Fertility is one of the most misunderstood areas of women's health, and most people don't realize how early planning actually matters.
In this episode of The Shift podcast, Sonia Azad sits down with reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist Dr. Kimberly Yau to break down everything you need to know about fertility, egg freezing, IVF, AMH testing, PCOS, irregular periods, and how age impacts reproductive health.
You'll learn:
• When to see a fertility specialist
• What AMH actually means (and what it doesn't)
• The truth about egg freezing success rates
• Fertility in your 20s, 30s, and 40s
• IVF, embryos, and reproductive technology advances
• Male factor infertility and sperm health
• Fertility preservation for medical reasons (like cancer treatment)
This conversation is designed to give you clarity so you can make informed decisions about your reproductive future.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Meet Dr. Kimberly Yao — her 15-year journey to fertility medicine
02:30 The state of women's health today
03:00 Who sees a fertility specialist — and why
04:30 Sonia's personal experience freezing her eggs at 35
05:15 When is the right time to see a fertility specialist?
06:30 Fertility by decade: your 20s
07:45 How to find the right fertility clinic (look for SART)
08:45 Fertility by decade: your 30s
09:45 Why egg quality declines — the science explained
11:15 What AMH is and what it actually tells you
13:30 AMH ranges and what they mean
14:15 Fertility by decade: your 40s
15:30 What "60% abnormal eggs" actually means
16:30 Aneuploidy, chromosomes, and miscarriage risk explained
17:30 Fertility in your 50s — and the role of frozen eggs
18:45 How much does the male partner contribute?
19:45 What causes male factor infertility?
20:15 What a male fertility workup looks like
21:00 How much has egg freezing technology changed in 10 years?
22:00 Vitrification — the flash-freezing breakthrough
23:00 The most common questions Dr. Yao gets asked
24:10 The full fertility workup: what to expect
25:30 Tracking ovulation and irregular periods
27:00 When irregular periods become a red flag
28:00 Fertility preservation before chemotherapy
29:30 Cancer, fertility access, and insurance coverage
30:45 Sperm freezing — an undertalked option
31:00 Is there anything you can do to naturally preserve fertility?
32:00 Dr. Yao's message to anyone who's been putting this off
33:00 You can still get pregnant with one ovary or one fallopian tube
33:40 How to connect with Care Fertility
34:10 Closing thoughts
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
You don't need a fertility problem to see a fertility specialist
The best time to go is before you need to
Age 35 is when egg quality begins an exponential decline; the ideal time to freeze eggs is before that
AMH tells you how many eggs you have remaining, but it does not predict your future fertility
Up to 50% of infertility cases involve a male factor; it is never just a "woman's issue"
Vitrification (flash freezing) has dramatically improved egg survival rates after thawing
Freezing your eggs is not a guarantee, but it expands your options
If your period has been irregular for 3 or more months in a row, get evaluated
Cancer patients should ask about fertility preservation before starting treatment — coverage is expanding in many states
You can still conceive naturally with one ovary or one fallopian tube
Knowledge is the first step — being pre-contemplative puts you ahead
