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: what is our goals and why aren't we supporting people 533 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: in this need. This isn't like plastic surgery or something 534 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: completely elective. 535 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 4: This is a really. 536 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: Major medical issue and it's not something that you can 537 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:49,160 Speaker 1: always just control or prevent, you know, So I think 538 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: we should talk about cost. And there's definitely a lot 539 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,399 Speaker 1: of information about how to optimize yourself and try to 540 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,360 Speaker 1: avoid even needing fertility treatments and treatments even before IVF, 541 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 1: like low tech treatment options like inseminations. 542 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 2: Okay, wow, doctor Lucky, you are just like I love 543 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 2: your brain. You're amazing. Everyone go get the Lucky understanding 544 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 2: your fertility and how to get pregnant now. Thank you 545 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 2: so much. We were very lucky. I'm sure you've got 546 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 2: all the puns before in your life and we were 547 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 2: very lucky to have you on. So thank you so much. 548 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 4: Thank you for having me, Hi girl. 549 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 2: Happy New Year, you too. 550 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 4: Nice