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:

https://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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 looked at an IVF calendar and wondered how you are going to make it all work?

In today's episode, we discuss:

• The typical appointment schedule for oral cycles, IVF, and frozen embryo transfer protocols
• Creative solutions for getting to all of your appointments while still working as a physician
• The champion's mindset which is the real driver to make this all possible

Hopefully this episode will help you to believe you are worth it, come up with creative solutions, and bridge you to your goal of parenthood.

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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 weight concerns on the fertility journey are taking up your mental space, do not miss this episode.

Dr. Toomer generously shares her own journey of navigating type 2 diabetes, an elevated BMI, and a potentially fatal diagnosis of heart failure early in her career.  She discusses how being an early adopter of a GLP-1 literally saved her life. She gives an overview of GLP1’s and shares her thoughts about when a patient with fertility struggles could consider starting one.

Even if you have not struggled with weight, this episode highlights many of the less talked about aspects of the fertility journey: stigma, unsupportive family members, and shame.

May this episode be a conversation started for many more impactful conversations!

Guest Links
Website: https://drtoomer.com

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@drtoomer 

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drtoomertalks 

Facebook: https://facebook.com/drtoomer 

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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

Encore of the 2024 Mother's Day episode.

Today we explore how to approach Mother's Day, which is this coming weekend. We discuss how our expectations can set us up for additional suffering, and how to handle triggers in the best way possible. 

We invite you to connect with your feminine divine energy and to acknowledge the women in your life who have mothered you, even if you do not share a biological connection. Similarly, we invite you to consider the many ways you may already connect with this energy, nurturing and supporting the people (and sometimes pets) in your life. 

We explore how a coaching lens can take us from feeling complex and negative feelings about this day, to being more in alignment with how we want to feel about this day.  Having awareness of our thoughts and feelings is the first step in deciding whether these thoughts and feelings serve us, and whether we want to make even small shifts to make us feel more calm and grounded.  

Most importantly, we discuss creating space for self compassion and grace during this time, and also leaning on the wisdom of the Serenity Prayer to get us through. 

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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

There's no way around it: Mother's Day is complicated for most people, especially while on the fertility journey. Truly, most people approach this day with trepidation and dread, however this robs us of our power.

In today's episode, we discuss the following:

• Why Mother's Day is so painful
• My Top 10 strategies to make Mother's Day more tolerable
• How to hold the tension of unrealized dreams and still acknowledge progress 
• A few stories of hope since last Mother's Day

The longer I live, the more I understand that if something has nuance, complexity and paradox, it's probably getting me closer to the truth. This episode is no exception. Let the wisdom here guide you as you approach Mother's Day (let's be honest--we know it's not just the day itself, but also the anticipation of the day), and let's take back our power together.

Another Helpful Episode

Mother's Day: Strategies to Navigate with Agency and Self-Compassion

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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

For many of us, when things get stressful, the first thing we do is lean on old habits of body loathing and disordered eating. This becomes especially challenging on the fertility journey, however, when we know that egg health and the ability to ovulate depend on our nourishing ourselves. 

This is further complicated by the weight gain which accompanies the fertility journey for most people. Although it is multifactorial, the many consecutive months (and sometimes years) of being out of our typical rhythms of exercise and nutrition can be a significant contributing factor. We find ourselves gaining weight despite our best efforts, which makes us resent the process even more.

If these examples resonate with you, give this episode a listen. We discuss:

• how to think of your body as your partner
• how to rethink BMI and body size 
• how to get the support you need to navigate the journey, especially when you struggle with body shame and/or disordered eating
• how to take small steps towards self compassion and loving yourself again
• how to rediscover your worthiness and take back your power 

About Dr. Kara Pepper:
After 16 years in clinical practice as one of Atlanta's top doctors, Dr. Kara Pepper opened a hybrid in-person and telemedicine practice to provide high-quality, comprehensive, patient-centered care. 
Her practice style is informed by Health at Every Size philosophy, coaching practices, team-based care, and the recognition of harm that is perpetuated by our health care system. Her role as a physician coach who helps female physicians reclaim their autonomy, freedom, and love of medicine, and she is the host of the It's Not You Podcast.
 
Guest Links:

www.karapeppermd.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:

https://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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 sex is a chore while on the fertility journey? Or like you are so stressed about when to have sex and when to abstain, that any notion of an enjoyable and life-giving sex life is gone? 

If so, listen to today's episode with Dr. Sadaf Lodhi, a board certified OBGYN who focuses on sexual health and intimacy in her concierge gynecology practice. 

In this mind-blowing episode, we discuss:

• newer models of sexual response and responsive desire
• navigating sex as work and reframing this concept
• increasing emotional intimacy, which leads to increased physical intimacy 
• the power of mindfulness and sensate focus to improve the experience of intimacy
• midlife issues such as body image and perimenopause 

Warning: this episode does bring up the topic of sexual trauma and healing from trauma

From Dr Sadaf Lodhi: As a practicing OBGYN in New York for over 20 years, my mission has always been to empower and educate women. I am the founder and CEO of Femme Vie Health, a concierge gynecology practice serving patients in New York, and I have a telehealth practice for those in Michigan. While I assist patients in all aspects of female health, I focus on sexual and menopausal health as well as intimacy coaching. I believe that all women, regardless of their backgrounds, have the potential to live life to its fullest.

Guest Links
Website: www.femmeviehealth.com
@drsadafobgyn for Tiktok and IG

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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 that your fertility journey is longer than you thought it would be? Or like you didn't realize how much inner strength and resilience you would need to keep showing up every day as a physician patient?

My patients and clients know that I mark off the steps of an IVF journey like miles in a race. I see so many parallels between long distance running and the wisdom we need to make it through the fertility journey--loved, supported, and in tact. 

Today Dr. Quirk (a certified running coach) and I discuss the following:

• How to connect with your Deepest Why and revisit it often
• How to find motivation when progress feels slow
• Mantras and mindset shifts to refocus the mind 
• Mindfulness, and finding joy along the way

Don't miss this high yield episode. The fertility journey may feel like a marathon, however it is so much better with your A team. 

To quote my favorite mantra: "We Can Do Hard Things."

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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 how your REI chose your specific protocol, and how they think about reducing your chances of getting OHSS? 

Some people are more at risk for OHSS than others, and a lot can be done on the front end in terms of prevention.

We have learned so much about OHSS prevention and treatment over the last 10-15 years. In this episode, I share my thought process when thinking about how to balance safety and success, and how to get people back to living their lives sooner.

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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

We are told that the rate limiting step in IVF is usually embryo creation. However, we are also learning that the uterine environment needs to be optimal to allow for an embryo to implant and thrive. 

In this episode, I cover the following:

• the definition of adenomyosis
• why we should care as pertains to fertility treatment
• imaging findings suggestive of adenomyosis
• clinical situations in which lupron suppression could be considered

My goal is to empower you with knowledge and for you to have the most efficient and successful fertility journey possible. 

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://calendly.com/loveandsciencefertility/discovery-call

Also, be sure to check out our website: loveandsciencefertility.com

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