Fertility Nurses Unfiltered

Ashlee Laroue, BSN, RN and Laura Weppler, BSN, RN

Fertility Nurses Unfiltered is a nurse-led podcast for people navigating infertility and fertility treatment who want clarity, honesty, and support beyond the clinic walls. Hosted by former fertility clinic nurses Ashlee Laroue (FertilitEase) and Laura Weppler (Navigating Fertility with Laura), we pull back the curtain on IVF, fertility care, transfers, medications, canceled cycles, burnout, and the emotional realities patients aren’t always prepared for. Two nurses. One mic. No b******t. https://www.navigatingyourfertility.com/ https://www.fertilitease.com/

Episodes

  1. 11H AGO

    IVF: What No One Explains Before You Start

    In this episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered, fertility nurses Laura and Ashlee break down what actually happens before IVF begins and why so many patients feel unprepared for this phase of fertility treatment. IVF does not start when most people think it does. Before injections, medications, or an IVF cycle plan, there are often weeks to months of fertility testing, consultations, and decision-making that happen first. This episode walks through the real process of getting started with a fertility clinic, including one of the biggest misconceptions in reproductive medicine: seeing a fertility specialist does not automatically mean you need IVF. Laura and Ashlee explain what to expect at your first fertility appointment and the testing that is commonly required before treatment can begin, including hormone testing, ultrasounds, genetic carrier screening, semen analysis, and uterine cavity evaluation. They also discuss: IVF basics and what happens before a cycle starts Fertility testing and why it matters How fertility clinics determine treatment plans Common IVF misconceptions and myths Why timelines in fertility treatment can feel longer than expected The emotional experience of waiting, uncertainty, and lack of clarity This episode is designed to help you better understand the early stages of infertility care so you can ask better questions, advocate for yourself, and feel more confident navigating the process. Whether you are trying to conceive, considering IVF, or just starting your fertility journey, this conversation offers clear, evidence-based insight into what really happens before treatment begins. This is Part 1 of a two-part IVF series. In Part 2, we will break down what social media says you should do before IVF and what actually matters. Because fertility is complex, but understanding it should not be.

    1h 10m
  2. MAR 10

    The IVF In-Between: What Happens After You Leave the Clinic

    In this episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered, Ashlee and Laura dive into one of the most confusing parts of fertility treatment: everything that happens between appointments. From the outside, fertility care can look straightforward. There is an appointment, a test, and then a treatment plan. But anyone who has been through treatment knows that the real experience often happens in the in-between. The waiting. The uncertainty. The questions that come up long after you leave the clinic. Drawing on their years of experience working inside fertility clinics, Ashlee and Laura pull back the curtain on what is actually happening behind the scenes. They discuss how clinics operate, why certain processes unfold the way they do, and why some patient frustrations are more complex than they appear from the outside. At the same time, they acknowledge the very real emotional side of treatment. The stress, confusion, and isolation many patients feel while navigating appointments, lab results, and treatment decisions. This conversation explores: What is happening inside the clinic that patients often do not see Why communication gaps sometimes occur The frustrations patients commonly experience during treatment The realities fertility clinic teams are navigating How better support, advocacy, and transparency can improve the patient experience Ashlee and Laura bring both perspectives to the table. They share the clinical understanding of how fertility clinics function alongside the empathy that comes from working closely with patients every day. Their goal is simple. To create honest conversations that help patients feel more informed, more supported, and less alone as they move through fertility care. Because fertility treatment is not just about what happens during appointments. It is about everything that happens between them.

    53 min
  3. MAR 3

    Behind the Scrubs: Our Personal Fertility Stories as Nurses

    Welcome to the very first episode of Fertility Nurses Unfiltered. In this episode, we’re going “behind the scrubs” and introducing who we are, how we got into fertility nursing, and why we started this podcast. We’re not reading from a script — we’re starting with the real stories that shaped how we show up for patients today. Laura shares her personal fertility journey, including what it was like trying to conceive, going through IVF, and navigating the emotional whiplash that can come even when things “work.” We also talk about how being a fertility nurse during your own treatment can be both empowering and overwhelming, and why early pregnancy betas can stir up so much anxiety even when you know the science. Ashlee shares her unique path in the fertility space, including how her personal journey and lived experience influenced the decisions she made, and why she ultimately feels content with where she and her husband landed — even though it looks different than what many people assume fertility “success” has to be. From there, we zoom out and talk about the bigger why behind this show: the loneliness so many patients describe, the gap between clinic visits and real life, and what happens when people are left to piece everything together through Google, social media, and well-meaning opinions. We also get into: Why “everyone has an opinion” can make fertility feel even heavierWhy community can help, and why it can also feel complicatedWhy second opinions aren’t “being difficult” (and can be incredibly empowering)The rise of AI, why it can sound confident while still being wrong, and why nuance matters in fertility care This episode sets the tone for what’s coming: honest, evidence-based conversations from two nurses who’ve been inside the system and now support patients beyond it. Two nurses. One mic. No b******t.

    1h 4m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Fertility Nurses Unfiltered is a nurse-led podcast for people navigating infertility and fertility treatment who want clarity, honesty, and support beyond the clinic walls. Hosted by former fertility clinic nurses Ashlee Laroue (FertilitEase) and Laura Weppler (Navigating Fertility with Laura), we pull back the curtain on IVF, fertility care, transfers, medications, canceled cycles, burnout, and the emotional realities patients aren’t always prepared for. Two nurses. One mic. No b******t. https://www.navigatingyourfertility.com/ https://www.fertilitease.com/