Fertility Myths vs Facts: Egg Freezing, IVF, & What Every Woman Should Know

Summary

Lipstick on the Rim
Episode: Fertility Myths vs Facts: Egg Freezing, IVF, & What Every Woman Should Know
Host: Molly Sims & Emese Gormley
Guest: Dr. Lucky Sekhon
Date: March 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Molly and Emese welcome Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a renowned reproductive endocrinologist, fertility specialist, and author of The Lucky Egg. Together, they dive deep into modern fertility: dispelling prevalent myths, clarifying confusing headlines, exploring egg freezing and IVF, and providing evidence-backed advice to help women understand, plan, and take charge of their fertility with less fear and more empowerment. Drawing on both scientific expertise and lived experience, Dr. Sekhon provides real talk about fertility’s emotional realities, medical advances, and what every woman should know when considering family planning in a rapidly changing world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why the Fertility Conversation Has Exploded

• IVF success rates have soared from the single digits in the 1970s to 60-70% per transfer with good embryos today.
• Treatments are far safer and more accessible, with insurance coverage more common.
• Social shifts: More women are delaying family building for careers, education, or financial reasons, making fertility preservation (egg freezing, embryo banking) a mainstream topic.
• Quote: “It is just becoming much more mainstream and something that people are comfortable taking that leap of faith toward.” — Dr. Sekhon (08:08)

Is Infertility More Common Now?

• Infertility rates haven’t necessarily increased, but cultural openness has; people talk more and seek help.
• Biggest factor: Age. Later family building is a major contributor, not food, environment, or medication alone.
• Half of infertility cases involve a male factor, yet women often carry the blame.

“50% of couples will have some sort of sperm quality [issue]. It’s not the woman.”
— Dr. Lucky Sekhon (09:15)

The Emotional Impact & Realities

• Dr. Sekhon shares her dual role as both fertility doctor and patient.
• Emotional turbulence, fear, and loss of control are universal for women navigating fertility.
• Planning is complex because biology isn’t always responsive to hard work or perfect planning.
• Quote: “It’s one thing to intellectualize and think you know everything… and it’s another to actually be the patient and have feelings.” (05:38)

When and Why to Consider Egg Freezing

• Best age: Mid-to-late 20s to early 30s—where emotional readiness and reproductive potential ideally align.
• It’s not a guarantee of a future baby, but an option that preserves potential.
• The process takes about two weeks (not months); it's manageable for most working women.
• Quote: “If the conversation ends with, ‘I’ve learned about egg freezing and I’ve decided it’s not the step I want to take’—fine. But at least you’ve made a thoughtful decision.” — Dr. Sekhon (14:29)

Debunking Myths

IVF Causes Breast Cancer (15:15)

• False. Multiple long-term studies (e.g., Denmark registries) show no increased risk, even after many IVF rounds.
• Short-term hormone exposure is not equivalent to chronic, long-term exposure.

Low AMH Means You Can’t Get Pregnant (21:48)

• False. AMH reflects egg quantity, not quality, and doesn’t predict natural conception.
• Quote: “There are many studies… their AMH does not predict their ability to have a baby.” (22:17)

Birth Control Causes Infertility (35:11)

• False. Birth control does not deplete egg supply or cause infertility.

Only Women Have a Biological Clock (34:24)

• False. Sperm quality declines with age; advanced paternal age carries risks for children (e.g., neurodevelopmental concerns).

Stress Causes Infertility (35:44)

• False. Daily stress does not cause infertility or miscarriage.
• “Being stressed about being stressed is not going to be helpful.” — Dr. Sekhon (36:46)

All IVF Leads to Twins/Multiples (07:10)

• Outdated: Modern IVF typically transfers a single embryo to reduce such risks.

Understanding Testing & Numbers

Ovarian Reserve / AMH

• AMH and follicle counts help forecast how a woman will respond to IVF/egg retrieval but are not indicators of natural fertility.
• “There is no test for egg quality. That’s the biggest thing to really get out there.” — Dr. Sekhon (23:06)

Importance of the Fertility Clinic Lab

• Success rates largely depend on the lab's skill in cultivating embryos.
• Consider lab quality and volume, not just the doctor or clinic atmosphere.

Family History

• Early menopause, endometriosis, PCOS, and fibroids often have a genetic component—know and share family history with your doctor.
• “First-degree relatives who went into menopause before 40: that’s a red flag.” (26:21)

Genetic Testing

• Two major categories: carrier screening for parents/donors (identifies risks like cystic fibrosis, BRCA, etc.) and embryo testing during IVF (PGT).
• Can prevent passing on serious hereditary diseases.

Supplements & Acupuncture

• Must-use: Prenatal vitamins with folic acid, starting three months before conception.
• Coenzyme Q10 shows the most promise among fertility supplements (600mg/day), with some evidence for improved outcomes.
• Most other supplements lack rigorous scientific backing; be wary of side effects and drug interactions.
• Acupuncture: Evidence for stress reduction; some patients report positive effects, but no proven increase in IVF success. No known harm.

IVF: What It Does and Doesn’t Promise (41:39)

• IVF increases control and efficiency ("like playing the slots with more coins"), especially for those facing diminished fertility or known challenges.
• No guarantee, but enables embryo testing (PGT) and embryo/egg freezing for future use.
• IVF reduces miscarriage risk via embryo selection, but can’t promise 100% success.

“Nothing will promise you anything, right? But IVF can give you more control.” — Dr. Sekhon (41:39)

The Mental Health Aspect

• Acknowledges unique emotional burdens at every phase—whether it’s secondary infertility, multiple failed cycles, pregnancy loss, or surrogacy.
• Advocates for mental flexibility and grace: “You’re not a statistic. You’re an individual with your own situation.” (50:51)
• Rejects blame/shame culture surrounding fertility.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You’re going to have your baby. It might not look the way you think in your mind, but if you want to have a family, you will… Start to try to calm down, get your checklist.” — Molly Sims (10:56)
• “I see miracles happen all the time… There’s so much in this that’s not in your control, and that doesn’t have to be a negative message.” — Dr. Lucky Sekhon (50:51)
• “If you have an open mind, there are so many different ways this could work in your favor.” — Dr. Lucky Sekhon (51:24)
• “What surprised you the most about IVF as a patient?”
  “The lack of control... even as a doctor, you tell yourself you’ll handle it but nothing prepares you emotionally for those outcomes.” — (39:28)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:18] Introduction—Why Fertility Conversations Matter
• [05:38] Dr. Sekhon on Being Both Doctor and Patient
• [08:32] Are Infertility Rates Higher Now?
• [11:38] Roadmap for Women in Their 20s and 30s
• [13:15] Best Age/Considerations for Egg Freezing
• [15:04] IVF and Cancer Myths
• [20:22] AMH, Ovarian Reserve, and Testing
• [23:36] Egg Quality vs. Quantity
• [25:15] The Importance of Clinic Lab Quality
• [26:09] Family History & Genetic Considerations
• [27:02] Role of Genetic Testing
• [32:09] Rapid-Fire Myths: Male Fertility, AMH, Birth Control, Stress
• [36:58] Step-by-Step: Advising a 30-year-old Patient
• [39:28] IVF from the Patient’s Perspective
• [41:39] IVF: What It Can and Can’t Do
• [46:03] Supplements, Acupuncture—What Actually Works?
• [50:35] The Power of Positivity & Mindset
• [52:29] Dr. Sekhon’s Advice to Her Younger Self

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Fertility is nuanced, deeply individual, and rapidly evolving.
• Age is the primary factor affecting fertility—not stress, not birth control.
• Egg freezing is empowerment, not a guarantee; early education and planning matter.
• Myths abound, but data dispels many fears: IVF does not cause cancer, low AMH isn’t a fertility death sentence, and men’s reproductive age matters too.
• Labs matter—ask about their success rates and volume.
• Supplements are only marginally helpful beyond a solid prenatal vitamin and coenzyme Q10.
• Mental flexibility, grace, and education are as crucial as any prescription.
• “You are not a statistic.” There are many paths to family, and none are linear.

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Resources Mentioned

• The Lucky Egg by Dr. Lucky Sekhon (Available on Amazon, January 2025)
• Dr. Lucky’s Instagram: @lucky.sek

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Closing Remark

Dr. Sekhon brings science, compassion, and honesty—reminding listeners that fertility is both deeply personal and wonderfully unpredictable. If you’re seeking clarity, comfort, and practical advice for your fertility journey, this episode is a must-listen (or a must-read, right here).

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Transcript

[Molly Sims]

When we started this podcast and honestly when I have started any business it felt like I suddenly had to wear every single hat. Creative Director, Tech Support, Marketing Team, Customer service, accounting.

[Emisha Gormley]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Molly Sims]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

fall in love with all in one place.

[Molly Sims]

Hey, I'm Molly Sims.

[Emisha Gormley]

And I'm Emisha Gormley. We're two girls obsessed with one thing, beauty.

[Molly Sims]

And by that, we mean everything that makes you look and feel beautiful.

[Emisha Gormley]

We're calling on our favorite health experts, industry insiders and friends to answer all

[Molly Sims]

your beauty questions with a drink in hand.

[Emisha Gormley]

Definitely with a drink in hand.

[Molly Sims]

You're listening to Lipstick on the Rim with Molly Sims.

Foreign.

I'm really excited about today's episode. Okay, ladies. We are talking about something that I genuinely believe every woman deserves, access to, clear, honest information about her own fertility.

[Emisha Gormley]

It's one of those topics that is either avoided altogether or completely blown out of proportion online. And it leaves so many women that end up feeling confused, overwhelmed, or honestly even scared.

[Molly Sims]

I think the last part, scared is what I know I came from at times. Today we're going to be breaking down the fertility myths. A lot of you have DMed us. You know, we have a wide range of listeners. I know we talk a lot about perimenopause, menopause. But today we're going to be talking about fertility, breaking down the myths, the real facts, the information that we both wish, honestly, both of us would have had earlier with the goal of helping women feel informed, feel empowered and a

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

little less alone, which is honestly why

[Emisha Gormley]

today's guest feels so important. Dr. Lucky Seekon. Welcome to Lipstick on the Room.

[Molly Sims]

Welcome. We are so excited. She just came out in a few months ago, January 2025 on it's called the Lucky Egg. I love the COVID I love the COVID I love the title, Understanding your fertility and how to get pregnant now. And I think what gives her such a unique perspective, not only are you the doctor, but you're the patient.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes, I've been the patient.

[Molly Sims]

And I think for women walking into that room, and we always would say, like with Scott, when we would walk into Dr. Shaheen Ghadir's office, it ain't good when you walking in that office from the moment you walk in. And I remember going down that hallway, which we're gonna discuss everything of the numbers, the ovarian reserve. But walking down that hall, I've never been so conscientious. Was like, oh, My God, at 38 years old, I am old to be starting a family. Yeah. And it was. It was very scary.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

It's never a good position to be coming at any problem with is, you know, fear and feeling like you're running out of time. That's. That's not a good feeling.

[Emisha Gormley]

But to have a doctor that has perspective and can say, I've been in your shoes is kind of incredible.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah. And I think it made me a better doctor, honestly. Going through secondary infertility, I had no problem having my first. But I knew all too well that because of training and education and how long it took for me to be personally in a place where I was ready to have kids, I actually was really proactive. And I went through ivf, froze embryos with my husband, and lo and behold, what I thought might happen happened. When I was older, I was actually 38 as well, and I found it harder to get pregnant. It just was like my body was different. Everything was. And I ended up relying on what I froze to overcome that. But getting to that point wasn't as straightforward as I had hoped it would be. And I definitely went into it cocky, thinking, I know what to expect. How hard could it be? I mean, even if it's challenging, I'll know what the solution is. But it's one thing to intellectualize and think that you know everything you need to know and have the answers. And it's another thing to actually be the patient and have feelings that I always tell my patients, this is not your fault. It's nothing that you did or didn't do. But I think it's just such a human nature tendency. And when I felt that way, even with all the education and training that I had, it was a real eye opener for me.

[Molly Sims]

Why do you think the fertility conversation at the moment has exploded? Because 15 years ago, you know, it was not suggested to me to. To freeze my eggs. They were like, we have embryos. We're on the verge of egg freezing. I mean, in the last 15 plus years, fertility has exploded.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah.

[Molly Sims]

Just because the adv.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes.

[Molly Sims]

Can you talk a little bit about that?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes. I mean, the success rates of IVF have changed dramatically from when it was invented. Only in the 1970s, really, it was like single digit success rates. There was no coverage from an insurance standpoint. It was like this experimental procedure, and I think Back to the women who were the first pioneers, the women that said, okay, I'm gonna try this because I desperately wanna build my family. And how courageous and how hard that must have been to be. Like, we have very little faith that this is gonna work. It's like 5% now. It's a different situation. We have gotten a lot better at growing embryos in the lab, figuring out what they need in the lab environment, being able to genetically test them and weed out all the ones that would never have been destined to implant or stay implanted. So that lowers miscarriage rates. And we're able to say to patients, if you have a tested embryo and it looks really good under the microscope, there's a 60 to 70% chance you're gonna be pregnant by next week, right after the procedure. And not only have we gotten better at it, we've gotten a lot safer, too. We're only us putting back one embryo at a time. So this idea that IVF always leads to twins and triplets is really a thing of the past. And I think because it's gotten safer and so much more effective, and now there's more insurance coverage, everything is much more normalized. It is just becoming much more mainstream and something that people are comfortable taking that leap of faith toward.

[Emisha Gormley]

Do you think that we have more infertility now than we did 15, 20 years ago, or do you think that we're just now talking about it? More women are getting married later. Like, it feels like it's changed a lot. And is it the foods that we eat, the medications that we're taking, environmental? Or is it just. It's always been this, but we've just not had an open conversation.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

It's always been a problem. Right. For a variety of reasons. There's so many different reasons why a couple or an individual might have a hard time getting pregnant. It might be that they have blocked fallopian tubes. There's no way for the sperm and the egg to meet. There could be sperm quality issues. 50% of the time. 50% of coup will have some sort of sperm quality. It's not the woman. Yeah, exactly.

[Molly Sims]

It's 50.

I remember a couple of my friends were like, it's not me. He's blamed me.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah, I know there. It can feel like this blame game. But I think the biggest factor that is the reason behind why it is more prevalent is age.

[Emisha Gormley]

Right.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

If you look at your mom's generation, your grandmother's generation, what age were they and their peers having their first child?

[Molly Sims]

Early twenties.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Early twenties.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Late.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Exactly Teens, almost. Right. And so this has dramatically shifted for us. And I think that instead of feeling shame about it and blame and saying, why haven't I found the right partner? Why am I not financially in a position where I feel like I can start trying? Society has shifted, and we're the first generation that has been tasked with kind of what feels like the impossible. It's like, okay, great, we're on equal footing with men when it comes to education and our jobs. Go out there and compete, but also be aware of your biological clock and make sure you do all these other things, too. And it's like, we really, as millennials, I believe, are the first generation that have had to navigate finding a balance. And unfortunately for a lot of women, there was no formalized education or guidance in how to do that. And so I love that we're talking about this more. And this is something I talk a lot about in my book is this idea of people striving to have it all but not understanding that our bodies, our biology haven't necessarily evolved with that idea.

[Molly Sims]

A lot of my friends and our friends are in their mid to late 30s, and they are really wanting this conversation. They're freaking the fuck out. They are panicking that they haven't met the one they. And I feel like I am them. When I'm listening to this conversation, I'm like, you're gonna have your baby.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah.

[Molly Sims]

It might not look the way you think in your mind, but if you wanna have a family, you will. But you have to also start to try to calm down, get your checklist. And I think that's ultimately why your book has been so successful. It's called the Lucky Egg. And women are scared.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Right.

[Molly Sims]

I remember I woke up one day and I'm like, I want a family. I was 35. I wasn't dating anybody. I'd actually been dumped. Again. What can a woman do? She's 30 years old. She doesn't want to have a baby. She's 25 years old. Are there certain things you would be like, freeze your eggs? Or, like, how would you roadmap that?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

I think the first step, and this might sound really obvious, but it's actually something that I see a lot of people not taking the time to do is to carve out mental space and time in your life to actually think about, what do you want? Right. I see a lot of women in New York where I practice, where they're at the top of their game, and they're just so busy on the hamster wheel of life. And then by the time they actually contemplate, hey, what do I want out of my personal life? What are my personal goals? They're coming to me at a time where I may tell them, hey, your biology is going to kind of dictate how this goes a little bit. And nothing can be more frustrating and devastating to a lot of women because they're thinking, I did everything right. I mean, I focused on achieving. But this is one area of life where the amount of effort you put in doesn't necessarily equate to what you get out. So I think taking the time, even if you're not physically in a place you don't have the right partner, you don't feel like it's a good time for you to actually start trying, still think about what you want and try and prioritize what's most important to you, because then the rest of what you need to do will crystallize. Right. And if it looks like you, it's probably not realistic that you're going to be able to start trying or building your family until after 35, and you might find yourself in your mid-30s, in your 40s, trying for baby number 12 or whatever your goal is, then, yeah, I think egg freezing is a major part of the conversation.

[Molly Sims]

And when should women if. If you could take your pick. If a woman walks in your office, would she be 20, would she be 25? Would she be 30? What would you suggest?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So everyone always says the earlier the better.

