Embryos and Egg Quality indepth Conversation with Tasha Jennings

We talk with fertility naturopath and nutritionist Tasha Jennings about what embryos need to keep growing and why egg and sperm quality matter just as much in IVF as they do when trying naturally. We share practical ways to advocate for better answers after failed cycles or miscarriage and how to stop carrying the whole burden alone.

• how embryo growth is fueled by egg energy through day three
• why day-three timing can point to egg vs sperm factors
• the 90-day preconception window for meaningful change
• five pillars to support egg quality and sperm health: energy, DNA building blocks, antioxidants, cell membranes, environment
• why “fine” semen results can still hide major issues, including DNA integrity
• how BPA, plastics, fragrances, and device habits can affect fertility
• why IVF can’t override poor egg or sperm quality, and what to ask the embryologist
• common miscarriage drivers, including chromosomal issues and male contribution
• when to look deeper at vaginal microbiome and immune balance
• why “just relax” is unhelpful, and what support actually looks like

Embryos don’t “just stop” for no reason, and hearing “everything looks fine” can be one of the most frustrating parts of trying to conceive. We sit down with fertility naturopath, nutritionist, author, and podcast host Tasha Jennings to get specific about what actually drives embryo development, why day three matters so much, and how to use that timeline to ask better questions after a failed IVF cycle.

We dig into the overlooked truth that early embryo growth is fueled by what’s already inside the egg, including the mitochondria and nutrient reserves needed for rapid cell division. From there, Tasha lays out her five-part framework for improving egg quality and sperm health during the critical 90-day preconception window: boosting energy production, supplying DNA building blocks, increasing antioxidant protection, strengthening cell membranes with omega-3s and DHA, and reducing environmental stressors like BPA and fragrances. We also talk about male fertility in a way that’s practical and empowering, including why “normal” semen analysis results can still miss DNA integrity issues that affect embryo growth and miscarriage risk.

If pregnancy starts but doesn’t continue, we walk through the most common reasons, including chromosomal abnormalities and what to consider when testing shows an embryo is chromosomally normal. Tasha explains when vaginal microbiome testing might matter, what to know about lactobacilli, and why immune balance and the uterine environment can be part of the story. We also name the emotional weight of this process and why “just relax” is not a plan.

If you want clearer next steps, smarter questions for your clinic, and a grounded approach to fertility nutrition and lifestyle, listen through and share it with someone who needs it. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what takeaway you’re trying first.

And if you'd like to connect or share your story, find us on Instagram and Facebook at Australian Fertility Summit.
So you can download the my free guide go to  tashajennings.com.au/ egg quality guide.

Tasha's details;

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tashajenningsnd/

website - https://tashajennings.com.au/

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Tasha Jennings

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome to the Home of Fertility, a space for real conversation and expert insight about fertility, healing, and creating family. I'm Liz Walker.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

And I'm Helen Zay. We are two mums who've walked this path and are passionate about supporting you on your journey, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

We talk about it all. Fertility treatment, holistic support, relationships, mindset, and the emotional highs and lows.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Because sometimes the missing piece lies in someone else's story, in the quiet wisdom of the body, or in a breakthrough that's finally made for you.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

We are so glad you are here. Let's dive in.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Everybody there. As we start our next episode for the Home of Fertility with Liz Walton. Hello, Tatasha Jennings. How are you today?

SPEAKER_04 1:08

Excellent. I'm looking forward to this conversation.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

Oh, me too. We're going to be talking about eggs and embryos. And I think this is a wonderful conversation to have about new beginnings as well. So I'm really excited about this conversation and thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to chat to me. Pleasure. All right. So first of all, without further ado, let's find out who is this gorgeous lady, Tash. Tasha, sorry, I should say. And uh let's find out who is Tasha. So Tasha Jennings is a fertility naturopath. She's a nutritionist, author, and podcast host host with over 20 years' experience helping proactive women and couples create healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Yay, I love that. Through her popular online programs, private consultations, she blends natural strategies and evidence-based science to improve fertility outcomes, whether you're trying naturally or through IVF. Tasha works closely with leading IVF clinics and fertility specialists in a sought-after speaker and is a sought-after speaker as well as medical conferences, educating health professionals on the power of fertility nutrition. She's the author of the fertility diet and the vitamins guide, being featured in major media publications, including The Age, The Herald Sun, News.com, and more, as well as TV, radio, and the recent News Corp documentary Fertility Unpacked. Oh my gosh, you are an amazing woman, Tasha.

SPEAKER_04 2:49

Oh, I love everything fertility, and I love having these conversations and empowering more women to take control of their fertility health and their pregnancy.

Why Fertility Is Not A Checklist

SPEAKER_02 2:58

Well, it's such a growing area. Um whether we like it or not, you know, but it's it, I just think we live in an age where so much goodness is happening, where we're learning about the body and supporting people to have babies when that can't always when that isn't always necessarily the case. And it doesn't happen so easily, like myself. You know, it can be really, you know, it's heartbreaking, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 3:25

Absolutely. A lot of my patients are either 40 or just over 40 or around that age, and you know, have had careers, they're strong, goal-oriented women, and it's it's just such a challenge to be confronted with something that they can't set a goal and achieve it and work harder. Fertility doesn't work like that. And it's quite disempowering because I think the main message we get when we're younger is it's so easy to fall pregnant, be careful. I mean, obviously a very valid message, but on the flip side, the natural assumption is it will be easy and it's not necessarily the case.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Absolutely. And it is interesting how we are brought up, you know. You, you, you, it's always about be careful to not get pregnant, and then it's you know, you know, you have to find your man, not necessarily so much these days, you could be a solo mum by choice. Um, so there's all these different paths to parenthood. But the perception for for myself, if I talk about myself, was you know, you grow up, you get married, you have babies, you know, and don't have babies too early, you know. My father, don't have babies, don't have, you know, just like exactly.

SPEAKER_04 4:32

Yes. And I think obviously a very valid message, but um, it's very hard for women then we don't get taught much about how to get pregnant. All we're told is have sex, get pregnant, that equals baby. And there's not a lot of education beyond that, even as myself, and I'm married to a doctor and I'm a fertility naturopath. I will had been a naturopath when we were trying to conceive, and we struggled until I started deep diving, and hence why I'm now speaking at conferences and getting on the radio and just really, you know, broadcasting this message far and wide to help other women who are in the same situation.

How An Embryo Gets Its Energy

SPEAKER_02 5:06

Well, I love that. And I really enjoyed meeting you at the Melbourne Fertility Expo and really getting to learn about all the amazing things that you do. So let's come back to, you know, um, embryos and eggs, you know. So what is it? You know, it it's like the cells divide and an embryo is created. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_04 5:31

Absolutely. And I find that process so fascinating that two separate cells with two separate DNA can can come together and start a new life to start a new heartbeating. It's a phenomenal process. And in actual fact, so many factors need to align for that process to continue. So, particularly, I guess, talking about the IVF setting, because we can see what's happening, but it it sort of goes for both as well. That firstly, we've got to get the egg to fertilize. We've got to get capacitation, which is this little mini explosion, which helps the sperm penetrate the egg and get that fertilization. Um, then we've got to get that DNA to replicate. And that cell is never going to grow as quickly as it does. It's going to, you know, rapidly dividing and multiplying and growing so quickly. And it actually needs a ton of energy to fuel that growth and development. And I think that's where some embryos can fail to thrive because they don't have the energy available and the capacity. And particularly as we get older, we need to take proactive steps to fuel that energy because all the energy that takes the embryo from that fertilization all the way through to day three is solely fueled by what's already in the egg cell. Wow. So that egg that you ovulate or you've had collected at egg collection, that fuels all of that growth and development until day three. And day three, they then start working as a team. Then the sperm starts to support that growth and development, and then they continue to grow. So, I mean, hopefully continue to grow. And so obviously, both of them are evolved at day three. And I think that's a really important thing if you are going through an IVF cycle. A big thing I get my patients to do is really speak to the embryologist. I want to know all the information. If nothing else, a failed IVF cycle is information gathering. We don't want to just go back and do the same thing again. When did they stop growing? Was it before day three? We want to really look at that egg. Perhaps there wasn't enough energy within that egg cell. And was, or was it after day three? And then we want to look at sperm health. And that's, you know, one thing we really need to consider because I'm often, you know, patients say, well, his sperm is fine. And I say, well, please send me the semen analysis because fine often means fine as long as there's four percent normal sperm, they say it's fine. And that means 96% of them are abnormal. And then we also want to look at how many there are. What's the volume? Is it 4% of a tiny volume or is it 4% of a big volume? It's going to make a big difference to the outcome. So there's so many factors involved. And it's also, it's not just a beauty contest. You know, the seam analysis, it gets morphology, which is the shape and the form and how well they're swimming and all those things. But what about the DNA integrity? Because that's going to help that embryo to continue to thrive and grow.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

So, what is it about males? So, what do they contribute when we're talking now about sperm? Because um, and I think we were chatting just a bit before, before we we started um recording, was just for realizing how important male sperm health is. And um, I think this is exciting.

Five Keys To Better Egg Quality

BPA And Everyday Toxin Traps

SPEAKER_04 8:57

Yes, I think it's very empowering, and that's why I love sharing this information because I think in all fairness, a lot of men they actually don't realize this. So they they aren't generally, I'm probably generalizing, but a lot of my patients, she's doing everything she can. She knows she's changing a diet, she's taking supplements, and he's like maybe ad hoc taking things here or there, or you know, something she's thrown in, you know, to make him take in the mornings because he's quote unquote fine. And so the burden often falls on the woman because she had they have been told by their fertility specialist that they are fine. But this the DNA integrity within the sperm really matters. I did a great podcast on the Conceived Baby Podcast with Professor Adam Watkins, and his research really focuses on male preconception health. Wow. And that made a significant impact to pregnancy outcomes, regardless of the sperm quote unquote health. So, you know, that's just what the parameters that we can measure on a semanalysis. So his preconception health, and I I really, there's only one opportunity. I said, I think we have this amazing window of opportunity whilst the egg and sperm are growing to pass on the best DNA possible to our future baby. In my opinion, this is the best investment in your baby's future health you can make. And that goes for semen now, semen. So if you are passing on the best DNA, you've got the best chance of not only having your embryo grow and thrive, but to create a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby because it takes 90 days, around about 90 days, a little bit, a little bit more. But if we that's probably the main impact zone that you can have on egg quality and sperm health. Now, sperm are creating a whole new factory every 90 days. They're pretty amazing. They're starting from scratch and there's a whole new factory being created. So we can have a significant impact on that sperm health within those 90 days. And really, same with egg quality. Eggs, women are a little bit different. We have all the eggs we're ever going to have, and we've already got them in our mother's womb before we're born. And then we start to ovulate each one. But these eggs aren't eggs yet, they're actually primordial follicles. They sit dormant, you know, through our obviously infant years and they start to ovulate when we hit menstruation. We start menstruating. We do then start to release those eggs. But they still take that 90 days to develop from that tiny primordial follicle to a mature egg that's going to be released at ovulation. And there are, I talk a lot about energy because the egg cell contains more mitochondria or energy powerhouses, if you think back to year 12 biology, um, than any other cell in the body, except probably the neuron. Um, but they contain a ton of these mitochondria because they need so much energy to fuel the growth and development of a future baby. So there are five key aspects of egg and sperm health that I like to cover with my patients and look at. And I think there's something that, you know, if you're listening now, is you can take on board and have a look at these five aspects and really consider that in if you are in this 90-day period before conception. So energy is my number one. We really need to focus on improving that energy as much as possible. So this is where, you know, exercise, getting healthy diet, nutrients, your B vitamins, your folates, your B12s, even supplements like coenzyme Q10, ubiquinol, they help to fuel that Krebs cycle and that mitochondrial energy. So they're gonna help fuel that growth for the egg and the sperm. So energy is a big one. Other one is DNA. We need to look at the building blocks of our DNA. So this is, you know, our quality proteins, our B vitamins, iron. This is literally providing the building blocks that you are creating the foundation of your future baby, which is super exciting. The third one I like to look at is antioxidants to protect that process because we're talking about these phenomenal cells, which have, you know, uh hundreds of thousands of mitochondria, but they need to be looked at under a microscope. So they're very vulnerable to influences in the body. So antioxidants help to protect that process. So just things that even as basic as vitamin C is found in follicular fluid and seminal fluid. So getting adequate intake of vitamin C, and we do lose it every 40 first four to eight hours. So, you know, having good fruits and maybe a supplement that's going to help to support that. I love lycopene for men. That's found in seminal fluid and that helps to improve the quality of the sperm. And it's found in red foods. And the good news is it's in cooked red foods, even more so. It's actually one of the few nutrients that's enhanced by cooking. So think, you know, the Italian nonnas knew what they were doing when they cook up those big batches of rich tomato. I can see it now. I love that. And the good news is usually men are better at eating a tomato sauce or something like that than a fresh tomato salad or something. So, you know, those rich sauces are going to be great for their antioxidants. So that's three things. Number four is the cellular health. So the cell wall. We we want to see if that's nice and supple. We need that fertilization to happen, that capacitation, that mini explosion. So these are things like your essential fatty acids. So fish oils are going to be great. So getting, you know, the smaller fish the better for less mercury. So things like sardines, salmon, trout, um, or having an omega-3 supplement is going to help to support that health of that egg cell. And also the sperm head is very rich in DHA, which is found in omega-3. So that's going to be really helpful for that fertilization. And I have to say, one of the main defects I see on a semen analysis are head defects. So supporting that DHA component, getting that fish in there is going to be helpful. And the fifth thing to consider when you're looking at these egg and sperm health is environment.

SPEAKER_03 15:07

Right.

SPEAKER_04 15:08

So because they're such tiny cells, we need to be really mindful of the environment they're in. So things, unfortunately, like BPA, like we're saying, vitamin C is found in seminal fluid and follicular fluids, so is BPA.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 15:21

So we really need to minimize plastics as much as possible. I know I had one patient and we tested his BPA levels and it was off the charts.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

Really?

SPEAKER_04 15:31

And so the good news is you can bring it back quite quickly. So we just looked at where's the influence coming from. The good news is BPA is out of your system within two weeks, usually. So we can just, where are the sources coming from? The problem is the continued exposure. So let's eliminate the sources, let's help the detox pathways and support that elimination and clearance. We had his BPA levels back down again and they now had their baby, um, which is just wonderful. So there's simple things like that. BPA is a big one, but even fragrances, um, you know, don't use room deodorizers or even those big lynx deodorants or even your you know, expensive Gucci perfume, fragrances are um a big influence as well. So just minimizing toxins.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so could I also ask with that, what are your thoughts with, say, a lot of the devices? Because they can be, I know men can wear them in their back pockets. And of course, we as women well can also do that. And there's just all around us at the moment. Um, can that be quite a harsh um uh influence also on our system?

IVF Debriefs And Better Questions

SPEAKER_04 16:36

Absolutely. All of these things can influence. So your mobile phone's not in your front pocket, don't sit your laptop on your lap or your iPad on your lap when you're sitting on the couch. So it ideally when you're at night, don't have it charging beside your bed, have it out of the room where possible. So all of these things can have a significant influence. They just you don't need to be perfect to get pregnant. I'll say that now. You don't need to go live in a zen tench. So when I'm saying avoid, you know, Wi-Fi's and things, it's a natural part of our life. But there are some, I always say your body wants to get pregnant. There are some blocks that we need to unwrap. And that's why in my personal consultations, I will go way back to their mother's pregnancy, even, you know, the life their eggs have lived. We just need to unpack what are the blocks for you, what are the things that are stopping it, like this patient particularly. BPA, unfortunately, was having a significant influence on their journey. So we were able to lift that block and they were able to create a pregnancy. So we need to look at what the block is for you. And so we'll that those five key aspects are things that I look at when I do my consultations and deep dive through their history to find out where the which one of those is having the most impact. And we obviously try to enhance all five, and that's an important thing to consider whether you are trying naturally or through IVF, because sadly, probably one of my biggest referrals is IVF clinics after five or seven or more failed cycles. Because IVF does not improve your fertility, it can help create pregnancies and it's an amazing technology. I love working with IVF specialists. We're so grateful to live in a world where we can have this technology possible. However, it's only as good as the egg and the sperm that you provide it. So I think understanding that empowering yourself before you go into an IVF cycle, I always look a lot of my patients are doing IVF, and look fortunately, a lot of them do fall pregnant naturally, even after many, many failed cycles. I know I I had one patient who came to me after she'd had seven failed cycles. I've been trying for about nine years, I think. Um and she said, Well, I I can't get pregnant naturally. I said, Why don't we try it? And she's like, Well, I said, So, what's making you think you can't get pregnant naturally? She just never had. And I looked through her results again. I'm like, look, I really think it's possible for you. And so we looked at all those blocks within three months. She was pregnant.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 19:06

And so I think IVF unfortunately wasn't the answer for her because there were other blocks like IVF gets egg and sperm together, creates hopefully beautiful pregnancies that may otherwise not have been possible in some cases. But it's not always the answer. Um, so it's really important to get that quality of egg and sperm to be able to create a healthy embryo and healthy pregnancy.

SPEAKER_02 19:32

Yeah, yeah. And I look, I can really resonate with that where um I thought IVF would be my answer. And I felt like I zipped out my body, gave it to the doctors, and you fix it. And so then even after, and look, we need assisted reproduction for all sorts of things, you know, and I can only talk about my story. Um, and I just assumed the doctors would fix me, you know. But I it took me uh four or five I guess before I realized actually I'm in that body. I need to have a look. You know, if it's not working, I need to have a look inside. And that really was a massive, massive change for me because for bringing back the power. So I really loved hearing what you say, and this is what I read, and and just understanding, you know, what else is in the way, you know, for me, and bizarrely enough, I was told, you know, you won't be able to get pregnant. My husband had anti-sperm antibodies without assisted reproduction. So um, for you know, I had six all unsuccessful, and then I gave up and then three years later fell pregnant naturally, which was quite bizarre. So I really resonate with that, that it's it's not always that. Well, I mean, we do need IVF, but it's our own personal journeys can be so different. And looking at the nuances is really important.

SPEAKER_04 20:57

And I think you just said that there looking at the nuances is really important because often people are referred to me with unexplained infertility. And I always say, well, it's never unexplained. We just don't know yet. And oftentimes, look, doctors are amazing. I said, I'm married to a doctor, I work a lot with IBS specialists, but they're but when they're looking at test results, they're looking for a disease or a deficiency, or and oftentimes you don't have either of those, so you're quote unquote fine. And but it requires more than fine to create a pregnancy. We want a really healthy body, and so if everything is on the lower end of fine, then that may be enough of a block to stop you getting pregnant. So that's why I love to, you know, all my patients. I said, look, send me a Dropbox file if you have to, because often it has been a very long journey. I want to look through all the test results. I want to look at the trajectory too, because I also want to see, you know, an iron level of of 50 might seem fine, but then when I look, well, they've previously been 80 and all of a sudden they're they're down to 50. So what's the trajectory been like uh over that last? Time. And also, where are they sitting with fine? As I said, I see a lot of levels that are and they've been told they're fine and they're really at that bottom level of fine. We want to get everything in the optimal position for that person. So I empower people to get a copy of your test results. Ask the clinic for the results they have. Ask them about what unpack the cycle. You know, what when did the embryo stop growing? As many details as possible. That's where we're going to find what is happening for you.

Miscarriage Causes Beyond Bad Luck

SPEAKER_02 22:32

Beautiful. Yes, I love that. And so with our discussion, we talked about everything that an embryo needs to grow and thrive. So then what what gets in the way? What is it when an embryo stops growing? What happens there? Why?

