The Pregnancy Doctor: Pregnancy Is Halved Every Year After Age 32! If You Want 2+ Children, DO THIS!

Added: Jun 3, 2024

Increasing Rates of Infertility

Crawford highlights the increasing rates of infertility, with one in every five women experiencing difficulties conceiving. She shares her personal experience of facing four pregnancy losses before successfully having children, underscoring the emotional toll and isolation that often accompanies fertility struggles. She stresses the importance of seeking support and sharing experiences with loved ones to alleviate feelings of guilt and shame associated with infertility.

Factors Affecting Fertility Rates

The conversation delves into the societal backdrop of declining fertility rates globally, with factors such as delayed childbearing, environmental toxins, and lifestyle choices contributing to challenges in conception. Crawford explains the differences between male and female reproductive systems, highlighting the impact of stress, obesity, and environmental toxins on sperm and egg health. Regarding sperm health, Crawford discusses the decline in sperm counts over the past 50 years and attributes it to various factors, including unhealthy lifestyles, stress, and environmental toxins. She emphasizes the importance of regular ejaculation to maintain optimal sperm quality and count. She also addresses the detrimental effects of smoking cigarettes and marijuana on sperm health, leading to decreased sperm count, motility, and DNA damage. Lastly, she mentions the potential impact of phone radiation on sperm health, noting that modern phones emit less radiation compared to earlier models.

Crawford also delves into the concept of the ovarian reserve, likening it to a vault containing a woman's eggs. She explains that women are born with a certain number of eggs, which gradually decrease over time. She details how the number of eggs released each month decreases as a woman ages, leading to a decline in fertility.

Fertility Treatments

In discussing fertility treatments, Crawford shares insights from her clinic, Fora Fertility, where she sees individuals who have struggled with conception despite trying for one to two years. She emphasizes the importance of personalized care and empowering patients with knowledge about their reproductive health. She recounts a patient's experience where discovering a sperm issue led to improved communication and support within the relationship, highlighting the importance of viewing fertility struggles as a shared journey.

The Impact of Temperature on Sperm Production

Crawford explains that testosterone and sperm production are closely linked, as they are both produced in the testicles. She highlights the significance of maintaining a lower body temperature for optimal sperm production, as factors such as sauna use, hot tub use, laptop placement, and phone proximity to the scrotum can increase scrotal temperature and impact sperm quality.

The Importance of Testing Female Fertility

Crawford stresses the importance of testing female fertility through markers like anti-mullerian hormone levels and ultrasounds to assess ovarian reserve. She challenges the notion that checking ovarian reserve causes undue stress, arguing that knowing one's egg count can help individuals make informed decisions about their reproductive health and potential interventions. She addresses the issue of regret, highlighting how individuals may feel remorseful for not taking proactive steps to preserve their fertility earlier in life. She emphasizes the importance of confronting the truth about one's reproductive health and making choices that align with their fertility goals.

Lifestyle Factors and Ovarian Reserve

Crawford discusses the impact of lifestyle factors on ovarian reserve, noting that unhealthy habits like smoking, poor diet, lack of sleep, and chronic stress can decrease egg quality and quantity. She touches on the role of inflammation in fertility, emphasizing the importance of managing stress, getting enough sleep, and following a healthy diet to reduce inflammation levels. She highlights the detrimental effects of processed foods, refined sugar, and processed meats on fertility, noting that a diet high in fruits and vegetables can support reproductive health.

Exercise and Fertility

The conversation then shifts to the role of exercise in fertility. Crawford explains how intense exercise or extreme weight loss can disrupt the menstrual cycle by affecting hormone levels and ovulation. She stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in moderate exercise to support reproductive health. She also touches on the significance of regular sleep patterns and stress management in optimizing fertility.

The Menstrual Cycle

Crawford delves into the menstrual cycle, explaining the process of ovulation and the factors that can influence cycle regularity. She defines a normal menstrual cycle as one that is regular and predictable, with variations in cycle length ranging from 24 to 35 days. She discusses the fertile window in the menstrual cycle, highlighting the importance of timing intercourse for conception. She also addresses common challenges couples face when trying to conceive, such as irregular cycles and difficulties in tracking ovulation.

