Love and Science Fertility

From Overwhelm to Freedom: How Female Physicians Are Transforming Their Fertility Journey and Their Lives

In this inspiring episode, I sit down with my mentor, Dr. Unachukwu, founder of the EntreMD Business School, to talk about what happens when physicians stop playing small and start building businesses around their gifts. Dr. Una shares how a single anticlimactic moment after seeing her first patient as an attending sparked a decade-long journey of reinvention — from socially awkward introvert to the founder of a movement helping hundreds of thousands of physicians thrive through entrepreneurship. We also go behind the scenes of my own journey: how I went from feeling geographically stuck and dying inside at work, to building Love and Science Coaching, helping over 90% of my physician clients achieve success on their fertility journey — and learning to practice clinical medicine for fun. In this episode, we cover: * How EntreMD Business School was born out of Dr. Una's personal story as a pediatrician * Why "the MD as-is is no longer enough" — and what physicians need now * The moment I said yes to support and how that led to my first client in 48 hours * What it really means to have time freedom, financial freedom, AND impact freedom * How to overcome fear, sticker shock, and time concerns when investing in yourself * Why over 90% of my physician fertility clients have achieved success — and what that means for you * The compounding return of investing in yourself: how Dr. Una invests six figures a year and why * The mindset shift from "I can't afford this" to counting the ROI, not the cost Key Takeaway: On the other side of your "yes" is a version of yourself you haven't met yet — and it will blow your mind. Connect with Dr. Una: * Instagram: @drunachukwu * Facebook: Nneka Unachukwu * Website:  entremd.com [http://entremd.com] Previous Episode with Dr. Una:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daring-to-dream-entrepreneurship-and-the/id1737219651?i=1000733123314&l=zh-Hant-TW [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daring-to-dream-entrepreneurship-and-the/id1737219651?i=1000733123314&l=zh-Hant-TW] Guest Details Dr. Nneka Unachukwu is the founder of EntreMD, a company on a mission to help 100,000 physicians build profitable 7 and 7+ figure businesses so they have the freedom to live life and practice medicine on their terms. She does this through the EntreMD Business School, the only school of its kind for physician entrepreneurs, the EntreMD podcast, a top 1% podcast, and her best-selling books. Dr. Una, as she is fondly called, has also been featured in Forbes, and her company was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in America two years in a row. www.entremd.com [http://www.entremd.com/] As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice. If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult [https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult] Follow us on social media: IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility [http://www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility] FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183 [http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183] Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to help you build your family with confidence, compassion, and hope. I’m rooting for you always. In Gratitude, Dr. Erica Bove Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285234/support] As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice. If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult [https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult] Follow us on social media: IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility [https://www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility/] FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183] Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always. In Gratitude, Dr. Erica Bove

Planned Fertility Preservation: Everything You Need to Know About Egg & Embryo Freezing

Thinking about freezing your eggs — or counseling patients who are? As female physicians, we're often the last to prioritize our own fertility. This episode is your concise, evidence-based guide to planned fertility preservation, from someone who's been through it personally and professionally. * 🔬 History — how vitrification revolutionized egg freezing and why it's no longer experimental * 💰 Costs — $5K–$20K+, what insurance may (and may not) cover, and how to think about storage * 🛡️ Safety — the physical risks are low, but the emotional toll deserves its own action plan * ⚠️ Limitations — success rates are promising but not guaranteed; know what the data actually says * 📊 Success rates by age — why under 35 matters and how to use the Brigham & Women's calculator * 🥚 Eggs vs. embryos — the nuanced counseling conversation you need to have with yourself (and your patients) * ⚖️ Legal considerations — why relationship stability matters before you fertilize anything Bottom line: freezing your eggs is a powerful option — but going in informed makes all the difference. 🎧 Subscribe, leave a review, and share with a colleague who needs to hear this. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285234/support] As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice. If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult [https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult] Follow us on social media: IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility [https://www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility/] FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183] Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always. In Gratitude, Dr. Erica Bove

Held Together: Motherhood, Medicine & Authentic Hope with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson

This Mother's Day, we're sitting with the hard and the hopeful. Dr. Erica Bove welcomes Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson — family medicine and public health physician, and author of Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love — for a conversation that is equal parts raw, wise, and deeply affirming. Dr. Thompson shares the deeply personal journey behind her collaborative memoir, including her own life-threatening pregnancy complications, three losses, and the decade-long process of weaving her story together with those of 21 patients, colleagues, and friends — half of them healthcare professionals. What emerged is a book that doesn't just document struggle, but transforms it into community. In this episode, we explore: * Why stories are always harder to tell in the present tense — and why that's okay * The isolating experience of pregnancy loss as a physician and what "the knowledge didn't protect me" really means * What Mother's Day can feel like when you're in the thick of fertility challenges — and how to navigate it with self-compassion * The difference between false optimism and authentic hope — and why "everything happens for a reason" may not serve us * How channeling sadness into strength isn't toxic positivity — it's agency * The power of ordinary things (a hike, a pet, a phone call) when the world feels performative * Community as a place to both lend strength and borrow it * Why "the suffering is in the gap between expectations and reality" * Friendships across different seasons of life — and how they can fracture and repair * How medicine must make room for the humanity of its healers Quote from this episode: "We aren't unique in our struggles. Others have prevailed over hardships before us, and we too can find joy in the most trying of times." — Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson Resources: * Held Together by Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson: rebeccanthompson.com [http://rebeccanthompson.com/] * Order via the affiliate link on her site to support Postpartum Support International * Book club discussion questions and speaking/teaching resources also available on her website * Proceeds support: Resolve, Planned Parenthood, Children's Literacy Foundation, and the Trevor Project If this episode resonated with you, you are not alone. You are held.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285234/support] As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice. If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult [https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult] Follow us on social media: IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility [https://www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility/] FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183] Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always. In Gratitude, Dr. Erica Bove

Fertility Testing Explained: What to Order, What to Skip, and Why

In this episode of the Love & Science podcast, Dr. Erica Bove walks through her complete framework for evaluating fertility — including which tests she routinely orders, what each one actually tells her, and which expensive panels are often unnecessary. From AMH and hormone testing to semen analysis, uterine cavity evaluation, and fallopian tube testing, this episode explains how reproductive endocrinologists think through infertility workups in a practical, evidence-based way. We cover:  • What AMH really means (and what it doesn’t)  • Why Day 3 labs matter: FSH, estradiol, and LH  • How ultrasound and antral follicle count guide fertility treatment  • Sonohistogram vs HSG: what each test is best for  • When to evaluate fallopian tubes more closely  • The role of prolactin, thyroid testing, vitamin D, A1C, and PCOS labs  • Expanded carrier screening and preconception testing  • Why semen analysis is essential — and often delayed too long  • Which fertility tests are evidence-based  • Common tests that may be overordered or unnecessary This episode is designed to help you better understand your fertility workup, ask informed questions, and feel more empowered navigating next steps. Because fertility testing should not feel random or confusing — it should tell a clear story about what your body is doing and how to move forward strategically. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285234/support] As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice. If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult [https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult] Follow us on social media: IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility [https://www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility/] FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183] Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always. In Gratitude, Dr. Erica Bove

Prolactin Levels Explained: How Elevated Levels Disrupt Ovulation and Fertility

If your cycles are irregular, ovulation is inconsistent, or something just feels off — prolactin may be a missing piece. In this episode of the Love & Science podcast, we break down prolactin, a hormone that is often misunderstood, sometimes overtested, and sometimes completely overlooked in fertility care. While prolactin plays an important role in pregnancy and lactation, elevated levels can disrupt ovulation, impact hormone signaling, and ultimately affect fertility outcomes in both women and men. We cover:  • What prolactin is and how it functions in the body  • How elevated prolactin disrupts ovulation and hormone signaling  • The connection between prolactin, GnRH, and reproductive function  • When prolactin should actually be tested (and when it shouldn’t)  • Why false elevations are common — and how to test correctly  • Symptoms to watch for (including headaches, galactorrhea, and cycle changes)  • When to evaluate for a pituitary adenoma (and why imaging matters)  • How prolactin impacts male fertility and testosterone  • Treatment options and when normalization can restore fertility This episode is especially important if you’ve been told everything looks “normal,” but ovulation still isn’t happening consistently — or if you’re navigating unexplained infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285234/support] As always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice. If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult [https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consult] Follow us on social media: IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility [https://www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertility/] FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183] Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always. In Gratitude, Dr. Erica Bove