Understanding Fertility: Knowing When to Seek Help and How to Support the Journey

Fertility decline often begins earlier than people realize, and the path to evaluation and treatment can feel isolating without the right support. Host Rashmi Kanwal sits down with Dr. April Batcheller, a reproductive endocrinologist, and Rosie Nestingen, founder of Rebloom Health, to talk about what fertility care actually looks like and what is often missing from it. This conversation matters because the earlier patients understand their own bodies and options, the more agency they have when timing and decisions become urgent.TOP LEARNINGS* Why fertility starts to decline noticeably in the early thirties and more rapidly after age 35.* How conditions like PCOS and endometriosis often go undiagnosed for years and quietly affect fertility.* What a first fertility evaluation actually includes, from medical and family history to a hormone panel, an ultrasound of the ovaries and uterus, and a semen analysis for couples.* Why Dr. Batcheller wishes she could meet her patients five years before they end up in her office.* The traditional guideline for seeing a fertility specialist: one year of trying without success if you are under 35, and six months if you are over 35.* The signs that should push someone to seek help sooner, including irregular cycles, known endometriosis, PCOS, a history of pelvic surgery, or a personal sense that something is off.* Why the medical side of fertility treatment is often strong while the emotional and community support around it is missing.* How Rebloom Health pairs people going through fertility treatment with peers who have been through similar experiences.* The difference between peer support, therapy, and medical advice, and why each has its own role.* Why peer support is most useful in the middle of figuring things out, not only after something has gone wrong.* How clinical care and human support need to work together for patients to feel less alone in fertility treatment.FEATURED GUESTS* Dr. April Batcheller -- reproductive endocrinologist who evaluates and treats patients navigating fertility challenges and emphasizes earlier conversations about hormones, cycles, and underlying conditions.* Rosie Nestingen -- founder of Rebloom Health, a peer support network for people navigating fertility, which she built after going through three years of her own fertility treatment.HOSTED BY* Rashmi KanwalCONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS* Rosie Nestingen: https://www.rebloomhealth.comRESOURCESPeer Support Community* Rebloom Health free community: https://www.rebloomhealth.com#PatientInnovations #RebloomHealth #Fertility #FertilityAwareness #ReproductiveHealth #PCOS #Endometriosis #WomensHealth #PeerSupport #HealthcareInnovation #PatientExperience