Fertility + Hormones + Health + Lifestyle
Welcome to the blog
Should You Test Your Fertility?
Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses testing your fertility and if and when it's something that you should do. She explains the different types of fertility testing including testing of ovarian reserve like AMH levels, anatomy like HSG tests of the fallopian tubes and uterus, and semen analysis for male partners. She also discusses how fertility and chances of pregnancy decline with age and the implications for family planning and choices around fertility preservation.
Preparing for Your IUI Procedure: Fertility Doctor Explains What To Expect and Important Tips
Double board certified OBGYN and REI, Dr. Natalie Crawford, discusses IUI and how to prepare for it. Intrauterine Insemination is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm directly into the uterus to facilitate fertilization. The procedure aims to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes, thereby enhancing the chances of fertilization.It's important to understand the reasons why IUI may be used, the options, success rates, and questions to ask your doctor.
Top Tips For TTC
Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses her top tips for trying to get pregnant including coming off birth control, cycle tracking, and lifestyle optimization. As a society, we have normalized the idea of spending most of our reproductive years preventing pregnancy. Then suddenly you make the decision to start trying to get pregnant. There is often not a game plan when it comes to trying to conceive in the most optimal way or what are the warning signs something is wrong. The best way to be prepared for your fertility journey is to understand your body. Listen to this episode if you are on your TTC journey or plan to in the future!
Understanding IVF and Protocol Basics
The basics of IVF and the protocol including the goals and how success is measured.
When To Have Sex? Timing Intercourse To Get Pregnant
Double board certified OBGYN and REI, Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses when to time intercourse when trying to get pregnant. There are a lot of myths when it comes to sex and the timing including when and how often you should have intercourse. In this video, Dr. Crawford breaks it all down so you can be prepared and informed on your TTC journey.
PCOS Q&A - Hormones, Irregular Cycles, and Diagnosis
Dr. Natalie Crawford answers your voicemails about PCOS.
Should You Remove a Polyp?
Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses the impact of uterine polyps on fertility treatments like IVF and natural conception. It suggests that removing polyps generally improves pregnancy rates, though timing during IVF cycles may not significantly affect outcomes. Despite this, the author recommends removing polyps before embryo transfer for safety and to maximize chances of success, citing a rare case of cancerous polyp as a cautionary example. Overall, the advice is to err on the side of removing polyps to optimize fertility treatment outcomes.
TTC Dos & Don'ts: What Should You Do When Trying To Get Pregnant? What Should You Avoid?
Double board certified REI and OBGYN, Dr. Natalie Crawford, discusses her tips for what to do and what to avoid when trying to conceive. There are so many myths and misconceptions when it comes to getting pregnant so it's important to know what you should and shouldn't do during this journey.
When Is It Time To Do IVF?
Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses why and when it may be time to do IVF. IVF allows us to profoundly change your body and it’s environment. It’s important to remember that the two things that predict IVF success are your ovarian reserve or number of eggs and your age. So timing plays a key role in this decision and it also comes down to why you are in this position.
Uterine Polyp Diagnosis
I am a believer everybody needs to be evaluated to see if they have a polyp, especially if you're doing IVF sometime before you do the embryo transfer. Believe it or not, this is not standard of care. There are definitely practices that I have gotten records from that just do not look. They do not take the time. And why not? I don't know, but it blows my mind.
What is Implantation Bleeding? Is Implantation Bleeding Normal?
Double board certified OBGYN and REI, Dr. Natalie Crawford, discusses implantation bleeding, what is normal, and what is not normal. Implantation bleeding is when bleeding occurs and the embryo starts to implant into the uterus. It’s important to understand implantation bleeding and when it could be something else and should be evaluated.
Marijuana, Tobacco, and Fertility
Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses the data on the impact of marijuana and tobacco use on male and female fertility. Everyone’s body is different therefore will react to their environment differently. Understanding these impacts is crucial for individuals navigating infertility or treatment, as lifestyle choices play a significant role in reproductive health. By staying informed, individuals can make empowered decisions to optimize their chances of success. She also discusses the effect vaping can have on fertility. We work so hard to get the best outcomes, so listen to this episode to learn more about how marijuana and tobacco use can impact fertility outcomes such as genetics, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy.
Uterine Polyps
A polyp is a projection of the endometrial glands and stroma. So think about it like the inside layer, that endometrium. Learn more about what polyps are, the symptoms, and how common they are.
Can You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding? Do You Have Stop Breastfeeding To Do Fertility Treatments?
Double board certified OBGYN and REI, Dr. Natalie Crawford, discusses whether or not you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. She also discusses breastfeeding while going through fertility treatments and preventing pregnancy while breastfeeding. Watch this video to learn more about how breastfeeding can impact your fertility.
Fertility Q&A - Genetics, Blocked Tubes, Mature Eggs, and Fertility Supplements
Dr. Crawford answers your voicemail questions.
Understanding The Uterus
So the first thing I want everybody to know when talking about the uterus is that developmentally, the uterus starts as two different buds inside the body. These buds elongate, fuse together, and the midline portion dissolves, leaving what we think of as the triangular shaped uterus. These buds compose the top one third of the vagina, the cervix, the uterus, and the fallopian tubes. I think this is important because you can have birth defects of your uterus, and understanding the uterine structure is really important to understand anything that can go wrong.
Does Using Your Cell Phone Lower Your Sperm Count? Is It OK To Keep Your Cell Phone In Your Pocket?
Double board certified REI and OBGYN, Dr. Natalie Crawford, discusses studies that have looked at the impact of cell phone use on male sperm quality. Sperm are very fragile and easily influenced by lifestyle factors and environment. We know that heat can impact testicular function, but where do cell phones come in? Watch this video to learn how cell phone use can affect the quality of your sperm.
Fallopian Tubes and Infertility- Can You Get Pregnant With One Tube?
Dr. Natalie Crawford discusses whether or not you can get pregnant with one Fallopian tube. There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about the fallopian tubes when it comes to their function, how they are evaluated, and what it means if one is blocked. 30% of women with infertility have tubal disease, so listen and learn more about how the tubes are formed, their function, causes of tubal blockage and how it can impact your fertility.
Ovulation with PCOS: Is Clomid or Letrozole better? What Is Ovulation Induction?
Double board certified OBGYN and REI, Dr. Natalie Crawford, discusses ovulation induction and PCOS. It is completely normal to need help trying to ovulate when you have PCOS and nothing to be ashamed of. PCOS is one of the top causes of infertility so it's important to know which method of ovulation induction is more likely to result in pregnancy.
Lifestyle and Fertility: My Story and Exciting News!
Dr. Natalie Crawford shares her fertility story and the decisions she made when it came to lifestyle factors based on research projects she did in fellowship. In this episode she gives you a behind the scenes look into her journey and why she is so passionate about lifestyle and fertility. She also shares some exciting news! Listen and be the first to know!