SPEAKER_04 22:48

Well, I'll probably particularly talk even about miscarriage because that is such a heartbreaking thing to have happen. And a lot of people don't understand what happened. Uh, you know, I got pregnant, that the embryo obviously was there, it it fertilized, and it didn't continue to grow. So all of those factors that I just I guess outlined for an IVF cycle are going to be at play in miscarriage. And oftentimes there are a lot of reasons for miscarriage. So I'll unpack a few of those um today. But uh the number one is that embryo. And I think that's a misconception for a lot of men. Um, in all fairness, they don't they don't realize how much role they play in that miscarriage because they are fueling the growth of the embryo. And so there is, I've had patients come to me and he says, Well, I get her pregnant, there's nothing wrong with me, or even perhaps I've had kids in the past. I often hear that I've had kids in the past. Um, I am able to get her pregnant, there's nothing wrong with me. That's not necessarily the case. Just because you've had kids in the past, your seminanalysis may not be as good as it as it was back then. And also just because she gets pregnant doesn't mean she loses the pregnancy. The embryo stopped growing. That was two people involved in creating that embryo. And so that is probably the number one reason is chromosomal abnormalities. So what happens is when the two cells come together, they have enough energy for capacitation, for that fertilization to happen. They may start to grow, they may even continue to grow to, you know, unsadly, you know, they may sit six weeks, eight weeks, or beyond, but they're chromosomal errors. So where those chromosomal errors occur is because they don't have enough energy potentially to line up correctly. So they they actually were misconnected, and so they had some errors in there that weren't actually going to create a viable pregnancy. There may be issues with the DNA integrity, the antioxidants, all the things I talked about are going to be at play in that embryo growth, whether it's through IVF or whether it's a miscarriage, either early stage or late stage, is often related to that embryo growth. I mean, the other things we can consider or always look at trying to get that miscarriage tested where possible. If it was a chromosomally normal embryo, then we want to dig further. Into immune issues, is there anything else that may be microbiome, anything else about the environment that may be impacting that pregnancy growth? But ultimately, most times it comes down to that embryo, and men have more of a role in that than they think.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Yeah. And I think that's really good for the man and the woman, you know, both parties, should I say, both parties to um understand because um, you know, it's a it's a team's thought. So it brings, I think it can bring you both together. I I know for me, and like I was going through my my fertility journey in uh five oh six, I did feel it was kind of all on my shoulders.

SPEAKER_04 26:00

Ah, me too. Yeah, absolutely. I I think it's women we we naturally do that too. Like we're naturally gonna take the weight of it and take the blame, and also when the natural perception is. And even in my journey, I said I'd been a naturopath for over 10 years when we were trying to to fall pregnant, and it came as a real shock to me. I I was in my 30s, I was healthy, I was being a naturopath, I'm married to a healthy doctor. What how how can we not get pregnant? It was it was over baffling at the time. And so 12 months later, and that's when I started diving into the research and just emailing people. I emailed professors from New York to Italy to Adelaide asking, you know, why had they used that particular nutrient? Why'd they use that form? Why'd they use that dose? I just wanted to know everything I could about this space. And I guess that's where my podcast came from. As I'm like, I got to share this information. Like, this shouldn't be like stuck in a medical journal that'll reach the, you know, women in you know 12 years' time. So I think it can be, as you said, it can bring the couple together and be really empowering. And I think getting someone on your team that's going to be supportive and help you through that process because I've also seen two women come to me almost eating nothing. They're gluten-free, they're dairy-free, they're they're they're organic, they're it's they're absolutely stressed and exhausted because they've listened to every single podcast and Instagram reel, and they're doing absolutely everything. When I've actually said to some people, please start eating gluten again. Like that may be the case for other people that, you know, I do say some people not to, but there was one particular patient that I remember, and she was doing, she was such a type A. She was doing everything right according to what she had, you know, researched and knew. And I actually challenged her on that and I said, I'd like you to start eating some gluten. Like not, you just just open your diet up a bit, relax a bit more. She's now having, I'm helping her with her second pregnancy now. She's just, she's just um now pregnant again. But in some cases, there is too much information out there. It's not always going to be the right information for you. That's why I think it's really important that we unpack your results. We do that deep dive with your history. We want to know what's what are the blocks for you and how do we best overcome those. And that can be empowering. And especially as I see a lot of type A women, they've had careers, they're really driven, and they just, it is a roadblock they've never faced, really. You know, they've become so successful in everything else that they do that they don't know how to approach this. And I think that's really empowering for them because then they can take it, okay, right, I know exactly what I need to do to support me. It's empowering for the male as well, and because they they get a bad rap in a way. They, you know, they they often are not as involved, they they're not doing as much, they're not even trying as much, but because they don't know. Uh, you know, I have to give credit to the men that most of the time when I have and I do always have a couples consultation. If you you this is a team sport, I unless you're doing, you know, you know, solo, I like to see both of you.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:03

And look, I've say nearly 90% of the men I work with, wow, I didn't realize. And then they start getting on board because I'm always big on the why. I like to explain when I put together my fertility care plan for you. I explain, we take half an hour to go through that plan with you to then explain why I'm recommending all of these steps, why I'm recommending to you do these things. And I think for me, I'm always I'm always that why, why, why, hence why I emailed researchers from all over the place going, why, why, why, why, why? I want to know. So I'm really I'm wrapped, I want to empower people because I want to explain to them. Because I think if I say, you know, do this, do that, and these are sometimes difficult things. They're big lifestyle changes or dietary changes. And then I was like, I don't want to do that. But if I explain the why behind it, that's what's empowering. Okay, I can see that I'm working towards something. And I always like to get the bloods checked at at certain times. And that's another thing. I always get your blood tests fasted first thing in the morning so that we can why I like to do that. Doctors will say it doesn't matter, but why it matters to me is I want to replicate the results, want to see the incremental changes, the improvements during my treatment. I don't want to just have you in this wide range of fine. I want to actually see that it's working and being effective for you.

unknown 30:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

Yeah. Well, I'm so glad you do ask all of these questions because you are such a wealth of knowledge. And again, you can bring all of this to your clients. I I think it's good. So well done. Well done for asking all those questions.

