Rethinking Fertility

About Rethinking Fertility

The solution to the modern fertility crisis begins with asking the right questions. Hosted by Emma Waters, a policy expert in reproductive health, Rethinking Fertility is a podcast about navigating reproductive technology, and what it means to be human in an age of limitless medical possibility. 📌 Subscribe for new episodes every week Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. New episodes every two weeks. Follow Emma @Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ X: https://x.com/rtfertility Substack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com

Publisher

Emma Waters

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Jun 2026

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Genetic Testing for Babies: What Christians Should Know (PGT & NIPT)

   Today’s medicine can look into a child’s genetic makeup before birth. Two tests, PGT and NIPT, check for chromosomal differences and other health concerns, offering parents a way to pursue what every family hopes for: a healthy baby. Many in the medical world present these tests as beneficial to the hopeful parent. But is that the whole story? CHAPTERS 0:00 Why genetic screening needs a second look 0:36 Emma’s pregnancy and why this topic is back 1:02 PGT: testing embryos in assisted reproduction 1:58 How technology shapes the way we see children 2:37 How common is PGT in IVF cycles? 3:13 Elective IVF and choosing a child’s traits 3:46 “It’s just an embryo”: a biblical perspective 4:39 NIPT: the prenatal blood test explained 5:11 Baby’s DNA in the mother’s bloodstream 6:18 What NIPT can tell you, and how Christians differ 6:42 A church family’s story: preparing to welcome a child with Down syndrome 8:12 Iceland and Down syndrome screening 8:46 Screening vs. diagnosis: false positives 9:16 What the disability community is saying 9:44 Does testing slow medical innovation? 10:12 Trisomy 18 and 13: “incompatible with life”? 11:09 Anxiety, control, and receiving children as a gift 11:44 Closing thoughts DIVE INTO RETHINKING FERTILITY 🔗 Follow, Watch, Listen: linktr.ee/rethinkingfertility 👉 Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss next week's episode. SHOW NOTES & SOURCES • PGT use: Mason-Otey & Seifer, Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2025: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12958-025-01399-8 • PGT trends: Hipp et al., JAMA 2022: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790646 • Slate, “The Parents Who Want Daughters—and Daughters Only”: https://slate.com/technology/2024/05/ivf-daughters-toxic-masculinity-sex-selection.html • Sequenom, Inc. Press release, "Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine announces launch of MaterniT21 noninvasive prenatal test for Down syndrome." October 17, 2011. (Launched for high-risk pregnancies, from 10 weeks of gestation.) • ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 226: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2020/10/screening-for-fetal-chromosomal-abnormalities • MedlinePlus, Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Screening: https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/prenatal-cell-free-dna-screening • Bianchi et al., PNAS 1996: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8570620/ • Iceland, CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-syndrome-iceland/ • Iceland, Ministry of Welfare: https://www.stjornarradid.is/efst-a-baugi/frettir/stok-frett/2017/12/11/Facts-about-Down-syndrome-and-pre-natal-screening-in-Iceland/ • Norton et al., NEJM 2015: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1407349 • NYT, “When They Warn of Rare Disorders…”: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/01/upshot/pregnancy-birth-genetic-testing.html • FDA Safety Communication, 2022: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/genetic-non-invasive-prenatal-screening-tests-may-have-false-results-fda-safety-communication • Rasmussen et al., Pediatrics 2003: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12671111/ • Meyer et al., AJMG A 2016: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4898882/ • Nelson et al., JAMA 2016: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2538496 • Janvier et al., Pediatrics 2012: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22826570/ • Koogler TK, Wilfond BS, Ross LF. "Lethal language, lethal decisions." Hastings Center Report 2003;33(2):37-41. • Scripture: Genesis 1:27 (ESV) Rethinking Fertility, hosted by policy expert Emma Waters, equips families with honest, evidence‑based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of what it means to be human in an age of limitless medical possibility. #RethinkingFertility #EmmaWaters #Fertility #Infertility #ReproductiveTechnology #ReproductiveHealth #familyplanning #IVF #FertilityIndustry #InfertilityJourney #ProLife #ChristianParenting #NIPT #PGT

2. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Infertility Care Is Broken (What actually works)

