Choosing the next step in your fertility journey can feel overwhelming — IUI or IVF? Wait or escalate? Dr. Erica breaks down the exact framework she uses with her patients and clients to cut through analysis paralysis and make evidence-based, values-aligned decisions about treatment.

In this episode:

• Why every treatment plan has to start with your desired family size — and why this question gets skipped so often
• The history that actually matters: how long you've truly had sperm-and-egg exposure (not just "trying")
• Red flags that move IVF up the timeline: tubal disease risk factors, genetic conditions, and more
• Why the difference in success rates between trying 6 months vs. 12 months under 35 is smaller than you'd think
• The “two to three follicles” rule for IUI cycles for unexplained infertility or endometriosis — and why hitting that goal can take you from under 5% to 10–15% success per month
• Letrozole vs. Clomid: side effects, success rates, and why letrozole is often the better first choice
• "Hybrid therapy": using a baby dose of FSH with letrozole in women in their late 30s — the physiology behind why it works
• When IVF makes sense from the start: large desired family size, genetic risk, tubal factor, or PGT-M/PGT-SR indications
• Why "less is more" isn't always wrong, even when IVF feels like the safer bet
• Reframing scarcity mindset around embryo numbers and aneuploidy risk

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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

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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