Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday - Details, episodes & analysis

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Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday

Mark Amols, MD

Health & Fitness

Science

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/10d. Total Eps: 260

This podcast presents an in-depth exploration of fertility concerns and inquiries straight from those undergoing fertility treatment. Standing apart from the usual information found online, we dive headfirst into the real science and comprehensive research behind these challenges. Amidst all this, we never forget to honor our cherished tradition - celebrating the simple joys of Taco Tuesday!

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Score global : 72%

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Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: Spontaneous Pregnancy, IUI, and IVF

Season 8 · Episode 43

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 • Duration 20:35

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Three patients. All seven weeks pregnant. All experiencing vaginal bleeding—but their pregnancies began in different ways.

One conceived spontaneously. One became pregnant after IUI and uses vaginal progesterone. One had a programmed frozen embryo transfer and takes progesterone injections. Does that change what their bleeding means?

In this updated episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, Dr. Mark Amols explains how cycle type and progesterone support affect the picture—and why bleeding alone cannot tell you whether a pregnancy is progressing normally.

We explore:

• Progesterone supplementation versus replacement
• Vaginal progesterone versus progesterone in oil (PIO)
• Spotting, heavier bleeding, and possible sources
• Subchorionic hematomas and what research shows about live birth
• When to call your clinic, when monitoring may be appropriate, and when to seek emergency care
• Why you shouldn’t change or stop prescribed hormone support on your own

Drawing on newer research and his family’s experience, Dr. Amols offers practical guidance for a frightening moment: understanding what is known, what needs evaluation, and what happens next.

Explore more episodes, fertility education, and interactive tools at TacoBoutFertility.com.

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Want to explore more fertility topics? Visit TacoBoutFertility.com, where you can search our entire episode library, find episodes about the questions that matter to you, try our interactive fertility tools, and submit questions or topic requests for future episodes.

Join us next Tuesday for another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, where we make fertility medicine easier to understand—one topic at a time.

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Vaginal Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: The Original Episode Revisited

Season 8 · Episode 42

Wednesday, October 28, 2026 • Duration 19:35

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Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: What We Know Now

Seeing blood after a positive pregnancy test can turn excitement into fear in an instant—especially when you’ve experienced infertility, IVF, or a previous pregnancy loss.

In this replay of our original 2020 episode, Dr. Mark Amols shares his family’s experience with bleeding during pregnancy and explores the questions patients ask in those frightening moments: Where is the bleeding coming from? Does it mean a miscarriage? And what happens next?

We revisit spotting, cervical bleeding, subchorionic hematomas, and the role of progesterone in fertility treatment, while recognizing the emotional weight of a pregnancy you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Then join us next week for “Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: What We Know Now,” featuring newer research, updated guidance, and a fresh look at the original discussion.

Please note: This episode is presented as originally recorded in 2020. Some explanations and recommendations have changed or require additional context, which we’ll address next week. Bleeding patterns alone cannot confirm the cause or whether a pregnancy is progressing normally. Contact your care team about bleeding; heavy bleeding, severe pain, dizziness, or fainting warrant urgent medical assessment.

Explore more episodes and submit your questions at TacoBoutFertility.com.

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Treating vs. Curing PCOS: Why Your Prescription Isn’t a Band-Aid (and When It Might Be)

Season 8 · Episode 41

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • Duration 20:12

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“I feel like nobody is treating my problem. They just keep putting a Band-Aid on it.” If you have PCOS, you may have said this yourself.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Amols takes the complaint seriously and explains what birth control, metformin, letrozole, and lifestyle changes actually do. He covers why symptoms can return when you stop treatment, and what the history of ovarian surgery tells us about treating PCOS without curing it. He also says plainly when a prescription is incomplete care.

You’ll also get three questions to bring to your next appointment so you leave with a plan you understand.

In this episode:

Treating vs. curing, and why the difference matters
What each PCOS treatment is actually meant to accomplish
Ovarian drilling and what it teaches us
What lifestyle treatment should look like beyond “just lose weight”
What comprehensive PCOS care includes
Three questions to ask your doctor

Have a question for a future episode? Send it through the contact form at TacoBoutFertility.com

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Join us next Tuesday for another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, where we make fertility medicine easier to understand—one topic at a time.

My Eggs Were Mature—Why Didn’t They Fertilize? Understanding IVF Attrition

Season 8 · Episode 40

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 • Duration 20:11

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You had 15 mature eggs and ended up with three embryos. What happened?

In this episode, Dr. Mark Amols explains IVF attrition: the step-by-step drop-off from eggs retrieved, to mature eggs, to normal fertilization, to blastocysts and beyond. Your final embryo count tells you how many chances you have. Where the drop-off happened tells you what to ask about next.

We cover:

Why an MII (mature) egg is the starting line, not a guarantee
Conventional IVF vs. ICSI, and what the evidence shows when sperm parameters are normal
How rescue ICSI differs from planned ICSI
Zymot, PICSI, and calcium ionophore: three tools for three different problems
Lab benchmarks for fertilization and blastocyst rates, and why they aren’t a pass/fail line for one cycle
The questions to ask your physician after a disappointing cycle

This episode completes our egg maturity series (Episodes 38–40).

This podcast is for education only and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your own physician about your care.

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Join us next Tuesday for another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, where we make fertility medicine easier to understand—one topic at a time.

Why Were My Eggs Immature? Is the IVF Trigger to Blame?

Season 8 · Episode 39

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 18:31

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Why were some of your eggs immature after an IVF retrieval—and does it mean your trigger was wrong?

In this episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, Dr. Mark Amols explains what low egg maturity really means, why a report may show GV, MI, and MII eggs, and why “we triggered too early” is only one possibility—not an automatic conclusion.

Not every follicle and egg develops on the same clock. Dr. Amols walks through how follicle-size patterns, trigger timing, the body’s response to the trigger, and underlying egg biology can all affect maturity. He also explains why waiting an extra day may sometimes help smaller follicles—but can also push leading follicles too far ahead.

You’ll hear the practical differences between hCG, Lupron, dual triggers, and double triggers; why a dual trigger may help selected patients but is not a universal rescue plan; and how OHSS risk shapes these decisions. Most importantly, this episode gives you a clear checklist for reviewing a disappointing maturity report with your fertility team.

Low maturity is frustrating—but one cycle is data, not a diagnosis, and it is not a character judgment on your ovaries. Tiny ovaries, enormous emotions.

In this episode:

00:00 — Why were my eggs immature?
01:36 — GV, MI, and MII: a quick maturity refresher
02:18 — How to read an IVF lab report in the right order
04:25 — Why follicle size does not perfectly predict egg maturity
05:54 — The tradeoff: waiting for smaller follicles vs. over-maturing leaders
07:08 — When trigger timing may matter
08:57 — hCG, Lupron, dual trigger, and double trigger explained
10:36 — Does dual trigger always improve maturity?
11:57 — Nuclear maturity vs. cytoplasmic maturity
13:24 — What may change in a future cycle
15:29 — Questions to ask your clinic after low maturity
17:01 — Next episode: “My Eggs Were Mature—Why Didn’t They Fertilize?”

IVF Egg Maturity Explained: GV, MI, MII, 2PN & 3PN

Season 8 · Episode 38

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 • Duration 16:45

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Why did 14 eggs retrieved become 10 mature eggs—and only 7 normally fertilized?

In this episode, Dr. Mark Amols explains what IVF embryology reports really mean. Learn how egg meiosis works, why an MII egg is considered mature, and what GV (germinal vesicle), MI, and MII tell us about an egg’s development.

We also break down polar bodies, pronuclei, normal 2PN fertilization, and what it can mean when the lab sees extra polar bodies, 0PN, 1PN, or 3PN. Most importantly: why a mature egg or normally fertilized embryo is an important checkpoint, but not a guarantee of embryo quality, euploidy, implantation, or a baby.

IVF is a series of checkpoints—not one grade, one number, or one moment under the microscope.

In this episode:

00:00 What does egg maturity mean in IVF?
00:29 Why retrieved eggs, mature eggs, and fertilized eggs are different counts
02:07 Meiosis: why eggs begin developing before birth
04:04 GV, MI, and MII eggs explained
06:05 Why an MII egg is ready for fertilization
08:20 Polar bodies and what they represent
09:05 Normal fertilization: 2 polar bodies and 2 pronuclei
10:10 Extra polar bodies: what they can—and cannot—mean
11:04 What 3PN fertilization means
12:08 1PN and 0PN: why timing matters
13:12 How to understand your embryology report
14:05 The fertilization-rate question patients should ask
14:41 Next week: what can cause low maturity or low fertilization?

Have a fertility question for a future episode? Visit TacoBoutFertility.com.

#IVF #EggMaturity #FertilityEducation

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

You Froze Your Eggs. Now What? Thawing, ICSI & When to Actually Use Them | Egg Freezing Part 3

Season 8 · Episode 37

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 20:23

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In Part 3 of our three-part Egg Freezing Series, Dr. Mark Amols answers one of the most overlooked questions in fertility preservation:

Once you are finally ready to have a baby, should you actually use your frozen eggs?

The answer is not always yes.