[Molly Sims]

I know, but what does that mean exactly?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Because do I think it's healthy or necessarily a good thing for people to graduate high school and everyone just go and freeze their eggs? No, I think it takes a certain level of emotional maturity. There's a lot that is put on the patient in terms of the medications you're taking and needing to follow up and you're going through a procedure. I would say the youngest age of a patient whose egg's eye froze was in their early 20s. But that was usually for a medical problem. Right. I would say for just trying to plan ahead, mid to late 20s is really the ideal time. You're kind of in your reproductive pr. Not a lot of change has happened with the number of eggs that we can get to in one given cycle of effort. And the quality of the eggs is kind of at their maximum potential. But that's not to say it's not successful if you do it in your 30s. I think late 20s to early 30s is kind of the sweet spot where people have that emotional maturity to actually go through this two week long process. And I'm not a doctor that sugarcoats it. Like, it's a lot.

[Molly Sims]

And I also say, I think women think it's this crazy long process. I'm like, if you are not putting it back in, it's two weeks.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Molly Sims]

People think they're on shots of like in their mind. I'm like, no, I can't do this. It's not. Again, it's two weeks.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Right. And they think that they need to be off of work for that entire two weeks. Which is not true. I mean, it sounds like you have gone through this process. You know, you're taking shots in the comfort of your home, morning and night maybe, and you're coming in not every day for scans and blood work, but it is a lot. And if the conversation ends with, you know what? I'm thinking about all my options. And now I've learned about egg freezing and I've decided it's not the step I want to take, fine, but at least you're never going to turn around 10 years from now and say, you know what? I wish I had looked into that. I wish I had contemplated it. It's like you made a really thoughtful decision.

[Emisha Gormley]

I do think that unfortunately there is a lot of stuff in the news sometimes that a lot of IVF can cause breast cancer. There's that that has been in the news lately. Especially like I literally turned the TV on the other day and I heard someone talking about it. Is that fact based or it's just.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

It's a myth.

[Molly Sims]

It's a myth.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

It's a really bad fear mongering myth that's done a lot of damage. Because I think those types of fears that aren't actually based on reality and what we're actually seeing when we look at long term data following patients who've gone through IVF, even several rounds for decades and decades up until age 50 and beyond, we're not seeing a link between breast cancer and it makes sense to me. The reason why people are thinking about it is because breast cancer is one of those types of cancer that can be hormonally driven. And when you're going through this type of process, this two weeks of shots, whether you're freezing eggs or going through IVF to try to get pregnant, you're taking these shots and it's causing your ovaries to stimulate at a higher level than what you would normally experience. If you're ovulating one egg and you have higher estrogen levels, but it's For a very transient period of time, it's like two to three weeks. And so it's not the same as chronic long term exposure. So to me it makes total sense that it wouldn't be a risk factor. And we have the data to actually prove that, especially from countries like Denmark that do a really good job of keeping registries and tracking outcomes over many, many years. And there are multiple studies that have provided really reassuring data. But I think these types of myths are particularly damaging because it's the reason why a lot of people will delay seeking care. They're afraid about all of these things they're seeing on social media that aren't actually true. Another common fear that I about is I'm going to. You're going to take all these eggs out and you're going to put me into menopause earlier. And I would say that's also not a thing either. I get why people think that, but if you actually understand what we're doing. I wish I knew how to get more eggs out, but I'm limited to working with whatever your body makes available. And those eggs would have been kind of tossed out at the end of that cycle, regardless of whether we extracted them or not.

[Molly Sims]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Molly Sims]

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[Molly Sims]

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[Molly Sims]

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[Molly Sims]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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For each of the topics below and I want to discuss this, we want to know the single best takeaway. You want women to walk away with AMH and ovarian reserve.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So what I want people to know about AMH or ovarian reserve. This is looking at egg quantity, right? It's no secret. Society loves to remind women that we have a biological clock. And for most people, the most obvious aspect to that is that you're born with a stockpile of eggs, like 1 to 2 million. By the time we get into menopause, we have less than a thousand. And that's when your body stops being able to ovulate. You stop getting periods. Most of us who are in Our quote, unquote, you know, reproductive age years are in between those two time points. And you basically each month are bringing a small number, a very limited subset from the stockpile in a process I can't control. And you can't control with supplements or anything that you're trying to do. It's just like rationing. The more you have in your stockpile, especially earlier in life, the more you bring to the surface and what AMH is or a follicle count on an ultrasound. Both of those things, the blood test, AMH and a follicle count are telling you kind of a relative sense of how much is getting rationed or becoming available each month. I only care about that if you're going through egg freezing or ivf. Otherwise, what's happening when you're ovulating, you're only releasing one of those eggs anyway. So two people who are the same age, let's say I have two 35 year old patients in front of me and one has a high AMH level, a high follicle count, and the other one has a very low one. If they're both ovulating each month, they're on equal footing in terms of who's going to get pregnant first. It's really about age and egg quality.

[Molly Sims]

So a friend of mine was going through ivf. She went through, I think one round. They told her her AMH number was below one very low, probably would not be successful at ivf. Probably again, fear would never get pregnant. She did the round of IVF. She had two kids naturally, 40 and 42 right after.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah, I mean, that is one of the more damaging myths. And I don't know why sometimes people hear that from fertility doctors. I'll tell you, the only thing that really matters about a very, very low AMH is yes, it can make it harder to respond to the stimulation and harder to get enough eggs out. But that's not going to dictate whether or not you're able to ovulate a healthy egg. And there are many studies that have shown, looking at thousands and thousands of women, that their AMH does not predict their ability to have a baby. And I think it's just this label that a lot of people walk around with and they think, oh my God, what did I do?

[Molly Sims]

I think that's why some girls in their early 30s don't want to get the number. I know, like, yeah.

[Emisha Gormley]

I mean, I also think, you know, one of the things here is egg quality versus quantity. And I think sometimes people are like, I had so Many eggs, you know, but like, okay, well, were they good or were they not good? Doesn't really matter.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

I'll tell you the thing that I hate to hear is when someone says, I was told, you know, I'm 40. I was told I have the eggs of a 25 year old. And I'm like, how did they tell you that there is no test for egg quality? Like, that's the biggest thing to really get out there in terms of good information. Because there's so many people getting these labs interpreted in a way that doesn't actually make sense. And either it gives them really false confidence to make decisions in a way that maybe isn't as proactive as they should be, or it can make them panic when they have nothing to panic about.

[Molly Sims]

Egg freezing, what do we think?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So egg freezing, I think is a wonderful technology. It's a form of fertility preservation. It is no longer something that's regarded as experimental. A lot of women used to come to me, I would say 10 years ago, shoulders slumped, I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm 37. I thought I'd be in a different place in life. And now I'm seeing a lot younger women coming in, sometimes with a partner. And I'm like, oh, so are we talking eggs rembers? And they're like, oh, he's just here to support me. I'm doing eggs. And I'm like, oh, okay. I think the thing that people should know about it is it's not a right. When you're freezing eggs, you're freezing potential. And human reproduction is inefficient. When you ovulate one egg, you don't expect the first time you pee on a stick, it's going to be a positive, right? Everyone knows from their friends or from their own experience of trying to get pregnant, persistence will hopefully pay off. And it's all about knowing when to call it and to seek help. Right? But it could make sense in your 20s and early 30s to try for up to a year. That's okay. And when you think about each egg that you freeze, those are similar to the eggs that you would have ovulated. And not every egg that you ovulate is capable of getting fertilized and turning into a healthy embryo. So it's all about making sure you have a good number for your age and for your presumed egg quality. And that's where counseling from your doctor and them also sharing, what are their clinic success rates? You know, we have women that come back all the time, each week to thaw out their eggs. So I'm telling them about real world data, not just theoretically. You know, this is what we think the numbers will shake out to be.

[Molly Sims]

I think the numbers thing is so important. Remember someone saying to me, well, how is their lab? And I kind of didn't understand what that means. It means how many babies are becoming babies out of that lab.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah. Lab is very important. I'm so glad you brought that up because that's probably the least talked about. Dr. A lot of people will talk about. How does the clinic look like? What does the waiting room feel like? Do you like your doctor? How do you communicate with the care team? All of those things matter. But I think what matters the most more is in the than sometimes, if you like your doctor, is the quality of the lab. There are a whole team of people called embryologists that are behind the curtain. You hardly ever meet with them. You might see them on the day of your procedure, but they're the ones that are handling your eggs and sperm and turning them into embryos and the quality control of that environment and how many cycles they do in a given year. I mean, would you rather go to a surgeon for a procedure who only does 50 cases a year or 5,000? I mean, it makes a difference.

[Emisha Gormley]

I think also one of the things that's important to talk about, and this is just a conversation I had with a friend, is knowing your mother's history.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Absolutely.

[Emisha Gormley]

And having open conversations. Because I have a friend of mine who, you know, has gone through some stuff and she was like, oh, well, I didn't know that my mom went into early menopause.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yep. And I will tell you, if you have a first degree relative that went into premature menopause, menopause before age 40, that is associated with several fold times higher risk, anywhere from four to six times higher risk of that individual that has that family history of also experiencing. That doesn't mean you will experience it, but it's a red flag that should be on your radar that you should share with your doctor. Similarly, you see a lot of relationships when it comes to family genetic history and factors like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, even fibroids. So there are many gynecologic conditions that can impact your fertility, that can run in your family.

[Molly Sims]

Genetic testing.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes. What do you think? Genetic testing is a loaded term. And I think there's a lot of confusion because you could be referring to a lot of different things. When I'm thinking as a fertility doctor, I'm thinking About two big things. One is if I'm looking at a couple or if I'm talking to a patient who's thinking about using a sperm donor or an egg donor. I care about the genetics of both prospective whoever's providing the sperm and the egg.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Right.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Because we all carry genetic mutations. And I'm taking to high school biology. Remember Punnett Squares, where you're like, okay, if you carry this mutation, it doesn't affect you, but you carry one copy. But if you have a partner that carries the same thing, there's a one in four chance that you could have a child with two copies of a mutated gene. So I will run panels where I'm testing for like 400 conditions and saying, hey, okay, there's a 2 to 4% chance that you could overlap as a couple. And if we find out that you do match up, you could do nothing with that information and say, okay, at least I know what to test the pregnancy for at the end of the first trimester to find out if I'm gonna have an aff. That's usually a more excruciating choice. Right. Because you're waiting a long time to get that information. But you could also say, I don't wanna go through that. I wanna create embryos. And now I can genetically test the embryos because I know what to look for. And I can say, you know what? These embryos would result in cystic fibrosis, which is a terrible lung disease. Right. And that's on the panel. But these ones only carry one copy or no copies. And these would not result in a child with that problem. I see this help so many families that have really strong family histories of cancer. So one of the pat and say, I know I carry the BRCA mutation and I have a much higher elevated risk of, you know, having breast cancer, ovarian cancer in my lifetime. And I'm just, you know, doing. Wanting to do whatever I can to prevent passing this on. Because I know you can tell with brca. Yeah. If you know, you carry something that could result in a reproductive risk to a future child. As long as you know what to look for. We can take an embryo in the lab, we can remove some of the outer cells and send it off for genetic testing, and we can build a specialized test to zoom and look for that gene mutation. So I have helped families stop the propagation of cancer predisposing mutations that is excellent in their family line from continuing, which is so powerful.

[Emisha Gormley]

That's insane.

[Molly Sims]

I didn't realize that.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So if anyone is Listening. Who has a strong family history, multiple first degree relatives. It just seems like there's a pattern. The first step is go to your doctor and say, can you test me with all the panels we know about? And if you're a carrier, it's not just important for fertility and forward planning, but also for your own general health. It might mean insurance will start covering you going in for earlier screenings and checkups you might decide to do like a risk reducing surgery. That's what Angelina Jolie did. She knew she carried a gene mutation and she had a strong family history of breast cancer. And she got a double mastectomy as a preventative measure.

