As a Woman

Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OB-GYN and REI, answers your fertility questions.1. Husband has low sperm morphology. IUI didn’t work—how much does morphology really matter?

2. After 5 losses and 2 years trying, she’s scared to do IVF with genetic testing. What are her next steps?

3. Low AMH, 3 miscarriages, 3 IUIs, 1 IVF—doctor recommended DHEA without checking testosterone. Could her high testosterone have affected IVF?

4. Thoughts on phone-based fertility monitors for someone with PCOS? Are urine hormone measurements reliable?

5. Miscarriage 6 months ago, now trying again. Husband has low testosterone—what safe options or natural approaches can help?

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want your questions answered on the next episode? ⁠Ask them here!⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/qa-submissions⁠⁠
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Perfect for anyone undergoing IVF, this episode explains frozen embryo transfer (FET) protocols, IVF timelines, and how to prepare for transfer day.

Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OBGYN and REI, simplifies the technical roadmap of an embryo transfer so you can feel informed instead of overwhelmed. You’ll learn how doctors optimize timing, safety, and your unique medical history to improve IVF success rates.

What You’ll Learn:

- Fresh vs. Frozen: Why many clinics now favor frozen transfers.

- Transfer Protocols: Comparing "natural" vs. medicated cycles.

- IVF Timeline: The prep work required between retrieval and transfer.

- Transfer Day: A step-by-step guide to the procedure and the two-week wait.

Sponsored by EVLO Fitness: Go to https://evlofitness.com and use code AAW get 6 weeks free!

Resources:

- Pre-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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Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OB-GYN and REI, answers your fertility questions.

Questions Answered:
1. Not TTC yet but has very heavy bleeding with clots and normal labs/imaging. Could this be PCOS alone, or should clotting or other conditions be evaluated—and what tests should be considered?

2. Currently 9 weeks pregnant after 5 early losses and treatment for Asherman’s. Is it safe to continue Lovenox in pregnancy, and how long is it typically recommended?

3. After egg retrieval, blast numbers were lower than expected. Husband has a varicocele—does repairing it improve sperm quality or IVF success rates?

4. Off the pill for a year with no return of menses despite normal labs and ultrasound. Poor response to clomid so far—should she switch to letrozole, and what are her future fertility options?

5. With very high AMH and follicle count, is a trigger shot appropriate during a letrozole cycle—and how can OHSS risk be managed?

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want your questions answered on the next episode? ⁠Ask them here!⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/qa-submissions⁠⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Natalie Crawford sits down with physician and muscle-centric medicine expert Dr. Gabrielle Lyon to explore why skeletal muscle is a powerful driver of hormones, metabolism, fertility, and long-term health, and how women can begin to support it at any age.

Key Topics:

1. Muscle as an Organ of Longevity

- How skeletal muscle influences hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and aging

- Why “muscle span” matters across childhood, reproductive years, and beyond

- Rethinking muscle as essential biology rather than aesthetics

2. Fertility, Pregnancy, and Metabolic Health

- How muscle relates to insulin resistance, embryo quality, and fertility outcomes

- The role of muscle health before and during pregnancy

- Why activity and resistance training are key in hormonally vulnerable seasons

3. Training and Nutrition Fundamentals

- Practical ways women can start strength training at any level

- The importance of stimulus, not perfection, for building and maintaining muscle

- How protein intake and meal structure support muscle and body composition

4. Mindset, Stress, and Long-Term Resilience

- How mindset can hold women back from building strength

- Reframing stress, challenge, and discomfort in training and daily life

- Focusing on what you can gain—in health, function, and confidence—over the long term

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠

Website: https://drgabriellelyon.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGabrielleLyon

Order FOREVER STRONG: https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong/

Order THE FOREVER STRONG PLAYBOOK: https://drgabriellelyon.com/playbook/

Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive updates, Q&A, special content, and freebies

If you haven’t already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Tuesday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliecrawfordmd,⁠⁠⁠⁠ check out Natalie’s YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fora Fertility.

Join the Learn at Pinnacle app ⁠to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network! Learn more about Pinnacle at http://learnatpinnacle.com

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Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OB-GYN and REI, answers your fertility questions.

Questions Answered:

1. A 30-year-old in a same-sex couple with anovulatory PCOS managed on metformin, high AMH, and otherwise normal labs moved from failed IUIs to IVF and had 19 mature eggs but only 4 fertilized despite good donor sperm—what could explain low fertilization rates and how should the next steps be approached?

2. 35 and trying for baby number two, and her 40-year-old husband has been on the GLP-1 medication Zepbound for four months—are there known effects of GLP-1s on male fertility, and should men discontinue them while trying to conceive?

3. A patient with PCOS and mildly elevated thyroid levels is experiencing medication interactions and was prescribed 2.5 mg of methylfolate— is this dose appropriate, and should she be taking methylfolate, folic acid, or both?

4. A patient with endometriosis underwent two egg retrievals, one with estrogen priming that triggered an endometriosis flare and resulted in very high estrogen levels and poor egg maturity—are there stimulation protocols better suited for patients with endometriosis undergoing IVF?

5. A 38-year-old planning IUI with donor sperm, normal fertility workup, AMH of 3.3, and a personal history of being a twin is deciding between natural versus medicated cycles— which approach is more successful while minimizing twin risk and preserving future fertility goals?

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠⁠⁠

Want your questions answered on the next episode? ⁠Ask them here!⁠ ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/qa-submissions⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices