The Fertility Dietitian | Functional Fertility Info in your Ears

If you've been trying to get pregnant, you've probably heard a lot of "facts" that feel urgent, scary, or final—especially if you're over 35, have a low AMH, or have already been told IVF is your only option. These messages can make you feel like your body is failing you or that you're running out of time, when in reality, many of these narratives are outdated, misunderstood, or taken completely out of context.

In this episode of The Fertility Dietitian Podcast, I'm walking you through some of the biggest fertility myths that just won't die, and what both the data and real clinical experience actually show instead. We'll talk about age, AMH, prenatals, male factor fertility, stress, egg freezing, and—most importantly—what you can actually do to improve your internal environment so you can stop making decisions from panic and start moving forward with clarity and confidence.

"Age matters, but the environment your eggs are developing in matters way more—and that's the part you can actually change." — Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How fertility really changes after 35 and what the data says about age and conception
• What AMH can and cannot tell you about your chances of getting pregnant naturally
• Why a prenatal alone is not a complete preconception plan
• Which nutrient forms and ingredients matter most in a high-quality prenatal
• How male factor infertility shows up in about half of cases and often goes unaddressed
• What changes as men age, and how sperm quality can be affected
• How stress impacts fertility and why "just relax" is not helpful advice
• What egg freezing can offer and why it is not an insurance policy
• How to support your internal environment to improve fertility and egg quality

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If I could sit down with every woman trying to conceive, this is exactly where I would start: your gut. Before another supplement protocol, before assuming it's just your age, and before accepting that everything is "normal," we have to look deeper. Because your gut is not separate from your fertility—it is foundational to it.

Inside your gut is a complex system influencing your hormones, immune function, inflammation levels, and nutrient absorption—all of which directly impact ovulation, egg quality, implantation, and pregnancy outcomes. When the gut is inflamed or imbalanced, it can quietly disrupt everything downstream. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly how your gut affects fertility—and what you can start doing today to support it.

"Your gut is not separate from your fertility—it's one of the main systems supporting it." — Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How gut health directly impacts hormone balance and estrogen metabolism
• The role of the estrobolome in fertility and estrogen clearance
• Why inflammation and gut imbalance can affect ovulation and implantation
• How poor digestion limits nutrient absorption critical for egg quality
• The connection between gut health, immune function, and pregnancy success
• Why "normal labs" don't always mean optimal fertility
• Simple, actionable steps to start improving gut health today
• How your microbiome impacts your future baby's health
• When and why comprehensive stool testing can be a game-changer

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If you are over 35 and trying to conceive, you've probably been told that fertility declines with age. But the truth is that conversation is often incomplete. Age alone is not the whole story. What matters more is the environment your eggs and sperm are developing in—and that environment is shaped by inflammation, oxidative stress, nutrient status, metabolic health, sleep, and stress patterns.

There's actually a term in research called "inflammaging," which describes the slow rise in inflammation and oxidative stress as we get older. This process can impact mitochondrial function, hormone signaling, and DNA stability—all critical factors for fertility. But here's the hopeful part: your body is incredibly responsive. When you improve the internal environment, you can support egg quality, sperm health, and overall fertility—at any age.

"Fertility after 35 is not just about age—it's about the environment your eggs are developing in." — Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why age is only one piece of the fertility puzzle—and what actually matters more
• What "inflammaging" is and how it impacts egg and sperm quality
• The most important preconception lab markers to assess inflammation and metabolic health
• How mitochondrial function directly affects egg quality and embryo development
• The role of CoQ10 and key minerals in supporting reproductive health
• Simple nutrition strategies to lower oxidative stress and improve fertility outcomes
• Why sleep is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) fertility tools
• How strength training supports insulin sensitivity and hormone balance
• The connection between stress, nervous system regulation, and fertility
• Why "vitamin J" (joy) is a biological—not optional—part of conception

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

Recurrent miscarriage carries a weight that is difficult to put into words. If you've experienced multiple losses — especially around the same point in pregnancy — it can leave you feeling confused, discouraged, and wondering what your body is doing wrong. But after years of working with fertility patients, I want you to hear this clearly: your body is not broken.

When losses consistently happen around the same stage — particularly the 5–7 week window — your body is often giving us valuable information. The timing of a miscarriage can reveal underlying patterns related to metabolic health, immune regulation, embryo development, or the internal environment supporting pregnancy. When we begin to understand those signals, we can work with your physiology to strengthen the conditions that allow pregnancy to continue developing.

"Recurrent miscarriage doesn't mean your body is failing you — it often means your body is communicating something important." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why recurrent miscarriage around 6 weeks often points to identifiable physiological patterns
• What's happening biologically during the 5–7 week transition in pregnancy
• How metabolic health and insulin resistance can influence early pregnancy outcomes
• The role of immune balance and inflammation in sustaining early pregnancy
• Why gut health and the microbiome can impact miscarriage risk
• How mineral balance and mitochondrial function affect fertility and embryo development
• The connection between thyroid autoimmunity and pregnancy loss
• Why identifying patterns is key to improving future fertility outcomes
• Foundational strategies that support the body in maintaining pregnancy

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If you've noticed your sex drive feels quieter than it used to while trying to conceive, you are not broken — and you are not failing at fertility. Low libido is one of the most misunderstood experiences in the TTC journey, yet it's one of the most honest signals your body gives you. Desire isn't random. It's information.

In this episode, we reframe libido as biofeedback. Your body only prioritizes reproduction when it feels safe, nourished, rested, and supported. When stress is high, calories are inconsistent, sleep is disrupted, or emotional connection feels fragile, your nervous system down-regulates desire on purpose. Libido softening isn't a flaw — it's protective wisdom. Today, we unpack what low libido is really telling you about hormones, nervous system regulation, nutrition, and emotional safety while trying to conceive.

"Low libido isn't a flaw — it's biofeedback." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why low libido is a signal, not a fertility failure
• How stress, under-eating, poor sleep, and inflammation suppress desire
• The key hormones that drive libido and why ovulation matters
• How TTC pressure and performance-based intimacy lower testosterone
• Why emotional safety and connection directly affect desire
• The role of protein, carbs, fats, and cholesterol in hormone production
• How thyroid health, blood sugar, iron, zinc, and magnesium impact libido
• Simple ways to restore connection without throwing strategy out the window

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If you've been told IVF is your "best option" after a few labs and a short conversation, this episode is for you. I want to say this clearly: IVF is an incredible medical technology. It has helped millions of families build their babies. But it should almost never be the first step after an infertility—or "unexplained infertility"—diagnosis. It should be a tool of last resort, not a default.

What I care about most is your informed consent. You deserve to understand why pregnancy hasn't happened yet. True infertility—absence of ovaries or uterus, bilateral tubal removal, complete azoospermia—is rare. Most couples are dealing with subfertility, meaning something is interfering: inflammation, nutrient depletion, insulin resistance, immune dysregulation, poor egg or sperm quality. IVF bypasses these issues. It does not fix them. In this episode, I walk you through what should be investigated before jumping into a cycle—so you can improve your biology, your outcomes, and your future baby's long-term health.

"IVF bypasses biology. It does not fix the terrain." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why IVF should be a last-resort tool—not the default recommendation
• The critical difference between true infertility and subfertility
• Why IVF does not improve egg quality, sperm quality, or inflammation
• The labs most couples are missing before starting IVF
• How sperm DNA fragmentation impacts embryo quality and miscarriage risk
• Why AMH does not determine your ability to conceive naturally
• The 90-day preconception window that can dramatically improve outcomes
• When IVF truly makes sense—and how to prepare properly if it does

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If you've been trying to conceive for a while, chances are you've heard antioxidants mentioned a lot — for egg quality, sperm health, implantation, progesterone, and pretty much everything in between. And while antioxidants absolutely matter, they're not magic pills. They're tools. And how, when, and why we use them is what actually determines whether they move the needle for fertility.

In this episode of The Fertility Dietitian Podcast, I'm breaking down what oxidative stress really is, why reproductive cells are uniquely vulnerable to it, and how specific antioxidants like vitamin C, melatonin, NAC, and CoQ10 support egg quality, sperm health, progesterone production, and the uterine lining — when used strategically. This is about working with your biology, not throwing supplements at a problem and hoping for the best.

"Antioxidants aren't magic pills — they're tools. And timing, dose, and context are what make them powerful for fertility." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why oxidative stress impacts egg quality, sperm DNA, progesterone, and implantation

• How vitamin C supports the corpus luteum, progesterone production, and uterine lining health

• Why melatonin is one of the most powerful — and misunderstood — fertility antioxidants

• How NAC and glutathione support ovulation, sperm quality, and detox pathways

• Why CoQ10 is foundational for mitochondrial health, egg maturation, and sperm motility

• How antioxidants influence implantation, blood flow, and endometrial receptivity

• When food alone is enough — and when targeted supplementation makes sense

• Why more antioxidants aren't always better for fertility outcomes

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If there's one thing I've learned after a decade working in fertility, it's this: the environment your egg and sperm are maturing in matters more than genetics. And yet for years, concerns about environmental toxins were brushed off as fear-based or overblown. Fast forward to now, and the science is finally catching up. Microplastics and the chemicals attached to them are showing up exactly where we don't want them—our ovaries, testes, semen, placenta, and even developing babies.

In this episode, we're breaking down what microplastics actually are, how they interfere with hormone signaling, mitochondrial health, and DNA integrity, and why this matters long before pregnancy ever begins. Fertility doesn't start at a positive test—it starts months earlier during egg and sperm development. The good news? You don't need perfection or panic to make meaningful changes. Small, strategic shifts before conception can significantly reduce toxic burden and support healthier fertility outcomes.

"The environment your egg and sperm mature in matters more than the genetics you were handed." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How microplastics and nanoplastics end up in reproductive tissues

• Why egg quality and sperm health are especially vulnerable to environmental toxins

• The connection between plastics, endocrine disruption, and unexplained infertility

• How microplastics drive oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction

• Why preconception—not pregnancy—is the time to reduce toxic exposure

• Practical, realistic ways to lower plastic exposure without going crazy

• How supporting detox pathways protects fertility and future pregnancies

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

Coming off birth control can feel exciting, confusing, and honestly… a little overwhelming. Whether you're actively trying to conceive, planning for a baby in the next year, or just starting to think about fertility a few years down the road, what you do after birth control matters more than most women are ever told. Fertility doesn't start when you get a positive pregnancy test — it starts months (and often years) before conception.

In this episode of The Fertility Dietitian Podcast, I'm breaking down exactly how birth control impacts your nutrient status, hormones, and overall fertility — and more importantly, what to do about it. We'll talk about the key nutrients depleted by hormonal birth control, why egg quality takes time to improve, and how to intentionally support your body so fertility isn't an afterthought, but a foundation.

"Birth control doesn't just pause ovulation. It changes how your body absorbs and uses nutrients." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How birth control impacts nutrient absorption, gut health, and detox pathways

• Why fertility and egg quality depend on nutrient status before conception

• The most important nutrients to replete after coming off birth control

• The difference between folate and folic acid — and why it matters for egg quality

• How inflammation, stress, and poor digestion can block fertility progress

• Simple, foundational steps to support hormones, ovulation, and cycle regularity

• Why preconception nutrition matters even if pregnancy is years away

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

Estrogen gets a bad rap in the fertility world. If you've ever been told you have "estrogen dominance," you've probably been made to feel like estrogen is the problem — something to suppress, detox, or eliminate. But here's the truth: estrogen is essential for fertility, pregnancy, and long-term health. We don't want to get rid of estrogen. We want to help her stay balanced and working with your body, not against it.

In this episode of The Fertility Dietitian Podcast, we're breaking down what estrogen actually does in the body, how both high and low estrogen can interfere with fertility, and the biggest nutrition and lifestyle factors that influence estrogen metabolism. This is a short but powerful episode (15 minutes) that will completely change how you think about estrogen, hormone balance, and what actually supports healthy cycles and implantation.

"Estrogen isn't the villain — she's essential. The goal isn't suppression, it's balance." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why estrogen is a Goldilocks hormone — and why both high and low levels can impact fertility

• Common signs and symptoms of high estrogen vs. low estrogen

• How estrogen supports ovulation, implantation, cervical mucus, mood, bone health, and heart health

• Why "normal" estrogen labs don't always tell the full story

• The critical role of progesterone in balancing estrogen

• How gut health and the estrobolome influence estrogen recycling

• Why liver function matters for estrogen detox and metabolism

• How blood sugar, stress, over-exercising, and under-fueling disrupt estrogen balance

• The nutrients required for healthy estrogen metabolism

• Why genetics is not destiny when it comes to hormones

• My top three nutrition and lifestyle strategies to support estrogen balance

• Why blindly supplementing to "lower estrogen" can backfire

• When deeper testing (like the DUTCH test) is actually helpful

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Connect & Learn More:

• Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq
• Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health
• Contact me: [email protected]
• Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast