In this heartwarming end-of-year episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday', Dr. Mark Amols serves up a generous helping of hope and wisdom. Diving into the often-overlooked power of minor adjustments in fertility treatments, Dr. Amols explains why a 'complete overhaul' isn't always the answer when facing setbacks. Likening fertility treatment to perfecting a spaghetti recipe, he offers a fresh perspective on tweaking protocols for greater success. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the ups and downs of IVF, serving not only as a guide but also as a reminder that sometimes, a little more salt and a bit less pepper is all you need to create the perfect dish. Join us for an insightful and reassuring discussion, sprinkled with Dr. Amols' signature humor and empathy, as we wrap up the year with positivity and look forward to new beginnings. Remember, it's not about changing the entire recipe; it's about making the right adjustments to find your perfect blend.
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday' with Dr. Mark Amols. If you found this episode insightful, please share it with friends and family who might benefit from our discussion. Remember, your feedback is invaluable to us – leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred listening platform.
Stay connected with us for updates and fertility tips – follow us on Facebook. For more resources and information, visit our website at www.NewDirectionFertility.com.
Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at TBFT@NewDirectionFertility.com.
Join us next Tuesday for more discussions on fertility, where we blend medical expertise with a touch of humor to make complex topics accessible and engaging. Until then, keep the conversation going and remember: understanding your fertility is a journey we're on together.
In this heartwarming end-of-year episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday', Dr. Mark Amols serves up a generous helping of hope and wisdom. Diving into the often-overlooked power of minor adjustments in fertility treatments, Dr. Amols explains why a 'complete overhaul' isn't always the answer when facing setbacks. Likening fertility treatment to perfecting a spaghetti recipe, he offers a fresh perspective on tweaking protocols for greater success. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the ups and downs of IVF, serving not only as a guide but also as a reminder that sometimes, a little more salt and a bit less pepper is all you need to create the perfect dish. Join us for an insightful and reassuring discussion, sprinkled with Dr. Amols' signature humor and empathy, as we wrap up the year with positivity and look forward to new beginnings. Remember, it's not about changing the entire recipe; it's about making the right adjustments to find your perfect blend.
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday' with Dr. Mark Amols. If you found this episode insightful, please share it with friends and family who might benefit from our discussion. Remember, your feedback is invaluable to us – leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred listening platform.
Stay connected with us for updates and fertility tips – follow us on Facebook. For more resources and information, visit our website at www.NewDirectionFertility.com.
Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at TBFT@NewDirectionFertility.com.
Join us next Tuesday for more discussions on fertility, where we blend medical expertise with a touch of humor to make complex topics accessible and engaging. Until then, keep the conversation going and remember: understanding your fertility is a journey we're on together.
Today we talk about how big changes.
>> Speaker B:Are, what we want when a.
>> Speaker A:Cycle fails, but little changes is what we need. I'm, Dr. Mark Amos, and this is taco.
>> Speaker C:About fertility Tuesday. If you're one of the people who.
>> Speaker A:Have gone through IVF, and unfortunately.
>> Speaker B:Did not have success, whether that was not getting embryos, whether that was not having success, I'm sorry, it's extremely disappointing.
>> Speaker A:And it's a very difficult situation to be, in. But one of the things that happens after a cycle has failed or after.
>> Speaker B:Someone is disappointed about their cycle is they want everything to change. And that's normal.
>> Speaker A:I mean, if something's not working, it should all change.
>> Speaker B:And I've talked about this before, but.
>> Speaker A:I want to help explain it a little bit better, why you don't want everything to change.
>> Speaker B:For example, if you do an embryo transfer and your embryo transfer is not successful, but let's say the implants, but then you have a miscarriage, if you change things too much, you may not.
>> Speaker A:Even get pregnant the next time. In the same regards, if you're undergoing.
>> Speaker B:IVF and you get a bunch of embryos, but you are not successful because.
>> Speaker C:Let'S say, none of the embryos make.
>> Speaker B:It to blastulation, you may want to.
>> Speaker A:Change everything again because it didn't work.
>> Speaker B:But in reality, you made more eggs.
>> Speaker A:This time than you did the time before.
>> Speaker B:The point is, it's normal to want to scrap everything and start all over and change everything. It makes us feel better. But in reality, that isn't the right thing to do. The way I would look at this is imagine fertility.
>> Speaker A:Your doctor doing this is kind of.
>> Speaker B:Like making a meal. Imagine you're trying to make the best bowl of spaghetti that any man has ever made in the world. Now, when you're making that recipe the first time, you may realize you overcook the noodles. So you adjust it and you don't cook the noodles so much. Now, the noodles are perfect, but you.
>> Speaker A:Realize the sauce isn't perfect.
>> Speaker B:And then you're on, let's say try number ten, and you feel like it's really good. But you try it again and you realize it's not right.
>> Speaker A:What you don't do is you don't.
