The Fertility Answers Podcast

Episode 30: Unintended Consequences of Embryo Personhood

In this special and timely podcast, your host Dr. Neil Chappell is joined by fellow Fertility Answers reproductive endocrinologist Dr. John Storment to discuss the February 2024 Alabama Supreme Court ruling that deemed frozen embryos as children with legal status. This ruling came about after several Alabama couples sued for wrongful death of a minor when their embryos were accidentally destroyed by a person who wandered into an IVF lab. Dr. Chappell and Dr. Storment discuss IVF lab security as well as what an embryo represents for the potential of life and the possible downstream consequences of granting an embryo the same status as a living child.

Episode 29: Unraveling the Link Between Insulin Resistance and Fertility

Women with insulin resistance not only struggle with their overall health but their fertility as well. Join your host Dr. Neil Chappell as he delves into the intricate relationship between insulin resistance and fertility. Learn the science behind insulin resistance, the best way to test for it and how this condition not only affects your metabolism and other important bodily functions, but also reproduction. Discover actionable strategies you can use against insulin resistance through diet, exercise and pharmacology to improve your overall health, optimize fertility and achieve your goal of parenthood.

Episode 28: An Egg Freezing Conversation with Olympian Lolo Jones

Join Dr. Neil Chappell in this entertaining and candid conversation with Olympian and former LSU track star Lolo Jones on her recent egg freezing journey with Fertility Answers. Approaching her 40th birthday and still single, Lolo feared she was running out of time to have children. Listen as they walk through her process of searching for information about egg freezing, costs and testing involved, and what her expectations were going in compared to how it actually all went down. After going through two egg freezing cycles, Lolo has a lot of information to share!

Episode 27: Marijuana and Making Babies

Marijuana and THC use has gained followers in recent years as many states have legalized it for medicinal or recreational purposes. But, there are still many questions surrounding how marijuana and THC can affect the fertility potential of both men and women. Join Fertility Answers Podcast host reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Neil Chappell as he delves into some of the recent research that attempts to determine the possible fertility risks of THC on human reproduction.

Episode 26: Progesterone - A Misunderstood Hormone's Complicated Relationship to Pregnancy Loss

Progesterone is a hormone secreted after ovulation that prepares the lining of the uterus for a potential pregnancy. Because of its important role at the beginning of conception and well into pregnancy, there is often a false assumption that low levels of progesterone are responsible for all pregnancy loss. In this episode, Fertility Answers Podcast reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Neil Chappell breaks down the role of progesterone, why spot checking for this hormone can be misleading, and when and how to add progesterone therapy if recurrent miscarriage is a concern.