You've heard your doctor's perspective. You've heard your nurse's perspective. But what about the person who is literally holding your embryos in their hands?

For most patients, the IVF lab is a black box. You hand over your eggs, your sperm, and your hope, and then you wait. What happens on the other side of that door is rarely explained, rarely demystified, and rarely talked about with the kind of honesty that actually helps people feel less alone in the process. That changes today.

This week, Laura and Ashlee sit down with Dr. Joe, embryologist, lab director, and member of the leadership team at CCRM Fertility, who has spent nearly 40 years in the IVF lab. From his early days in London doing egg retrievals by laparoscopy in the middle of the night, to the cutting edge of AI-assisted embryo selection, Dr. Joe takes us on a full journey through the past, present, and future of reproductive science. And he does it in a way that is equal parts educational, eye-opening, and genuinely fun to listen to.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• What IVF looked like in 1988 and why it would shock you by today's standards
• The invention of ICSI and why it was one of the biggest revolutions in fertility history
• How embryos are graded, what the numbers and letters actually mean, and why a BB embryo is not a bad embryo
• Mosaic embryos, what they are, what they mean for your transfer, and why they exist in a gray area
• Why even a genetically normal euploid embryo does not always result in a pregnancy
• How AI is already being used in IVF labs and why it is being underutilized (the Betty Crocker cake mix analogy will make so much sense)
• Sperm selection and why Dr. Joe thinks this is one of the areas where AI can make the biggest impact
• The future of fertility science, including gametes from skin cells, non-invasive genetic testing, and where the ethical lines start to blur

Dr. Joe reminds us that the embryology lab is full of scientists who are rooting for you at every single step. When a transfer doesn't work, they feel it too. When an embryo doesn't fertilize the way it should, they want answers just as badly as you do. Opening that black box a little wider is exactly the kind of conversation this podcast was built for.

If you've ever stared at an embryo report and had no idea what you were looking at, if you've ever wondered what actually happens to your eggs after retrieval, or if you're just fascinated by where IVF is headed next, this one is for you.

What happens when the nurse sitting across from you has cried the same tears you are crying right now? Not because the job is hard. Because she has lived it too.

This week, Laura and Ashlee are joined by Megan Kukic, a fertility nurse, IVF patient, and founder of 412 Fertility Services. Megan occupies a rare and incredibly human seat in the fertility world: she has stood on both sides of the exam table at the same time. While navigating her own fertility treatment, she was pre-opping patients, assisting in egg retrievals, and having her blood drawn between shifts. Her story is one of duality, resilience, and a deep belief that the gap between clinical care and emotional support does not have to be as wide as it has become.

In this conversation, the three of them dig into what it really means to be seen inside the fertility system. They talk about the moments that led Megan to start her own business, the honest emotional weight of watching others succeed when you are struggling, and why sharing your story as a provider can change everything for a patient sitting across from you.

In this episode:

• What it is actually like to be a fertility patient and a fertility nurse at the same time
• Why the box of medications arriving at your door is its own emotional milestone
• The growing gap between clinic care and hands-on patient support, and what 412 Fertility is doing to fill it
• The difference between seeing a stranger's pregnancy announcement and watching someone you know finally get their positive
• Why it is okay to feel sad for yourself and happy for someone else in the exact same moment
• What happens when a provider shares their own journey with a patient, and why it matters more than you think
• How to stop living inside your statistics and start taking it one step at a time
• The case for mental health support as a standard part of fertility care, not an afterthought

• 
  

Fertility is not a linear journey. The emotions, though, are universal. This episode is a reminder that the people caring for you are human too, and that finding people who truly get it can make all the difference.

If you have ever felt like a number inside a system that was supposed to feel personal, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Megan and 412 Fertility Services at https://412fertility.com/

Breaking the Silence on Life After Infertility

What happens when fertility treatment ends and there is no baby, no roadmap, and no one talking about what comes next?

In this episode, we sit down with Lana Manikowski, certified life coach, bestselling author, and one of the most important voices in the fertility space today. After seven years of IVF and IUI treatments that did not result in a child, Lana found herself at the end of her journey with no established support, no follow-up from her clinic, and no community that understood what she was going through. So she built one. This conversation is raw, validating, and full of the kind of honesty that does not get enough airtime in fertility spaces.

We cover:

• What it actually feels like when treatment ends without a baby and why so many women grieve in silence
• The shame around choosing not to pursue adoption or donor eggs, and why that decision deserves to be honored
• How to survive Mother's Day (and any hard holiday) whether you are still in treatment or on the other side of it
• The jealousy no one talks about, and the reframe that changes everything
• Practical tools for navigating baby showers, family gatherings, and the moments that catch you off guard
• What fertility clinics and nurses are missing at the end of treatment, and what Lana is doing to change that
• How Lana turned a trip to Target into The Other's Day, now an international gathering for women without children

Your story is not over. It is just the beginning.

If you have ever felt invisible in the fertility conversation, if you are dreading a holiday on the calendar, or if you are trying to figure out what a fulfilling life looks like from here, this episode is for you.

Connect with Lana:

The Other's Day celebrations in Chicago, May 8 and 9: https://lanamanikowski.com/othersday

The "So Now What?" Podcast: IVF Failed You Podcast - Lana Manikowski Coaching

Lana's book, "So Now What?": https://lanamanikowski.com/book

Free resource for anyone navigating fertility treatment or moving forward without children: The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless (and How to Respond): https://lanamanikowski.com/thingspeoplesay