You have done IVF more than once. Maybe twice. Maybe three times. Maybe more.

Each cycle they tweaked the protocol. Higher dose. Lower dose. Different stimulation drug. Different trigger. Added growth hormone. Added DHEA. Mini IVF. Dual stim.

Each cycle the protocol changed.

And now they are telling you donor eggs.

Here is the question this episode is about. They changed the protocol every time. Did anyone look at what was already in your body when each of those protocols arrived?

That is what this episode is about. The layer underneath every protocol.

In this episode:

- Protocol vs system: what your clinic was trained to adjust, and what nobody adjusted across any of your cycles - Why the donor egg conversation arrives after the only variable your clinic was trained to address has been exhausted, not after a full review of your body - The thyroid, iron, B12, vitamin D, inflammation, gut, cortisol, mineral, vaginal microbiome, and blood sugar markers that did not change between cycle 1 and cycle 5 - Why we look at ferritin against 80 to 100 going into IVF, not the lab reference of 15 - What a 2024 study in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics found about ovarian reserve markers and natural conception — and why donor eggs gets recommended on markers the literature itself does not support

If this is the first episode you have landed on in this series, go back and listen to "Told Donor Eggs Are Your Only Option? Ask This First," then "How Long Should I Try With My Own Eggs Before Donor Eggs?" and "The Gut Findings Your Clinic Did Not Look For." This episode builds on all three.

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WHAT YOUR CLINIC MISSED

The full thyroid panel, not just a TSH. The iron panel that flags ferritin against the fertility target. The gut microbiome testing your REI does not order. The inflammatory markers they tell you are normal. And the male side that almost nobody investigates.

Email [email protected], subject line MISSED, and we will send you the guide.

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FUNCTIONAL FERTILITY SECOND OPINION

A free 45-minute call where I review your labs, your history, and your partner's results with you. You leave knowing what your biology has been telling you and what your next decision could be.

Email [email protected], subject line FERTILE, or book here.

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ABOUT THE HOST

I'm Sarah Clark, founder of Fab Fertile and host of Get Pregnant Naturally, a podcast with over one million downloads. My functional fertility team works with couples navigating low AMH and failed IVF, reviewing functional lab results, gut microbiome, food sensitivity, vaginal microbiome, nutrigenomics, HTMA, DUTCH, toxin testing, and bloodwork alongside nervous system work, to help identify patterns that may not have been considered. We work alongside your medical team, not instead of them.

Sarah Clark, founder of Fab Fertile, host of Get Pregnant Naturally (1M+ downloads), and author of Fabulously Fertile.

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If this episode helped, leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It is how other women find this work.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The Protocol Changed Every Time. Did Anyone Change You? 01:00 Who's Reviewing Your Case at Fab Fertile 02:00 Protocol vs System: The Layer Underneath Every IVF 03:00 What Your Body Brought to Every Cycle 04:30 What the 2024 Research Says About AMH 06:00 The Markers That Did Not Change Between Cycles 07:30 Why Multiple Tests Are Not One Test 09:00 The Donor Egg Recommendation With Half the Data 10:30 The Functional Fertility Second Opinion