Libsyn Directory

Ep 147 Men's Perspective on Infertility with Jared Walker

Release Date: 10/28/2025

Ep 170 Cost of Fertility Care: Solutions with Angela Rastegar from Sunfish

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

What if the hardest part of your fertility journey isn’t the medicine, it’s affording the best treatment? How do you plan for IVF costs when coverage is unclear or incomplete? And is there a smarter, more supported way to navigate the financial stress of building a family? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Angela Rastegar, CEO and founder of Sunfish, joins Dr. Lora Shahine. They are honoring National Fertility Week through their conversation that explores the real cost of fertility care and why financial planning is just as critical as medical care. Angela shares her deeply...

BONUS Ep 169 Fighting for Fertility with RESOLVE CEO Danielle Melfi

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

IVF is under fire. So, what happens when access to IVF is suddenly at risk? How much power should policy have over your ability to build a family? And what can one voice, or one story, really do to protect fertility care for millions? In this timely episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine is joined by Danielle Melfi, the new CEO of RESOLVE, who brings a powerful blend of policy expertise, personal fertility experience, and a deep commitment to family-building equity. Airing at the start of National Infertility Awareness Week, Dr. Lora Shahine and Danielle are talking about...

Ep 168 Taking Charge of Your PCOS with Cory Ruth, RDN

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

What if your PCOS diagnosis is about more than fertility? What if the symptoms you’ve been told to “just manage” are actually your body asking for deeper support? And what if you could take back control in a way that feels empowering rather than restrictive? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine sits down with registered dietitian and author of PCOS is My Power Cory Ruth, RDN to explain all about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and why it’s often misunderstood. Cory shares her personal journey to diagnosis and how it shaped her mission to help women better...

Ep 167 Endometriosis Diagnosis Without Surgery? Dr. Bruce Lessey

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

Are you struggling with unexplained infertility and wondering if endometriosis could be the missing piece? Have you been told that surgery is the only way to get a diagnosis? What if a simple test could offer answers without going into the operating room? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine welcomes guest Dr. Bruce Lessey, a double board certified OBGYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist with decades of research experience and over 150 peer-reviewed publications. Together they explore a groundbreaking question in reproductive medicine: can we diagnose endometriosis...

Ep 166 Is Inflammation Hijacking Your Fertility? Answers from Natalie Crawford, MD

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

What if inflammation is quietly affecting your fertility? What if the key to improving egg quality and hormonal balance isn’t just medical treatment, but the everyday choices you make? And what if understanding your body earlier could change your entire fertility journey? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine welcomes fertility specialist Dr. Natalie Crawford to explore how inflammation influences reproductive health and what women can do to support fertility from the inside out. Dr. Natalie Crawford is the author of The Fertility Formula, and she is here to share...

Ep 165 Do Progesterone Shots Improve Frozen Embryo Transfer Success?

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

Are progesterone shots really necessary for a frozen embryo transfer? Why would your doctor recommend intramuscular injections over suppositories or other less painful options? And could the type of progesterone you use actually affect implantation, miscarriage risk, or live birth rates? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine explains the science behind progesterone support in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles, especially why intramuscular (IM) progesterone is often recommended in certain programmed cycle protocols. Dr. Shahine explains how progesterone supports...

Ep 164 Taking Charge of Cycle Tracking with Author Dr. Toni Weschler

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

Are ovulation predictor kits enough to time intercourse? Can an app really tell you when you’re fertile? And what if your body has been giving you the answers all along? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine is talking to fertility awareness pioneer Dr. Are ovulation predictor kits enough to time intercourse? Can an app really tell you when you’re fertile? And what if your body has been giving you the answers all along? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine is talking to fertility awareness pioneer Toni Weschler, author of Taking...

Ep 163 C-Section Scar and Fertility: Should Isthmocele Be Treated?

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

Did you have a C-section and now notice spotting that won’t quit? Are you dealing with pelvic pain, confusing symptoms, or trouble getting pregnant, and wondering if they’re connected? Has anyone ever mentioned the word isthmocele to you… or is this the first time you’re hearing it? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine explains a condition many patients are never warned about after a C-section: an isthmocele. She tells us what an isthmocele is, how it can form in a prior C-section scar, and why it can sometimes lead to unexpected bleeding, pain, or fertility...

Ep 162 Optimizing Embryo Transfer Success: Your Questions Answered

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

How do you make an embryo stick? Is there anything you can do to improve embryo transfer success? And how do you know which advice is science-backed versus fertility folklore? In this special solo Q&A episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine answers the questions patients ask most often when preparing for an embryo transfer. What really matters during an IVF embryo transfer? Using real questions from Instagram, YouTube, and her own practice, she walks listeners through fresh vs. frozen embryo transfer, what happens on transfer day, whether you need a full bladder, lying down...

Ep 161 Understanding Fertility Testing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Couples

Brave & Curious with Dr. Lora Shahine

Are you starting to think about fertility testing? Have you been trying to conceive and wondering which tests actually matter? Or are you overwhelmed by conflicting advice and unsure where to begin? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine breaks down fertility testing with clarity, compassion, and evidence. Now you can move forward feeling informed instead of intimidated. Dr. Shahine covers the basics of fertility testing including the essentials of a thorough health history. She also explains how menstrual cycles, ovulation patterns, pain, PCOS, endometriosis,...

More Episodes

What does infertility feel like from a man’s point of view? How do couples navigate years of uncertainty, loss, and hope when answers never come? And can creative expression, like writing a book, help rebuild connection in the midst of pain?

In this powerful and vulnerable conversation of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine sits down with The Empty Nest author Jared Walker to talk about infertility, grief, and how storytelling can bridge emotional distance between partners.

Jared shares the deeply personal journey that inspired his illustrated book The Empty Nest, written for his wife after years of infertility and miscarriage. What began as private journaling became a love letter to their shared resilience. And ultimately, a gift to the fertility community.

Jared’s story captures the isolation, longing, and quiet courage that so many couples experience. This episode is full of honesty and vulnerability that can heal and connect, even in the hardest moments.

This episode is a moving reminder that infertility is never just “her story”. It’s their story, and hope can take many forms.

In this episode you’ll hear:

[1:13] Jared’s story of love, loss, & creation of The Empty Nest
[5:09] Couples grieve differently
[9:04] The silence around men’s experience with infertility
[13:50] Vulnerability, social media, & the courage to share publicly
[24:14] Reading from The Empty Nest: isolation, grief, and quiet beauty
[30:29] Why men need to be part of the fertility conversation
[40:03] Connect with Jared & find his book

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