   What is infertility actually? Is it a disease with a single solution, or the symptom of underlying reproductive health conditions? That distinction changes everything, including whether a one-size-fits-all path is really the best way to help couples. 🎓 Check out the FREE RRM Academy: https://rrmacademy.org (https://rrmacademy.org) 🎁 Includes FREE guides to NaProTechnology, FEMM, and NeoFertility: https://rrmacademy.org/guides (https://rrmacademy.org/guides) CHAPTERS 0:32 Why people have been misled: a Reddit deep dive 1:15 "Everything's normal" and unexplained infertility 2:56 PCOS, ovulation, and why infertility is often a 50-50 issue 5:18 Blocked fallopian tubes and what bloodwork can't catch 6:48 Male factor infertility and sperm health 8:14 One-day periods, thin uterine lining, and a second opinion 12:38 Where "infertility is a disease" comes from (ASRM's definition) 14:44 How some states are redefining infertility 15:18 100+ possible causes of infertility 16:24 What is restorative reproductive medicine (RRM) 19:05 RRM vs. integrative and holistic care 20:16 Does it work? RRM outcomes vs. IVF success rates 21:45 A mother's story: PCOS and heart health DIVE INTO RETHINKING FERTILITY 🔗 Follow, Watch, Listen: linktr.ee/rethinkingfertility (linktr.ee/rethinkingfertility) 👉 Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss next week's episode. SHOW NOTES & SOURCES Unexplained infertility ASRM Practice Committee. Evidence-based treatments for couples with unexplained infertility (2020): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32106976/ CDC ART National Summary, 2022: https://www.cdc.gov/art/php/surveillance/index.htmlPCOS WHO PCOS fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/polycystic-ovary-syndrome Men and infertility ASRM (2026), Half of infertility cases involve men: https://www.asrm.org/news-and-events/asrm-news/press-releasesbulletins/half-of-infertility-cases-involve-men.-why-does-care-still-treat-it-as-a-womens-issue/ Tubal disease and the first IVF birth Steptoe & Edwards, The Lancet 1978: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/79723/ ASRM, Role of tubal surgery (2021): https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/role-of-tubal-surgery-in-the-era-of-assisted-reproductive-technology-a-committee-opinion-2021/Sperm counts and sperm health Levine et al., Human Reproduction Update 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36377604/ Heller & Clermont, Science 1963: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.140.3563.184 Misell et al., Journal of Urology 2006: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16406920/ How ASRM defines infertility ASRM, Definition of infertility (2023): https://prod.asrm.org/globalassets/_asrm/practice-guidance/practice-guidelines/pdf/definition-of-infertility.pdf State definitions of infertility Colorado HB 20-1158 California SB 729 Illinois HB 3709 (2021) Maine P.L. 2021, c. 692 Means, Good Energy (Avery, 2024): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727184 Restorative reproductive medicine Stanford, Parnell, Boyle, J Am Board Fam Med 2008: https://www.jabfm.org/content/21/5/375 Frank-Herrmann et al., Arch Gynecol Obstet 2017: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28185073/ Boyle et al., Frontiers in Medicine 2018: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6079215/IVF success by age SART National Summary Report, 2023: https://www.sart.org/Publications_Overview Learn more about RRM Rethinking Fertility has no affiliation with these organizations. This episode is educational and not medical advice. RRM Academy guides: https://rrmacademy.org/guides FEMM: https://femmhealth.org NaProTechnology: https://naprotechnology.com NeoFertility: https://neofertility.ie International Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine: https://iirrm.org/ Rethinking Fertility, hosted by policy expert Emma Waters, equips families with honest, evidence‑based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of what it means to be human in an age of limitless medical possibility.

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   The Honest Truth About Surrogacy