>> Speaker C:Say, I'm throwing away the whole recipe.
>> Speaker A:I'm starting all the way from scratch.
>> Speaker B:No, at that point, you've already had the basic foundation of your recipe.
>> Speaker A:You're now making adjustments. Now it's a little bit more salt.
>> Speaker B:Here, maybe a little bit more garlic.
>> Speaker A:Maybe taking something away. But the changes are going to be small because you have already found the right recipe.
>> Speaker B:You're just fine tuning it. And that's how you have to think.
>> Speaker A:Of your fertility cycle.
>> Speaker B:Now, the bad thing is, unfortunately, it's.
>> Speaker A:Hard when you talk to a patient and you're trying to help them go through another cycle.
>> Speaker B:As a doctor, you want to make them happy in a way.
>> Speaker A:And so there are many doctors out.
>> Speaker B:There who will just change it, but.
>> Speaker C:They'Re not even changing because they think.
>> Speaker B:It needs to change. They're changing it because they know if they don't change it, the patient's going to be upset.
>> Speaker A:And so now, even though that spaghetti.
>> Speaker B:Is so close to being perfect, they're.
>> Speaker A:Going to change the spaghetti recipe because.
>> Speaker B:They know if they don't, you're going.
>> Speaker A:To go to another restaurant.
>> Speaker B:In this situation, another fertility clinic.
>> Speaker A:I've had it happen to myself.
>> Speaker B:I had this patient, she may even be listening to this podcast, and she.
>> Speaker A:Had a very severe case.
>> Speaker B:And I explained to her that the.
>> Speaker A:Protocol I was using was probably the.
>> Speaker B:Only protocol that would be successful at.
>> Speaker A:This time because her ovarian reserve was so severe. There was no way a normal protocol that we use generically is going to work. And we had to go through multiple cycles.
>> Speaker B:But we were able to get a normal embryo and we got multiple embryos.
>> Speaker C:It's just unfortunately, with her severe dementia.
>> Speaker B:Ovarian reserve, we were not able to get a lot of normal embryos.
>> Speaker A:We just got a bunch of abnormal.
>> Speaker B:Embryos, mean aneploid after getting this normal.
>> Speaker A:Embryo where at a prior clinic, they couldn't even get embryos. They came to me and said, well.
>> Speaker C:We'Re only getting one embryo at a time, or two embryos, but we're not getting normal ones. Can we change it up?
>> Speaker A:And I said to them, no, we're getting embryos.
>> Speaker C:This is already better than everything you've done before.
>> Speaker A:If we change it too much, we may not even get embryos.
>> Speaker B:I appreciate the fact that they may.
>> Speaker C:Not become an uploy, but that has.
>> Speaker A:Nothing to do with the stimulation.
>> Speaker B:And we had this embryo, but in.
>> Speaker A:Their mind, they didn't want to hear that.
>> Speaker B:And they did. They left and they went to another.
>> Speaker A:Clinic where they did three more cycles. So at our clinic, they did three.
>> Speaker B:At that clinic, they did three. At that new clinic, they never got.
>> Speaker A:A single embryo to make it to the blastocyst stage. They never even got the embryo to be tested.
>> Speaker B:And when they came back, they said to me, you were right, we did.
>> Speaker A:Horrible not using that protocol. And we didn't even get Ambrose to make the blastocyst.
>> Speaker B:And I said to them, m, it.
>> Speaker C:Was good that they had a chance.
>> Speaker A:To see that for themselves. And the good news about that story was they did end up doing the transfer with the embryo we had. And they did have success.
>> Speaker B:But the thing is that I didn't.
>> Speaker A:Change it to make them feel good. Now I tell patients, listen, if you.
>> Speaker C:Want to change it, I can change it.
>> Speaker A:But I'm 100% honest, you're going to hurt your cycle.
>> Speaker B:And the reason why is because you.
>> Speaker A:Don'T just change to change.
>> Speaker B:You change to fix the things that need to be fixed.
>> Speaker A:You've heard me say this many times before, one of the greatest things about.
>> Speaker B:IVF is that you can see what's wrong.
>> Speaker A:You can make the adjustments you need to make.
>> Speaker C:You can't say that with other things like iuis.
>> Speaker B:When the IUI doesn't work, you're not.
>> Speaker A:Going to know why unless the sperm's bad. But no one knows why it didn't work.
>> Speaker B:But in IVF, we see the eggs, we see the fertilization, we see the.
>> Speaker A:Embryos growing, if they look like they're fragmenting or not.
>> Speaker B:The point is, we're able to make adjustments.
>> Speaker A:So if you're able to make adjustments, why would you want your doctor just to try something else? Isn't that the point of medicine, is.
>> Speaker B:That we can adjust, we can think.
>> Speaker A:Our way through this and come up with the best solution.
>> Speaker B:And so I, know it's frustrating and it doesn't work, but what's really.
