Trying with Dr. Sasha Hakman

Mental health during infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum is often misunderstood, and knowing what's normal, what's not, and when to seek help can make all the difference. In this educational episode, Dr. Sasha sits down with Dr. Kristin Lassiter, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in reproductive psychiatry, to break down the mental health conditions women may experience throughout their reproductive years. Together, they explain the differences between anxiety, depression, OCD, postpartum baby blues, and postpartum psychosis, while addressing common misconceptions about intrusive thoughts and psychiatric medications during pregnancy. From understanding the safety of antidepressants and ADHD medications to recognizing warning signs and knowing where to turn for help, this conversation is designed to give women and their families the knowledge to make informed decisions and advocate for appropriate care. Mental health resources mentioned in this episode: Postpartum Support International: postpartum.net National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) for free, confidential support, available 24/7. If you or someone you love is experiencing symptoms of postpartum psychosis or an immediate risk of harm, seek emergency medical care. Medication decisions during pregnancy should always be made with your treating healthcare professional. Do not stop or change prescribed psychiatric medications without medical guidance. Follow Dr. Kristin Lassiter! Instagram: @the.reproductive.psychiatrist Follow Dr. Sasha! TikTok: @sashahakmanmd Instagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingpod YouTube: @sashahakmanmd Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter for updates, Q&A answers and more! If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every week. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://olliesmile.com and enter code TRYING at checkout for 10% off your order!  For a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using code DRSASHA at https://oneskin.co/DRSASHA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it actually take to raise emotionally resilient kids without losing yourself in the process? In Part 2 of my conversation with pediatrician and PedsDocTalk founder Dr. Mona Amin, we move from her personal journey into some of the most debated topics in modern parenting: sleep training, co-sleeping, gentle parenting, attachment, boundaries, emotional regulation, and the pressure to get everything "right." Dr. Mona explains why parenting is rarely as black and white as social media makes it seem. We talk about what the research actually says about sleep training and attachment, why parental sleep matters too, and how families can think about co-sleeping through the lens of risk reduction rather than judgment. We also unpack the difference between gentle, permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian parenting. Dr. Mona shares why validation alone isn't always enough, why some children actually become more dysregulated when parents over-explain their emotions, and how loving limits can give children both the connection and boundaries they need. Plus, we get into tantrums, hitting, whining, yelling, parental guilt, repairing after you lose your cool, and why modeling emotional regulation may be one of the most powerful tools we have as parents. This conversation is such an important reminder that no parent is going to get every moment right. What matters is building a relationship where your child knows they are loved, their emotions are safe with you, and they can always come back to you. In this episode → How Dr. Mona's own birth trauma changed the way she communicates medical and parenting information → What the research says about sleep training, attachment, and the Ferber method → Why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to infant and toddler sleep → Co-sleeping, bed sharing, safe sleep, SIDS risk, and the importance of risk reduction → Why a child's temperament and "cuddle quota" can completely change what works for their family → Gentle parenting versus permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian parenting → Why over-validating a child during a tantrum can sometimes make things worse → How to set firm boundaries without shaming or dismissing your child's emotions → What to do when your child hits, whines, screams, or becomes completely dysregulated → Why parents need to regulate themselves before they can help regulate their children → How apologizing after yelling or losing your temper can model accountability → Why repair matters more than being a perfect parent → How positive reinforcement helps shape behavior without creating shame → What emotional resilience actually looks like as children grow → Dr. Mona's approach to evidence-based medicine without fear mongering → The parenting myths she is most tired of correcting online → What she hopes her own children understand about their childhood when they're adults Follow Dr. Mona!Instagram: @pedsdoctalk  Follow Dr. Sasha! TikTok: @sashahakmanmd Instagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingpod YouTube: @sashahakmanmd Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter for updates, Q&A answers and more! If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every week. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://olliesmile.com and enter code TRYING at checkout for 10% off your order!