738: The Hidden Link Between Inflammation, Hormones & Fertility with Dr. Natalie Crawford

April 16, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

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Episode Summary

Fertility is a powerful reflection of your overall health—not a separate or isolated system.

In this episode, fertility expert Dr. Natalie Crawford breaks down what’s really happening physiologically as fertility shifts in midlife, connecting the dots between hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and egg quality.

We dive into the everyday habits quietly disrupting fertility—from chronic stress and blood sugar imbalances to inflammation—and how these factors directly impact ovulation and hormone signaling.

Dr. Crawford also cuts through the noise around age, offering a more nuanced, science-backed perspective on what you can actually do to support your fertility at any stage.

You’ll learn that it’s the simple shifts each month that can make a meaningful difference starting now.

Ready to support your body from the inside out? Tune in here!

Natalie Crawford, MD

Dr. Natalie Crawford is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and is co-founder of Fora Fertility, a boutique fertility practice in Texas. She’s the CEO and co-founder of Pinnacle, a professional network for women in medicine. Dr. Crawford is a digital health educator on social media and hosts the podcast “As a Woman” with over 6 million downloads. Her new book, “The Fertility Formula”, will be released this spring.

IN THIS EPISODE

How is fertility a reflection of your body’s overall environment?
Accurate cycle tracking and what signals to pay attention to
Factors that disrupt fertility and how to catch issues early on
How inflammation and metabolic health are deeply tied to fertility
5 non-negotiables when it comes to women’s health and wellness
High-impact changes to help support your fertility
Fertility recommendations for women 35 and older
Dr. Crawford’s fertility story and how to get her new book, The Fertility Formula

QUOTES

“The follicular phase and luteal phase are the two phases of the cycle, and learning to track your ovulation specifically is a really important tool because the early stages of ovulatory dysfunction all occur within a normal cycle, meaning the first stage is a short luteal defect.”

“I can’t control everything, but I want to control what I can, so I have the easiest time getting pregnant, I feel my best, I have the best odds of success if I have to do fertility treatments. That’s the zone we want to live in, and we want to lower that inflammatory burden on the day-to-day, not to be all or nothing, but to really cultivate that body resilience so we can handle the challenges of life that we know are coming.”

“It’s your body’s data. You’re gonna find out one way or another, and I think you deserve to know it sooner.”