Conception Archives - Dr. Mariza Snyder

691: The Fertility Crisis No One Talks About: Why Your Health Today Impacts Future Generations with Dr. Ann Shippy

November 4, 2025 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

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Episode Summary

Millions of women struggle with infertility worldwide. And if you’re one of them, you’re not alone.

But in this inspiring episode, I sit down with the brilliant Dr. Ann Shippy to unpack the growing fertility crisis—and more importantly, what you can do to turn things around.

Dr. Shippy shares how the integrative and functional medicine approach helps women heal their gut, support detoxification, manage stress, and supercharge their mitochondria to naturally boost fertility and have healthier pregnancies.

We also dive into the world of epigenetics—how the choices you make before conception can literally shape how your baby’s genes are expressed for lifelong health.

Dr. Shippy’s message is clear: preconception care isn’t just about getting pregnant, it’s about setting up the next generation for success.

Whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, or 40s, taking time to optimize your health before conceiving can make all the difference for you AND your baby.

Tune in to learn how intentional steps today can lead to healthier pregnancies, thriving babies, and an empowered path to motherhood.

Dr. Ann Shippy

Dr. Ann Shippy is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and certified Functional Medicine practitioner. Before entering the world of medicine, Dr. Shippy spent years as a chemical engineer—a role that shaped her precision-driven, systems-based approach to health. Her transition to medicine was born from personal health struggles and a desire to uncover the root causes of illness rather than treating just symptoms alone. As the founder of Every Baby Well, Dr. Shippy empowers couples to prepare for healthy pregnancies through science-backed protocols, lab testing, and functional strategies. Motivated by the rising rates of chronic illness and developmental challenges in children, she authored The Preconception Revolution: A Science-Backed Path to Your Fertility and Generational Health, a practical and hopeful guide to optimizing health before conception.

IN THIS EPISODE

How changes in lifestyle can alter fertility AND epigenetics
Functional medicine approaches for boosting fertility
The importance of healthy preconception practices for fertility and the long-term health of your children
Getting your partner involved for preconception success
Non-negotiable supplements in addition to your prenatal
Why a 90-day+ detoxification can boost conception success
Practical lifestyle and nutrition recommendations for fertility
The numbers and science behind the current fertility crisis

QUOTES

“What I realized is that as we’re improving fertility, we’re also changing something called epigenetics– how the genes are getting expressed, the little time capsules that are being passed on to the babies with the egg and the sperm, and it would help the kids be healthier.”

“What I hope happens with this message is that even people in their 20s have access to this information about how important it is for them to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. “

“It makes a huge difference to get really good amounts of protein throughout the day, being careful with carbohydrates, and then moving your body– like even just going for a 5, 10, 15-minute walk after each meal can be amazing. And that’s gonna change the epigenetics of the baby. The baby’s going to be more metabolically sound by doing that work before pregnancy and then during pregnancy.”