126: Struggling to Get Pregnant? What Doctors Miss About Egg & Sperm Quality with Dr. Marina

If you’re struggling to get pregnant, have experienced miscarriages, or feel like fertility treatment keeps skipping over the real issues, this episode will change how you understand fertility.In this conversation on The Lizzie Ens Show, Lizzie sits down with Dr. Marina, a board-certified OB-GYN with over 30 years of experience who transitioned into functional and root-cause medicine after witnessing the limitations of conventional fertility care.Dr. Marina explains why fertility is often treated as a checklist of tests and procedures, while the most important factors, egg quality, sperm health, lifestyle, nutrition, toxin exposure, stress, and metabolic health, are overlooked.You’ll learn why sperm quality plays a critical role in placental development and early pregnancy, why fertility challenges must be addressed as a shared responsibility between partners, and how endocrine-disrupting chemicals have contributed to dramatic declines in sperm count and morphology over the last two generations.This episode also dives into PCOS, hormone testing gaps, AMH misconceptions, birth control masking symptoms, nutrigenomics, and why improving health before IVF dramatically increases success rates, and in many cases, leads to natural conception.Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally, preparing for IVF, or want to protect your fertility for the future, this conversation offers clarity, empowerment, and practical direction.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why fertility struggles aren’t just about ovulation timing or proceduresHow egg quality and sperm quality affect conception and miscarriage riskWhy sperm health is essential for placental developmentThe alarming decline in sperm count and morphologyHow endocrine-disrupting chemicals impact fertility in men and womenWhy fertility should be approached as a couple, not a single patientWhat conventional fertility testing often missesWhy AMH is not predictive of natural conceptionHow PCOS, insulin resistance, and inflammation affect fertilityWhy birth control often masks underlying hormonal dysfunctionHow lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, and stress influence reproductive healthThe role of micronutrients like vitamin D, B12, omega-3s, and inositolWhy improving health before IVF improves outcomes and reduces riskHow nutrigenomic testing supports personalized fertility careWe talk about:00:00 Why fertility treatment often misses key factors01:45 Dr. Marina’s background and shift into functional medicine03:30 Egg quality, stress, and fertility preservation05:15 Sperm quality and placental development07:10 The decline in sperm count and morphology09:20 Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and fertility11:45 PCOS, hormones, and insulin resistance14:30 Why AMH causes unnecessary fear16:40 Birth control and masked fertility issues19:15 Lifestyle, nutrition, and inflammation22:00 Why IVF outcomes improve with root-cause care25:30 Nutrigenomics and personalized fertility support28:30 Fertility as a shared responsibility31:00 Final takeaway and empowerment messageConnect with Dr. MarinaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-straszak-suri-md-frcsc-9b32351aWebsite: https://drmarinaobgyn.com/ Connect with meInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzieens_wellness YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lizzieenswellness TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzieh_wellness Website: https://undietyou.com/ #FertilityHealth #EggQuality #SpermQuality #TryingToConceive #FunctionalMedicine #PCOSSupport #HormoneHealth #RootCauseCare #PreconceptionHealth #TheLizzieEnsShow