Fertility Nurses Unfiltered

Ashlee Laroue, BSN, RN and Laura Weppler, BSN, RN
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

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 and Laura Weppler, co-founders of Rooted Fertility Co., 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.rootedfertilityco.com/

  1. 1d ago

    Microplastics, Toxins & Fertility: What the Research Actually Shows

    You threw out the plastic cutting board. You swapped in the steel water bottle. You stopped microwaving your leftovers in the takeout container. And you are still lying awake wondering if it was enough, or if the plastic that has been part of your life since before you can remember has already made a decision your body has to live with. If that spiral sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Laura and Ashlee sit down with Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah, a reproductive endocrinologist at Mass General Fertility Center and the Mark and Catherine Winkler Associate Professor of Environmental, Reproductive and Women's Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research looks at how everyday exposures like air pollution, household chemicals and plastics actually intersect with ovulation, fertility and long-term health. In other words, she is exactly the person to help you tell the difference between what the science supports and what the internet is selling you. Together they get honest about the anxiety that microplastics are stirring up in fertility patients, and why the answer is almost never to burn your whole house down and start over. In this episode: What we actually know about microplastics and fertility, and the big gap between correlation and causationWhy "detox everything" can quietly become the most harmful choice of all when it delays the treatment you needThe small, sustainable swaps that are genuinely worth making, and the ones that are mostly marketingHow to spot fear-mongering, from yoga-pant panic to supplement claims aimed at a vulnerable audienceWhy healthy behaviors and fertility treatment are not either-or, and can move forward at the same timeWhere the research is headed, including the dream of a personalized calculator that tells you what is worth your ten minutes today The throughline is the one Laura and Ashlee come back to again and again: two things can coexist. You can get your testing done, start your treatment plan, and make calm, realistic changes to your environment all at once. You do not have to choose between doing something and doing everything. This episode is for you if you have ever stood in your kitchen holding a plastic container, unsure whether to feel fine or afraid, and just wanted someone with the actual data to tell you where to start. Connect with Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah:https://www.instagram.com/smahalingaiahmdhttps://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/20661/shruthi-mahalingaiah

  2. Aug 4

    When Fertility Becomes a Relationship Issue: Couples & Infertility

    Nobody drops off a casserole when your transfer fails. If a friend got a cancer diagnosis, you would expect the world to rally. Meals would show up. Someone would think to ask how the partner was holding up. But couples going through fertility treatment carry a comparable weight in near total silence, and the person standing right next to them carries it silently too. This week we sat down with Batya Novick, LCSW, founder of Calla Collective and one of the very few therapists whose entire practice is reproductive mental health. She has been on both sides of the clinic door. In 2010, while already specializing in maternal and reproductive mental health, she went through her own fertility journey and found herself sitting in a waiting room full of people who were obviously going through the same thing, feeling completely alone. She asked her doctor why there wasn't a single mental health person in the building. He told her she should do something about it. Calla Collective is what came of that. We talked about what fertility struggles actually do to a relationship, and how couples get through it together instead of quietly drifting apart. We get into: Chicken or egg: does fertility surface relationship struggles, or create themWhy "I'm broken, he should just find someone else" is one of the most common things happily married women say out loudThe internalized shame of unexplained infertility, and why uncertainty is the hardest thing for a brain to holdTime, expectations, and money (Batya's take on writing a $20,000 check with no guaranteed return)The three things every couple should be doing: name the stress, calendar the check-in, and protect time that has nothing to do with fertilityWhy calm does not mean not sad, and why yelling is often fearIntimacy when trying to conceive is, in her words, the unsexiest thing everWhy sex only for reproduction is the fastest way to kill a couple's sex driveFantasy vs real life, and what romantasy is doing to expectationsWhere the breaking points actually show up, including what Laura has watched happen in the consent room over embryo dispositionWhat to do when one partner will not go to therapySame sex couples, and where the dynamics are the same and where they are notGrief after loss, outside tears and inside tearsPregnancy and postpartum after a journey, and why you do not have to be happy The throughline of this whole conversation is permission. Permission to say this is hard without saying it is bad. Permission to grieve differently than your partner grieves. Permission to not be glowing at your eight week scan after four losses. Batya's point is that resilience is not something you either have or you don't. It is a muscle, and this is the muscle nobody wanted to build. But you are building it. And the relationship you are protecting right now is the same one that has to hold up long after the family building part is over. This episode is for you if you and your partner have stopped talking about it. If you are the one crying and they are the one who has gone quiet. If sex has become a task on a calendar. If you are pregnant after loss and cannot find the joy everyone insists you should feel. If you have ever thought, even silently, that they would be better off with someone else. 💛 Connect with Batya & Calla Collective: https://www.instagram.com/callacollectivehqhttps://www.calla-collective.com

