The Egg Whisperer Show

Today's podcast episode is all about the four things you can learn from your IVF cycle.

1. Quality of Your Eggs

2. Fertilization: ICSI, PICSI, and Insemination
You'll also learn about how many of your eggs are mature, and your rate of fertilization.

3. Embryo development and progression

4. Genetic testing

Read the full show notes for this episode, and find out more about each step on Dr. Aimee's website.

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, February 9, 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
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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.

In this episode, I sit down with one of my former mentors and professors, Dr. Alan Penzias, Medical Director at Boston IVF and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, to discuss his recent editorial in the Annals of Internal Medicine titled "The Weighty Issue of Obesity and Reproductive Success." 
Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website. 
We dive deep into how age and weight factor into the fertility equation and why these conversations are so critical for anyone trying to conceive. Dr. Penzias shares his decades of experience helping patients navigate the complex intersection of body mass index, maternal age, and reproductive success, offering practical guidance on when to seek treatment and how to optimize your health before trying to get pregnant.

In this episode, we cover:

How age remains the strongest predictor of fertility success and why both partners should consider timing
The U-shaped curve of BMI and fertility: why both low and high body mass index can impact conception
Practical strategies for doctors for discussing weight and fertility with patients in a shame-free, empowering way
When to prioritize immediate fertility treatment versus taking time for weight optimization based on age
The role of GLP-1 medications (like Tirzepatide) in fertility treatment and safe protocols for use Why unexplained infertility may have hidden explanations related to weight and metabolic health
The "do the as if" philosophy: building sustainable health habits one step at a time

Resources:

Dr. Alan Penzias and Boston IVF: BostonIVF.com
Dr. Penzias's editorial: "The Weighty Issue of Obesity and Reproductive Success" - Annals of Internal Medicine https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-02742 
Dr. Penzias's YouTube video: "Evidence-Based Approach to Unexplained Infertility" https://youtu.be/9j4lNvmaXts?si=zmMFZFOno0sWnhcn 
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Practice Committee resources on overweight and fertility https://www.asrm.org/
Dr. Stephanie Fein  - Fertility Weight Loss Specialist: https://www.stephaniefeinmd.com/ 
Hillary Wright, Nutritionist at Boston IVF: https://www.bostonivf.com/physicians/hillary-wright
Do you have questions about IVF?
Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.
The next live class call is on Monday, February 9, 2026 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.

Other ways to connect with Dr. Aimee and The Egg Whisperer Show:
Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips!
Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates

Have you ever used Google Maps and been redirected midway via a better route? Think about this show as your personalized navigation tool for fertility and IVF, as Dr. Aimee shares the five things you need to know before, during, and after IVF to support yourself.


1. Be clear on why you're considering IVF. Why are you doing IVF?


2. Realize your relationships may change. This is something I ask my patients to think about before, during, and after IVF.


3. Develop a plan for unused embryos. When you're going through IVF this is likely the last thing you want to think or talk about.


4. Know that pregnancy isn't always easy. Developing a support system is important during IVF and fertility treatment.


5. Understand that your feelings may linger. The feelings you had when you had a hard time getting pregnant can sometimes continue during pregnancy, after pregnancy, and beyond.


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, February 9, 2026 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.

Other ways to connect with Dr. Aimee and The Egg Whisperer Show:
Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more fertility tips!
Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates

I'm delighted to have Dr. Lee Hullender Rubin join me today to talk about all things acupuncture - including her recent publication in Reproductive Biomedicine Online on the effect of acupuncture on IVF related anxiety. She's going to share the 5 ways that acupuncture helps with fertility treatment, and so much more!

Dr. Lee is an award-winning doctor of acupuncture and the founder of Rosefinch Health, where she blends compassionate care with over two decades of clinical experience specializing in fertility, IVF support, pelvic and vulvovaginal pain, and cancer-related support.

Read the full show notes on my website.  

In addition to her work as a clinician, Dr. Lee is also an accomplished teacher and researcher of acupuncture and integrative East Asian Medicine, having authored more than 30 publications during her career. She recently founded Rosefinch Academy, a continuing education hub for acupuncturists to learn how acupuncture and integrative medicine can support fertility. Thank you for joining me, Dr. Lee! You can learn more about Dr. Lee here: https://www.rosefinchhealth.com/

Do you have questions about IVF? Join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class at The Egg Whisperer School.
The next live class call is on Monday, February 9, 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!
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.

In this episode, I'm thrilled to welcome Hana Janebdar, co-founder and CEO of Juno Bio, all the way from London to discuss a topic I consider the new frontier in women's health: the vaginal microbiome. Hana brings incredible expertise with her background in biology and biochemical engineering from Imperial College London, and she's pioneering research that's closing the gender health gap. We dive into what the vaginal microbiome actually is, why it matters for your fertility journey, and how this community of bacteria and yeast living in your body can impact everything from IVF success rates to unexplained infertility.

Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website

Throughout our conversation, Hana and I explore the fascinating connection between vaginal health and fertility outcomes, including the shocking statistic that women with disrupted vaginal microbiomes fail IVF 91% of the time. We discuss how bacterial imbalances can contribute to conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal factor infertility and why having a blocked tube doesn't automatically mean you had an STI. Hana shares how Juno Bio's at-home comprehensive vaginal microbiome test works, what you can learn from it, and the personalized treatment options available. This is essential information for anyone trying to conceive or optimize their reproductive health.


In this episode, we cover:

What the vaginal microbiome is and why 56% of your cells are actually microbial, not human
How disrupted vaginal microbiomes impact IVF success rates and can cause a 91% failure rate
The connection between vaginal bacteria and tubal factor infertility beyond STIs
Why blocked fallopian tubes don't always mean you had a sexually transmitted infection
How Juno Bio's at-home vaginal microbiome test works and what it reveals about your health
Treatment options for vaginal microbiome imbalances, from antibiotics to targeted probiotics
Why you should never douche and how your vagina is like a self-cleaning oven
Resources:
You can find out more about Juno Bio and Hana here: https://www.juno.bio/

Do you have questions about IVF? Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.
The next live class call is on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 4 pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and Egg Freezing, and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.


Other ways to follow Dr. Aimee:
Visit my YouTube channel for more fertility tips
Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates
Join The Egg Whisperer School
Request a Consultation with Dr. Aimee
 
Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well‑known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby‑making 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.

Keywords: vaginal microbiome, fertility, IVF success rates, bacterial vaginosis, tubal factor infertility, vaginal health, women's health, microbiome testing, at-home health test, Juno Bio, pelvic inflammatory disease, reproductive health, fertility testing, vaginal bacteria, probiotics for vaginal health, recurrent infections, fertility optimization, unexplained infertility, blocked fallopian tubes, vaginal dysbiosis, personalized women's health, fertility journey, reproductive microbiome