The Egg Whisperer Show

Ever wonder why some couples grow closer through infertility while others grow apart? In this episode, I'm diving into one of the most important (and least talked about) sides of the fertility journey: the impact of infertility on relationships, and what you can do to stay connected as a couple if you're both hurting or stressed by the journey.

My guest is Dr. Clay Brigance, a licensed counselor, author, podcaster, and relationship researcher who studies the mental health and relationship impacts of infertility and reproductive loss. After experiencing infertility himself - including male factor, IUI, IVF, pregnancy complications, and a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage and emergency hysterectomy - Clay set out to answer one question: why do some couples come together through infertility while others fall apart? His research with over 1,000 couples led to his Four Pillars of Connection, a framework that helps couples navigate emotional attunement, conflict, disrupted dreams of parenthood, and intimacy.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why some couples grow closer through infertility while others grow apart (and what the research shows)
• The "holding wet soap" metaphor: why trying to rescue your partner from pain can backfire
• The Four Pillars of Connection: mindful attunement, navigating conflict, disrupted visions of parenthood, and maintaining intimacy
• What to do when one partner wants to talk about everything and the other shuts down
• Male factor infertility: the shame, identity crisis, and silent shattering men experience
• How infertility impacts your sex life and practical ways to keep intimacy alive (including the six-second kiss!)
• First steps for couples in the middle of IVF who feel like they're falling apart

Resources:

• Dr. Clay Brigance's website (free 23-page mental health PDF manual)
• Dr. Clay Brigance on Instagram: @dr_claybrigance
• Love & Infertility Podcast with Dr. Clay Brigance and Ginny Lupka

Read the full show notes on my website.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! My book, The Egg Whisperer Way, comes out in March 2027. You can pre-order order your copy here, on my website. Join Egg Whisperer School Checkout the podcast Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

Egg freezing is IVF without the F (fertilization). You go through a standard cycle of In Vitro Fertilization in which you take hormone shots that stimulate the growth of eggs. A doctor like me then extracts your eggs through a simple surgical procedure, and I work with an embryologist to preserve your eggs in liquid nitrogen until you're ready to use them. So the big question is what happens now that you're ready to use your eggs? In other words, what are the steps towards fertilization (or as I like to say, what the F?) Step 1. Locate Your Eggs Step 2: Decide if you want to unfreeze all your eggs. Step 3. Complete Your Preconception Testing (follow the TUSHY Method) Step 4: Complete Your Infectious Disease Labs Step 5: Implantation Testing Step 6: Make Embryos (and decide if you want to do genetic testing on your embryos) Step 7: Decide Whether You Want to Transfer Fresh or Frozen Embryos Click here to get the full show notes and transcript

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! My book, The Egg Whisperer Way, comes out in March 2027. You can pre-order order your copy here, on my website. Join Egg Whisperer School Checkout the podcast Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

Egg Freezing parties are safe and surgery-free gatherings of women (and sometimes men) to learn more about the process of freezing your eggs (or sperm). Beyond that, we talk in general about fertility and how every woman (and man) can take a proactive role in preserving their fertility options. There is humor. There is honest talk. Most importantly, you will learn about clear steps you can take after the party is over. This is not merely an information session, this is meant to inspire action! Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website. Do you have questions about IVF?Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class. The next live class call is on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School Checkout the podcast Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

Dr. Aimee shares how she personalize the process of finding an egg donor, sperm donor, or gestational carrier, so that everyone involves feels like they are well informed and empowered with the right information. Do you have questions about IVF?Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class. The next live class call is on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom. Click to find The Egg Whisperer Show podcast on your favorite podcasting app. Watch videos of Dr. Aimee answer Ask the Egg Whisperer Questions on YouTube. Sign up for The Egg Whisperer newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to1 decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

Get the full show notes: https://www.draimee.org/intrauterine-surgery-and-other-life-saving-interventions-with-dr-emery-and-dr-sanfilippo

In this episode, I'm joined by two incredible guests: Dr. Steven Emery, a maternal fetal medicine specialist and director of the Center for Innovative Fetal Intervention at the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Joseph Sanfilippo, a renowned reproductive endocrinologist, past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and author of "Everyday Medical Miracles." Together, we explore the latest advances in intrauterine surgery, fetal interventions, and fertility innovations that are changing lives for families everywhere.

In our conversation, we dive deep into the courage and hope that medical innovation brings to patients. Dr. Emery and Dr. Sanfilippo share real-life stories, discuss the evolution of fetal and reproductive care, and offer practical advice for anyone navigating fertility or high-risk pregnancies. We also touch on the future of medicine, from gene therapy to the impact of artificial intelligence in the embryology lab.

In this episode, we cover:

• A remarkable case of fetal anemia and the life-saving power of intrauterine transfusions
• What pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) is: and what it can and can't detect
• The latest interventions for fetal conditions, including twin-twin transfusion syndrome and fetal hydrocephalus
• How to prepare for pregnancy: lifestyle, medical, and genetic considerations
• The role of maternal fetal medicine specialists and when to seek their expertise
• New research and approaches to fibroid prevention and treatment
• The future of fertility and fetal medicine, including gene therapy and AI

Resources:

• Dr. Sanfilippo's book website: Everyday Medical Miracles or order via Amazon
• Dr. Sanfilippo's book Expert Guide to Fertility via Amazon
• Dr. Emery's email: emerysp @ upmc.edu
• Dr. Sanfilippo's email: sanfjs @ upmc.edu
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: acog.org
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine: asrm.org

Would you like to learn more about IVF? Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.

The next live class call is on Monday, October 19 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips! Join Egg Whisperer School Checkout the podcast Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

Does endometriosis surgery actually improve your fertility, or could it make things worse? In this episode, I am joined by with Dr. Sadikah Behbehani, a surgeon who is double fellowship-trained in both reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. She specializes in complex endometriosis excision, pelvic pain, and fertility-sparing surgery - and she's one of the few doctors in the country who can both operate on deep infiltrating endometriosis and guide your IVF journey. We dig into when excision surgery helps fertility, when it doesn't, and why so many patients are told the wrong thing about their options.

Get the full show notes at Dr. Aimee's website.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Dr. Behbahani pursued dual training in fertility and surgery and the gap she saw between REIs and surgeons
• The 10-year average delay in diagnosing endometriosis and the questions every fertility patient should be asked
• The statistic that 50% of women walking into fertility clinics have endometriosis
• How endometriosis can be diagnosed on ultrasound (not just surgery) and what "endometriosis mapping" means
• The difference between excision and fulguration/ablation and why burning lesions isn't real treatment
• How to decide between surgery first, IVF first, or egg freezing before surgery, based on AMH and egg quality
• Why Dr. Behbahani says you should never transfer embryos into a uterus with untreated endometriosis

Resources:

• Learn more about Dr. Sadikah Behbehani and her practice at her website
• Find her on Instagram: @dr.sadikahbehbehani/
• Egg Whisperer Show on YouTube: subscribe here
• Egg Whisperer Show on Spotify

Do you have questions about IVF? Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.

The next live class call is on Monday, October 19 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

endometriosis and fertility, endometriosis surgery, excision vs ablation, endometriosis excision, endometrioma removal, fertility preservation, IVF and endometriosis, AMH testing, egg freezing before surgery, endometriosis ultrasound, endometriosis mapping, deep infiltrating endometriosis, bowel endometriosis, endometriosis diagnosis, pelvic pain and infertility, fertility restorative surgery, endometriosis specialist, laparoscopic excision, embryo transfer success rates, endometriosis awareness

I do this with my patients all the time.

There's a lot of truth-telling that goes on in my office, and often myth-busting is necessary to get to the truth.

Perhaps you can relate — there are so many headlines and hearsay stories about fertility. Do you struggle to disseminate between what is evidence-based and what is not?

I don't care where you live or who your doctor is. My goal is to share what I know in the event that it's even the tiniest bit helpful to you and your fertility journey.

Read the full show notes on DrAimee.org

Do you have questions about IVF? Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.

The next live class call is on Monday, October 19 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.

Click to find The Egg Whisperer Show podcast on your favorite podcasting app.

Watch videos of Dr. Aimee answer Ask the Egg Whisperer Questions on YouTube.