  3. Jul 28

    Surrogacy From Both Sides: An Intended Mom & Her Surrogate Tell All

    Some stories begin with heartbreak. This one begins with hope. After three and a half years of infertility and four devastating losses, Jessica Butcher was searching for a path to motherhood built on trust and real connection, not paperwork and price tags. Amanda Konko felt called to carry for another family, but the traditional agency process left her feeling like a number in a pen. Then the two women met, first as coworkers, then as friends, and eventually as intended mother and surrogate. Amanda carried Jessica's daughter Olivia, delivered her in a peaceful home water birth, and somewhere along the way they discovered that the relationship itself was the most meaningful part of the entire journey. That experience inspired Little Seed Match, a private platform helping intended parents and surrogates connect through shared values, transparency, and authentic relationships. In this episode, we cover: Jessica's journey through recurrent loss and the moment surrogacy entered the conversationWhy the traditional agency model can feel transactional, and what it costs intended parents before a match is ever madeHow Little Seed Match flips the script with full profile transparency, mutual vetting, and autonomy for both sidesThe shocking things seasoned surrogates have shared about being made "marketable"Amanda's experience as a surrogate, from telling her three little boys to delivering Olivia at homeThe embryo transfer, the home birth, and what true alignment looks like at every stepPostpartum depression in non-birthing mothers, and why nobody warned Jessica it could happenGrief and joy living side by side after loss, and why "you should just be happy" needs to be retired Surrogacy is so often reduced to logistics, legal agreements, and headlines that get it wrong. Jessica and Amanda's story is proof that when the match comes first, everything else falls into place, and that the relationship between an intended parent and a surrogate can be one of the most beautiful partnerships there is. If you're an intended parent weighing your options, a hopeful surrogate wondering what this journey could look like, a fertility nurse supporting patients through third party reproduction, or someone who simply wants to understand surrogacy beyond the myths, this episode is for you. Connect with Little Seed Match:https://www.instagram.com/littleseedmatch/https://www.littleseedmatch.com/

  4. Jul 21

    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 12The "invisible trimester" and why so few people talk about the hardest stretch of early pregnancyWhat your OB does and doesn't know about your fertility journey, and why sharing your story mattersSpotting and bleeding in the first trimester: what can be normal and when to callPregnancy after loss and the anxiety of having no symptomsWhy the US maternal mortality crisis makes this more than a comfort issueHow 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:https://www.instagram.com/mydouladoc/https://mydouladoc.com/

  5. Jul 14

    Choosing Yourself: The Truth About Single Parenthood by Choice

    She came to the conclusion that she was probably going to get children or a marriage, but not both. So she chose children. Dr. Meggie Smith is a reproductive endocrinologist at Nashville Fertility Center and a single mom by choice, currently pregnant with her second daughter, both conceived from eggs she froze at 31. In this episode, she sits down with Laura and Ashlee to pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like to make that choice, plan for it strategically, build a support system from scratch, and navigate the very fertility system she works in every single day. Topics covered in this episode: Why Dr. Smith chose single parenthood over waiting for the "right" relationshipFreezing eggs at 31 and using them at 37: what that planning process actually looked likeChoosing a sperm donor and the 85% rule she shares with her own patientsGenetic anonymity, donor-conceived children, and why that landscape has changed foreverBuilding a support bench as a single parent working full timeThe broken healthcare system, straight from a physician living itWhy your insurance coverage might actually cost you more than paying cashHow the lack of reimbursement incentive makes it harder to be a thorough doctor Dr. Smith brings something rare to this conversation: she has sat in the REI chair as both clinician and patient. Her perspective is unfiltered, deeply practical, and genuinely validating for anyone navigating fertility on their own terms. This episode is for you if you've ever wondered whether single parenthood by choice is really possible, felt overwhelmed by insurance and financial decisions, or just needed to hear someone say out loud that the system is a racket and they're doing their best anyway. Connect with Dr. Meggie Smith and Nashville Fertility Center: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbsthinks/Website: https://www.nashvillefertility.com/about-us/fertility-specialists/meghan-smith-md/

  6. Jul 7

    Acupuncture For Fertility: What Happens When Eastern and Western Medicine Work Together

    Western medicine tells you what's broken. Eastern medicine asks why. And when the two actually work together? That's where fertility patients stop feeling like a number and start feeling supported. Dr. Mary Sabo has spent 20 years building bridges between worlds that too often stay divided. As a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and founder of Lillian Horn in New York City, she's done the quiet, deliberate work of earning physician trust one patient letter at a time, and the results speak for themselves. She now practices on-site at CCRM New York on embryo transfer days, collaborates with REIs across Manhattan, and has co-authored published research on complementary medicine. She also navigated her own IVF journey, conceiving her son at 43 using eggs she froze at 38. In this episode, we get into all of it: Why Eastern and Western medicine are better together, not in competitionHow acupuncture works as a signaling mechanism and what it actually does in the bodyThe evidence behind acupuncture for IVF, including live birth rate dataWhy the Eastern/Western divide often comes down to ego and how to spot red flags on both sidesHow Mary built trust with physicians over 20 years by speaking their languageNavigating acupuncture if you're needle-phobic or working with a tight budgetWhy fertility is as much an art form as a scienceMary's video game analogy for getting through the hardest parts of the journey The fertility space is noisy, and patients are vulnerable. The antidote isn't choosing a side. It's building a team that trusts each other enough to share the load. If you've ever wondered whether acupuncture is worth it, felt caught between your doctor and a wellness practitioner, or just needed someone to remind you that you don't have to figure this out alone, this episode is for you. Connect with Dr. Mary Sabo and Lillian Horn:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilyandhorn/Website: https://www.lilyandhorn.com/