SPEAKER_04 30:40

No, it's I've always been that person putting their hand up. So yeah, happy to continue to do that.

SPEAKER_02 30:46

Well, I'll keep being that, that's for sure. So, well, okay, with eggs, it's eggs. I know we've ended up nattering. Where what else do we need to ask about embryos and eggs? So we found out what we need to keep them growing. Um, with and all the different support, what steps you could make. I like I loved your five steps. Um, what is it that stops them growing? So that was also very, very informative. We talked about miscarriage. And uh like, why does a pregnancy start and not continue? Didn't cover that. I just want to make sure, because I know we've got our questions here, that we can make sure we have the most potent talk possible.

SPEAKER_04 31:26

Yeah, I think it's good to reiterate, even if we like did touch a little bit on miscarriage, but I think that is can be really disheartening. I got pregnant. Why am I not continuing to hold the pregnancy? And a lot of women who come to me are very much in the the blame. I I can't hold a pregnancy. There's something wrong with me. I must be broken. I uh like everyone else can carry a baby, and I can't carry the baby. So I think just reiterating to women that it is the embryo most of the time. So your partner is very much involved in the creation of that embryo. And the amount of women I've had with multiple miscarriages, and we found out it's it's the male problem, even if he's been classed as fine. So even if he's had the seam analysis, get a copy. So get a copy of your results. I actually give people, particularly men, I give them a chart of seam analysis. Okay, this is the the bottom range and this is the the top end. I would say nearly everyone who comes to me is really at the bottom end. And I I find that's a really good way because often the women nagging him, you got to do this, or you you gotta stop smoking, or you gotta exercise, or you gotta drink more water, or you it's it's just and then that they get you know at uh tenacity between the couple and it just gets all messy. Whereas I showing him those results, here's your results. Yeah, here's a good example of where you sit on the graph and you're right at the bottom of this graph. They're like, oh my gosh, I was told I'm fine. That's not fine. I'm like, I know, that's not fine. And it makes them want to make proactive changes. And also, I always say, I want to create a healthy dad as well. Like, this is a reflection of your health. It's one of the best reflections of your health, it's actually spitting out how your DNA is. So this is gonna help you become out, come this healthy dad as well. So I think it's very empowering to understand that it's the embryo. If you do have, have you have had multiple miscarriages, do try and get that um tested. If it is testing up normal, that's when we want to be looking deeper. And again, it doesn't mean it's your fault. It means there's something not great about the environment. So the other thing we need to consider, I guess, if for a pregnancy, if it doesn't continue, if it's not the embryo, if the embryo was viable and chromosomally normal, then we want to be looking at the microbiome. I have a patient just yesterday, actually, and I I shouldn't say I was excited to see the results, but I was somewhat excited because she's had unfortunately multiple miscarriages. They said they get pregnant every couple of months, um, but they can't hold the pregnancy. So we did a vaginal microbiome test for her. And what she asymptomatic, no symptoms at all. She's like, I don't, I don't get any um thrush around no symptoms, but there was um some bacteria there, particularly that does impact miscarriage. Wow. And so I as I was almost quite heartened to see that. And she's like, Oh, that's not good. I'm like, it's not good, but it's good because this is so fixable. And I'm actually, I'm so excited for her because we've just implemented treatment. I've fixed this before, I know how to fix it, and we can if we can get rid of that bug. She had no good bacteria. So we know lactobacillis and lactobacilli crispatis, particularly, is an excellent strain of probiotic if you are looking for a supplement that actually can it's been proven to help hold a pregnancy because the microbiome matters within the uterus. Now you can get a uterine biopsy as well if you and do an emranellis test, if you are doing IVF, but it's that can be an expensive and invasive process. First step, I usually do the vaginal microbiome because it's the closest we have. And if we do pick up things there, I said, I'm excited to see that. That's fixable. We can help to overcome that. So, particularly, the infection that I was looking at here was urea plasma. But urea plasma, mycoplasma, you want to get a high vaginal swab and get a microbiome test for that. And the microbiome test will test the lactobacilli there as well. And I said, this particular patient unfortunately had the urea plasma and no lactobacilli at all. So let's just turn the tables on that, which I know how to do. And when I'm excited for her to just, and I did say unfortunately, so don't try. We you got we got to fix it, retest it, and then I'm gonna help you try. And I'm quite confident we're gonna get a pregnancy happening after you know years of failure, which is just so exciting. So look at the environment as well. So if a pregnancy doesn't continue, there are a lot of factors at play. So we want to be looking at the environment. The microbiome is the big one. The other thing is immune issues. So is there any autoimmune problems? Are there antibodies? Um, we want to be because the immune system needs to us accept foreign DNA. So we need a balanced immune system to help to accept that embryo. We need a strong immune system to help to protect it as well. So we don't want to suppress that immune system too much. Um, but we do want a balanced immune system. So if we do have the overactivity or any autoimmune components in there, we want to be helping to support those and and reduce those so that we do get acceptance of that pregnancy.

The Emotional Toll And Real Support

SPEAKER_02 36:36

Oh my goodness. I that that is another wonderful amount of information. And I think what I also loved hearing there, I work a lot with the emotional impact. So and I work a lot with with grief. So I love that you've given me support there of also saying it's the embryo, yeah, looking at that. So um I was just like, oh, that's that's that's beautiful to hear as um I can I support people on that big emotional journey there.

SPEAKER_04 37:09

That's a big part of it as well, the emotional journey. It it is, I I say it's trauma, and I'm I say to women, you know, label it that and actually be it's it's okay to feel because I often have patients saying, Oh, I know it shouldn't upset me so much. I don't should no, there are no shoulds when it comes to emotion. This is huge. So we need to really be gentle with ourselves in regards to this process. And just relax is the worst information anyone to be told. I don't know if you were on your when I was wanting to fall pregnant, oh just relax, go on a holiday. Oh, you'd feel like punching them like really seriously. That's not helpful. You need proactive structures and strategies to actually help your nervous system not be in fight or flight. Saying just relax is not helpful at all. Actually, taking some strategies, you know, getting the right nutrition, getting some support systems in place, that's going to be far more effective.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Words are very powerful, aren't they? And I know some people don't mean to hurt, but they can be hurtful. Definitely. So, and yes, as time goes on, I think we're beginning to share and let let people know that just relax um really isn't the most helpful thing to do. And and you know, oh I'll be trying to relax. Um yes, I do remember hearing that a lot in my past. Me too. Crying. Oh, definitely.

SPEAKER_04 38:30

No, and it it is it is exhausting and it's so emotional. I remember one day I literally put sunglasses on because I was just crying all day and decided I need to do the shopping. I need to, I just so just sunglasses on, I'm just gonna do the shopping whilst the tears are just falling. So just know if you're in that place, I f I feel you, and yeah, sending lots of hope.

SPEAKER_02 38:50

Yeah, yeah. Well, I know that there is so much support here, and I would say reach out to Tasha. And so, with saying that, Tasha, how do people find you and reach out to you?

SPEAKER_04 39:01

Well, jump on my website. Um, my bookings are full to new patients at the moment, but I do have places opening. So you just fill in the application form and I'll be in touch. We can have a phone chat. I like to always chat with my new patients first to find out their situation and how I can best help them and I can help them move forward. I've also got a um free guide I'd love to give people because I've I've talked a lot about egg quality and sperm health. And so, you know, those five steps, I'd love to give them to you. Um, so you can download um my free guide at tashajennings.com.au slash egg quality guide. Um so yeah, Tasha Jennings um T-A-S-H-A, J E N I N G S dot com dot AU slash egg quality guide. And that goes through those five key aspects that I talked about. It also gives you lifestyle, food, supplement recommendations to help to support those five aspects as well. And I'm I'm calling it egg quality guide, but you can give the same advice to the male partner as well in creating that healthy sperm too.

SPEAKER_02 40:01

Yeah. And do you see people um like virtually as well as in person? I see everyone virtually.

SPEAKER_04 40:09

So I see women and couples from across the globe actually. I've I've helped women from yeah, the UK, Singapore, the Philippines, yeah, all over the place. And obviously local referrals here in Australia and and I'm in Melbourne myself as well. So fortunately, I can see people from wherever they are. And I I I love working remotely in that they a lot of these patients are IVF clinics, they've got to go in for scans and tests and bloods, and they can sit together on the couch and you know we can we can have that conversation.

SPEAKER_02 40:40

Oh, well, that's beautiful to know. So have no fear, everyone listening, you can see Tasha wherever you may be in the world. Um and what was the other thing I wanted to ask you? So one of the questions is what is your superpower? And um, I loved your reply, which is if I had a superpower, um, it would be a telescope. So, but tell tell me about that because it's about your daughter.

SPEAKER_04 41:06

It was. It was a lovely just conversation. It's one of those things that you just just hold on to. And I had to I do often take consultations until late at night, and so it's about nine o'clock at night. And um, I think my daughter was probably about six at the time. And I I just finished with the couple and I'd gone upstairs and she was still awake. Um, so she said, Mommy, when I grow up, I'm gonna design a telescope to help you find people's babies quicker. And I'm like, oh, I would love that telescope. I would love to be able to go in and and find. And I love just love the way her mind works. She understood, I guess, what I did. I broadly explained that I helped people have babies. She knew they come from the woman's tummy. So she's like, I reckon a telescope's gonna help find those babies.

SPEAKER_02 41:55

So I want that. Yes, I want you to have that too. So let's let's pray out. Let's make this telescope happen. If even if we don't know how that'll be, let's create this telescope. Yeah. I want to finish on um two things. One, what would be, I'm gonna ask you about fertility and filtered, but also what would be like a top tip or something that you would like to leave um the conversation with that people can take action? What would be like a top tip from from you with supporting people on, I suppose, sperm and um and egg quality? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 42:33

Like a simple thing that I think everyone can benefit from is getting more colour in your diet. So I touched on those rich red foods for the lycopenes, but uh colour in general contains phytonutrients, and these are nutrients beyond just their carbohydrate and and fat contents. They're they're powerhouses of antioxidants. And so we we hear everything about you shouldn't do this, shouldn't do that, shouldn't do that. I I'd love to just load the diet so that other stuff goes away. So I think I literally have in my your fertile pantry program, which is my online program, which you can do as well if if on my consultations are full. Um, I literally have a checklist and I like you to tick off. Did you have purple? You know, there's reds, yellows, oranges, greens, and just get a variety of colour in your diet is going to support all of those key things. It's gonna support the energy, it's gonna help with DNA, providing the nutrients like your eye and your B12s, it's gonna help with the cellular health, it's gonna help with antioxidants, and it's gonna help with that environment as well, because we're minimizing processed foods. So just ramp your diet up with loads of colours. Let she get the checklist out. I had one patient, she stuck it on the my your your photel pantry member, actually. She took my photo of her fridge and she'd printed out my um colours and she was ticking it off every day, making sure she had purples and reds and yellows. So yeah, simple thing. Just front end all that colour.

SPEAKER_02 43:57

Oh, I think I need to find more purple food.

SPEAKER_04 44:02

Yeah, we had a big debate in the um group actually one time. So beetroot is that I'm still unsure. I think it falls into the purple category. She says, What about beetroot? Is that red or purple? Which one? Which one do I tick? And I'm like, you know what? You've even confounded me on that. I'm putting it in the purple category just because of the nutrients it provides, but a little bit of a mixture there.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

I love it. Okay, excellent. More colour in our diet. And then I'd love to just share a bit about fertility unfiltered. So people are aware of that because they just in case they're not. Tell me a bit about fertility unfiltered.

SPEAKER_04 44:35

Oh, the Fertility Unpacked, the um Herald Sun documentary. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

Sorry, I beg your pardon, I wrote the wrong thing.

SPEAKER_04 44:42

That was a fabulous um documentary with News Corp. Um, that I was a part of. Um, they reached out to me and a few couple of my patients, and you can find it at the Herald Sun website. It's a beautiful documentary that follows two of my patients, Felisa and Chris, um, who were trying for years um miscarriage and a lot of heartbreak. And I was unfortunate. Fortunately, obviously, they've just again that was only a few months ago that they've now had their baby. They were pregnant at the time that that happened. And a beautiful story of Sonia, who she came to me at 47, um, she was, and sadly, she was going through the IVF process when her fiance passed away. And so she had one embryo. We we we call that one, her one precious embryo, and she came to me wanting to transfer with obviously a lot of trepidation. And I actually worked with her for quite a long time. She was 49 when she fell pregnant, um, or did the transfer and and it worked. Um, and that was such an emotional journey for her, just supporting that and and empowering her to feel like she was in the best place, and whatever happened next was fate, that she had done everything she could. And I'm I'm so grateful I could give her that that gift of of knowing that she was ready and prepared, and now she has her her beautiful daughter, um, Molly Rose, who she called the embryo Molly. They she did the two of them called the embryo Molly, which was a lovely story. Um, they used to wave at the embryo as they were going past the the IVF clinic. Um, obviously, sadly, he then passed away, but she then called her daughter Molly. So it's a beautiful story. So if you want to see have some inspiration, um, yeah, jump on the Herald Sun web website and go to Fertility Unpacked and you can uh hear their journeys.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

Oh, that is a beautiful, yes. And I did speak to Sonia before the Melbourne Fertility Expo, and um yeah, a beautiful woman. Beautiful. Oh, she really is, yeah. Uh well done, you. I just think that's that so beautiful. I just love the work that you do, and you as a human are just an amazing, gorgeous woman. So oh ditto. Uh, you know, thank you so so much for being who you are. You know, our journeys in life create our passion for our careers in a way, isn't it? Definitely. Yeah. So is there anything else that we have not discussed that we need to discuss? I think we've managed to chat through everything.

SPEAKER_04 47:18

I hope so. And the one thing I would love people to to leave this conversation is to feel empowered on your journey. You know, this this isn't somewhere you need to do everything right and it's like school mom and feel stressed and, you know, get the support you need. You have the power, you have more control over this journey than you think. I think, you know, you can feel like you need to hand all hope and dreams and control over to the fertility specialist. It's not the case, it's a team effort on everyone's part. And if you're not feeling that from your specialist, then you know, I often speak to people about getting the right team on board, um, giving you recommendations and making sure that you feel supported and that you know what you can control in your journey.

SPEAKER_02 47:59

I love that. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Oh, it's uh I I feel it's a genuine honor for having you on here today speaking with me, with um just talking, you know, about one subject when there's so many different subjects today. So thank you for your wonderful, wise wisdom. And remember to get more colour in your diet and you know, again, to advocate for yourself, which is which is so important. So, with love, thank you, Tasha, so much. Thank you, Liz. Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure, and for everybody else, sending you all our love, and let's have some fun getting some more colour in your diet.

SPEAKER_00 48:44

Thanks for joining us at the Homer Fertility. We hope today's episode brought you clarity, comfort, and connection.

SPEAKER_01 48:54

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SPEAKER_00 49:04

And if you'd like to connect or share your story, find us on Instagram and Facebook at Australian Fertility Summit.

SPEAKER_01 49:13

Remember, the missing piece might be waiting in a story, your body's wisdom, or something new just made for you. Take care and we'll see you next time.