Dr. Lora Shahine

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United States
Seattle, WA
Dr. Lora Shahine

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

06/06/2025

Let’s talk fertility facts—not fiction.
There are numerous myths circulating that can leave you confused or discouraged. One of the most common? A low AMH means you may have difficulty getting pregnant. ❌ Not true.

AMH is a helpful marker of ovarian reserve, but it’s not the whole story when it comes to your fertility, and it definitely doesn’t predict your natural chances of conceiving.

And no, "just relaxing" won’t cure infertility. Stress matters, but it’s not a magic fix. 🧘‍♀️

You can swipe through as we debunk common fertility myths using science, not stigma.

Let’s get curious. Let’s get clear. Let’s get empowered.

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

Please follow me so I can send you the link via direct message.

04/22/2025

Top Tips to Prepare for Your Egg Retrieval

Getting ready for an egg retrieval and not sure what to expect?

There is so much prep leading up to the day - appointments, shots, ultrasounds, more shots and then suddenly the retrieval is days away and you likely feel like you don’t know what to expect and how to prepare

Key tips:

1. Make SURE you have your medications and supplies you need for trigger - this is a key step in success for your whole cycle and you do not want to miss out

2. Ask about what to expect on the day of retrieval - what will the sedation be like, who will be in the room, how long should you expect to be in the clinic

3. Prepare for a relaxing recovery day - order take out, plan ahead meals, pick out shows and movies, make it all about self care

4. Plan for rest for a few days - many make the mistake of assuming that they will feel 100% after the eggs are out but hormones are still changing, fluid shifts happen, and sometimes the toughest day is day #3 after retrieval. People can make a common mistake of being active when they first get home: cleaning, exercising, etc and then have a rough few days

Learn more in this week’s episode of Brave & Curious, I’m sharing everything you need to feel more confident, informed, and prepared—whether it’s your first time or your fourth.

💡 Here’s what we cover:
• What happens before, during, and after the procedure
• How to prepare emotionally and physically
• What to bring (and what to skip!) on the day of
• Tips for recovery and self-care
• Encouragement for managing nerves and expectations

🎧 This episode is for you if you’re just starting IVF, gearing up for retrieval, or want to understand better the process for yourself or a loved one.

✨ Bonus: Reducing fear starts with understanding what’s coming next—and I’ve got you covered.

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

Be sure to follow me so I can send you the link via direct message.

03/17/2025

Snoring and Fertility: Is Your Sleep Hurting Your Chances?

A recent study by Wong et al. in the Journal of Sleep analyzed 632 women undergoing IVF and found that 42.3 percent reported snoring, with 8.8 percent snoring frequently.

Those who snored had:
• Fewer retrieved eggs, fertilized embryos, and blastocysts
• Higher BMI, cholesterol, and basal insulin levels
• Lower estradiol levels
• Nearly three times higher risk of biochemical pregnancy loss

The authors suggest the link between snoring and poor fertility outcomes is obstructive sleep apnea.

Frequent snoring is often linked to obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that disrupts hormonal balance and has been associated with
irregular ovulation,
menstrual cycle disruptions,
longer time to conception,
and an increased risk of pregnancy complications.

Ways to improve sleep and reduce the impact of snoring on fertility:
• Track your snoring with an app such as SnoreLab or SleepCycle
• Prioritize sleep hygiene by maintaining a consistent schedule, limiting screen time, and sleeping on your side
• Seek evaluation from a sleep specialist if you experience persistent fatigue or disrupted breathing at night

Sleep is essential for reproductive health and should not be overlooked when trying to conceive.

See my YT video on the topic for a review of the evidence, a deep dive into the topic, and more tips.

Were you aware of this association?
Let me know in comments 👇

03/15/2025

Trying to be perfectly ‘fertile’ can leave you feeling broken

Be wary of the detox recommendations, shelf full of supplements, gluten free, dairy free, strict nutrition, exercise, lifestyle guidelines

Don’t get me wrong - the healthier you are the more reproductively healthy you are BUT be careful of your mental health in the journey

Most fertility recommendations focus on restrictions and a long list of DON’Ts but make sure you’re not restricting so much that you lose joy.

I talk to my patients about the ‘80% plan’
It comes from a saying that ‘80% is perfection’
Meaning if you’re making healthy choices 80% of the time you’re winning

Infertility is humbling

Be sure to be kind to yourself along the journey

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.

❤️🤞🍍

03/11/2025

Are you stuck in the dreaded two-week wait, analyzing every twinge and symptom, wondering could this be it? How do you tell the difference between early pregnancy signs and normal cycle symptoms? And when is the right time to test—without driving yourself crazy?

In this episode, I’m breaking down the early signs of pregnancy and how they relate to different phases of your cycle. I’ll explain the role of progesterone, what implantation symptoms really look like, and the most common mistakes people make when testing too soon.

Plus, I’m sharing the biggest misconceptions about detecting pregnancy early and giving you expert-backed advice on how to test accurately—so you can feel informed, not frustrated. Tune in to take the guesswork out of the two-week wait!

Listen 🎧 to the Baby or Bust Fertility Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. Be sure to rate, review, and follow the show so you don’t miss weekly interviews and education on reproductive health.

03/02/2025

Yoga with Puppies today
Cuteness unleashed
I may need puppies in all future yoga classes❤️

Thank you

02/26/2025

Controversial opinion but hear me out

Freeze your eggs! Don’t freeze embryos with someone who has a longer fertility potential than you do.

I counsel couples that want to have a baby together some day, know that fertility declines with age, and want to freeze embryos together but guess what - things change

It’s about as unromantic as a pre-nup but don’t make the mistake of freezing your fertility with a person that can change their mind - especially if you’re the person with eggs!

Although this is important advice for anyone - I am especially heart broken when my female patients tell me the relationship is over, they are older now, and they are fighting over use of the embryos (sometimes with high legal bills)

You cannot un-fertilize embryos but you can make embryos with different s***m in the future

Freeze eggs

For anyone that comments with ‘embryos are better than eggs’ - it’s not that simple. Technology has advanced tremendously so people should feel compelled to make embryos (in the beginning of egg freezing in the before about 2009 - weeks use to counsel patients to choose donor s***m because egg freezing technology was still developing). There are benefits to freezing embryos over eggs but in some cases not at the expense of your future fertility.

Share this post!

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.

See my YT video ‘Fertility Preservation: Eggs vs. Embryos’
For an in depth discussion on pros and cons of each

Agree?

Address

Seattle, WA

Telephone

+12065150000

Website

http://www.lorashahine.com/

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