What happens when the nurse sitting across from you has cried the same tears you are crying right now? Not because the job is hard. Because she has lived it too.

This week, Laura and Ashlee are joined by Megan Kukic, a fertility nurse, IVF patient, and founder of 412 Fertility Services. Megan occupies a rare and incredibly human seat in the fertility world: she has stood on both sides of the exam table at the same time. While navigating her own fertility treatment, she was pre-opping patients, assisting in egg retrievals, and having her blood drawn between shifts. Her story is one of duality, resilience, and a deep belief that the gap between clinical care and emotional support does not have to be as wide as it has become.

In this conversation, the three of them dig into what it really means to be seen inside the fertility system. They talk about the moments that led Megan to start her own business, the honest emotional weight of watching others succeed when you are struggling, and why sharing your story as a provider can change everything for a patient sitting across from you.

In this episode:

• What it is actually like to be a fertility patient and a fertility nurse at the same time
• Why the box of medications arriving at your door is its own emotional milestone
• The growing gap between clinic care and hands-on patient support, and what 412 Fertility is doing to fill it
• The difference between seeing a stranger's pregnancy announcement and watching someone you know finally get their positive
• Why it is okay to feel sad for yourself and happy for someone else in the exact same moment
• What happens when a provider shares their own journey with a patient, and why it matters more than you think
• How to stop living inside your statistics and start taking it one step at a time
• The case for mental health support as a standard part of fertility care, not an afterthought

Fertility is not a linear journey. The emotions, though, are universal. This episode is a reminder that the people caring for you are human too, and that finding people who truly get it can make all the difference.

If you have ever felt like a number inside a system that was supposed to feel personal, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Megan and 412 Fertility Services at https://412fertility.com/

Breaking the Silence on Life After Infertility

What happens when fertility treatment ends and there is no baby, no roadmap, and no one talking about what comes next?

In this episode, we sit down with Lana Manikowski, certified life coach, bestselling author, and one of the most important voices in the fertility space today. After seven years of IVF and IUI treatments that did not result in a child, Lana found herself at the end of her journey with no established support, no follow-up from her clinic, and no community that understood what she was going through. So she built one. This conversation is raw, validating, and full of the kind of honesty that does not get enough airtime in fertility spaces.

We cover:

• What it actually feels like when treatment ends without a baby and why so many women grieve in silence
• The shame around choosing not to pursue adoption or donor eggs, and why that decision deserves to be honored
• How to survive Mother's Day (and any hard holiday) whether you are still in treatment or on the other side of it
• The jealousy no one talks about, and the reframe that changes everything
• Practical tools for navigating baby showers, family gatherings, and the moments that catch you off guard
• What fertility clinics and nurses are missing at the end of treatment, and what Lana is doing to change that
• How Lana turned a trip to Target into The Other's Day, now an international gathering for women without children

Your story is not over. It is just the beginning.

If you have ever felt invisible in the fertility conversation, if you are dreading a holiday on the calendar, or if you are trying to figure out what a fulfilling life looks like from here, this episode is for you.

Connect with Lana:

The Other's Day celebrations in Chicago, May 8 and 9: https://lanamanikowski.com/othersday

The "So Now What?" Podcast: IVF Failed You Podcast - Lana Manikowski Coaching

Lana's book, "So Now What?": https://lanamanikowski.com/book

Free resource for anyone navigating fertility treatment or moving forward without children: The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless (and How to Respond): https://lanamanikowski.com/thingspeoplesay

This episode is dropping during National Infertility Awareness Week, and we could not think of a more fitting week to bring you this conversation.

If you have ever felt like the system was not built for you, like you were too exhausted to fight, or like your voice was too small to matter, this episode is going to change the way you think about advocacy. We sat down with Barb Collura, founder of Vital Voices Consulting and former President and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, where she served for 18 years. Barb has spent more than two decades fighting for the rights of fertility patients at every level, from clinic hallways to Capitol Hill. And in this conversation, she brings all of it directly to you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Barb's own infertility journey and how a mental health provider changed the course of her life and career
• What 18 years of leading the nation's most prominent infertility advocacy organization actually looked like, including the wins, the losses, and the moments that still stay with her
• Why the stigma around infertility has not gone away and what it costs patients when they go quiet
• The difference between advocacy with a capital A and advocacy with a small a, and why your story is the most powerful tool you have
• What is really happening in fertility policy right now, what the threats to IVF access look like, and what patients in states without coverage can do
• The story of what happened on the ground in Alabama and why patients and providers showing up together made all the difference
• What Barb is building now through Vital Voices Consulting and why she believes the entire fertility industry needs to get off the sidelines

The status quo is still not acceptable. But as Barb says, this is fixable. And it starts with doing something.

This episode is for every patient who has ever felt too tired to fight, every nurse and clinician who sees the gaps every single day, and everyone who believes that people deserve better on this journey.

Find us on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if this episode moved you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it this week.

You've heard it from friends, family, maybe even your doctor: "just relax and it will happen." But what does the research actually say? And what if that advice is doing more harm than good?

In this episode, Laura and Ashlee sit down with Dr. Angela Lawson, a clinical psychologist and reproductive mental health specialist with over 16 years of experience. Dr. Lawson was formerly a Professor of OB/GYN and Psychiatry at Northwestern University, is a published researcher on the psychological aspects of infertility, and is the past Chair of the Mental Health Professional Group at ASRM. She has spent her career studying the relationship between stress and fertility, and her answer might surprise you: no rigorous research has ever shown that stress causes infertility. In this conversation, she breaks down the science, calls out the myths, and explains why blaming yourself for your stress is the last thing you should be doing.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the "just relax" advice is not supported by the research
• The real relationship between stress, cortisol, and fertility treatment outcomes
• How studies claiming stress impacts IVF success are often deeply flawed
• Why fertility clinics would look completely different if stress actually mattered
• The role PCOS, endometriosis, and prognosis play in skewing research findings
• How medical language like "miscarriage" and "incompetent cervix" subtly blames women
• Practical strategies for setting boundaries with well-meaning family and friends
• How to find a therapist who is actually trained in reproductive mental health
• Why the cortisol conversation on social media is misleading
• The truth about supplements, acupuncture, and other "relaxation" promises

Stress doesn't cause infertility. Infertility causes stress. And you deserve support that validates what you're going through without adding guilt to an already heavy experience.

This episode is for you if you've ever wondered whether your stress is the reason treatment isn't working, if you've been told to "just relax," or if you're looking for permission to let go of the blame. You are not the problem.

Connect with Dr. Angela Lawson:Website: drlawsonconsulting.comEmail: [email protected]

Find a reproductive mental health professional through ASRM: asrm.org

You open the box, and it hits you.

Bags of needles. Four, five, maybe more medications. Some you refrigerate, some you don't. Some you mix, some you dial. Your instructions say one drug name, but your insurance sent something else. And suddenly, you're standing in your kitchen wondering how you're supposed to do all of this without a nursing degree.

In this episode, we break open the medication box with you and walk through everything your clinic might not have time to fully explain.

We cover:

• What FSH, LH, and your stim meds are actually doing inside your body (and why Ashlee calls your follicles "cookie monsters")
• The real deal on Menopur mixing, storage confusion, and why you can't prep it in advance
• What to do when your pen stops mid-injection and you didn't get your full dose
• Air bubbles, bruising, burning, and the fears TV put in your head
• The overfill trick that could save self-pay patients hundreds of dollars
• Trigger shot timing: what's precise and what's flexible
• Progesterone in oil: where to actually inject, how to warm it, and why you should never sit on a heating pad after transfer

These medications have a purpose, every single one of them, and so does every tip we share here. Because navigating injections shouldn't feel like you're figuring it out alone in the dark.

This episode is for you.

In this episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered, Laura and Ashlee take on one of the most emotionally heavy parts of the fertility journey: the news no one wants to receive.

A canceled cycle. A failed transfer. A negative pregnancy test. A voicemail you are afraid to open.

These moments happen more often than clinics prepare their patients for and they can arrive at the worst possible times, in the most public places, with very little warning and even less support.

So how do you prepare for something like that? And what do you do when the call comes anyway?

In this conversation, Laura and Ashlee talk honestly about the devastating results that are a real part of fertility treatment, why the emotional weight of this journey is so often underestimated, and what both patients and clinicians can do to handle these moments with more care and intention.

They also talk through:

• how to take control of when and where you receive results
• why "no news is good news" can quietly spiral into anxiety if your clinic hasn't set expectations
• what to say and what not to say when someone you love gets hard news
• why jumping straight to "next steps" after bad news can feel dismissive and what to do instead
• how a failed transfer or canceled cycle is a real loss, even if the world doesn't always treat it that way
• the emotional toll on partners and support people, and why they are often forgotten in the fertility conversation
• why the number one reason people drop out of treatment is emotional and what that really tells us
• how to build a support system before the hard moments arrive, not after

Throughout the episode, Laura and Ashlee speak directly to patients, partners, nurses, and anyone supporting someone through this process. They are not here to sugarcoat it. They are here to make sure you feel less alone in it.

Their message is clear: whatever you are feeling is valid. Grief does not have to look a certain way to be real. And it is okay to ask for what you need from your clinic, from your support system, and from yourself.

If you have ever gotten a call that stopped you in your tracks, felt dismissed by your care team in a vulnerable moment, or wondered whether your emotional reaction to this process was "too much," this episode is for you.

In this episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered, Laura and Ashlee continue their IVF series by tackling a topic that is everywhere right now: “Trimester Zero.”

Social media is full of messages about what you should be doing before IVF or pregnancy. Clean up your diet. Remove every toxin. Take more supplements. Try acupuncture. Start this protocol three months in advance. Do everything perfectly.

But what actually matters, and what is just noise?

In this conversation, Laura and Ashlee break down the growing “Trimester Zero” trend and the pressure it can create for people trying to conceive or preparing for IVF. They explain the real science behind the three-month timeline often discussed in fertility, including egg recruitment and sperm development, while also addressing one of their biggest concerns with this trend: the way it can unintentionally delay care, increase anxiety, and create blame when things do not go as hoped.

They also talk through:

• what social media gets right about preconception health
• where wellness trends can become overwhelming or misleading
• why “two things can coexist” when it comes to holistic support and fertility treatment
• the pressure to do everything perfectly in a process that is already deeply stressful
• how the supplement industry profits from fertility vulnerability
• why vitamins and supplements are not always benign
• how comparison in fertility treatment can quietly fuel shame and despair
• what to ask your provider before starting anything new

Throughout the episode, Laura and Ashlee take an honest, evidence-based look at the intersection of fertility care, wellness culture, and social media. This is not a conversation about shaming anyone for wanting to support their health. It is about helping patients sort through the noise, ask better questions, and feel less pressured to chase perfection.

Their message is simple: you can prioritize your health without delaying care, and you do not need to do everything perfectly to deserve support or hope.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by fertility advice online, questioned whether you are doing enough, or found yourself stuck between evidence-based care and wellness trends, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered, fertility nurses Laura and Ashlee break down what actually happens before IVF begins and why so many patients feel unprepared for this phase of fertility treatment.

IVF does not start when most people think it does. Before injections, medications, or an IVF cycle plan, there are often weeks to months of fertility testing, consultations, and decision-making that happen first.

This episode walks through the real process of getting started with a fertility clinic, including one of the biggest misconceptions in reproductive medicine: seeing a fertility specialist does not automatically mean you need IVF.

Laura and Ashlee explain what to expect at your first fertility appointment and the testing that is commonly required before treatment can begin, including hormone testing, ultrasounds, genetic carrier screening, semen analysis, and uterine cavity evaluation.

They also discuss:

• IVF basics and what happens before a cycle starts

• Fertility testing and why it matters

• How fertility clinics determine treatment plans

• Common IVF misconceptions and myths

• Why timelines in fertility treatment can feel longer than expected

• The emotional experience of waiting, uncertainty, and lack of clarity

This episode is designed to help you better understand the early stages of infertility care so you can ask better questions, advocate for yourself, and feel more confident navigating the process.

Whether you are trying to conceive, considering IVF, or just starting your fertility journey, this conversation offers clear, evidence-based insight into what really happens before treatment begins.

This is Part 1 of a two-part IVF series. In Part 2, we will break down what social media says you should do before IVF and what actually matters.

Because fertility is complex, but understanding it should not be.

In this episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered, Ashlee and Laura dive into one of the most confusing parts of fertility treatment: everything that happens between appointments.

From the outside, fertility care can look straightforward. There is an appointment, a test, and then a treatment plan. But anyone who has been through treatment knows that the real experience often happens in the in-between. The waiting. The uncertainty. The questions that come up long after you leave the clinic.

Drawing on their years of experience working inside fertility clinics, Ashlee and Laura pull back the curtain on what is actually happening behind the scenes. They discuss how clinics operate, why certain processes unfold the way they do, and why some patient frustrations are more complex than they appear from the outside.

At the same time, they acknowledge the very real emotional side of treatment. The stress, confusion, and isolation many patients feel while navigating appointments, lab results, and treatment decisions.

This conversation explores:

• What is happening inside the clinic that patients often do not see

• Why communication gaps sometimes occur

• The frustrations patients commonly experience during treatment

• The realities fertility clinic teams are navigating

• How better support, advocacy, and transparency can improve the patient experience

  
  

Ashlee and Laura bring both perspectives to the table. They share the clinical understanding of how fertility clinics function alongside the empathy that comes from working closely with patients every day.

Their goal is simple. To create honest conversations that help patients feel more informed, more supported, and less alone as they move through fertility care.

Because fertility treatment is not just about what happens during appointments.

It is about everything that happens between them.

Welcome to the very first episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered.

In this episode, we’re going “behind the scrubs” and introducing who we are, how we got into fertility nursing, and why we started this podcast. We’re not reading from a script — we’re starting with the real stories that shaped how we show up for patients today.

Laura shares her personal fertility journey, including what it was like trying to conceive, going through IVF, and navigating the emotional whiplash that can come even when things “work.” We also talk about how being a fertility nurse during your own treatment can be both empowering and overwhelming, and why early pregnancy betas can stir up so much anxiety even when you know the science.

Ashlee shares her unique path in the fertility space, including how her personal journey and lived experience influenced the decisions she made, and why she ultimately feels content with where she and her husband landed — even though it looks different than what many people assume fertility “success” has to be.

From there, we zoom out and talk about the bigger why behind this show: the loneliness so many patients describe, the gap between clinic visits and real life, and what happens when people are left to piece everything together through Google, social media, and well-meaning opinions.

We also get into:

• Why “everyone has an opinion” can make fertility feel even heavier
• Why community can help, and why it can also feel complicated
• Why second opinions aren’t “being difficult” (and can be incredibly empowering)
• The rise of AI, why it can sound confident while still being wrong, and why nuance matters in fertility care

This episode sets the tone for what’s coming: honest, evidence-based conversations from two nurses who’ve been inside the system and now support patients beyond it.

Two nurses. One mic. No bullshit.