Dr. Lora Shahine

Dr. Lora Shahine Reproductive Endocrinologist, Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Program at PNWF in Seattle, author Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage

04/13/2026

How can you do this to me 😢

04/12/2026

AMH is not the test we wish it was

Propaganda I’m Not Falling For as a Fertility Doctor:
AMH predicts your fertility. Nope.

Let’s clear this up.

AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) is a hormone made by supporting in your ovaries. The higher the AMH the more eggs you have in your ovarian reserve at the time it’s tested.

It’s a valuable tool for me as a fertility doctor when choosing protocol, dose or meds, and setting expectations when my patient is planning a stimulation cycle for IVF or egg freezing.

But AMH does NOT predict your ability to get pregnant without assistance.

As a fertility doctor, I’ve seen people with low AMH conceive without treatment.

If you’re ovulating regularly, have s***m exposure, and normal reproductive anatomy—you still have a chance.

I am not saying AMH levels should be ignored or not tested - they can be a valuable tool in counseling.

A low AMH should initiate a consult with a reproductive endocrinologist to review the whole picture - both partners - and a review of family goals and options for achieving them.

AMH is a NOT a fertility fortune teller.

Don’t let a number define your hope.

Curious about fertility? Comment here or DM me with ‘Fertility101’ (no spaces) for my free ebook with answers to 101 of the most common questions on fertility, ovulation, miscarriage, IUI, IVF, endometriosis, and PCOS. Be sure to follow for me to DM link to you.

FertilityDoctor

“Does IVF cause breast cancer?”It’s one of the most common questions I hear from patients before starting treatment. And...
04/12/2026

“Does IVF cause breast cancer?”

It’s one of the most common questions I hear from patients before starting treatment. And honestly? The worry makes complete sense.

Fertility medications spike estrogen and progesterone to levels far above a normal cycle. Most breast cancers are hormone-sensitive. Of course you’re going to wonder.

So let’s talk about what the research actually shows.
ASRM reviewed 52 studies and concluded there does not appear to be an increased risk of breast cancer associated with fertility treatment. That finding is backed by decades of data, including a JAMA study of nearly 20,000 IVF patients followed for years, and multiple meta-analyses across diverse populations.

The evidence is reassuring.

That doesn’t mean you skip your screenings or stop asking questions. It means you can move forward informed, not afraid.

Swipe through for the studies, and if you want the full deep dive, I reviewed each one on my YT channel.

Curious about fertility? Comment here or DM me with ‘Fertility101’ (no spaces) for my free ebook with answers to 101 of the most common questions on fertility, ovulation, miscarriage, IUI, IVF, endometriosis, and PCOS. Be sure to follow for me to DM link to you.

Save this if you’re navigating IVF and want to come back to it. Share with someone who needs to hear it.

04/11/2026

Do fries 🍟 increase success of embryo transfer?

Learn the tradition and theory behind this common practice.

Did you get fries after your transfer?

Curious about fertility?
Comment here or DM me with ‘Fertility101’ (no spaces) for my free ebook with answers to 101 of the most common questions on fertility, ovulation, miscarriage, IUI, IVF, endometriosis, and PCOS. Be sure to follow for me to DM link to you.

Curious about fertility? Comment here or DM me with ‘Fertility101’ (no spaces) for my free ebook with answers to 101 of the most common questions on fertility, ovulation, miscarriage, IUI, IVF, endometriosis, and PCOS. Be sure to follow for me to DM link to you.

Original post from ❤️

Congratulations Nat!Your new book is the next step in your mission to elevate fertility and reproductive health educati...
04/10/2026

Congratulations Nat!

Your new book is the next step in your mission to elevate fertility and reproductive health education.
So incredibly proud of you!

About the book:
Fertility isn’t a mystery; it’s a formula. In The Fertility Formula, Dr. Crawford shares how fertility is shaped by the everyday choices we make—often long before we start trying to conceive. It’s a science-backed guide designed to help women understand their hormones, optimize their health, and take ownership of their fertility on their own terms, whether they’re planning for the future or simply want to feel better in their bodies today.

Prouder now - available April 14th!

04/09/2026

Congratulating Dr. Mary Claire Haver on the publication of her new book on perimenopause! 🎉

This is the resource so many of us have been waiting for.

Perimenopause is a stage of life that affects every woman, yet it remains one of the most undertreated and misunderstood topics in women’s health.

I’ll be honest: when I went through my medical training 20 years ago, perimenopause and menopause were barely covered.

We learned the basics, but nowhere near what women actually need from their doctors during this transition.
That gap in training has had real consequences for patients, and it is something our field is still working to correct.

Now, being deep in perimenopause myself, I am so grateful this book exists.

Dr. Haver has done the work of translating complex science into something women and their providers can actually use.
That is no small thing.

If you are in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, or if you care for patients who are, this book belongs on your shelf. 📚

Congratulations, Dr. Haver. Thank you for being the resource we needed.

04/09/2026

Infertility is a disease, not an elective condition

The World Health Organization defines it that way. And like any disease, it deserves medical treatment.

We would never call antibiotics for a life-threatening infection “elective.” We would never call chemotherapy for cancer “elective.” So why do we accept that framing for infertility?

I get it. If you haven’t lived this, you might not know. And that’s not a character flaw — it’s a knowledge gap. That’s exactly why we keep talking about it.

To everyone in the fertility community: your story matters. Sharing it changes minds.

It helps the person who just got diagnosed feel less alone.
It helps the policymaker understand what’s at stake.
It helps the friend or family member who said the wrong thing finally get it.