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[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

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[Molly Sims]

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Fertility Myths True or false with Dr. Luckey, fertility is just a woman's problem.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Definitely false. 50% involves a male factor, and a third of cases of infertility involve a male factor alone.

[Molly Sims]

I didn't know that.

Yeah, I didn't either.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Yeah, y.

[Emisha Gormley]

Well, speaking of, a low egg count means you're infertile.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So we talked about this, and it couldn't be further from the truth. You know how many people are walking around on the sidewalk outside with a low AMH and have no idea because they never got it tested because they had no issue getting pregnant? Right. We don't really understand exactly why some people have lower AMHs than others. We know there's a genetic component. Some of it can be environmental. There are certain lifestyle factors that definitely don't help. Like we know cigarette smoking, even vaping, can deplete how follicles you have and make you lose eggs at a faster rate. And you could go into menopause earlier. So for sure, there are things that we can avoid. And there's definitely a role for lifestyle in trying to slow the rate at which things happen. But biological aging and the decrease in our egg count is very natural. And it tends to speed up as we enter our late 30s and early 40s. And it's not something we should be afraid of. It's just we should be understanding what it actually means.

[Molly Sims]

Sperm don't have a biological clock.

That's false.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah. Just because men make new sperm for the rest of their lives, unlike us, we don't make new eggs. Right. We're born with our stockpile. They are always making new sperm cells every 74 days. But that doesn't mean that they're not experiencing aging. It's just a different mechanism than our biological clock. So over time, they accumulate mutations which can be passed down in sperm's DNA to their children. And so what is is being older for a man. When it comes to fertility, it's different than for women. We talk about this inflection point at 35. It doesn't mean you fall off a cliff, but things start to change a little bit faster. Right. And then even more so in your 40s. For men, there isn't an agreed upon definition. Some studies say 45 and older, and some say 50s. But certainly as men are able to father children throughout their whole lives, we start to see a relationship between more and more problems cropping up in the health outcomes of their children, especially neurodevelopmentally. And when you think about men, you know, having kids in their 50s and 60s, there is a relationship there.

[Molly Sims]

And you are seeing that.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes, it's definitely something that's been seen in the data. And also, men should be caring about their lifestyle as well because they are contributing to some of the outcomes we see in the pregnancies of their partner.

[Molly Sims]

Right.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Because their genes are contributing to building the placenta, which is a really magical organ that forms temporarily for the purpose of connecting mom to baby and to help the baby grow healthy in a healthy way. A lot of the complications that can happen in pregnancy arise from the placenta not functioning properly. And so, you know, male chronic health conditions that are not well controlled or smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, being obese. All of these things can relate to not just health outcomes for their children, but also potentially pregnancy complications.

[Molly Sims]

Birth control causes infertility.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

False.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

There's no situation where I've ever seen a patient with infertility. And I've treated thousands of patients where I'm like, oh, it was the birth control, right? Birth control often is just preventing you from ovulating. It doesn't help you stockpile your eggs because you're still recruiting a bunch each month from that pantry, that stockpile we talked about, and then they're kind of getting thrown away. You're just not releasing an egg. And even the iud, which you're still ovulating in the background, that's just preventing sperm from getting to the egg. And once you remove the it, the effects are automatically reversible.

[Emisha Gormley]

Stress causes infertility. Just relax.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

All of that is so triggering to so many people because it's just like empty words, you know? And I will tell you, I treat a lot of, you know, type A high powered women in very stressful jobs. And when you're talking about day to day stress, like the normal stress of life, that is not thought to be related to infertility that is not thought to be something that makes you lose eggs faster or that has a negative impact on the quality of your eggs or, you know, your risk of miscarriage. That's a big one. You know, when people go through miscarriages, the first place their mind goes is, I probably should have slowed down at work. I wish I wasn't doing xyz. I'm here to tell you that there is no single shred of evidence that being stressed in your day to day is causing your infertility. Now, if you have profound stress where it's like extreme caloric deprivation, like you're going through a war or a famine, like there's really profound stress that can affect the health of pregnancy and the ability to get pregnant. But I'm talking day to day stress. It's just not a thing. And being stressed about being stressed is not going to be helpful.

[Emisha Gormley]

Yeah.

[Molly Sims]

A woman walks into your office, she's 30 years old. What do you do? What do you tell her? What's the advice that you would give her?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So first off, when I have a conversation with a patient, I'm asking them a ton of questions. I want to know where they're at in life, why are they here, what are they hoping to gain from this visit? And then they'll tell me, are they partnered, are they single, what's going on in their life, you know, personally, in their work situation, what's important to them? And if it's someone that says to me, I know I want to be a mom, I feel extremely confused by all of the conflicting information I'm hearing. And I'm basically here for a Biology 101. I want you to just fill the fertility knowledge gap. That's what I'll do. And I'll also do an ultrasound because I'm a big believer that you can learn a lot about, about the reproductive system by just looking, you know, doing a vaginal ultrasound. It's not a standard thing that's done across the board. When I talk to women every day, sometimes they'll be like, yeah, my GYN does one, you know, every year or every couple of years. And then I meet women in their 40s who are like, you're the first person ever doing this scan on me. Only because I'm coming in to talk to you about fertility.

[Molly Sims]

That's why I wanted to talk to you about it, because I think I, I got given a scan the very first time I went to talk to someone, but I don't think women, I don't Think women know you need a scan?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes, I think so. And this might be viewed as controversial, right, because doctors are supposed to follow guidelines, and you think about public health and how resources are used and what will people's insurance cover. But forgetting about all of that, what do I think is the right thing to do? As an expert who has sat across my desk from thousands of women, and I've often been the first one to tell them, oh, you have PCoI. Oh, I see evidence of endometriosis. You can't always see that on a scan, but sometimes it's obvious. Oh, you have a huge fibroid taking up all the space in your uterine cavity. Like, this is a problem. It needs to be removed. And this is why you're having these problematic periods. I don't know why. I, as a subspecialist who is focused very specifically on fertility, am often the one telling them that they have a major gynecologic condition. And so I do hope that having these conversations will empower people to ask questions and say, hey, can I just get a scan? You know, whether the GYN is doing it for you or they order it and you go to a radiologist and get it done, maybe it'll come back normal. But if we find something, it's a lot better than feeling blindsided at the moment, at the 11th hour when you're, you know, in a fertility crisis.

