When embarking on a fertility journey, there’s a lot of new lingo to learn. Acronyms abound (TTC, POAS, HPT, oh my!) and with them come a never-ending stream of terminology that hasn't seemed relevant since ninth-grade health class. It’s enough to make a person feel totally overwhelmed and out of place.  Today, we’re here to tackle just one of those terms — cervical mucus — and break down exactly what it is and why it’s important for understanding your fertility. And rest assured that, unlike health class, there’s no pop quiz at the end.  What is...

Bindi Irwin recently shared new details about her road to being diagnosed with endometriosis — and her story will likely resonate hard with the many women who have experienced medical gaslighting. This isn’t the first time Irwin has opened up about living with endometriosis. In an Instagram post shared a few months ago, she shared that she lived with debilitating symptoms of the condition for 10 years. During that time, Irwin went through countless doctor’s appointments, scans, and tests before she was finally diagnosed. Bindi Irwin's endometriosis experience is a frustratingly common one Many, many women...

Infertility is increasingly common, with an estimated 1 in 5 married women aged 15-49 in the United States being affected by the condition, according to the CDC. That’s a pretty staggering statistic, yet fertility care hasn’t quite evolved to address those numbers. A diagnosis of infertility is typically made after someone tries to conceive for a year with no luck. Because of that, most people are advised to try to conceive for a full year before being offered any type of fertility testing (six months if you're over the age of 35). But here’s the thing:...

Sponsored by Organon. Visit FertilityJourney.com for infertility resources and information. LGBTQ+ couples navigating family planning and fertility options may face unique questions and circumstances like, “How do we start our family planning journey?” “Are there restrictions against LGBTQ+ partners that may impede our access to care and options?” “Will my doctor understand our specific needs or have a personal bias?” Through our conversations with those in the (in)fertility community, every couple’s family planning journey and needs are different. For LGBTQ+ couples, additional considerations may be at play. Taking the first step to explore the options available...

Chances are, you’ve come across several stories about intrauterine devices (IUDs) in the news lately. One of the biggest details from Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle was the pop star’s claim that she wanted to have a baby, but she wasn’t allowed to have her IUD removed. There have also been numerous viral TikToks in the past year highlighting patients’ negative experiences with IUDs.  First of all, let’s clarify what exactly an IUD is: It’s a small, T-shaped type of birth control inserted directly into the uterus by a healthcare provider, used for the purpose of long-term...

A fertility journey can sometimes feel like being stuck in the middle of a loud rush hour traffic jam. The noise is overwhelming, but there’s nowhere else you can really go if you want to keep driving down this path.  Since we know external triggers can add to an already overwhelming season of life, we asked Nurse Suzie Devine of Binto to share some insight on how to quiet the noise. It turns out, the things that are in your control can help minimize how much things like social media (or that one family member who...

Many women will stop at nothing to support their fertility if they are ready to have a baby. From quitting their boozy girls' nights to committing to taking a prenatal vitamin regimen every day, mamas-in-waiting typically happily make appropriate changes to hopefully increase their chances of a successful cycle.  Some will take their fertility diet as far as completely giving up their beloved bread, pasta, and any other gluten-containing food, hoping that avoiding gluten will help them on their quest to make a baby.  But is going gluten-free really necessary to support your fertility, or is...

PGT-A, or preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, is a test that can be performed on embryos to see if they have the correct number of chromosomes. These embryos, also known as “euploids,” are more likely to lead to a successful pregnancy, which makes PGT-A a useful selection technique. PGT-A involves biopsying a tiny piece of a blastocyst, freezing the embryo, and sending the biopsy to a lab to have its DNA tested. Once the results are in, the embryo is thawed and transferred to the uterus. The decision to do PGT-A is usually made before an...

For as long as I can remember, I recall seeing menstrual products portrayed on TV commercials as pristine white clouds, tested by being soaked with a clean, blue fluid.  This always seemed kind of silly to me because I grew up in a house where my mom was open about her period. As I got a little older, I expected that I would eventually start my period, too.  When I think about those commercials now, I believe they all feed back into the culture of “Let’s Sanitize Women’s Experiences,” “Your Body is Shameful and Disgusting,” or...

I managed to make it through my teens without ever having a single pimple. That’s not to say I didn’t have an awkward stage — I definitely did. But acne simply wasn’t a part of the equation.  In my twenties, I’d have the very, very occasional, short-lived zit (we’re talking, maybe …twice a year), but for the most part, acne was something I really didn’t have to think about. And then I turned 35. Right after my birthday, I started breaking out into tiny clusters of painless red bumps. They would go quickly, but they’d also...