Dr. Aumatma Shah is an Educator and Fertility Specialist, a Certified Naturopathic Doctor, and an Endocrinologist developer of the Fertility Success Program. She specializes in working with badass women and power couples, helping them start their families through a natural approach or an integrative setting. Today, Dr. Shah joins Dr. Cates to debunk myths around fertility, eggs, and embryo freezing, and she gives her thoughts on the use of medication for fertility increase. Dr. Shah also touches on the alarming lack of studies on male fertility; she highlights the importance of improving sleep quality to optimize fertility. There is a great need for a holistic approach to fertility, especially when considering the studies that suggest a link between gut inflammation and uterine inflammation. Tune in to learn more!   Takeaways:  [3:06] Dr. Shah's journey into fertility research. [6:08] A curious fact about women over 35 experiencing a decline in their fertility. [9:15] Are fertility rates really declining? [18:57] Freezing embryos is a better idea than freezing eggs. [20:22] On average, 1% of frozen eggs turn into live babies. So, what else are we doing to take care of our fertility? [24:47] We've normalized having intense period pain.  [28:43] Dr. Shah shares her thoughts on using medication and supplements to increase fertility   Resources mentioned: Book: Dr. Aumatma Shah - Fertility Secrets: What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Baby-Making: Heal Your Body, Mind, and Spirit, Own Your Fertility, and Prepare for the Family of Your Dreams:    Book: Christiane Northrup - Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing   Mentioned in This Episode:  Dr. Aumatma website: https://www.holisticfertilityinstitute.com/ Dr. Aumatma Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistic_fertility_expert/?hl=es   Twitter:   "The idea that frozen eggs will always turn into babies is just not true. I don't think I've seen studies that are like out of these number of eggs, we got one baby or two babies, but on average, 1% of frozen eggs turn into live babies."   "The impact that alcohol is having is not just on your fertility or your hormones, but it's destroying your gut microbiome and your liver. So just kind of like reigning it in a little bit and finding a balance is key."   "I don't think it's normal for us to be in pain for days at the end of our cycles. If the pain is intolerable, I feel like that's usually a sign of something more profound."   "When people's hormones are imbalanced, meaning they don't have the right estrogen amounts, the right progesterone amounts, or the balance between the two at the various points in their cycle, it's often leading to poor egg quality."