What if everything you thought you knew about fertility was only half the story?
In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise Drane sits down with board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist Dr. Natalie Crawford for a deeply honest, science-backed conversation about what's really going on inside your body and why so many women are left in the dark until it's too late.
Dr. Crawford opens up about her own fertility journey: recurrent pregnancy loss, an ectopic pregnancy, and the humbling realization that even as an OB-GYN and fertility fellow, she didn't have the answers to her own most basic questions. That experience, combined with years of clinical research, led her to a powerful conclusion: inflammation is the silent driver behind far more fertility struggles than we're told, and most of us have more control than we think.
From egg quality and ovarian reserve to sperm health, insulin resistance, and the role of sleep and stress, this conversation goes places most doctors simply don't have time to take you.
If you've ever felt dismissed, confused, or like you're always one step behind on your own health, this episode is for you.
Why fertility is a marker of long-term health, not just a life stageThe difference between egg quantity (ovarian reserve) and egg quality, and why it mattersWhat AMH actually tells you, and what it doesn'tHow chronic inflammation and insulin resistance silently impact your eggs, sperm, and hormonesWhy sperm health is 50% of the fertility equation and gets about 10% of the conversationWhat men should absolutely avoid if they want to preserve their fertilityHow sleep, stress, and exercise form the foundation of hormonal healthWhy IVF is not a guarantee, and how lifestyle factors affect your outcomes even during treatmentWhat to ask your doctor that most patients never think to askHow Dr. Crawford's new book, The Fertility Formula, gives you an actionable roadmap no matter where you are in your journeyDr. Natalie Crawford is a double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, host of the As a Woman podcast, and author of the forthcoming book The Fertility Formula. She holds a master's degree in clinical research and has spent her career bridging the gap between cutting-edge fertility science and the real, everyday questions her patients are asking.
After experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss and an ectopic pregnancy during her own medical training, Dr. Crawford channeled her personal struggles into a mission: to make fertility education proactive, personalized, and empowering, long before a patient ever needs to sit in a fertility clinic.
Her work challenges the industry's reactive model and advocates for earlier testing, lifestyle-informed care, and treating fertility as the whole-health marker it truly is.
Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmdPodcast: As a Woman -- available on all podcast platforms and YouTubeBook: The Fertility Formula – available at www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book Connect with Eloise & Family Inceptions: www.familyinceptions.com Fertility360: www.fertility360.com Ep 129 -- Acupuncture for Fertility: Supporting Hormones, Cycles & IVF Success How acupuncture supports hormone balance, regulates cycles, and complements fertility treatment.
Ep 126 -- What Your OBGYN Isn't Telling You A candid discussion about the gaps in reproductive health education and why so many women leave appointments without real answers.