  7. Jun 30

    Egg Freezing Unfiltered: Freeze Your Eggs, Own Your Fertility

    You've been told fertility is a birthright. It isn't. And the sooner you understand that, the more power you have to actually do something about it. This week, we sat down with Dr. Jaime Knopman, double board certified OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM New York, national director of fertility preservation for the entire CCRM network, and author of the new book Own Your Fertility. Dr. Knopman is also the medical director of Chick Mission, a nonprofit providing grants to young adult cancer patients so they can preserve their fertility before treatment. Ashlee worked alongside her at CCRM, and this conversation feels exactly like that history, honest, funny, and unguarded. We covered a lot of ground, including: Why Dr. Knopman shifted from calling herself an "infertility doctor" to a "fertility doctor," and why that distinction mattersThe truth about egg freezing attrition, and why comparing it to a Hail Mary versus a modern day high percentage play changes how you should think about your numbersEgg freezing versus embryo freezing, and the one scenario she says is worse than not knowing if your eggs are healthyMajor misconceptions she debunks constantly, including birth control and infertility, IUDs, atresia, and whether egg freezing depletes your future fertilityWhy she calls ovarian rejuvenation and "trimester zero" narratives a setup for disappointmentThe reality of physician burnout, why she only personally calls patients with bad news, and what it means to grieve a cycle that didn't workChick Mission's mission to close the access gap for cancer patients who need fertility preservation but don't have coverage This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like a number in this process, anyone considering egg freezing and wondering if they're doing it at the right time, and anyone who just wants to hear a physician talk about this work with real honesty. Resources mentioned in this episode:Dr. Jaime Knopman at CCRM New York: https://www.ccrmivf.com/ccrm-fertility-doctors/jaime-knopman/Chick Mission: https://www.thechickmission.org/Dr. Knopman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjaimeknopman/Dr. Knopman's website: https://drjaimeknopman.com/

  8. Jun 23

    Love Builds a Family: LGBTQIA+ Fertility, Inclusive Care, & Pride Month with an REI Who Gets It

    Dr. Keri Bergin didn't start her career in medicine. She started at the front desk of a fertility clinic. From a Craigslist job listing that landed her at the front desk of RMA New York at age 21, to completing her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at that same institution, Keri's path to becoming an REI is unlike almost any other in the field. She's also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community who has personally navigated fertility treatment with her wife. That combination of lived experience, clinical expertise, and deep patient perspective is exactly why we had to have her on the show. This week, in honor of Pride Month, Laura and Ashlee sit down with Dr. Keri Bergin of IVI RMA Southern California for a conversation that goes well beyond the basics of LGBTQIA+ family building. We get into: Why LGBTQIA+ patients are often assumed to have an easier path, and why that assumption misses the full pictureThe real emotional and logistical layers involved in using donor sperm, donor eggs, and gestational carriersWhat reciprocal IVF looks like legally, and the state-by-state gaps that can leave one parent off their own child's birth certificateHow Keri and her wife navigated choosing a known sperm donor, and what that relationship looks like nowInsurance coverage for LGBTQIA+ fertility treatment, and why only a handful of states actually have inclusive mandatesFertility preservation for trans patients, and what the research says about undergoing egg freezing while on testosteroneWhat the future of reproductive technology could mean for same-sex couples, including in vitro gametogenesisWhy providers who have been through it themselves show up differently for their patients This field is moving fast. The barriers are real. And the people working inside this system care more than patients sometimes get to see. This one is for all of you who are building your family on your own terms. This episode is for you if you're an LGBTQIA+ individual or couple navigating fertility treatment, a healthcare provider working toward more inclusive care, or anyone who has ever felt like the system wasn't quite built with them in mind. 📍 Find Dr. Keri Bergin: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keriberginmd/ Website: https://rmanetwork.com/staff/keri-bergin-md/

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5
out of 5
8 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 and Laura Weppler, co-founders of Rooted Fertility Co., 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.rootedfertilityco.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Ashlee Laroue, BSN, RN and Laura Weppler, BSN, RN
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ashlee Laroue, BSN, RN and Laura Weppler, BSN, RN
  • Show Website
    Fertility Nurses Unfiltered

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