If you froze eggs when you were younger and are still relatively young with good fertility when you are ready to conceive, it may make more sense to try with your current fertility first and keep those younger frozen eggs as a backup.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why frozen eggs do not automatically need to be used first
When it may make sense to leave younger eggs in storage
How current age, ovarian reserve, sperm, tubes, and family-size goals affect the decision
Why someone who froze eggs at 28 may make a very different decision at 32 than at 42
What actually happens when frozen eggs are warmed
Why previously frozen eggs are generally fertilized using ICSI
Why not every egg survives warming
Why not every surviving egg fertilizes
How eggs move through the funnel from warming → fertilization → embryo development → blastocyst → transfer
Why 20 frozen eggs do not equal 20 embryos or 20 babies
When PGT-A may or may not be considered
Whether eggs lose quality simply from being stored for many years
Why the age of the egg and the age of the pregnancy are two different things
What happens if you never use your frozen eggs

One of the most important takeaways from the entire series is this:

Egg freezing can preserve the age of your eggs, but it cannot freeze the age of the pregnancy.

And sometimes, the best outcome of freezing your eggs is that you never need to use them at all.

What Really Happens When You Freeze Your Eggs? Shots, Retrieval & Vitrification | Egg Freezing Part 2

Season 8 · Episode 36

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • Duration 23:45

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In Part 2 of our three-part egg freezing series, we walk through the entire egg-freezing process from start to finish.

What medications do you take? How long are the injections? How often do you need ultrasounds and bloodwork? What happens during the trigger shot? Does the egg retrieval hurt? And what actually happens to your eggs once they reach the embryology lab?

Dr. Mark Amols explains the process step by step, including:

What AMH and antral follicle count help predict before treatment
Why fertility medications do not “use up” your future eggs
How ovarian stimulation works
What patients can expect from the injections
How follicles are monitored during the cycle
Why trigger timing is so important
How modern protocols help reduce the risk of OHSS
What happens during the egg retrieval
Why the number of follicles, eggs retrieved, and mature eggs frozen are often different
What “MII” means
How vitrification works
What recovery is like after retrieval
Why some patients may need more than one egg-freezing cycle

One of the most important concepts in egg freezing is understanding the difference between follicles, retrieved eggs, mature eggs, and the eggs that are actually frozen.

Egg freezing is usually a much shorter process than many people expect—but every step matters.

This is Part 2 of our Egg Freezing Series.

In Part 3, we answer a question that almost nobody talks about:

Once you are finally ready to have a baby, should you actually use your frozen eggs—or leave them in the freezer as your backup?

Explore more fertility episodes and interactive tools at TacoBoutFertility.com.

Should You Freeze Your Eggs? Best Age, AMH & How Many Eggs You Need | Egg Freezing Part 1

Season 8 · Episode 35

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 14:25

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In Part 1 of our three-part egg freezing series, Dr. Mark Amols breaks down who should consider egg freezing, when it actually makes sense, and why there is no single “perfect age” or magic number of frozen eggs that guarantees a future baby.

We discuss the important difference between age, AMH, and ovarian reserve—including why a high AMH does not necessarily mean better egg quality and why a low AMH does not mean your eggs are bad.

You'll also learn:

• Who should consider planned fertility preservation
• Why freezing younger eggs is biologically better—but doesn't always mean freezing earlier is the right decision
• How your desired family size changes the conversation
• What AMH and antral follicle count actually tell us
• How many eggs you may need to freeze
• Why 10 frozen eggs at age 28 are not equivalent to 10 frozen eggs at age 40
• Why one frozen egg does not equal one future baby
• When freezing embryos may make more sense than freezing eggs
• Whether an egg-freezing cycle “uses up” your future eggs
• What the research really says about regret after egg freezing

Egg freezing isn't a guarantee and it isn't a biological time machine. Think of it as a reproductive backup plan—preserving some of the reproductive potential you have today in case you need it later.

This is Part 1 of our three-part series on egg freezing. In Part 2, we'll walk through exactly what happens during an egg-freezing cycle—from the injections and monitoring to the retrieval and vitrification of your eggs.

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Can’t Find That Fertility Episode? Try Our New Website

Monday, August 31, 2026 • Duration 00:50

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Ever remember something from Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday and think, “Wait… which episode was that?”

Now there’s an easier way to find it.

Visit TacoBoutFertility.com, where you can search the entire podcast library based on the questions you’re trying to answer, browse episodes by topics like IVF, embryo transfer, PGT, IUI, egg quality, and more, or ask the podcast to help you find episodes related to a specific fertility question.

We’re also adding interactive fertility tools covering topics like hCG rises, AMH, IVF success by age, PCOS criteria, and more.

Don’t just listen to Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday.

Explore it.

Visit TacoBoutFertility.com.

Thanks for listening to another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday with Dr. Mark Amols.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit—and don't forget to follow the show and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Join us next Tuesday for another episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, where we make fertility medicine easier to understand—one topic at a time.

Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday - Details, episodes & analysis

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Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday - Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

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Apple Podcasts

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Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

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Apple Podcasts1

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