Fertility 101: What Every Woman Should Know About Her Body

Mary Alice and Dr. A sit down with reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert Dr. Natalie Crawford for a deep dive into everything women should know about their fertility before they’re ready to have a baby. They discuss why fertility can be an important reflection of overall health, how inflammation, endometriosis, PCOS/PMOS, and autoimmune conditions can impact reproductive health, and why women shouldn’t have to wait until they’re struggling to conceive before they start asking questions.

The conversation also breaks down AMH and ovarian reserve, egg freezing, when it makes sense to see a fertility specialist, and what women should know about long-term birth control and fertility. Dr. Crawford shares why getting more information earlier can give women more choices later, and why understanding your own body is one of the most important parts of advocating for your health.

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What You’ll Learn

• Why fertility can be an important marker of overall health
• How inflammation can affect reproductive health
• What AMH measures and what it can tell you about ovarian reserve
• When women should consider fertility testing
• When it may make sense to see a fertility specialist
• What to know about egg freezing and ovarian reserve
• How endometriosis, PCOS/PMOS, and autoimmune conditions can affect fertility
• Whether long-term birth control can impact fertility
• What to consider before coming off birth control and trying to conceive
• How to advocate for yourself when you feel dismissed by your doctor

Key Timestamps

00:00 Male Fertility Is Half the Puzzle

01:42 The Fertility Formula Meet Dr. Natalie Crawford

02:15 Reproductive Endocrinology: Her Path to Fertility Medicine

05:34 Inflammation: The Hidden Root of Infertility

08:01 Chronic Inflammation vs. Normal Immune Response

10:07 Celiac, Endo, Hashimoto's Medical Causes of Inflammation

11:16 Undiagnosed Infertility

13:02 Anti-Inflammatory Eating Explained

16:09 Gut Microbiome Fiber & Healthy Fats

25:01 AMH:The Ovarian Reserve Test

29:53 Missed Diagnoses Endometriosis & PMOS

30:16 Private Equity and Fertility Medicine

40:28 Endo Test New Blood & Saliva Diagnostics

43:18 Does Birth Control Hurt Fertility?

45:02 IUDs: Thin Linings & Scar Tissue Risk

50:33 When to See a Specialist?

53:05 Pregnancy After 40

Key Takeaways

• Fertility is about more than getting pregnant. Fertility issues can sometimes point to underlying health conditions that deserve attention.
• You don't have to wait until you're trying to conceive to learn about your fertility. The conversation explores how earlier testing can give women more information and more choices.
• AMH is one piece of the fertility puzzle. Understanding ovarian reserve can help women make more informed decisions about their reproductive timeline and options.
• Birth control does not appear to cause long-term infertility. Dr. Crawford explains that research has not shown a long-term difference in conception rates after stopping the pill, while noting that hormonal birth control can affect how certain fertility markers are interpreted.
• You can see a fertility specialist before experiencing infertility. Fertility specialists can help women understand ovarian reserve, discuss egg freezing, and identify potential issues before someone begins trying to conceive.

Guest Bio: Dr. Natalie Crawford

Dr. Natalie Crawford is a reproductive endocrinologist, fertility specialist, educator, podcast host, and author of The Fertility Formula. After completing her OBGYN residency at Parkland Hospital, she completed a three-year fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She now practices at Fora Fertility in Austin, Texas, and has spent more than a decade educating women about fertility and reproductive health.

She is also the host of the As A Woman podcast, which has reached millions of downloads, and wrote The Fertility Formula to give women the foundational fertility education she believes they should have much earlier in life. Her goal is to help women understand their bodies and fertility before they’re ready to have children, so they can make informed decisions when the time comes.

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