Sign up for The Egg Whisperer newsletter to get updates

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

I'm so excited to have Dr. Bruce Lessey of ReceptivaDX join me on the podcast. Dr. Lessey has dedicated his research life to studying the lining of the uterus and more specifically, how to help embryos stick better. His research led to the discovery of the role of BCL-6 in the lining of the uterus as a diagnostic test patients can have done by their doctors to guide them toward the best protocol for transfer success. The test isn't for women just going through IVF either. This test can also be done to help women get an endometriosis diagnosis without going through a laparoscopy surgery. ⁠ ⠀ ⠀⁠ In addition to being a Fertility Doctor at The Fertility Center of the Carolinas, in Greenville SC, Dr. Lessey is also the scientific advisor for Cicero DX. His work on identifying BLC6 became the key component of the Receptivadx test. ⁠ ⠀ ⠀⁠ I'm delighted to have him on the show! Many IVF patients have benefited greatly from the Receptivadx test, and I'm looking forward to asking him a lot of questions about his work. ⁠

Read the full show notes and transcript on Dr. Aimee's website Find out more about ReceptivaDX here: https://receptivadx.com/ Would you like to learn more about IVF? Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.

The next live class call is on Monday, October 19 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips!

Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

I'm excited to share this episode, where I joined Dr. Kirti Patel to talk all about egg freezing on The Gynarchy Podcast. We discuss why egg freezing matters, how it works, and what every woman should know about her fertility options. As a fertility specialist with deep roots in women's health (and a family legacy in OB/GYN), I'm passionate about empowering women with the knowledge and choices they deserve. In this conversation, I share my personal journey, the inspiration behind my work, and why I believe education is the key to reproductive autonomy. During our interview, Dr. Patel and I dive into the evolving landscape of egg freezing, the cultural and societal factors influencing women's choices, and the realities (both medical and emotional) of fertility preservation. We discuss the science, the misconceptions, and the importance of making informed decisions, whether you're considering egg freezing for yourself or just want to better understand your reproductive health. My goal is to demystify the process and help women feel confident, not fearful, about their options. In this episode, we cover:

• My personal and professional journey into fertility medicine, including generational influences and early experiences in my father's practice
• The origins and evolution of "egg freezing parties" and how they've become a platform for education and empowerment
• The step-by-step process of egg freezing, including preparation, testing, and what to expect physically and emotionally
• Common side effects, risks, and the psychological impact of fertility treatments
• The role of genetics, age, and lifestyle in fertility planning, and how to personalize your approach
• Debunking myths: egg freezing as an "insurance policy," who should consider it, and the realities of success rates
• The intersection of workplace benefits, societal pressures, and reproductive rights in the context of fertility care

Resources:

• Dr. Kirti Patel's website and The Gynarchy podcast (go subscribe!)
• My website: draimee.org and IVF classes: eggwhispererschool.com
• The Egg Whisperer Show on YouTube and Spotify
• Social media: @eggwhisperer on Instagram and TikTok
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine: asrm.org (for referenced studies)

Do you have questions about IVF?Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class. The next live class call is on Monday, October 19 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom. Click to find The Egg Whisperer Show podcast on your favorite podcasting app. Watch videos of Dr. Aimee answer Ask the Egg Whisperer Questions on YouTube. Sign up for The Egg Whisperer newsletter to get updates Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.

On this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Karli Provost Goldstein, a renowned expert in endometriosis and minimally invasive gynecology. Together, we dive into the challenges of diagnosing and treating endometriosis, a condition that is often misunderstood and underdiagnosed. Dr. Goldstein shares her expertise on why endometriosis frequently goes undiagnosed for years, the differences between surgical approaches like robotic and laparoscopic surgery, and the connection between endometriosis and infertility. Here's what we cover in this episode:

• The complexities of diagnosing endometriosis and why it's often delayed
• Advances in minimally invasive gynecology for treating endometriosis
• The critical role of fertility preservation for patients with endometriosis
• A comparison of robotic and laparoscopic surgical techniques
• The link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer

Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website. Resources: Dr. Karli Provost Goldstein's website: Esse Care Dr. Karli Provost Goldstein on Instagram Get Dr. Aimee's Fertility Essentials Do you have questions about IVF?Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class. The next live class call is on Monday, October 19th at 4pm PST (7pm EST), where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom. Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.