The Workup Most REIs Skip Before Recommending Donor Eggs

The donor egg recommendation rarely comes after a complete workup. It comes after AMH, FSH, and an antral follicle count. That is usually where the investigation stops.

In this episode, Sarah Clark walks through what is missing from the workup before women are told donor eggs are their only path: the full thyroid panel, not just TSH. Stool DNA testing for H. pylori, parasites, and food sensitivities. The vaginal microbiome. The male partner's blood work, which most clinics do not run. The nervous system patterns most REIs do not connect to fertility.

Sarah shares Rebecca's case as a proof point. Rebecca was 27. Her AMH was 0.04 ng/mL. POI diagnosis. Told donor eggs were her only option. Her stool DNA testing revealed H. pylori and a parasite. Her food sensitivity testing showed gluten, dairy, and egg intolerance. She had adrenal insufficiency, thyroid imbalance, mineral depletion, and toxic load on her workup. Her eczema, migraines, and asthma were not separate issues. After targeted work, she conceived naturally in month five. Outcomes vary. Rebecca's case is one of many we use to illustrate what completing the workup can look like.

This episode is for the woman sitting with a donor egg recommendation who is not ready to agree before she understands what was actually evaluated. The goal is clarity. Not opposition to your clinic. Not a guarantee of any outcome. Clarity on what your workup did not include, so that whatever you decide next gets made on the full picture.

What this episode covers:

The diagnosis is real. The investigation is incomplete. Why TSH alone is not a thyroid panel. H. pylori, hidden food sensitivities, and the gut inflammation driver. Eczema, migraines, and asthma as fertility signals. The male partner's workup should include beyond a semen analysis. Nervous system patterns most REIs do not connect to fertility.

Next steps:

Access the free guide: What Your Clinic Missed. The guide walks through the markers that the Fab Fertile team reviews before a donor egg recommendation. Email hello@fabfertile.ca, subject line MISSED.

Book a Functional Fertility Second Opinion. We'll review your labs, your history, your full picture, and your partner's picture together, so you know what your biology has been telling you and what your next decision should be informed by. Email hello@fabfertile.ca, subject line FERTILE, or book here.

About the Host

I'm Sarah Clark, founder of Fab Fertile and host of Get Pregnant Naturally, a podcast with over one million downloads. My functional fertility team works with couples navigating low AMH and failed IVF, reviewing functional lab results, gut microbiome, food sensitivity, vaginal microbiome, nutrigenomics, HTMA, DUTCH, toxin testing, and bloodwork alongside nervous system work, to help identify patterns that may not have been considered. We work alongside your medical team, not instead of them.

Subscribe to Get Pregnant Naturally for weekly episodes on fertility optimization, IVF preparation, and the lab work your doctor probably isn't running.

Timestamps

[00:00] The Donor Egg Recommendation and the Investigation Underneath It

[01:00] The Diagnosis Is Real. The Investigation Is Incomplete.

[02:00] Sarah's POI Story and Why Fab Fertile Exists

[03:00] Rebecca's Case: POI at 27, AMH 0.04, ng/mL Told Donor Eggs Were Her Only Option

[04:00] Functional Lab Testing Before a Donor Egg Decision

[05:00] What We Found: H. pylori, Parasites, Food Sensitivities, Adrenal Insufficiency, Thyroid

[06:00] Eczema, Migraines, Asthma: Not Separate Issues From Fertility

[07:00] Rebecca Conceived Naturally in Month Five

[08:00] What Your Clinic Missed: The Markers Before a Donor Egg Recommendation

[09:00] Why a Standard REI Workup Cannot Answer Why Your Numbers Are What They Are

[10:00] Medical Gaslighting and the Permission to Investigate Further

[11:00] The Functional Fertility Second Opinion: How It Works