Understanding IVF: What It Is, Why It’s Done, and What to Expect

As a Woman

Natalie Crawford

Health & Fitness, Medicine

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dr. Natalie Crawford explains the IVF journey—breaking down the medical process, emotional rollercoaster, and key ways to prepare. Whether you're just starting to explore fertility treatments or already on the path, she offers expert insights and practical advice to help you feel informed, empowered, and supported on the journey. Key Topics: 1. The IVF Process - Scientific complexity of fertility treatment - Hormone regulation and egg stimulation - The science behind creating embryos 2. Genetic Screening and Reproductive Potential - Chromosomal analysis and embryo selection - Age-related fertility challenges - Giving yourself the best chance at pregnancy 3. Preparing for IVF - Eating for fertility - Lifestyle changes that boost your chances - Taking care of yourself inside and out 4. Being Your Own Health Advocate - Asking the right questions - Understanding what doctors are telling you - Taking control of your fertility journey My debut book, The Fertility Formula, is on pre-sale! Order now! https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive updates, Q&A, special content, and freebies If you haven’t already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Tuesday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliecrawfordmd,⁠⁠⁠⁠ check out Natalie’s YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fora Fertility. Join the Learn at Pinnacle app ⁠to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode! This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network! Learn more about Pinnacle at learnatpinnacle.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	IVF is in vitro fertilization.
0:02.4	So this means that we're going to be fertilizing eggs and sperm together in the lab.
0:06.4	When we do this, we've got to get the eggs and sperm out of the body.
0:09.6	That sounds really straightforward.
0:11.3	But the truth is, success is all in the numbers.
0:14.8	The age that you are when you go through IVF,
0:16.6	and the number of eggs that you can get will dictate a lot of your success in a per cycle basis.
0:22.1	But this doesn't mean that other factors are not important and it doesn't mean that you can't
0:26.6	have success if you are older or if you have a lower egg count.
0:31.6	Welcome back to the As a Woman podcast.
0:34.3	I'm Dr. Natalie Crawford and today we're talking about a topic that so many people
0:38.0	have questions about, but often feel too overwhelmed to ask, IVF. Whether you're considering
0:43.4	it, preparing for it, or just want to understand what this process actually looks like,
0:48.0	this episode is for you. Because while IVF is one of the most powerful tools in fertility
0:53.0	medicine, it is also filled
0:55.0	with the unknown, timelines, hormones, expectations, and emotions.
0:59.3	This can all be hard to navigate.
1:01.2	But in this episode, we're going to walk through what IVF actually is and who it's for,
1:05.4	what makes it emotionally and physically complex, and how to prepare, ask the right
1:09.6	questions, and advocate for yourself
1:11.2	every step of the way. If you're trying to conceive and wondering what options are ahead,
1:15.4	this is the clarity that you've been looking for. So let's dive right in. In the first part of this
	...

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