This is National Infertility Awareness Week starts April 19th.

Use your voice.

Learn more and find support at

Video:

04/07/2026

Watch embryo implantation IRL!!
For the first time ever, scientists captured a human embryo implanting in real time.

And it is nothing like what anyone expected.
Watch this. The embryo does not gently settle into the uterine lining. It burrows in with force. Active, deliberate, powerful. This two-minute video changed how I think about implantation, and I have been studying this for my entire career.

This footage came from researchers who grew artificial uterine tissue in the lab just to capture this moment. The science behind making this possible is extraordinary on its own.

But what they recorded stopped me.

We have always known implantation was complex.

Hormones, immune signaling, cellular timing, all of it has to align for a pregnancy to begin. But seeing the embryo drive itself into the endometrium with that kind of force reframes everything.

It raises new questions. It opens new doors. And for anyone who has experienced implantation failure, recurrent miscarriage, or unexplained infertility, this research matters.

Every time we see something we have never seen before, we get closer to understanding why pregnancies succeed and why they sometimes do not.

This is why the science never stops.
And neither does the hope.

Video:
Research: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)

04/07/2026

What if your PCOS diagnosis is about more than fertility?

What if the symptoms you’ve been told to “just manage” are actually your body asking for deeper support?
And what if you could take back control in a way that feels empowering rather than restrictive?

In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine sits down with registered dietitian and author of PCOS is My Power Cory Ruth, MS, RDN to explain all about Polycystic O***y Syndrome (PCOS) and why it’s often misunderstood.

Cory shares her personal journey to diagnosis and how it shaped her mission to help women better understand the metabolic, hormonal, and reproductive components of PCOS.

Dr. Shahine and Cory cover the diagnostic criteria, common misconceptions (like “just lose weight”), and the evolving science around lifestyle interventions, blood sugar regulation, and long-term health outcomes.

This episode will give listeners a clearer understanding of how to manage PCOS through sustainable nutrition, movement, and mindset shifts, without falling into restrictive or shame-based approaches.

Cory’s refreshing expertise helps us reframe PCOS as a potential catalyst for lifelong health—giving you the tools to feel informed, supported, and back in the driver’s seat.

In this episode you’ll hear:
[1:56] PCOS “triple threat”: reproductive, metabolic, & hormonal
[5:40] Cory Ruth’s personal journey
[8:01] Early signs of PCOS
[11:43] The Rotterdam criteria
[17:33] PCOS is a weight issue: MYTH
[19:09] Nutrition is the foundation of PCOS management
[22:24] Simple, realistic meal ideas to support PCOS
[31:25] Intermittent fasting & PCOS
[34:27] Mental health & PCOS
[37:35] Long-term risks of PCOS
[40:10] Sustainable lifestyle changes that actually work
[43:05] Reframing PCOS as an opportunity for lifelong health

One million downloads‼️I have to be honest, when I recorded the first episode of Brave and Curious in January 2022, I ha...
04/06/2026

One million downloads‼️

I have to be honest, when I recorded the first episode of Brave and Curious in January 2022, I had no idea where this would go. I just knew I had questions I wanted to ask and people I deeply admired who had answers worth sharing.
One million downloads later, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

This podcast has given me the most extraordinary gift: real conversations with people who are changing how we understand health, science, and what it means to be human.

I have sat with Louise Brown, the world’s first IVF baby, and heard what it actually means to live that life.

I have talked with Amanda Knox about something most people never consider, how the incarceration of women carries profound consequences for their fertility and reproductive health.

I have learned from Shana Swan PhD, author of Countdown, about endocrine disruptors and the alarming decline in male fertility, a conversation that genuinely changed how I live my own life.

I have had the privilege of going deep with colleagues and mentors I respect enormously, including Natalie Crawford, MD, and my Stanford mentor Ruth Lathi, MD, conversations that reminded me why I chose this field in the first place.

And I have loved using this platform to bring researchers and authors into the conversation, people like Toni Weschler of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and Leslie Schrock, author of Bumpin’ and Fertility Rules, whose work deserves every reader and listener it can find.

The mission has always been the same. To bring honest, evidence-based, compassionate conversations about reproductive health to anyone who needs them. To make the science accessible. To make people feel less alone.

You, this audience, have made that possible. Your curiosity, your engagement, your willingness to show up for these conversations means everything to me.

One million times, thank you.

Now tell me in the comments:
Who do you want me to interview next?

04/06/2026

Watch embryo implant IRL!!
For the first time ever, scientists captured a human embryo implanting in real time.

And it is nothing like what anyone expected.
Watch this. The embryo does not gently settle into the uterine lining. It burrows in with force. Active, deliberate, powerful. This two-minute video changed how I think about implantation, and I have been studying this for my entire career.

This footage came from researchers who grew artificial uterine tissue in the lab just to capture this moment. The science behind making this possible is extraordinary on its own.

But what they recorded stopped me.

We have always known implantation was complex.

Hormones, immune signaling, cellular timing, all of it has to align for a pregnancy to begin. But seeing the embryo drive itself into the endometrium with that kind of force reframes everything.

It raises new questions. It opens new doors. And for anyone who has experienced implantation failure, recurrent miscarriage, or unexplained infertility, this research matters.

Every time we see something we have never seen before, we get closer to understanding why pregnancies succeed and why they sometimes do not.

This is why the science never stops.
And neither does the hope.

Video:
Research: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)

04/05/2026

Serotonin boost unlocked

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