>> Speaker A:Important is to sit down with your doctor and find out what did work. And then you can make the adjustments to fix the things that didn't work. And don't be shocked if those adjustments are just that small adjustments. Just adding a little bit more salt.
>> Speaker C:And a little less pepper to that.
>> Speaker A:Spaghetti to make sure it's just perfect versus starting all over again.
>> Speaker B:It makes us feel good. But the problem is that we weren't.
>> Speaker A:That far off with the recipe.
>> Speaker B:We were fairly close, and we don't.
>> Speaker A:Have to make that big of a change. Now, not every doctor is going to.
>> Speaker C:Feel forced to have to change the.
>> Speaker A:Protocol, but I can assure you many do.
>> Speaker B:And so it's important to talk to.
>> Speaker A:Your doctor and let them know if you think this is best. I'm fine with doing it again. If you want to make small adjustments, that's fine. But I wouldn't want to pressure a.
>> Speaker C:Doctor into changing something unless they thought.
>> Speaker B:It was going to benefit you. And if you're concerned that maybe they.
>> Speaker A:Aren'T thinking out of the box, they're not making adjustments. Well, that's where you get a second opinion. And, there's nothing wrong with second opinions. I'm never frustrated when one of my.
>> Speaker C:Patients get a second opinion.
>> Speaker A:I never think, God, don't they trust me?
>> Speaker B:No, I know, because I'm not the.
>> Speaker A:Holder of all knowledge. I know that my interpretation of something may not be perfect.
>> Speaker B:My view might be skewed.
>> Speaker C:And so if someone gets a second.
>> Speaker A:Opinion, they come back to me. I take that in and think, can I help my patient with that information now?
>> Speaker C:I may not agree with it, and I'll tell them why I don't agree.
>> Speaker A:With it or can show them the evidence of why it's wrong. But it never hurts for me to have someone get a second opinion, because this is important. This is your chance to build your family. There is nothing wrong getting a second opinion, and there's many doctors like myself where you can go online and just.
>> Speaker C:Get a second opinion, so that way.
>> Speaker A:You don't have to feel that you're leaving your doctor. It's a special relationship we have with our patients.
>> Speaker B:I know that. All fertility doctors know that.
>> Speaker A:But it's also important for you to be able to be an advocate for yourself.
>> Speaker B:If you ever feel you need another.
>> Speaker A:Opinion, don't feel bad for getting it. See, the thing is that as patients.
>> Speaker B:When we see the same medications, the.
>> Speaker A:Same process, it feels like we're doing the exact same thing over again.
>> Speaker B:We're like, well, why would there be.
>> Speaker A:A different change if everything's still the same?
>> Speaker B:But when you think about it, the parts can be the same, but the.
>> Speaker A:Outcome can be different.
>> Speaker B:I mean, look at Apple phones and Android phones.
>> Speaker A:If you really take them apart and.
>> Speaker C:Put them on a table, they look exactly the same. It's only when you put the parts.
>> Speaker A:Together in certain ways do they look.
>> Speaker B:Different and act different. Same thing with spaghetti.
>> Speaker A:Everyone uses noodles, everyone uses certain sauces. It's just when you change the greens, when you put more of one, less of another is when you see change.
>> Speaker B:That is what you're looking for. You're not looking for a completely different recipe.
>> Speaker A:You're just looking for something that can make adjustments for you. If it's too salty, less salt. If it's too spicy, less red pepper. And if it's too saucy, there's something wrong with you. There's nothing wrong with tuma sauce in your spaghetti.
>> Speaker B:This is going to be the last.
>> Speaker A:Podcast of 2023 I really hope all.
>> Speaker C:Of you guys enjoyed the podcast this.
>> Speaker B:Year and I can tell you I've.
>> Speaker A:Had fun and I'm hoping I've helped.
>> Speaker B:People and maybe if not you, maybe.
>> Speaker C:You told a friend about it and.
>> Speaker A:They were able to be helped by this.
>> Speaker B:I can't thank you enough for listening.
>> Speaker A:To podcasts, and I appreciate everyone who.
>> Speaker C:Provides me ideas for these podcasts, and.
>> Speaker A:I always recommend if you have one, send it to me at TBFT at newdirectionfertility.com.
>> Speaker B:I'll be more than happy to look.
>> Speaker C:At and possibly do a podcast on it.
>> Speaker A:As I always say, if you love.
>> Speaker C:This podcast, please tell people about it and give us a five star review on your favorite medium if you love this podcast. As always, I say I look forward to talking next week, but this time.
>> Speaker A:It'S going to be two weeks.
>> Speaker C:It won't be till the new year till I come back for the next podcast. So I wish you all a merry Christmas, a happy new year. And remember, you don't have to change the recipe completely, you just have to make adjustments. I'm Dr. Mark Amos and this is talk about fertility Tuesday.