Challenges of Conceiving

Crawford acknowledges the pressure and stress that can accompany trying to conceive, especially for couples who are starting their families later in life. She discusses the average time it takes for different age groups to conceive and emphasizes the importance of seeking medical advice if conception does not occur within a year of trying. She also touches on the impact of age on fertility, noting that the chances of conception decrease with advancing age. The conversation then delves into the topic of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a common condition that affects up to 20% of the population. Crawford explains that PCOS is characterized by an imbalance of hormones and an increased number of eggs in the ovaries. She discusses the potential causes of PCOS, including genetic factors and prenatal influences. She highlights the importance of early diagnosis and management of PCOS to improve fertility outcomes.

Challenges and Solutions for PCOS and Fertility

Crawford shares insights into the challenges faced by individuals with PCOS, including irregular menstrual cycles, ovulatory dysfunction, and difficulties in conceiving. She emphasizes the need for personalized treatment approaches for individuals with PCOS, including lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, and medical interventions. She also addresses the use of assisted reproductive technologies, such as intrauterine insemination, in overcoming fertility challenges associated with PCOS. In discussing the complexities of fertility and reproductive health, Crawford touches on the emotional and psychological aspects of trying to conceive. She emphasizes the importance of open communication, support, and seeking professional help when facing fertility challenges.

Impact of PCOS and Endometriosis on Fertility

Crawford highlights the impact of PCOS on fertility, noting that the condition can lead to anovulation, where the ovaries do not release eggs regularly. This can result in difficulty getting pregnant and an increased risk of endometrial cancer due to the lack of progesterone production. She explains that treatment for PCOS may involve medications such as Clomid or Letrozole to stimulate ovulation, as well as lifestyle changes to manage insulin resistance and hormone production. Endometriosis is another condition discussed in the podcast, characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. This tissue responds to estrogen and can cause inflammation, pain during menstruation, and infertility. Crawford explains that endometriosis can lead to scar tissue and blockage of the fallopian tubes, impacting fertility. Treatment for endometriosis may involve medications to suppress ovulation and reduce inflammation, as well as surgical intervention to remove the tissue.

Proactive Family Planning for PCOS and Endometriosis

Crawford emphasizes the importance of proactive family planning for women with PCOS or endometriosis. She recommends assessing ovarian reserve and fertility factors before trying to conceive, as these conditions can impact egg quality and quantity. For women with endometriosis, she suggests considering embryo banking through IVF to preserve embryos for future use. This approach allows women to optimize their chances of successful pregnancy by freezing genetically normal embryos at a younger age. The podcast also touches on the age-related decline in fertility, with Crawford noting that pregnancy rates decrease significantly after age 32. She explains that women lose eggs every month and that the quality of eggs declines with age, leading to a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities and infertility. She advises women who want multiple children to start family planning early and consider options like egg or embryo freezing to preserve their fertility.

Genetic Testing in Fertility Treatments

Crawford highlights the role of genetic testing in fertility treatments, particularly in IVF. She explains that genetic testing can help identify genetically normal embryos, increasing the chances of a successful pregnancy. She also addresses the stigma surrounding fertility treatments, emphasizing the importance of having open and honest conversations about reproductive health. The cost of fertility treatments, such as freezing eggs and IVF, is discussed, with Crawford noting that freezing eggs is about half as expensive as IVF.

Dispelling Fertility Myths and Providing Support

The podcast delves into common misconceptions about fertility and pregnancy, such as the belief that certain sex positions or post-coital behaviors can increase the chances of conception. Crawford dispels these myths and provides evidence-based information on optimizing fertility. She shares personal experiences of her own fertility journey, including pregnancy losses and the challenges she faced while working as a doctor in a busy labor and delivery unit. She reflects on difficult conversations with patients and the emotional toll of witnessing pregnancy loss and stillbirth.

Resilience in the Face of Loss

The podcast concludes with Crawford answering a question about the most difficult conversation that changed her life. She shares a moment after experiencing a pregnancy loss, where she received words of encouragement and hope. She emphasizes the importance of staying resilient and not giving up hope, even in the face of fertility challenges.