   Surrogates are paid $45,000–$75,000 just to carry and birth someone else's child — close to the median individual income in the U.S. But almost none of that money buys real protection for the baby, the surrogate, or the truth about what happens when things go wrong. 👇CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro — A Birth Story vs. Commercial Surrogacy 1:26 Traditional vs. Gestational Surrogacy 2:51 Fetal Microchimerism: The DNA Bond Surrogacy Can't Erase 4:37 Altruistic vs. Commercial Surrogacy 5:56 The "Rent-a-Womb" Industry & Who's Paying 6:56 Who Uses Commercial Surrogacy? 8:01 A Child With Six "Parents" 9:39 Inside the Surrogacy Contract 11:04 The Hidden Health Risks of Surrogate Pregnancies 12:05 The "Reduction of Fetus" Clause 13:24 Melissa Cook's Story 16:00 Brittney Pearson's Story 18:02 Why Surrogacy Is Child Trafficking by Another Name DIVE INTO RETHINKING FERTILITY 🔗 Follow, Watch, Listen: linktr.ee/rethinkingfertility 👉 Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss next week's episode. SHOW NOTES & SOURCES Fetal microchimerism, persistence of fetal cells in maternal blood/organs — Bianchi et al., PNAS 1996; Johnson et al., Hepatology 2002; Boddy et al., BioEssays 2015 Surrogacy agencies' "health benefit" claims and the study behind them — Kamper-Jorgensen et al., International Journal of Epidemiology 2014 Surrogate base compensation ranges — Circle Surrogacy ($45,000 base); Growing Generations ($70,000–$75,000); Physician's Surrogacy ($60,000–$75,000+) U.S. median earnings comparison — U.S. Census Bureau, "Income in the United States: 2025," Report P60-289 (median earnings $52,770; median household income $87,460) Elevated health risk in gestational-carrier pregnancies — Velez et al., Annals of Internal Medicine 2024 (863,017 Ontario births, 2012–2021); Woo et al., Fertility and Sterility 2017 Sample gestational-surrogacy contract terms (diet, activity, intercourse, reduction-of-fetus clause) — Northwest Surrogacy Center sample agreement via NPR, 9 July 2015• Melissa Cook surrogacy case — ABC News, 25 May 2016; C.M. v. M.C., 7 Cal.App.5th 1188 (2017); Cook v. Harding, 879 F.3d 1035 (9th Cir. 2018) Brittney Pearson surrogacy case — California Family Council, 17 July 2023; Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, Ep. 836, 11 July 2023• California surrogacy law — Cal. Fam. Code §§7960–7962; Johnson v. Calvert, 5 Cal.4th 84 (1993) Rethinking Fertility, hosted by policy expert Emma Waters, equips families with honest, evidence‑based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of what it means to be human in an age of limitless medical possibility. #RethinkingFertility#EmmaWaters #Fertility #Infertility #ReproductiveTechnology #ReproductiveHealth #familyplanning #IVF #FertilityIndustry #InfertilityJourney #ProLife #Christian #ChristianParenting #Surrogacy #GestationalSurrogacy #SurrogacyLaws #RentAWomb

4. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Why Selling Sperm & Eggs Hurts Children

   We are buying and selling human egg and sperm — full stop. Not "donating." Selling. In this episode, Emma Waters breaks down how the donor conception industry is built to serve adult desire, not the wellbeing of the children it creates — and what the research says about the lasting impact on donor-conceived people. Chapters: 0:00 – Cold open: what children lose in donor conception 0:59 – Today's episode: adult desire vs. children's needs 1:32 – What is "donor conception," really? 1:57 – Who buys egg and sperm? 3:06 – How the industry recruits donors 4:23 – Inside the egg extraction process 5:19 – The real medical risks to donors 6:41 – The eugenic pricing model 7:35 – How much donors actually get paid 8:27 – No limits on sperm donation — and the half-sibling problem 8:48 – What the research says about donor-conceived kids 9:51 – Life after a transaction: identity and loss 10:02 – Broken anonymity: 23andMe and fertility fraud doctors 10:47 – Why the industry blocks reform 11:38 – A message of hope and honesty FOLLOW RETHINKING FERTILITY Linktree → https://linktr.ee/rethinkingfertility👉 Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss next week's episode. Show Notes & Sources: Lake R, et al. "Informed consent and coercion in recruitment advertisements for oocyte donors." BMC Women's Health, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03302-w Burke R, et al. "How Do Individuals Who Were Conceived Through the Use of Donor Technologies Feel About the Nature of Their Conception?" Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics Journal, 2021. https://bioethics.hms.harvard.edu/journal/donor-technology Marquardt E, Glenn ND, Clark K. "My Daddy's Name Is Donor." Institute for American Values, 2010. https://ifstudies.org/reports/my-daddys-name-is-donor ASRM Ethics Committee. "Financial compensation of oocyte donors." Fertility and Sterility, 2021. https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/ethics-opinions/financial-compensation-of-oocyte-donors-an-ethics-committee-opinion/ Credit CARD Act of 2009 (campus advertising restrictions). https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/627 Colorado SB22-224, Donor-Conceived Persons Protection Act. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb22-224 Colorado HB25-1259 (rollback). https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1259 Federal fertility-fraud bills, all introduced/not enacted: H.R. 8307, H.R. 8600, H.R. 451, H.R. 8295 — congress.gov AP: "Fertility doctor's secret reveals discovery of at least 23 half-siblings." https://www.foxnews.com/health/fertility-doctors-secret-reveals-discovery-of-at-least-23-half-siblings NBC Connecticut: "Half-sisters call attention to fertility fraud by CT doctor." https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/half-sisters-fertility-fraud-connecticut-doctor/3239436/ CBS News: "Sperm donor with cancer-causing gene fathered nearly 200 children across Europe." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sperm-donor-with-cancer-causing-gene-fathers-nearly-200-children-across-europe/ U.S. Donor Conceived Council: https://www.usdcc.org/ Donor Sibling Registry: https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/ —— Rethinking Fertility exists to equip families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person. #RethinkingFertility #EmmaWaters #donorconception #EggDonor #SpermDonor #Fertility #IVF #ReproductiveTechnology #ProLife #fertility #infertility #IVF #reproductivehealth #christian #familyplanning #NaProTechnology #reproductivemedicine #fertilitychannel

