Part 1 of a 2-Part Series: Fertility Over 40

Fertility over 40 is becoming more common than ever, but with it comes confusion, fear, and a lot of outdated information.

In this episode of Healthy As A Mother, we begin a two-part fertility series focused on conception after age 40. We break down what actually changes with age, what matters most for fertility, and — most importantly — what you can influence.

Because chronological age is only one piece of the picture.

You’ll learn why egg quality matters more than egg count, how lifestyle and metabolic health impact fertility outcomes, and how women can support ovulation, hormone balance, and mitochondrial health as they age. If you’ve been told your age alone determines your fertility, this episode offers a more nuanced and hopeful perspective.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why chronological age doesn’t equal ovarian health

• The real role of egg quality vs. egg count (AMH explained)

• How mitochondrial health impacts fertility

• Environmental toxins and hidden fertility stressors

• Blood sugar balance and metabolic health after 40

• Inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormone disruption

• Ovulation strength and progesterone production

• Short luteal phases and why they matter for implantation

• Signs of low progesterone you shouldn’t ignore

• How lifestyle changes can meaningfully improve fertility outcomes

00:00 — Trailer & Podcast Intro

03:25 — Episode begins: Fertility over 40 overview

05:10 — Chronological age vs ovarian environment

21:30 — Egg quality, lifestyle, and metabolic health

23:58 — Inflammation, stress & nutrient deficiencies explained

24:25 — Progesterone, luteal phase & cycle changes after 40

25:10 — Signs of low progesterone to watch for

48:43 — IVF myths: why optimization matters first

49:12 — Why IVF doesn’t bypass egg or sperm quality

49:42 — Rethinking fertility decisions after 40

50:51 — Fertility as a marker of overall health

Find more from Dr. Leah:

Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram

Dr. Leah Gordon | Website

Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Fond

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond

For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER

Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER

Painful sex is far more common than most women realize and far more complex than we’re ever taught.

In this episode, Dr. Leah shares her deeply personal 18-year journey with painful sex, low libido, and feeling dismissed by the medical system, alongside a comprehensive breakdown of the real root causes of pain during sex, from trauma and pelvic floor dysfunction to hormonal changes and lesser-known conditions like provoked vestibulodynia (PVD).

We talk honestly about why painful sex is not something you should “just push through,” why many conventional treatments miss the mark, and how healing often requires addressing multiple layers at once: physical, neurological, hormonal, and emotional.

If sex has ever felt painful, burning, tense, or emotionally complicated, or if you’ve been told everything “looks normal” but something still feels wrong, this conversation is for you.

Painful sex is not a personal failure, a relationship problem, or something you should tolerate. It’s often a signal, and when you understand the signal, healing becomes possible.

Content Note

This episode includes discussion of sexual trauma, medical trauma, and chronic pain. Please take care while listening and pause if needed.

What We Cover in This Episode

1. Why painful sex is common but not normal
2. How trauma (sexual, medical, or cultural) can create involuntary pelvic floor tension
3. The difference between deep pain vs. pain at the vaginal opening (and why that matters)
4. What vaginismus is and why dilators alone often aren’t enough
5. How pain and pleasure share the same neurological pathways
6. The role of vibration in interrupting pain signals
7. Why hormonal birth control can contribute to painful sex
8. What provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is and why most women have never heard of it
9. How postpartum hormonal shifts can cause pain even when labs look “normal”
10. Why testosterone matters for vulvar tissue health
11. The connection between low libido and pain
12. How hypertonic (overly tight) pelvic floors contribute to pain, birth challenges, and postpartum issues
13. Why every woman should see a pelvic floor physical therapist at least once
14. How scars, tailbone injuries, infections, and nerve pain syndromes play a role
15. Why healing painful sex requires a root-cause, multi-layered approach
16. A message of hope: healing is possible, even after years of pain

00:00 Trailer + show intro

02:00 Why painful sex is more common than we think (and why women feel so isolated)

04:00 Dr. Leah’s personal story: living with painful sex from the very beginning

08:00 Being dismissed by doctors + why chronic pain is so confusing and isolating

12:30 Why treating symptoms doesn’t work

16:00 Endometriosis and deep pain during sex

25:30 Why pregnancy sometimes improves pain (and why it doesn’t always last)

32:45 Vaginismus explained

40:45 Pain, pleasure, and the nervous system

44:30 Trauma healing during pregnancy and how it changed postpartum pain

47:45 Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD)

52:45 Birth control, testosterone, and why estrogen isn’t always the issue

56:45 What finally worked

59:45 Other overlooked causes of painful sex

1:04:30 Hypertonic pelvic floors

1:08:30 Final reflections, hope, and next steps

Resources Mentioned:

1. Dr. Leah's When Sex Hurts Immersion Course Waitlist
2. When Sex Hurts (book)
3. Womanhood Wellness Membership
4. Episode: Birth Preparation for Sexual Trauma Survivors

The placenta is one of the most misunderstood organs in pregnancy, yet it plays a central role in implantation, miscarriage risk, fetal growth, preeclampsia, birth complications, and postpartum recovery.

In this episode of Healthy As A Mother, Dr. Morgan delivers a clear, grounded crash course on the placenta: what it is, how it forms, how it functions, and what can go wrong. We unpack common myths, explain real risks without fear, and clarify why the placenta quietly determines so many pregnancy outcomes.

This conversation is designed to replace anxiety with understanding and confusion with clarity, so parents can make informed decisions throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

In this episode, we cover:

1. What the placenta actually is and why it’s often called the baby’s “twin”
2. How implantation and early placental development affect pregnancy outcomes
3. Why male fertility and sperm health matter more than most people realize
4. Placental anatomy explained simply (chorion, amnion, Wharton’s jelly)
5. Common placental variations and what they really mean
6. Serious placental complications and how they’re managed
7. First-trimester bleeding and subchorionic hemorrhage
8. Placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, and preeclampsia
9. The third stage of labor and birthing the placenta
10. Active vs expectant management and Pitocin use
11. Retained placenta, postpartum hemorrhage, and recovery
12. What to do with the placenta after birth: encapsulation, burial, lotus birth, or disposal

Educational purposes only. Always consult your healthcare provider for personal medical care.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Why the placenta matters more than people think

03:00 – Placenta development and implantation

09:00 – Male fertility, sperm health, and pregnancy outcomes

15:00 – Placental anatomy explained simply

18:30 – Cord insertions and placental variants

22:00 – Velamentous cord insertion and vasa previa

27:00 – Placental positioning and placenta previa

32:00 – Placenta accreta and surgical risks

37:00 – Subchorionic hemorrhage and first-trimester bleeding

42:00 – Placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction

45:00 – Preeclampsia explained

48:30 – Placental abruption

50:00 – Retained placenta and postpartum hemorrhage

53:30 – Birthing the placenta (third stage of labor)

56:00 – Pitocin and hospital management

59:00 – What to do with the placenta after birth

➡️ New episodes every Wednesday

Find more from Dr. Leah:

Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram

Dr. Leah Gordon | Website

Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Fond

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond

For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER

Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER