As a Woman

For decades, women were handed a birth control prescription and sent home. Side effects were minimized. Questions were met with reassurance instead of real information. That left a vacuum, and into that vacuum poured a wave of claims that hormonal birth control is toxic, wrecks your hormones, causes infertility, and takes years to recover from.

The truth? Birth control isn't as simple as "good" or "bad." It's nuanced, and nuance is exactly what the algorithm can't deliver in a 60-second video.

In this episode, Dr. Natalie Crawford is joined by Dr. Fran Haydanek, a board-certified OB/GYN, residency faculty member, and one of the most trusted physician voices in women's health on social media. Together, they unpack the biggest birth control myths and viral health claims, separating what's supported by evidence from what's misunderstood, oversimplified, or simply untrue.

No agenda. No fear. Just evidence-based medicine and two physicians who believe women deserve honest information to make the best decisions for their own bodies.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

* Whether hormonal birth control is actually harming your hormones or fertility

* Why so many birth control myths continue to spread online

* Which viral hormone claims are backed by evidence and which aren't

* How different birth control methods affect fertility, PMOS, and egg freezing

* What every woman should know before choosing, stopping, or changing birth control

* Why better conversations with your doctor can completely change your care

Whether you're choosing a birth control method, planning for pregnancy, managing PMOS, or simply trying to separate fact from fiction online, this episode will help you better understand your body and make more informed decisions with confidence.

Topics covered: hormonal birth control, birth control myths, birth control pill, fertility, infertility, PMOS, post birth control syndrome, hormonal IUDs, IUD insertion pain, Depo-Provera, Nexplanon, tubal ligation, salpingectomy, egg freezing, Dutch Test, estrogen dominance, adrenal fatigue, women's hormones, reproductive health.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why birth control misinformation spread so fast

05:13 The list of doctors who will tie your tubes

08:52 Can you get your tubes untied later?

10:13 Does removing your tubes lower your ovarian cancer risk?

11:32 Does the pill treat PMOS or just mask it?

15:40 Does the pill ruin your hormones?

17:10 Do you need to detox from the pill?

17:50 When to stop the pill if you want to get pregnant

19:30 Annual visit vs problem visit, and why it changes your care

22:05 Does birth control cause infertility?

23:15 Does the pill save your eggs for later?

27:00 Does Depo-Provera cause brain tumors?

29:47 Two doctors disagree about progestin IUDs

32:48 How patients changed IUD insertion pain

36:10 When to take out your IUD before trying

39:56 How your birth control affects an egg freezing cycle

41:50 Do blood draws cause miscarriage?

43:44 Do you need supplements for adrenal fatigue?

45:40 Is estrogen dominance real?

46:34 What is the Dutch test, and why won't most OB/GYNs order it?

FOLLOW DR. FRAN HAYDANEK:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagingdrfran/?hl=en

Website: https://www.pagingdrfran.com/

You can listen to Dr. Haydanek’s podcast, I Did My Own Research, wherever you get your podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-did-my-own-research/id1879906055

AS A WOMAN WITH DR. NATALIE CRAWFORD:

* Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com

* Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLveZDgg3_HZ9m7Wy3C6Vvyrj_NtEOwj_l&si=1zAekOjCpsCdOgJN

* Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/as-a-woman/id1449553339

* Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/12IYOLH9liu60gk5D0bRPk?si=b1bfdc1998994e7f

* Follow Natalie on Substack: https://nataliecrawfordmd.substack.com

* Follow Natalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliecrawfordmd

* Follow Natalie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliecrawfordmd

Dr. Natalie Crawford's book, The Fertility Formula, is a science-backed, compassionate guide that helps women understand their hormones, optimize their health, and take charge of their fertility. Get your copy here: https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book

You can learn more about Dr. Natalie Crawford’s practice here: https://www.forafertility.com

This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠!

Disclaimer: Natalie Crawford, MD is a doctor but she is not your doctor. Infertility is trying to conceive for 1 year or more without pregnancy (if under age 35) and trying for 6 months or more if you are over the age of 35. If your periods are not regular, you should seek medical evaluation with your gynecologist or fertility doctor regardless of how long you have been trying to conceive.
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Host Dr. Natalie Crawford dives straight into the heavy cloud of misinformation surrounding reproductive health to uncover the real science behind your body. In this episode of the As a Woman podcast, she unmasks the pervasive, everyday myths that quietly delay testing and cause unnecessary self-blame for individuals trying to conceive. By breaking down outdated medical timelines and complex hormonal shifts, Dr. Crawford shifts the narrative from panic to proactive power. It is a candid, truth-first guide designed to strip away the guesswork, optimize your cellular health, and put you firmly back in the driver's seat of your own fertility journey.

What You’ll Learn:

The outdated timeline constraint that routinely delays essential reproductive insights and why early diagnostic data changes everything.

The biological reality of maternal age milestones and how metabolic vitality dictates your family planning window far more than a specific birthday.

The intricate relationship between hormonal contraceptives and cellular markers that temporarily alters ovulation indicators without permanently depleting your ovarian reserve.

Why relying on advanced reproductive technology as a safety net overlooks the strict biological boundaries governing egg and sperm quality.

The critical impact of lifestyle modifications on a three-month microscopic timeline that debunks the idea of fertility being a solo endeavor.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:01:45, Myth: “You have to wait 12 months before seeing a fertility doctor”

0:03:19, Myth: “Your fertility falls off a cliff at 35”

0:04:48, Myth: “Birth control causes infertility”

0:07:13, Myth: “IVF guarantees a baby”

0:08:58, Myth: “Most fertility problems are the woman’s fault”

0:11:00, Myth: “If you already had one baby, getting pregnant again will be easy”

0:11:56, Myth: “Men should save up sperm for ovulation day”

0:13:15, Myth: “If your periods are regular, you don’t need to track ovulation”

0:15:30, Myth: “There’s nothing you can do to improve egg quality”

0:17:29, Myth: “AMH tells you exactly how fertile you are”

0:21:00, Myth: “You need to keep sperm in, don’t get up or pee after sex”

0:22:15, Myth: “You can’t get pregnant on your period”

Host Resources:

Order The Fertility Formula! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠

Newsletter: nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter

Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmd

Youtube Channel: Natalie Crawford MD

Interested in becoming a patient?: Fora Fertility

Earn FREE CE/CME: Learn at Pinnacle App

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network.
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Host Dr. Natalie Crawford sits down with Double Board certified maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Amanda Horton to unpack the hidden biological reality behind pregnancy complications. This episode cuts through the standard postpartum noise to explore how conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes act as critical indicators for a woman's future health. By framing pregnancy as the ultimate physiological stress test, the conversation reveals why these nine months provide a vital window into long-term cardiovascular and metabolic wellness. It is a direct, eye-opening discussion on why the medical system’s failure to connect these dots is one of the most consequential gaps in women’s healthcare, and how you can advocate for your own future history.

What You’ll Learn:


The hidden physiological stress test that unmasks underlying vascular and metabolic vulnerabilities before they manifest later in life.


How a specific plumbing problem in the placenta triggers systemic high-pressure signals that permanently alter cardiovascular health.


The critical timeline for postpartum preeclampsia risk that catches new parents off guard after they leave the hospital.


Why a routine first-trimester clinical reading can mask pre-existing essential hypertension and cause missed opportunities for medical intervention.


The specific hormonal mechanism produced by the placenta that dictates insulin resistance and elevates long-term type two diabetes risk.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – How pregnancy acts as a full body “stress test” and window into future health

08:21 – What pregnancy related high blood pressure can reveal about long term heart and blood vessel health

18:30 – How gestational diabetes, baby growth, and timing of birth offer clues about metabolic and vascular health

33:05 – Why birth complications like heavy bleeding or placenta problems matter for future fertility and pregnancies

38:46 – The importance of postpartum follow up and preconception visits to turn pregnancy history into a health roadmap

Guest Resources:


Instagram: @amandahortonmd

Host Resources:


Order The Fertility Formula! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠


Newsletter: nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter


Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmd


Youtube Channel: Natalie Crawford MD


Interested in becoming a patient?: Fora Fertility


Earn FREE CE/CME: Learn at Pinnacle App

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have ever assumed that navigating fertility is a journey meant solely for the female body, this conversation is here to completely change your perspective. Host Dr. Natalie Crawford breaks down the stark biological reality of male reproductive health, focusing on why waiting a full year before checking a semen analysis is a massive, time-wasting mistake for hopeful couples. By pulling back the curtain on what actually happens in the embryology lab, this episode highlights the deep connection between everyday lifestyle choices and the genetic integrity of sperm. Ultimately, it emphasizes that a successful pregnancy requires an absolute "army of sperm" and shifts the narrative toward proactive, mutual preparation well before entering the conception window.

What You’ll Learn:


The Myth of the Single Cell: Why the common phrase "it just takes one" is a dangerous misconception for natural conception and the mechanical reason an egg requires a massive collective effort to crack open.


The Calculated Total Motile Sperm Threshold: How multiplying specific volume and movement parameters dictates your eligibility for an IUI, and why dropping "injured players" on the 50-yard line rarely bypasses structural damage.


The Day Three Embryonic Halt: The specific genetic window inside the IVF lab where an unaddressed DNA fragmentation issue causes development to completely stall out as the paternal genome takes over.


The Tingly Shampoo Interruption: How common personal care ingredients hidden in daily routines mimic female hormones, risking physical changes like gynecomastia and suppressed testosterone production.


The Invisible Lab Consequences of Cannabis: Why a standard semen analysis can look completely normal on paper while active toxic exposure is simultaneously driving up partner miscarriage rates behind the scenes.

Topics covered in this episode include: sperm production and how it’s made, semen analysis and what it shows, hormones and medical issues affecting sperm, lifestyle and environmental impacts on sperm, when to use IUI versus IVF, advanced sperm testing and procedures, practical sperm health recommendations

00:00 sperm production and how sperm is made

03:35 hormones, testosterone, and what semen analysis can reveal

11:25 semen analysis details: count, volume, movement, and shape

14:59 lifestyle and environmental factors that impact sperm

18:51 when IUI helps, when IVF is needed, and why “it just takes one sperm” is misleading

22:35 advanced sperm testing (DNA fragmentation) and testicular sperm extraction

26:42 practical recommendations to support sperm health and next steps for testing

Host Resources:


Order The Fertility Formula! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠


Newsletter: nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter


Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmd


Youtube Channel: Natalie Crawford MD


Interested in becoming a patient?: Fora Fertility


Earn FREE CE/CME: Learn at Pinnacle App

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bringing home a newborn can feel like stepping into a world you are completely unprepared for, whether your road to parenthood was seamless or shaped by years of fertility treatments. In this episode, host Dr. Natalie Crawford sits down with board-certified pediatrician Dr. Ari Brown, author of Baby 411, to dismantle the steep learning curve and massive knowledge gap that hits the moment you leave the hospital. They open up about the raw, humbling realities of the postpartum period, the exhaustion of early feeding hurdles, and why even medical professionals find themselves completely overwhelmed by a new baby. This conversation is all about replacing midnight panic with evidence-based confidence so you can navigate the early weeks of parenthood without losing your mind.

What You’ll Learn:


The unexpected hourly timeline that triggers a sudden behavioral shift in your newborn's appetite right after leaving the hospital.


A specific mathematical benchmark for infant weight loss that dictates when parental instincts must shift to medical intervention.


The biological explanation behind why your four-month-old is suddenly awake all night and how to decode their new environmental expectations.


A critical, time-sensitive boundary for infant swaddling and the hidden safety risks associated with modern sleep gadgets.


The exact physical markers of respiratory distress and inconsolable irritability that mean it's time to bypass Google and call your pediatrician.

Topics covered in this episode include: early parenthood expectations, preparing for newborn care and choosing a pediatrician, newborn feeding and weight loss, newborn sleep and routines, reflux and colic, safe sleep and when to call the pediatrician

00:00 – early parenthood expectations

03:00 – preparing for newborn care and choosing a pediatrician

11:30 – newborn feeding and weight loss

30:40 – reflux and colic

35:20 – newborn sleep and routines

42:20 – safe sleep and when to call the pediatrician

Guest Resources:


Website: https://www.draribrown.com/


Instagram: @aribrownmd 


Books: https://www.draribrown.com/books/

Host Resources:


Order The Fertility Formula! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠


Newsletter: nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter


Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmd


Youtube Channel: Natalie Crawford MD


Interested in becoming a patient?: Fora Fertility


Earn FREE CE/CME: Learn at Pinnacle App

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices