In this episode of the Love and Science Podcast, Dr. Erica Bove sits down with Dr. Mel Thacker — board-certified otolaryngologist and rhinologist, master coach, host of the podcast Surgeons of Purpose, and co-founder of Hippocratic Collective — for a powerful conversation about surgeon burnout, nervous system regulation, trauma response, and building a purposeful life in medicine.

Dr. Thacker shares how unresolved trauma and chronic overachievement led to panic attacks in the operating room during the pandemic, forcing her to stop pushing through and finally listen to her body. She explains David Brooks’ “two mountains” framework (achievement → meaning), how coaching helped her heal, and why she ultimately left a lucrative private practice to focus on resourcing surgeons.

You’ll hear practical insights on:

• Recognizing “whispers” from the body before burnout hits

• Trauma response vs. drama response vs. empowered response

• Why you can’t solve problems from a scared brain

• Embodiment tools for anxiety (including pendulation)

• Redefining failure, shame, and self-criticism in high-stakes work

• Infertility stress in women surgeons and the language of “failed” cycles

• Protecting the asset: sleep, nutrition, movement, and recovery in a demanding culture

This episode is especially relevant for women physicians and surgeons navigating burnout, anxiety, infertility-related stress, and the pressure to “push through” at all costs.

About Dr. Mel Thacker

Dr. Mel Thacker is a board certified otolaryngologist, rhinologist, master coach, host of the podcast surgeons with purpose, co-founder of the multi-media company Hippocratic Collective, and two-time TEDx speaker.

website: https://www.melthackercoaching.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_surgeon_coach/

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

In this deeply moving episode of the Love and Science Podcast, Dr. Erica Bove sits down with Dr. Tasha Faruqui — pediatrician, author, speaker, and mother of a daughter with a rare, life-limiting genetic condition.

Dr. Faruqui shares the early signs that something wasn’t right, the years-long diagnostic journey, and the reality of parenting a medically complex child while navigating anticipatory grief. Together, they explore powerful parallels between raising a child with uncertainty and walking the fertility journey.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Trusting your intuition as a physician and patient

• Advocating for yourself within a broken medical system

• Balancing trust and self-advocacy

• The emotional weight of infertility and uncertain outcomes

• What anticipatory grief really means

• Letting go of the life you planned

• Choosing joy intentionally in the middle of suffering

• How to support families facing complex medical diagnoses

Whether you are navigating infertility, parenting through uncertainty, experiencing miscarriage, or supporting someone in a medically complex season, this episode offers wisdom, honesty, and hope.

Dr. Faruqui is also the author of Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief, and she shares how writing her story became part of her family’s healing.

This conversation is a reminder that grief and joy can coexist — and that you do not have to walk hard seasons alone.

About Dr. Tasha Faruqui

Tasha Faruqui joined the National Health Service Corps following her graduation from medical school. Her plan was to take over her father’s practice once her commitment was complete, but this was diverted when her second daughter, Soraya, was born with a rare, little-known genetic disorder that remains largely a mystery thirteen years later.

Tasha’s focus then shifted to pediatrics, with particular attention to advocacy and
support for parents of medically complex children and those with a limited life
expectancy. Today, she regularly brings her dynamic message of fierce and loving hope to medical students at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the top pediatric medical facility in the country, Make-A-Wish events, and her Instagram community (@thefaruqui5). Her debut memoir, Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief, was published by Jossey-Bass in September 2025. Tasha was named a top doctor by Cincinnati Magazine in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Connect and learn more at www.tashafaruqui.com.

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

If you’ve ever been told your embryos are “high quality” but your transfers keep failing, this episode will change how you think about implantation.

In this powerful and science-forward conversation, Dr. Erica Bove sits down with Dr. Sadikah Behbehani — board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and fellowship-trained Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon — to unpack one of the most overlooked causes of IVF failure: endometriosis.

Up to 50% of women undergoing IVF may have undiagnosed endometriosis. Yet many are told everything “looks normal.”

In this episode, we explore:

• Why high-quality embryos fail to implant

• The role of inflammation in recurrent implantation failure

• Silent endometriosis and unexplained infertility

• When to consider laparoscopy

• Excision surgery vs. Lupron suppression

• How endometriomas impact egg quality and ovarian reserve

• Adenomyosis and its effect on embryo transfer outcomes

• Natural pregnancy rates after endometriosis surgery

• What REIs may miss — and when to advocate for deeper evaluation

Dr. Behbehani explains why endometriosis is not just a pain disorder — it is an inflammatory disease that can distort anatomy, disrupt egg development, and interfere with implantation, even when embryos are genetically normal.

This episode is essential listening for anyone navigating IVF, recurrent failed transfers, diminished ovarian reserve, chronic pelvic pain, or a diagnosis of “unexplained infertility.”

If you’ve felt like something is being missed in your fertility journey, this conversation offers clarity, nuance, and a path forward grounded in both love and science.

About Dr. Behbehani

Dr. Sadikah Behbehani is a nationally recognized OBGYN and one of the leading endometriosis doctors in Los Angeles & Newport Beach, specializing in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Minimally Invasive Gynecologic and Robotic Surgery. With double fellowship training, which is an achievement held by only a handful of physicians in the country, Dr. Behbehani offers a unique blend of surgical expertise and fertility care. As an experienced endometriosis excision surgeon and pelvic pain specialist Los Angeles, she is highly skilled in treating even the most complex gynecologic conditions affecting fertility, such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Her advanced training allows her to address these challenging medical conditions with precision, helping patients achieve better health outcomes and improved quality of life.

Find her:

Instagram: dr.sadikahbehbehani

Tiktok: dr.behbehani

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

What does authentic hope really look like in fertility care especially when outcomes are uncertain?

In this episode of Love & Science Fertility, we explore how hope can remain steady and empowering without drifting into false reassurance or unrealistic expectations. Grounded in evidence-based medicine and compassionate care, this conversation reframes hope as something patients can build, not just wait for.

We discuss how clear communication, structured treatment roadmaps, and an understanding of individual clinical factors—such as age, embryo quality, and diagnosis can help patients feel informed rather than overwhelmed. Rather than bypassing difficult emotions, authentic hope allows space for uncertainty while still supporting resilience, clarity, and forward movement.

This episode is for anyone navigating fertility treatment who wants to feel supported, informed, and emotionally anchored even when the path ahead feels unclear.

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

In this episode of the Love and Science Podcast, we explore the often-unspoken energetic and subconscious blocks that can show up on the fertility journey—especially for high-achieving women who are used to being in control.

We discuss how limiting beliefs, attachment to outcomes, fear of change, and self-judgment can quietly keep the nervous system in survival mode, making it difficult to feel grounded, safe, and receptive.

This conversation introduces Human Design as a framework for self-understanding and decision-making, and Infinity Healing as a gentle modality for shifting subconscious beliefs that no longer serve you. The episode also includes a guided Infinity Healing meditation focused on releasing fear, restoring self-trust, and reconnecting with a sense of inner safety and empowerment.

This episode is for anyone who:

• Feels stuck or overwhelmed on the fertility journey
• Struggles with control, timing anxiety, or attachment to outcomes
• Feels disconnected from their body or intuition
• Wants a compassionate, whole-person approach to healing

In this episode, we cover:

• Why infertility and loss often create subconscious survival patterns
• Common fertility-related limiting beliefs (control, lack, fear, worthiness)
• The difference between desire vs attachment
• How Human Design can help guide next steps when you feel uncertain
• Releasing fear around change, support, identity, and timing
• A full guided Infinity Healing meditation (best listened to in a safe, quiet space)
  
  

Listener note: Please do not listen to the meditation while driving or operating machinery.

About Dr. Stacy Cisneros -Frausto

Dr. Stacy Cisneros -Frausto is a practicing Wound Care Physician in Skokie, IL and is a certified Human Design Coach, and Infinity Healing Practitioner and Trainer.  She uses these modalities to bring precise transformation to her clients by shifting long-standing subconscious beliefs quickly, gently, and permanently.  She helps professionals break through their limiting beliefs to up level to their desires.

www.infinitelevelhealings.com

www.facebook.com/InfiniteLevelHealings

www.instagram.com/InfiniteLevelHealings

www.youtube.com/@infinitelevelhealings8141

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility—and also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we break down how PCOS is diagnosed, why ovulation can shut down even when “labs look normal,” and why many women are pushed into a cookie-cutter fertility plan too early.

We explore a root-cause lens: insulin resistance, inflammation, gut health, nutrient depletion, and lifestyle factors that can either support or suppress ovulation. This is a practical conversation for anyone trying to get pregnant with PCOS—especially if you want a more individualized, whole-body approach.

What You’ll Learn

• How PCOS is diagnosed (and why you don’t need cysts to have PCOS)
• The 3 diagnostic criteria and what “2 out of 3” actually means
• How to think about PCOS as a spectrum (not just a checkbox diagnosis)
• Why “normal labs” can still coexist with irregular ovulation
• The role of insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut health in fertility
• What nutrition strategies support ovulation, hormones, and egg quality
• Why restrictive dieting can worsen symptoms for some women
• When exercise helps… and when it can push hormones further off track
• Why supplements can help, but often aren’t the full answer
• The #1 key to better outcomes: an individualized fertility plan
  
  

Guest Details

Dr. Angela Potter is an integrative fertility doctor, nutritionist and leading expert in PCOS. She is the creator of the PCOS Fertility Protocol. This proven protocol helps women with an individualized approach to get regular periods, consistent ovulation and the best chance at getting pregnant.

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

In this episode of the Love and Science podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tina Segocio, an OBGYN and menopause specialist with over 20 years of experience, to talk about the menopausal transition especially when it shows up in the years women are still trying to build their families.

Dr. Tina shares her personal perimenopause experience, including brain fog, memory changes, joint pain, and the moment she realized she needed to “save herself first” in order to care for her patients at the highest level. Together, we unpack why perimenopause is often missed in women in their 30s and 40s, how diminished ovarian reserve can show up earlier than expected, and why “normal” labs don’t always tell the full story.

You’ll hear practical, physician-level insight on:

• Perimenopause symptoms that often start 10–15 years before menopause
• Fertility in perimenopause and what makes these cycles harder to predict
• Key labs and timing considerations when ovarian function is changing
• Why both partners must be evaluated (and why semen analysis matters early)
• When generalists should refer sooner to avoid losing critical time
• The role of sleep, stress, and physician burnout in fertility outcomes
• Preventive care that shouldn’t be missed during fertility treatment (Pap, mammogram, colonoscopy)
• Donor egg and donor embryo options—and why menopause doesn’t have to be the end of family building
• Reframing menopause as an awakening, not an ending
  
  

This conversation is for anyone navigating perimenopause, infertility, diminished ovarian reserve, or menopause and especially for high-achieving women and female physicians who need evidence-based guidance and a more honest roadmap.

About Dr. Tina Sogocio

Dr. Tina Sogocio is an OB/GYN with a special focus on menopause and midlife women’s health. She’s known for making complex topics feel approachable, honest, and even a little fun. 

Dr. Tina is passionate about helping women understand what’s happening in their bodies without fear or shame, so they can feel informed, supported, and confident through fertility challenges, perimenopause, menopause, and the years beyond.

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

In this episode of the Love and Science Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Carolyn Moyers, a board-certified OBGYN, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and International Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health.

This is a deep, honest conversation about fertility, sexual health, intimacy, and personalized care especially during high-stress seasons like fertility treatment, perimenopause, and midlife transitions.

We explore:

• How fertility treatments impact sexual desire, intimacy, and relationships
• Why sex often becomes medicalized — and how to reconnect with pleasure
• Vaginal estrogen, vulvar care, lubricants, and what’s actually safe during fertility treatment
• Painful sex, endometriosis, pelvic floor dysfunction, and how to truly identify the source
• The role of pelvic floor physical therapy in healing sexual pain
• Emotional, relational, and body-image factors that affect intimacy
• Why women’s sexual health is often overlooked — and how to close the care gap
• Masculine vs. feminine energy, receiving vs. controlling, and how this shows up in fertility and relationships
• Why time, listening, and holistic care change everything
  
  

Dr. Moyers also shares how her osteopathic training and women-centered practice allow her to provide deeply individualized, compassionate care — something many women never experience in traditional medical settings.

