Mary Alice and Dr. A sit down with reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert Dr. Natalie Crawford for a deep dive into everything women should know about their fertility before they’re ready to have a baby. They discuss why fertility can be an important reflection of overall health, how inflammation, endometriosis, PCOS/PMOS, and autoimmune conditions can impact reproductive health, and why women shouldn’t have to wait until they’re struggling to conceive before they start asking questions.
The conversation also breaks down AMH and ovarian reserve, egg freezing, when it makes sense to see a fertility specialist, and what women should know about long-term birth control and fertility. Dr. Crawford shares why getting more information earlier can give women more choices later, and why understanding your own body is one of the most important parts of advocating for your health.
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What You’ll Learn
- Why fertility can be an important marker of overall health
- How inflammation can affect reproductive health
- What AMH measures and what it can tell you about ovarian reserve
- When women should consider fertility testing
- When it may make sense to see a fertility specialist
- What to know about egg freezing and ovarian reserve
- How endometriosis, PCOS/PMOS, and autoimmune conditions can affect fertility
- Whether long-term birth control can impact fertility
- What to consider before coming off birth control and trying to conceive
- How to advocate for yourself when you feel dismissed by your doctor
Key Timestamps
00:00 Male Fertility Is Half the Puzzle
01:42 The Fertility Formula Meet Dr. Natalie Crawford
02:15 Reproductive Endocrinology: Her Path to Fertility Medicine
05:34 Inflammation: The Hidden Root of Infertility
08:01 Chronic Inflammation vs. Normal Immune Response
10:07 Celiac, Endo, Hashimoto's Medical Causes of Inflammation
11:16 Undiagnosed Infertility
13:02 Anti-Inflammatory Eating Explained
16:09 Gut Microbiome Fiber & Healthy Fats
25:01 AMH:The Ovarian Reserve Test
29:53 Missed