[Emisha Gormley]

I think I said this in the beginning. I think you. You have a unique perspective because you're not just a specialist, but you are a patient. What surprised you the most, going through IVF as a patient?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

The lack of control. I think, like I said, I went through it. I went into it cocky. I was like, I am doing it at the clinic that I work at. I am besties with my doctor. I already know all the science, like, what could go wrong? And one of my first cycles, I just didn't get as many eggs as I thought. I didn't end up getting enough embryos. And I was happy that I got something, but it was way lower than what I thought. And I was like, that's weird. Okay. And then I went through another attempt where they were like, like, you're not really responding. We're going to stop the meds. And I had taken these shots for about two weeks, stopped the shots and was like, that was anticlimactic. Okay. But that's okay. And I was a little bit worried at that point. Then I did another one where we just pushed forward, even though the response was low because it Was like, well, let's just see what we can get. Got two eggs and got the call a week later that nothing turned into an embryo. Like the cycle was done. And that hit me like a ton of bricks. I cried in my office, I closed the door and I was like, I just want to get out of here and go home. Like, I feel so ashamed, like my body's not doing what it's supposed to be doing. And I just didn't anticipate that outcome. And that was why when I wrote this book. Of course, it's filled with so much science and practical information that feels like a roadmap, but there's so much mental health support built into it. Because I think the mental health struggle of someone who already has a child but is doing this as a preventative measure for the future because they just know better and then has this like, u turn situation where they're like, oh, everything's gonna be easy and fine, and then it's not. That's a different mental health struggle than the woman who's going through her fifth failed round of IVF or someone who has recurrent pregnancy loss, or someone that's been told, you know what, some of these issues you have, maybe it's gonna be too hard to overcome. And we need to talk about things like surrogacy, right? Each of those types of pivots or challenges come with their own set of mental health baggage. And the stories we tell ourselves and the way it can make you feel and the things that you struggle with are very unique to each situation. So every chapter, every topic has a mental health slant to it.

[Molly Sims]

I love it. What does IVF improve and what does it promise?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So ivf, nothing will promise you anything, right? But IVF can give you more control. It can. It has the potential to. Because when you think about what's happening when you're trying to get pregnant on your own just by ovulating, right? It's kind of like playing the slot machine. All you can do is pull the lever and say, okay, I'm ovulating. Like, let's try in this next two day window, whether that egg that you release actually interacts the way it's supposed to with the sperm, gets fertilized, turns into an embryo, makes its way to the uterus, is a healthy embryo that can actually implant all out of your control. That's like everything lining up on the slot machine. So often you have to play multiple times. And I'm not encouraging gambling, but you get the analogy with ivf, you're Saying, okay, I'm kind of sick of this really low efficacy approach. Let's go in and grab as many eggs as we can, because each of these eggs feels like a long shot. It's like playing the slots. But let's try to control and expose them to sperm and cultivate them into embryos. And so you're still gonna see drop off and attrition. But because you're starting off with more numbers, that is going to help make this really inefficient process more efficient. And then when you get to the embryo stage, you do have the ability nowadays to genetically test those embryos. And something we haven't talked about, which is really important to know, is that nobody makes perfect embryos. Even in our 20s, when it's as good as it gets, 20 to 25% of those embryos are thought to have genetic errors where it's just not able to implant or stay implanted. So very powerful tool is called pgt Pre implantation genetic testing, where you can just kind of biopsy a small part of the embryo without hurting it. The part that would become the placenta. Just a few cells, send them off for analysis and you can say, okay, these ones are healthy and these ones aren't, aren't. And the ones that are not implanting

[Molly Sims]

something that it can lower your risk

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

of miscarriage, it can streamline your path to pregnancy in a process that's often really, really inefficient. And I think it can also give people a lot of reassurance for the future because you can freeze the extra embryos.

[Emisha Gormley]

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[Molly Sims]

Easy A woman is looking to get pregnant. Do you suggest acupuncture supplements? What is kind of that checklist a woman can do?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

So I talk a lot about this in the book and I have a whole table because I think sorting through all of the noise, especially when it comes to supplements and I get why it's there, right? It's this idea of wanting to control whatever you can. And we all want to be good students and put our best foot forward in anything we're trying to do. Right? And so there is a role for certain supplements. I would say prenatal vitamin is first and foremost. Everyone needs to be on that preconception, ideally three months. Preconception containing folic acid in the supplement chapter I actually list out what are the nutritional requirements as per the American College of Obgyns. And it doesn't mean you have to take a supplement for each of Those things, some of it can be obtained just from your diet. Right. But if you don't have the healthiest diet or it may not be as, well, rounded, maybe you're vegan or vegetarian. Here are the things that you need to. To be taking in these amounts. I think a really solid prenatal vitamin with folic acid is. Is key. And folic acid is actually the form you want. There's a lot of misinformation online about that. That's the one ingredient that's actually been proven to prevent a certain type of birth defect of the. The baby's spinal cord. And that's really important. And then outside of that, the data is not very good in support of the other supplements. But I put it all in there and basically in the table, say this is how it's proposed to work, because sometimes people are even know what it's proposed to do. Here are the. Here are the dosages that have been studied and that are typically taken. Here are the side effects, because we don't talk about that enough with supplements. Right. They are still, you know, something that have medicinal properties and can have interactions with the other drugs that you're taking. And that's important to know. What do we know what's been studied? And then here's what the data actually shows. And I will say the best fertility supplement that has the most data, and it's still not perfect, is probably coenzyme Q10. Right. There's animal data.

[Molly Sims]

I took it.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah, yeah, animal data and human data where they've looked at women going through treatment and they've compared, and there's actually randomized control trial data, which is like the strongest level of evidence where it seems that there could be an association with better outcomes, whether you're trying on your own or with treatment. And so that's something I tell my patients. I say, take 600 milligrams a day. It's definitely, you know, not harmful. And if it could be helpful, why not? But there are some that have potentially harmful side effects and interactions and have way less data to support. And I put it all on the table so that people can actually just get informed and then make a decision for themselves.

[Emisha Gormley]

I'm actually curious because I went to an acupuncturist, I had a miscarriage, and I ended up going to an acupuncturist who specialized in fertility and full disclosure. Like it wasn't, you know, voodoo, because I can't remember if it was Columbia or one of the hospitals she worked at as an acupuncturist within the OB world. World, yes. So the hospital established, New York City Hospital did have her come in doing acupuncture.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes. I'm not anti acupuncture. I think supplements and acupuncture are not synonymous. Right. I think that there are different levels of evidence. When you think about something that might not have all the evidence to show, okay, there's a one to one relationship. This is definitely improving success rates. You have to ask, is there any harms? And I don't think there's any harms to acupuncture. I mean, I'm, as a western medicine doctor who's done acupuncture when I had a terrible migraine and I was like, I'm taking all the meds and it's not breaking, so let me go do this. It still didn't work, but I tried it. Right. And why would it be harmful? Right. I just don't see any way that it could be harmful. So I talk about this with my patients every day. They're like, do you mind if I try it? Of course. Go for it. I would say if it stresses you out to have another needle in your body. Right?

[Emisha Gormley]

Yeah.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

And maybe if it's not covered by insurance and it's just like you're racking up costs of everything you're doing to try to get towards this goal, I wouldn't stress about it and say, oh my gosh, this is going to make or break your cycle. But I would never tell a patient to not do acupuncture. And I have had patients where they're like, my lining looks thicker this cycle. You know, I've noticed different changes in my menstrual cycle. The studies have yet to show that doing acupuncture before an embryo transfer is associated with improved outcomes. But it does improve people's stress and it does make them feel more relaxed. And I think there is a benefit to that.

[Emisha Gormley]

Yeah.

[Molly Sims]

Can we end on that?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yes.

[Molly Sims]

That positivity.

[Emisha Gormley]

Yes.

[Molly Sims]

It's part of it. That manifestation. Like, I have so many women in their early 40s say to me, it's never gonna happen. And I'm like, but you, you have to stop believing that.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah. I think there's a lot of fear. There's a lot of narrative about, you know, how likely something is to work again. The reason I named my book the Lucky EG is because I see miracles happen all the time. And I see people who walk around with, like, a label. I have a low AMH or I'm in my 40s and I will tell you that you're not a statistic. You're an individual with an individual situation. And there's a lot of information we don't have until you actually try or you actually go through a process. I think it's all about being mentally flexible. I think when we have a rigid thought pattern where we're like, oh my AMH is less than 1, I'm above 40, I am in a bottle. You know, that's not helpful. That's not helpful as a fertility doctor to think that way. And it's definitely not helpful as you, the patient or the person going through this. Give yourself some grace too. Life is hard enough and I think that we need to stop this culture of self blame. And I think that the backlash of a lot of prior books, especially those not written by experts and these formulas of saying like this is what you have to do and then you will get to your baby. It breeds a message of an undertone of, well, the reason why you don't have your baby or the reason why you had a miscarriage is because you didn't do these things. And we need to get away from that because there's so much of this that is not in your control. And that doesn't have to be a negative message. That should be something that absolves you of that guilt and shame and self blame. This is not your fault where you're at. All we can do is look forward. And if you have an open mind, there's so many different ways that this could work. Work for you and work in your favor.

[Molly Sims]

We always ask every guest before they go, if you could give advice to your 10 year old self, what would it be?

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Oh my God, where do I even begin?

[Emisha Gormley]

The girl from Brampton. Mississauga.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah.

[Molly Sims]

Winston McGill.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Yeah. Who didn't realize her power in the moment. You know who. I kind of felt lost at that age. And I think about it a lot because now my daughter's 8 and so I'm very conscious of like, what is she going through and like just finding your place in the world. What I would tell myself is if you find your, you're going to find your purpose and your purpose is going to be to try to help other people and everything else will just kind of figure itself out and just find a purpose like that is really the key to life. I feel very much fortunate to be turning 43 in a few weeks and to be able to say I found my life's purpose and what I do for my job is very aligned with my true purpose in life. And I think that that is is a form of attaining happiness that a lot of people strive for. And I'm really, really happy in my career and what I'm able to do for women and my patients.

[Emisha Gormley]

I mean, you're changing lives and having a lasting impact. I mean, it's unbelievable.

[Molly Sims]

Understanding your fertility and how to get pregnant. Now it's on shelves. It's get it on Amazon. It's a great book. Dr. Lucky C. Khan, you're awesome.

[Dr. Lucky Sekhon]

Thank you for helping so many women.

[Molly Sims]

You know, you're amazing. Make sure and follow Dr. Lucky. It's Lucky L u c k y dot s e k. Make sure and buy her book the Lucky Egg. You guys will see you next week.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

See you next week.

[Molly Sims]

Maybe you'll be pregnant.

Thanks for listening to Lipstick on the Rim with Molly Sims and My Ride or Die. Emisha Gormily. We are so excited to bring you guys along on this journey with us. You can find us on Instagram and TikTok, Ipstic on the Rim and Molly B. Sims. Or you can go to my blog where you can dive just a little bit deeper into my favorite products, trip trends and [e-mail] and don't forget to check out our video episodes on my YouTube channel, Molly Sims. This podcast is production with Sony Music. I wanted to give a special thanks to my team, Rosie Cummings, Kenna Ryan, Sophine Kevorkin and everyone at Sony Music. Don't forget to listen and follow wherever you get your podcast so you never miss out on the fun.