Whether you’re navigating fertility, struggling with painful sex, entering perimenopause, or simply craving more connected, evidence-based women’s healthcare, this episode offers clarity, validation, and a new way forward.

About Dr. Carolyn Moyers

Dr. Carolyn Moyers is a board-certified OB/GYN, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and International Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. 

She is the founder of Sky Women’s Health in Fort Worth, Texas, where she provides expert, compassionate care with a focus on menopause, sexual health, and genitopelvic pain disorders. Through her Menopause Masterclass for clinicians and the Sky Women’s Health Podcast, Dr. Moyers is on a mission to close the care gap and empower women in midlife with evidence-based solutions.

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

Hello, my Loves — today’s episode is one so many physicians and high-achieving caregivers will feel in their bones.

I’m joined by Dr. Dympna Weil, a board-certified OBGYN, master coach, speaker, and host of the Prescribing Possibility Platform. With over 20 years in medicine, Dr. Weil understands firsthand how burnout, chronic stress, and professional pressure can disconnect us from our humanity — especially when life gets hard.

In this conversation, we talk about the way forward when you’re carrying:

• physician burnout and survival mode
• infertility and IVF trauma
• shame, secrecy, and feeling alone
• pregnancy anxiety after infertility
• hypervigilance, compartmentalization, and “turning emotions off”
• how to safely “turn them back on” without falling apart
  
  

Dr. Weil shares her personal fertility journey — including TTC at 32, workups, Clomid, IUIs, IVF, pregnancy with twins, loss at 11 weeks, and a complicated pregnancy — while navigating the daily triggers of practicing OB/GYN and caring for patients.

We also explore trauma in medical training, how it shapes our nervous systems, and tools that help physicians regulate and heal — including tapping (EFT), coaching, and creating emotionally safe spaces where shame can finally dissolve.

If you’re a physician, caregiver, or high-achieving woman who feels like you’ve been in survival mode for too long… this episode will make you feel seen — and give you language for what you’ve lived.

About Dr. Dympna Weil

With over 20 years in medicine as a board certified OBGYN, I know firsthand the toll that burnout, stress, and professional pressures can take on a person’s well-being. As a Master Coach, physician wellness advocate, speaker and podcaster, I empower physicians and others who identify as caregivers, to move from burnout to brilliance—and beyond—to a life of fulfillment, joy, and harmony.

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove

 In this episode of the Love and Science Fertility Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Kerry Reller, owner of Clearwater Family Medicine and Allergy, for a deep, practical conversation on allergies, asthma, and pregnancy.

If you’re trying to conceive, going through IVF, or newly pregnant and struggling with seasonal allergies, asthma, chronic congestion, or medication questions — this episode is for you.

We cover:

• What allergy and asthma medications are safe during preconception and pregnancy
• Why asthma control is critical for maternal and fetal health
• The truth about antihistamines, nasal steroids, inhalers, and decongestants
• HEPA filters, dust mites, pets, and environmental changes that actually help
• Allergy shots (immunotherapy): when they’re safe — and when to avoid them
• Progesterone reactions, fertility medications, and allergic-type responses
• What to avoid during pregnancy (including common OTC products)
• How allergies, asthma, and inflammation can impact sleep, energy, and overall fertility health

Whether you’re early in your fertility journey or already expecting, this episode provides reassurance, safety guidance, and practical next steps.

Today we also celebrate our 100th episode of Love and Science Fertility! With so much gratitude, we are so honored to be doing this work. As always I love you! 

Guest Details:

Dr. Kerry Reller is a board-certified Family and Obesity Medicine physician and the owner of Clearwater Family Medicine and Allergy in Florida. A former electrical engineer turned doctor, she blends primary care, allergy, and obesity medicine to help patients prevent disease and build sustainable habits for healthier living. 

Support the show

As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.

If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:

https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult

Follow us on social media:

IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility

FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183

Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.

In Gratitude,

Dr. Erica Bove