Fat and Fertile

Coming off GLP-1s before getting pregnant is not as simple as just stopping. Here is what to realistically expect.In this episode:What the clinical guidance says about when to stop GLP-1s before trying to conceive or starting fertility treatmentWhat to expect physically when you stop, including the truth about weight regain that nobody is preparing you forHow to take care of your body, your cycle, and your mental health through this transitionWeight regain after stopping GLP-1s is clinically expected and not your fault. Your body is not broken. It is doing exactly what the research says it will do, and you deserved to know that before you ever started taking this medication.Resources:Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap SessionGet the book: Fat and FertileHave questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

What fat folks need to know about sperm health, and why the research is far less alarming than the system wants you to believe.In this episode:Why the association between BMI and sperm parameters is not the same as causation, and what the research actually foundHow weight stigma and weight cycling are the unaccounted variables most likely driving any reduction in sperm healthPractical, weight-neutral steps to support sperm health that can make a real difference within three monthsThis episode is sponsored by Rejoova. Formulated by three fertility experts, Rejoova have created supplements to support folks with their fertility: Rejoova Eggs, Rejoova Sperm, and Rejoova Repair. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com. Your body is not the problem. The research shows the reductions are small, the system is not telling you the full story, and there is plenty you can do right now that has nothing to do with weight loss.Resources:Rejoova fertility supplements - use code POSITIVE for 10% offBook a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap SessionGet the book: Fat and FertileHave questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

Taking a GLP-1 while navigating your fertility? This episode is five practical ways to make sure your body is still getting what it needs.Whether this medication was your choice or something you felt you had no option but to do, your body deserves support through this process. Here is what to know.In this episode:Why GLP-1s deplete the exact nutrients that fertility supplements exist to replace, and how to get yourself testedThe signal that gets suppressed alongside hunger and why most people never hear about itIf this medication has actually been regulating your cycles, what that means and what to do when you want to stop taking itThis episode is sponsored by Rejoova. Supplements designed to support mitochondrial health for egg and sperm quality. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com. Whatever brought you to this medication, your body still deserves to have its needs met. Here is how to make sure it does.Resources:Rejoova Supplements. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap SessionGet the book Fat and FertileHave questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

If you've been told your weight is affecting your egg quality, that claim does not have the scientific backing your doctor implied. Here is what actually matters.In this episode, I'm joined by integrative fertility specialist and Rejoova co-founder Marc Sklar to talk about the real science of egg quality, and why so much of what fat folks are told to do works against them.We look at:- What the research actually shows about weight and egg quality- The factors that do affect egg quality: stress, sleep, blood sugar stability, and mitochondrial health- Why restrictive dieting can actively harm your fertility- How to stop making decisions from a place of fearThis episode is sponsored by Rejoova. Rejoova's supplements are designed to support mitochondrial health for egg and sperm quality. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com. You do not have to change your body to support your egg quality. Rejoova supplements (code POSITIVE for 10% off): getrejoova.com Have questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 36: Told to Take Ozempic Before Fertility Treatment - Do You Have to?If you have been told that taking a GLP-1 is your only option before you can access fertility treatment, that is not a choice. That is coercion. Here is what you can do instead.In this episode:- Why doctors telling fat folks to take Ozempic before fertility treatment is coercion, not informed consent- The 2025 Novo Nordisk-funded study being used to justify it, and why that should raise alarm bells- Four real alternatives to explore if you have been put in this positionYou do not have to make your body smaller to deserve fertility care. There are options, even if the system has not shown them to you.Resources:- BMI-inclusive clinic list updated regularly with clinics from around the world- Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Session- Get the book: Fat and FertileHave questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

Should I Take a GLP-1 for My Fertility?If you're being told you need to lose weight before you can access fertility treatment, and GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro are part of that conversation, this episode is for you. Because you deserve to make this decision with the full picture, not just the version the pharmaceutical companies want you to hear.In this episode:Why GLP-1s are increasingly being offered to fat folks wanting to get pregnant, and why the logic behind that recommendation is shakier than it's presented asThe genuine potential benefits worth knowing about, including for folks with PCOS, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes, and why access to care is a real and valid considerationThe risks that often go unmentioned, including nutritional deficiencies, weight regain after stopping, and the absence of long-term human pregnancy safety dataWhy the research linking weight loss to better fertility outcomes tells a more complicated story, and what it's more likely actually showingFour questions to sit with before making your decision, so that whatever you choose, you're choosing it with your eyes openThis is the first in a four-part series on GLP-1s this month.Useful links:Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap SessionsFree download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting PregnantFollow Nicola on Instagram: @fatpositivefertility Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

If you've been hurt by the healthcare system while trying to access fertility care, you are not alone, and you are not broken. This episode is for anyone who has experienced harm, dismissal, or humiliation from healthcare providers and is now caught in the incredibly difficult position of needing care from a system that has already hurt them.In this episode, we cover:What healthcare trauma actually looks like, and why so many fat folks experience it without ever naming it that wayHow your nervous system responds to perceived threats (fight, flight, fawn, and freeze) and why your fear is not self-sabotageThe Prepare and Care framework: practical steps to support yourself before and after appointmentsThe difference between advocacy mode and survival mode, and why it mattersHow to find trauma-informed providers, and what to do when that's not possibleKey takeaway: Your fear of being harmed again is a completely rational, protective response. You do not have to be in advocacy mode all the time. Sometimes just getting through the appointment is enough.Resources & Links📖 Fat and Fertile 🌿 Work with Nicola: Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap 📱 Instagram: @fatpositivefertility📧 Email: [email protected] Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

This week's episode is about something I hear constantly and it makes me genuinely angry. You can't access fertility care until you lose weight. But you can't access support to lose weight. And they won't investigate the health condition that might be causing everything in the first place. Round and round you go.If you're stuck in this loop right now, this one is for you. And the first thing I want you to know is: it is not your fault.In this episode we cover:Why the NHS BMI cutoffs for fertility treatment are arbitrary, not evidence based, and not actually NICE guidelinesWhy this catch 22 is intentional and how the system has been designed to exclude people in bigger bodiesHow to advocate for your health conditions separately from your fertility goals, and why this mattersPractical steps to document refusals, push back, and escalate if you have the capacity to do soHow to take care of your mental and emotional health when you're fighting a system that should be fighting for youUseful Links:Download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting PregnantBook a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap CallFollow me on InstagramEmail me a question for a future episode Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

This week's episode is a permission slip. If you've been drowning in fertility diet advice and quietly wondering whether you're doing enough, this one is for you.Spoiler: you probably already are.In this episode we cover:Why "eat enough" is the only nutrition advice that actually matters, and why that's harder to hear than it soundsHow the fertility diet industry profits from making us feel like we're always one superfood away from getting pregnantWhy your relationship with food matters far more than any specific foods you're eatingWhat the social determinants of health tell us about how little individual food choices actually impact fertilityWhy the "perfect diet" is rooted in diet culture, capitalism, and colonialism, and what that means for how we think about foodUseful Links:Download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting PregnantBook a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap CallFollow me on InstagramEmail me a question for a future episode Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

This week's episode tackles one of the most common things I hear from folks who come to work with me: "my doctor told me pregnancy in my body is dangerous." And honestly, it makes me angry. Because what you're being told is very often not the full picture.If you've ever left a fertility appointment feeling more scared than informed, this one is for you.In this episode we cover:- Why the research on BMI and pregnancy risks is more divided than your doctor is letting on, and what that actually means for you- The difference between correlation and causation, and why it matters so much in this conversation- How statistics are routinely exaggerated and used against fat folks to deny or delay fertility care- The real numbers behind gestational diabetes and other pregnancy risks, so you can see the full picture- Practical questions you can ask your provider to push back on fearmongering and get genuinely informed consentUseful Links:Download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting PregnantBook a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap CallFollow me on InstagramEmail me a question for a future episode Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe