With the growth of the Love and Science community, it feels like we are always navigating a birthday in the group. This can be fraught with many complexities-- grief for where we thought we would be by now, cognitive dissonance of people wanting to celebrate us when we feel sad and angry, and also the sheer fact that our ovaries are getting older. 

I've known Dr. Jessie Mahoney for a long time, and in fact we are birthday twins. July is our birthday month. We decided to team up and share our wisdom about birthdays so that we, as a community, can try on a different perspective. I look to her for wisdom and guidance, and I'm sure you will feel the depth of her presence when you listen. 

We discuss the following:

• seeing ourselves with our hearts as our primary strategy for approaching our next birthday with grace and self compassion 
• how to acknowledge that birthdays usually don't meet our expectations
• how to see birthdays as a neutral marker and not automatically a negative marker
• how to honor the knowledge and wisdom of the prior year and our lives thus far
• how to look ahead at future ages/birthdays and borrow advice from the future version of ourselves 

Guest Details:

Dr. Jessie Mahoney is a graduate of Dartmouth College and UCSF Medical School. She is also a board-certified Pediatrician, physician wellness expert, triple-certified physician coach, and founder of Pause & Presence. Her mission is to help people who are “successful on the surface yet struggling underneath” find relief, feel better, and discover a more aligned path forward.

www.jessiemahoneymd.com

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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 do we do when the strategies which have worked for us in the past are no longer serving us? 

We have gotten so good at overfunctioning, and yet we are feeling burdened, depleted, and resentful of not just our jobs but the fertility journey. We also feel incredibly alone in our struggle.

In today's episode, we discuss the following:

• overfunctioning and how to recognize it
• mindful self compassion
• healing in community
• permission to rest
• trusting ourselves
• navigating uncertainty 
• why we need less grit to live our most authentic lives

Dr. Stepien has spent a decade helping women physicians take back their power. You deserve to take your power back, too. 

Guest Details: 

Kathy Stepien, MD, is a board-certified Pediatrician, Certified Coach, and Director of the Institute for Physician Wellness. In 2016, Dr. Stepien founded the Institute for Physician Wellness with the mission of helping physicians learn, heal, grow, and connect. Dr. Stepien's work is driven by a deep commitment to helping physicians, especially women in medicine, live empowered and fulfilling lives on their own terms. She believes in fostering a life where women can fully stand in their power and embrace their role as the authors of their own stories.

www.instituteforphysicianwellness.com

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

As a female physician, have you considered dropping to part time to make it all work? Have you tried a scribe or AI, or even "Thrive" courses (as I've done), yet you're still pulling out your hair and feeling like it will never get better? What if the charting piece were solved for you--would that make a difference in your fertility journey and your life in general?

Dr. Mary Leung reclaimed 2.5 hours of her life each day by combining coaching tools and charting efficiency strategies. In this enlightening episode, we discuss the following:

• mindset shifts
• gratitude
• self compassion
• increased focus 
• time-saving strategies (every second counts!)

With her approach, she helps physicians thrive, and not merely survive, while trying to reclaim what was once a calling for them. For her it's more than just time--it's about joy, fulfillment, peace, and having time for life outside of medicine (including a successful fertility journey). 

Don't miss this episode! 

Guest Details: 

Dr. Mary Leung is a physician who is board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. She is also a certified life coach who is passionate about serving physicians who are stressed, overwhelmed and burned out. She is the co-author of the book “Made For More 2”, which was a bestseller on Amazon.

Dr. Mary was working and charting after hours many nights and weekends until life coaching transformed her life. She is now going home at least 2.5 hours earlier than before, with all her clinical work completed for the day. From the depths of her own experience, Dr. Mary founded Shining With Gratitude MD. Her passion and mission is to guide other physicians through their unique situations — so they can feel better, have more time outside of their clinical work, regain control and have more clarity. Her hope is for physicians to rediscover joy in life and in medicine. Dr. Mary believes that if physicians can enjoy practicing medicine again, they can take better care of their patients. Through renewal, they can shine brighter for their families and all the lives they touch.

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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 evidence-based and wisdom-filled episode, we discuss how there are many ways to use science to start to feel better and achieve better fertility outcomes. We consider the following:

• awareness
• choosing your A team
• trusting the process
• connecting with your soul and allowing for transformation
• breathwork and the relaxation/parasympathetic response
• objective data to show it's working (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, continuous glucose monitoring) 
• other lifestyle medicine tools such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep
• individualized care

Guest Information: 

Dr. Chhaya Makhija is a physician entrepreneur, CEO and Founder of Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care in California. She leads the premier Direct Care Endocrine Private Practice in California that integrates Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Makhija enjoys hiking, outdoor workouts, yoga, and leading community-based wellness sessions that uplift and educate — including laughter yoga, health screenings, and educational events that inspire whole-person healing.

www.unifiedendocrinecare.com

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

Today's episode goes into how support groups are the essential element to bridging people to parenthood. 

• Ending isolation
• Renewing strength
• Celebrating the wins and sharing the burdens
• Gaining practical advice
• Creating a safe space for women physicians
• Focusing the next steps 
• Creating massive results

We are truly stronger together. 

Even if you are a massive introvert like me, the group is the only empowered  way to endure your journey with ease, support, strength, and ultimately success.

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

My Loves, this conversation is going to change your life. Dr. Chrissie Ott is a Med Peds physician who spent nearly a decade on the path to conceiving her daughter. She generously shares her story with us, and I know you will see yourself in her story. 

Among many important topics, we discuss:

• suffering and transformation
• joy
• isolation
• persistence
• comical moments along the way
• energy work
• lost friendships
• surrender
• the existential relief of finally receiving her little one

You just need to listen. Like I said, you will never be the same.

Dr. Chrissie Ott is a physician coach, Med-Peds doc, speaker, and the human behind Joy Point Solutions — a space for people doing meaningful work to reconnect with what lights them up. She helps clients untangle from burnout, come home to their values, and reclaim delight in both their lives and leadership.

She’s the host of the Solving for Joy podcast and the leader of the Physician Coaching Summit, an event that brings coaches, clinicians, and changemakers together to share wisdom, build connection, and reimagine what’s possible in medicine and beyond.

Chrissie’s work blends neuroscience, creativity, and soul — with a healthy dose of curiosity and a sense of humor along the way.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn
Instagram

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

Have you ever wondered why your REI made a certain choice for you on your IVF journey? Or why they kept the same protocol or chose a different protocol which none of your friends have tried? Or why different REI’s have different recommendations on protocol selection?

This is a question I get over and over, and I’m here to empower you with a deeper understanding of these protocol and the ability to feel confident in your treatment plan.

Also—please let me know what other science-based podcast topics you’d like to hear about.

The bottom line is that there are many right ways to do IVF, and a tailored approach is always the right answer.

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

Navigating Father's Day can be incredibly challenging when you're on a fertility journey.  

Join me, Dr. Erica Bove, as I offer heartfelt support and practical strategies to manage your emotions during this tender holiday. From staying off social media to acknowledging your feelings, I guide you through strategies which have helped thousands of patients and clients just like you over the years.  

Let’s journey through this Father's Day together, embracing love, support, and resilience.

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

Have you ever felt like you were merely surviving on the fertility journey? 
What would it feel like to thrive instead?

In this episode I reveal my top 5 strategies for navigating the fertility journey (and life for that matter) in a way that allows us to thrive instead of merely survive. We discuss:

• emotional sobriety
• a broader sense of identity
• healthy relationships
• the ability to set loving and flexible boundaries
• surrender

If this is a struggle for you, I’d love to help! 
Book a consult call today and I can start helping you to thrive.

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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

Have you been struggling with your weight along the fertility journey? 

Perhaps someone has even suggested a GLP-1, however you were worried about how this might affect your timing and potentially your future pregnancy?

Dr. Sarah Stombaugh debunks a lot of myths in this evidence-based conversation. We discuss the following:

• GLP-1s and the different half lives / recommendations for discontinuing prior to pregnancy
• Other weight loss medications which can be used as adjuncts during the bridge to treatment
• Intuitive eating, hunger and satiety (including protein goals, fiber, hydration, and optimizing the micronutrient environment)
• Emotional eating and how to overcome this
• Mindset pearls

Guest Details: 

Dr. Sarah Stombaugh is a family medicine physician and diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Graduating from Creighton University Medical School and completing her family medicine residency at University of Chicago, Dr. Stombaugh practiced outpatient primary care in Evanston, Illinois before moving to Charlottesville, Virginia with her family. Host of Conquer Your Weight Podcast, Dr. Stombaugh believes in empowering both individuals and the medical community in order to promote an evidence-based approach to the treatment of obesity.

Website: www.sarahstombaughmd.com

Instagram: @sarahstombaughmd

Additional Links:

Conquer Your Weight Podcast episode #74: The Impact of Weight on Fertility with Guest: Dr. Erica Bove

Love and Science Fertility Podcast episode #61: GLP1's and Infertility With Dr. Catherine H. Toomer

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:

www.loveandsciencefertility.com/contact

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