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo Q&A episode of Trying with Dr. Sasha Hakman, Dr. Sasha answers listener questions across fertility, IVF, embryo transfer, hormone health, pregnancy, exercise, and reproductive genetics. From adenomyosis treatment before embryo transfer and ways to support a short luteal phase to whole genome sequencing, balanced translocations, IVF in your 40s, male factor infertility, and exercise during treatment, Dr. Sasha breaks down what the evidence tells us, where the research is still limited, and why fertility care often needs to be highly individualized. As always, this episode is for general education and is not personal medical advice. In this episode, we cover: ➜ Adenomyosis, why it can affect implantation, and when Depo Lupron and letrozole may be considered before embryo transfer ➜ Using Inito to track FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone, confirm ovulation, and potentially identify a luteal phase defect ➜ Whole genome sequencing of embryos, polygenic risk scores, monogenic conditions, Juniper Genomics, Orchid, Nucleus, and the limitations of embryo genetic testing ➜ Persistent chronic endometritis after doxycycline, when additional antibiotics may be needed, and where EMMA/ALICE testing may have a role ➜ Resistance training, powerlifting, pelvic floor health, urinary incontinence, prolapse, and what researcher Margie Davenport's work suggests about exercise in pregnancy ➜ Balanced translocations, genetic counseling, untested embryos, embryo biopsy and re-freezing, and how maternal age can influence decisions around PGT ➜ Vaginal estrogen and the vaginal microbiome, Evvy testing, and using progesterone supplementation to support a short luteal phase ➜ Reproductive immunology after miscarriage or failed embryo transfer, plus when a rheumatologist or reproductive immunologist may be helpful ➜ ICSI for male factor infertility, high AMH, reproductive urology, varicoceles, hypothalamic amenorrhea, restoring ovulation, and trying to conceive after losing your period ➜ Fertility and IVF in your 40s, including the realities of egg quality, ovarian reserve, repeated IVF cycles, and when donor eggs may enter the conversation ➜ Pregnancy symptoms that deserve evaluation, including ocular migraines, shortness of breath, severe fatigue, low ferritin, and iron deficiency ➜ IVF add-ons including Neupogen, hCG washes, steroids, IV intralipids, and uterine PRP, and why limited evidence does not always stop patients with recurrent implantation failure from considering them ➜ Luteal phase ovarian stimulation, estrogen and testosterone priming, diminished ovarian reserve, follicle synchronization, and individualized stimulation protocols ➜ Exercise during ovarian stimulation and after frozen embryo transfer, plus microdose Lupron protocols, FSH stimulation, hCG triggers, and OHSS risk CHAPTERS 00:00 Solo Q&A and a reminder about general medical advice01:00 Adenomyosis treatment before transfer and tracking ovulation with Inito08:03 Whole genome sequencing, embryo genetics and chronic endometritis13:55 Resistance training, pelvic floor health, balanced translocations and untested embryos20:44 Vaginal estrogen, the microbiome and lengthening the luteal phase23:44 Reproductive immunology, ICSI and male factor infertility27:29 Hypothalamic amenorrhea and trying for another baby in your 40s30:34 Migraines in pregnancy, iron deficiency and IVF success in the mid to late 40s35:22 Neupogen, IVF add-ons and luteal phase stimulation39:06 Exercise during IVF and after embryo transfer, plus microdose Lupron protocols Episodes and experts mentioned: Whole genome sequencing with Juniper Genomics CEO Jeremy Greco IVF medications Follow Dr. Sasha! TikTok: @sashahakmanmd Instagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingpod YouTube: @sashahakmanmd Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter for updates, Q&A answers and more! If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every week. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! Thank you to our sponsors! Head to AquaTru.com now and get 20% off your purifier using promocode DRSASHA  Go to Rula.com/ DRSASHA for quality therapy that’s covered by insurance.  Head over to Superpower.com and use code DRSASHA for $50 off. After you sign up, they’ll ask you how you heard about Superpower, tell them Trying sent you to support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever gone through a failed embryo transfer and wondered why , this episode is for you. Dr. Sasha sits down with Jeremy Grushcow, co-founder and CEO of Juniper Genomics, to break down a groundbreaking advancement in IVF: whole genome and transcriptome embryo testing. Jeremy holds a PhD in molecular genetics and cell biology from the University of Chicago, along with a law degree, and has published research in DNA repair, cancer, gene therapy, bioethics, and patent law. He's building the technology that could change the odds for IVF patients everywhere. In this episode, we cover: What whole genome sequencing actually is — and why IVF has lagged behind every other field of clinical medicine in adopting it The brilliant "books on a shelf" analogy that finally makes PGT-A vs. whole genome sequencing click Why failed embryo transfers are not your fault, your doctor's fault, or your lab's fault — and what the embryo's genetics have to do with it What the transcriptome tells us that the genome alone can't The difference between PGT-A, PGT-M, and Juniper's PGT-G testing How Juniper looks at both the embryo and the parents' DNA to identify where variants are coming from (egg or sperm?) The 6,000+ known genetic diseases — and why 10–15% of embryos being transferred today carry a detectable single-gene disorder that standard carrier screening missed Why "reduced viability variants" matter and how they impact IVF success rates The emotional and financial cost of failed transfers — and how more information can reduce both Pricing breakdown: what Juniper's PGT-A and PGT-G costs, how to make it more affordable, and how it stacks up against the cost of a failed transfer cycle Why patient autonomy in the US and Canada is driving better IVF outcomes globally Follow Dr Sasha! TikTok: @sashahakmanmd Instagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingwithdrhakman YouTube: @sashahakmanmd Resources & Links: Juniper Genomics website: junipergenomics.com Instagram: ⁠@junipergenomics⁠ Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter to receive updates, answers to Q&A and more !If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every 2 weeks. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! If this episode helped you, the best thing you can do is subscribe, rate, review, and share it with a friend. So many women deserve this information, help get it to them. Episodes drop every Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you being told to stop exercising while trying to conceive or going through IVF? You're not alone and according to today's guest, you're also likely being given advice that isn't backed by science. In this episode, Dr. Shannon joins us for a conversation that is equal parts empowering and eye-opening. As both a physical therapist and a patient who exercised throughout her own fertility journey, she brings a rare dual perspective to the table. She and host Dr. Sasha take on the pervasive fear around exercise during fertility treatment, break down why the "rest and raise your legs" mentality is outdated (and potentially harmful), and share a practical, research-backed framework for building and maintaining muscle at every stage of the journey. Whether you're in the thick of fertility treatments, newly pregnant, postpartum, or just trying to understand your body better, this episode is packed with actionable guidance and a refreshing dose of truth. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why most doctors tell patients to stop exercising during IVF — and why there's no evidence behind it How months of exercise restriction can harm your long-term recovery and postpartum body The REPS Framework: the four principles that actually build muscle while TTC or pregnant What "training to failure" really means — and why it's safe even during fertility treatment Why you need to train near failure just to maintain the muscle you already have How to choose exercises that actually target the right muscles (and why combo moves fall short) Protein targets for TTC and pregnancy, and how to realistically hit them When HIIT is okay to keep during TTC — and when it may be hurting your chances How to safely return to exercise postpartum without setting yourself back One simple trick to improve your form without a personal trainer Follow Dr. [email protected] @evlofitness Follow Dr Sasha!TikTok: @sashahakmanmdInstagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingtoconceivepodYouTube: @tryingtoconceivepod Resources Mentioned: Evlo App (Dr. Shannon's fitness app) — Use code DRSASHA for 6 weeks free (first 2-week trial + 1 month at $0) American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — exercise contraindications list available on their website Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter to receive updates, answers to Q&A and more!If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every 2 weeks. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! New episodes of Trying to Conceive with Dr. Sasha Hakman drop weekly. If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with someone on their fertility journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Sasha Hakman is finally joined by her husband, Dr. Eryk Hakman. In this honest, funny, and surprisingly emotional episode, Sasha and Eryk sit down together for the first time to share the full story: how they met on labor and delivery, why Eryk almost didn't commit, and what it has really been like to navigate three rounds of IVF as a couple, including a failed embryo transfer that hit them both harder than either expected. Eryk opens up about feeling powerless in a process driven by his wife's expertise, what grief looked like from the partner's side, and what finally convinced him to say yes to baby number three. They wrap it all up with a fertility quiz that is equal parts educational and hilarious. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How Sasha and Eryk met during residency, why Eryk ghosted her, and the ultimatum that changed everything Why Sasha froze embryos early in their relationship and how it led to their first son, Remy What IVF felt like from Eryk's perspective as the non-REI doctor in the relationship The male side of fertility treatment: the semen collection experience, lifestyle changes, and feeling like a passenger How they conceived Rocky naturally after Sasha ovulated on her own for the first time post-IVF Why Eryk initially said they were done after two kids and what changed his mind Their decision to pursue gender selection for family balancing and what that process looked like The emotional weight of their failed embryo transfer: the biochemical pregnancy, the grief, and the delayed reaction Why Sasha chose a programmed cycle with progesterone in oil for the second transfer despite the pain and the disagreement it caused How two doctors with completely different approaches to data and uncertainty navigate fertility decisions together Eryk's fertility quiz results and the one lie Sasha told him about his own sperm Follow Dr Sasha! TikTok: @sashahakmanmd Instagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingtoconceivepod YouTube: @tryingtoconceivepod Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter to receive updates, answers to Q&A and more! If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every 2 weeks. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! Thank you to our sponsors: Go to aquatrue.com and use code DRSASHA for 20% off Go to bioptimizers.com and use code DRSASHA for 15% off Go to oneskin.co and use code DRSASHA for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Sasha Hakman sits down with Dr. Felice Chan, a Chinese medicine practitioner and licensed acupuncturist based in Los Angeles, to explore how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can support women's health and fertility. What starts as a curiosity from a fertility doctor who regularly refers patients for acupuncture quickly turns into one of the most eye-opening conversations yet covering everything from reading the tongue to treating endometriosis, PCOS, and preparing for IVF. Dr. Felice shares her unexpected journey from a pre-med neuroscience track to becoming a Chinese medicine practitioner, and breaks down the four pillars of TCM: acupuncture, herbal medicine, food as medicine, and nervous system-focused lifestyle practices. Together, they bridge the gap between Eastern and Western approaches (they're more compatible than you might think). Follow Felice Chan Instagram: @drfelicechan @feliceacupuncture Follow Dr Sasha! TikTok: @sashahakmanmd Instagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingtoconceivepod YouTube: @tryingtoconceivepod Resources Mentioned: Pericardium 6 acupressure point (for nausea relief) Ear seeds for at-home acupressure Erewhon Pinnacle Trail Mix (goji berries + walnuts — blood nourishing!) Chrysanthemum tea for stress and liver support Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter to receive updates, answers to Q&A and more! If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every week. If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you're the picture of health, crushing it in your career, and then find out you can't get your partner pregnant? In this episode, I sit down with Brian Mazza, entrepreneur, founder of High Performance Lifestyle Training, and one of the few men openly talking about male infertility. Brian shares his deeply personal journey from receiving devastating test results to navigating IVF, relationship strain, and ultimately becoming a father to two boys through ICSI. We talk about the moment he found out about his low sperm count, motility, and morphology, and how that diagnosis made him feel like a failure despite being in incredible shape. Brian opens up about the shame, the embarrassment, and the defensiveness that came with being told he was the reason they couldn't conceive naturally. He also shares how it nearly broke his marriage, the moment he offered his wife a divorce so she could have kids with someone else, and the turning point that brought them back together. This conversation goes beyond the medical side of infertility. We dive into the emotional toll on men, the lack of conversation around male factor infertility, and why so many guys suffer in silence. Brian explains why he decided to go public with his story, how he raised over $80,000 by running 50 miles from Cornell to his home, and why he believes every man should get tested early and often. We also talk about fatherhood, what it means to show up for your kids every single day, and why Brian has made a personal pledge to never let his sons see him tired or drink alcohol. His approach to parenting is rooted in presence, discipline, and leading by example, and it's clear that his infertility journey shaped the father he is today. If you're a man navigating infertility, a woman supporting a partner through it, or anyone who wants to understand the male perspective on fertility struggles, this episode will give you insight, hope, and a reminder that infertility does not define your masculinity or your ability to be an incredible parent. Brian's story is proof that with the right medical care, emotional resilience, and a strong partnership, you can get through this and come out the other side with everything you've been hoping for. _____ Follow Brian Mazza on Instagram: @brianmazzaHigh Performance Lifestyle Training: @hpltraining Follow Dr Sasha!TikTok: @sashahakmanmdInstagram: @sashahakmanmd @tryingtoconceivepodYouTube: @tryingtoconceivepod Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at sashahakmanmd.com/newsletter to receive updates, answers to Q&A and more!If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every 2 weeks.If you're interested in becoming a patient go to sashahakmanmd.com to learn more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices