Everything You Need to Know Before Trying to Conceive | Dr. Natalie Crawford

Dr. Natalie Crawford is a board-certified OBGYN, fertility specialist, and reproductive endocrinologist helping women and couples better understand their fertility, hormones, and reproductive health. In this conversation, she breaks down what people commonly get wrong about fertility, why infertility rates are rising, how to track ovulation correctly, and what men and women can do before trying to conceive. You’ll learn: • Why fertility is not just luck • Why infertility rates are rising • How your menstrual cycle actually works • Why cycle tracking apps can be wrong • How to know if you’re really ovulating • What happens after coming off birth control • When to consider fertility testing • How age affects fertility and egg quality • What to know about egg freezing and IVF • Why male fertility matters just as much • What to do 3–6 months before trying to conceive If you’re in your 20s or 30s, thinking about having kids one day, trying to conceive, or simply wanting to understand your body better, this episode will leave you more informed, prepared, and empowered. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/01bg... 🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📻 Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-p... Subscribe for more conversations with world-class experts. 00:00 Intro 01:25 What We Get Wrong About Fertility 02:12 Why Infertility Rates Are Rising 03:00 How Infertility Is Defined 04:25 When to Get Fertility Testing 06:24 Why Fertility Is a Health Marker 07:11 How the Menstrual Cycle Actually Works 09:19 Why Cycle Tracking Apps Can Be Wrong 11:22 How to Know If You’re Ovulating 14:56 Wearables, Oura Ring & Cycle Data 15:59 Why LH Strips Don’t Always Work 19:21 Why Knowing Your Baseline Matters 20:13 What Happens After Coming Off Birth Control 24:12 Birth Control Types & Fertility Timing 25:28 How Age Impacts Fertility 30:34 When to Think About Egg Freezing 34:25 Fertility After 30 36:19 Planning for the Family You Want 40:42 What Actually Goes Into IVF 44:48 Pregnancy, Infertility & Loss 47:05 What to Say to Someone Going Through Miscarriage 48:20 Miscarriage Shame & Self-Blame 51:00 When to Announce Pregnancy 53:40 Early Signs of Miscarriage 56:12 Morning Sickness & Pregnancy Health 57:00 Trying Again After Miscarriage 59:31 3–6 Month Preconception Protocol 01:03:28 Supplements Before Trying to Conceive 01:04:12 Male Fertility Matters Too 01:05:37 Fertile Window & Timing Sex 01:06:50 Sex Positions & Fertility Myths 01:07:23 PCOS, Endometriosis & Fertility 01:11:07 The Two-Week Wait Explained 01:12:51 The Fertility Formula Book 01:14:14 Advice for Giving Birth 01:14:57 Working Out While Pregnant 01:16:46 Final Advice for Anyone Trying to Conceive