Pregnant After Fertility Treatment: Real Talk About the Gaps in Care

One week you're being seen every few days with bloodwork and ultrasounds. The next, you're told "see you at 12 weeks" and sent out the door. So what happens in between? This week, Laura and Ashlee sit down with Dr. Alecia Fields, a board certified OBGYN, FACOG, and trained doula, to talk about one of the most jarring transitions in the entire fertility journey: the handoff from your fertility clinic to your OB. Dr. Fields is the creator of DoulaDoc, where she blends evidence-based medicine with real emotional support, and she pulls back the curtain on what OBs actually see when a fertility patient lands in their office (spoiler: it's usually one or two pages). Together they dig into why the first trimester feels like such an invisible, isolating waiting place, and what patients and providers can both do to close the gap. In this episode, we cover: Why fertility clinics discharge you around 8 weeks and why your OB may not see you until 12 The "invisible trimester" and why so few people talk about the hardest stretch of early pregnancy What your OB does and doesn't know about your fertility journey, and why sharing your story matters Spotting and bleeding in the first trimester: what can be normal and when to call Pregnancy after loss and the anxiety of having no symptoms Why the US maternal mortality crisis makes this more than a comfort issue How patients can advocate for themselves at every appointment, because you are not a burden The system wasn't built to see the whole you, and it's not going to fix itself. But between providers who care, better handoffs, and patients who feel empowered to speak up, we can start closing these gaps one conversation at a time. If you're navigating that scary stretch between your fertility clinic and your OB, pregnant after loss, or just tired of feeling like you're too much for the system, this episode is for you. Connect with Dr. Alecia Fields:   / mydouladoc   https://mydouladoc.com/