5. 

   1 Sept 2026

   The Myth of Moral Neutrality

   "Either the Bible is right that children are a blessing, or you're right that children will ruin your life. But you can't both be right." That's what a mentor said to Emma Waters after she broke up with the man who is now her husband because she was convinced children would ruin her life. Three daughters later, she works in reproductive technology policy, and she has a very different explanation for what's happening in women's health than the one you're hearing on the news. In this episode of Rethinking Fertility, Emma shares her own story: from offering to be a surrogate at seventeen, to briefing Congress after Alabama's 2024 embryo ruling, to landing on root-cause reproductive medicine as the path forward for couples facing infertility. THIS EPISODE DIVES INTO Why the women questioning hormonal birth control don't feel misled — and why "misinformation crisis" is the wrong diagnosis The pastoral counseling conversation that made Emma reconsider the hormonal IUD Why cycle tracking, Natural Cycles and the Oura Ring took off with women who aren't religious at all The moment Emma broke up with her boyfriend over the fear of motherhood — and the mentor question that undid it "The Myth of Moral Neutrality": what the research on family structure actually shows What the Alabama Supreme Court really ruled in early 2024, and what the headlines got wrong Why better regulation of assisted reproduction still can't answer the deeper infertility question Millions of frozen embryos, rising infertility, endometriosis, PCOS and male factor infertility Where root-cause reproductive medicine overlaps with the Make America Healthy Again movement What this show will cover, including guidance for families with embryos in storage 0:00 The "misinformation crisis" the media can't explain0:51 Seventeen years old and offering to be a surrogate1:45 What Emma watched her friends go through on the pill2:51 The pastor's question about the hormonal IUD3:57 Cycle tracking, Natural Cycles and the Oura Ring4:24 "I broke up with him because I thought children would ruin my life"5:25 The mentor question Emma couldn't answer6:04 Married four years, two daughters, one on the way7:21 Falling in love with marriage and family research8:01 The Myth of Moral Neutrality9:35 The pandemic detour that started a career10:42 What does it mean to be human in a technological age?11:42 Pitching a think tank on a policy beat that didn't exist12:23 Alabama's 2024 embryo ruling changes everything13:39 The question IVF regulation can't answer14:02 Frozen embryos, endometriosis, PCOS and male factor infertility14:52 Root-cause care and the MAHA overlapRethinking Fertility exists to equip families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology, grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person. FOLLOW RETHINKING FERTILITY 📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ 👥 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/ 🐦 X → https://x.com/rtfertility 📬 Substack → https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com #RethinkingFertility #Infertility #WomensHealth #FertilityAwareness #ReproductiveHealth #CycleTracking #Endometriosis #PCOS #RootCauseMedicine #EmmaWaters

6. 

   18 Aug 2026

   Should Christian Women Freeze Their Eggs?

   15,000 women froze their eggs. Fewer than 300 babies were born. That's a 1.6% outcome rate — and it's the number the fertility industry never puts in the brochure. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently went viral for sharing that she's freezing her eggs, calling it a choice she's making to feel more in control of her life. The pitch behind it is one millions of women have heard: freeze now, buy yourself time later. In this episode, policy researcher Emma Waters walks through what the science on egg freezing actually shows — the odds, the costs, the risks — and then asks the harder question sitting underneath the whole conversation. WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS The national database study that found a 1.6% live birth rate at 5–7 year follow-up Why a woman typically needs 20+ eggs, and 2 to 3 retrieval cycles, for a realistic chance What two weeks of synthetic hormone stimulation does to a body designed to release one egg a month Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, blood clots, and the correlation with ovarian and breast cancer What egg retrieval actually involves, and one woman's account of what it felt like The real price tag: $10,000–$15,000 per cycle, annual storage fees, plus $12,000–$30,000 for IVF later Why companies like Cofertility offer to cover the bill if you hand over half your eggs Why your employer wants to pay for egg freezing, and whose benefit is actually guaranteed The one clear exception Emma makes: women facing chemotherapy Why eggs and human embryos belong in different moral categories GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer) as an option some Christian couples choose A pastoral word for the woman who hasn't met her husband yet — and for the married woman weighing delay CHAPTERS: 0:00 The AOC headline that started this all. 0:39 What we're covering today 1:11 The success rates nobody advertises 1:51 15,000 women, fewer than 300 babies 2:45 Two weeks of hormones: how stimulation works 3:37 You're born with every egg you'll ever have 4:05 Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome 4:29 The cancer risk correlation 4:48 What the retrieval procedure is really like 5:45 The real cost, and the storage fees after 6:03 Why frozen eggs mean IVF later 6:39 Cofertility and the "give us half" model 7:09 Why your employer offers this benefit 8:00 The one clear exception: cancer treatment 8:47 Should Christian women freeze their eggs? 9:00 Eggs are not embryos 9:40 The question underneath the question 10:08 GIFT: gamete intrafallopian transfer 11:25 For the woman who is still waiting 12:20 A word to married women 13:24 Closing thoughts Follow Rethinking Fertility Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ (https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/ (https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/) X: https://x.com/rtfertility (https://x.com/rtfertility) Substack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com (https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com) AOC's egg freezing announcement — CBS News (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-aoc-egg-freezing/) Live birth rate per thawed egg (2–4%) — Orvieto R, Human Reproduction Update 2024;30(5):648 (https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/30/5/648/7690813) Eggs and cycles needed — ASRM & SART guideline, Fertility and Sterility 2021;116(1):36–47 (https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/evidence-based-outcomes-after-oocyte-cryopreservation-for-donor-oocyte-in-vitro-fertilization-and-planned-oocyte-cryopreservation-a-guideline-2021/) 1.6% live birth rate at 5–7 year follow-up — American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(25)00589-7/fulltext) Ovarian reserve across the lifespan — Wallace WHB & Kelsey TW, PLoS ONE 2010;5(1):e8772 (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0008772) Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome — ASRM guideline (https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/prevention-and-treatment-of-moderate-and-severe-ovarian-hyperstimulation-syndrome-a-guideline/) Breast cancer risk — Guo et al., International Journal of Biological Sciences 2025;21(6):2647 (https://www.ijbs.com/v21p2647.htm) Ovarian cancer risk — Farhud et al., Iranian Journal of Public Health 2019 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6974869/) The retrieval procedure — ASRM Committee Opinion, Repetitive oocyte donation, 2020 (https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/repetitive-oocyte-donation-a-committee-opinion-2020/) Rethinking Fertility exists to equip families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person. #EggFreezing #Fertility #FertilityPreservation #AssistedReproduction #IVF #ReproductiveEthics #WomensHealth #ChristianWomen #RethinkingFertility #EmmaWaters

7. 

   4 Aug 2026

   What No One Taught You About Your Cycle

   "Women, you are not little men with a uterus." Only 5–10% of women actually have the "textbook" 28-day cycle — yet nearly every app, medical form, and cultural assumption is built around it. In this episode, Emma Waters walks through the four phases of the menstrual cycle and why ACOG now calls your cycle the fifth vital sign. In this episode: Why medicine and wellness research were built on male physiology — and what that means for women ACOG's 2015 declaration: the menstrual cycle as the fifth vital sign The 28-day myth: why 21–35 days is the real range for a healthy cycle Phase 1 — Menstruation: what's actually happening hormonally, and which symptoms are NOT normal Phase 2 — The follicular phase: rising energy, peak verbal fluency, and why stress delays ovulation Phase 3 — Ovulation: the 12–24 hour egg, the 6–7 day fertile window, and how to read cervical mucus Phase 4 — The luteal phase: the corpus luteum, progesterone, and your most stable weeks When period pain is a warning sign (like undiagnosed endometriosis) — not something to "grin and bear" If this is the conversation you never got in sex-ed, subscribe so you don't miss what's next. 0:00 – Why didn't anyone teach me this? 1:44 – You are not "little men with a uterus" 3:10 – Dr. Sarah Hill: your hormones and who you are 4:08 – The fifth vital sign (ACOG) 5:25 – The 28-day cycle myth 6:21 – Phase 1: Menstruation 8:12 – When period pain is a warning sign 9:52 – Phase 2: The follicular phase 12:26 – Phase 3: Ovulation and the fertile window 14:53 – Phase 4: The luteal phase 15:59 – What to do next: body literacy and finding an instructor 📌 Follow Rethinking FertilityInstagram (https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/) | Facebook | (https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/) X (https://x.com/rtfertility) | Substack (https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com) 📬 Never miss an episode — subscribe on Substack (https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com)for show notes in your inbox.SHOW NOTES & SOURCES This Is Your Brain on Birth Control — Dr. Sarah Hill, Texas Christian University → https://www.sarahehill.com/ ACOG Committee Opinion: Menstruation in girls and adolescents — using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign (2015) → https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committeeopinion/articles/2015/12/menstruation-in-girls-and-adolescents-using-the-menstrual-cycle-as-a-vital-sign (https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committeeopinion/articles/2015/12/menstruation-in-girls-and-adolescents-using-the-menstrual-cycle-as-a-vital-sign) Natural Womanhood → https://naturalwomanhood.org/ (https://naturalwomanhood.org/) Elevate: The Body Literacy Project → https://www.thebodyliteracyproject.org/ (https://www.thebodyliteracyproject.org/ ) Rethinking Fertility exists to equip families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology that are grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person.#MenstrualCycle #WomensHealth #BodyLiteracy #FertilityAwareness #CycleSyncing #HormoneHealth #FollicularPhase #LutealPhase #FifthVitalSign #RethinkingFertility #fertility #infertility #IVF #reproductivehealth #christian #familyplanning #eggfreezing #NaProTechnology #reproductivemedicine #fertilitychannel

8. 

   21 Jul 2026

   According to the Courts, Children Are Property

   In almost every U.S. state, a frozen embryo isn't a person — it's property. And a wave of new technology is about to make that answer impossible to defend. Frozen embryos sit in a legal no man's land, not because the science is unclear, but because lawmakers have deliberately avoided the question for decades. In this episode, Emma Waters breaks down what the science actually says, why the courts keep dodging the hardest question, and how emerging reproductive technology is forcing a reckoning. In this episode: Why developmental biology says a distinct human life begins at fertilization — and how an embryo differs from a skin cell or a tumor The 30–40 year pattern of courts treating embryos as "special property" instead of answering what they are Davis v. Davis (1992) and the Alabama Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that put IVF on the national map The Alabama immunity law passed weeks later — and what it means for parents Arizona's one-of-a-kind statute, and the story of Hannah Strege, the first person adopted as a frozen embryo How artificial wombs, in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), and synthetic embryos expose the cracks in our current laws ▶ Subscribe for honest, science-first, faith-grounded conversations on reproductive technology, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 0:00 – Are frozen embryos children? 0:32 – The three questions we'll tackle 1:20 – What the science actually says 2:08 – Developmental systems theory: organism vs. cells 2:40 – Skin cell vs. tumor vs. embryo 3:14 – "A person with potential" 4:27 – The legal patchwork begins 4:50 – Roe v. Wade: embryo as property 5:44 – Davis v. Davis (1992): "special respect" 7:39 – Alabama 2024: the shattered embryos case 10:26 – The backlash and the clinic immunity law 11:34 – The pattern across the states 12:57 – Arizona: the lone exception 13:46 – Hannah Strege: viable outside the womb 14:54 – Why the patchwork fails families 15:47 – Emerging technologies force the question 16:04 – Artificial wombs and ectogenesis 17:13 – In vitro gametogenesis (IVG) 20:03 – Synthetic human embryos 21:25 – The "Frozen Orphans" documentary 21:54 – Closing thoughts 📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ 📌 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/ 🔗 X: https://x.com/rtfertility 📬 Substack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com Rethinking Fertility equips families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person. #fertility #infertility #IVF #reproductivehealth #christian #familyplanning #eggfreezing #NaProTechnology #reproductivemedicine #fertilitychannel

9. 

   7 Jul 2026

   China wants to buy your baby

   Commercial surrogacy is banned in China. So Chinese nationals are doing it here instead — and America's permissive surrogacy laws are making it easy. In Episode 3 of Rethinking Fertility, Emma Waters exposes the largely unreported world of international commercial surrogacy in the United States: who is using it, why, how much it costs, and what it means for American children, American sovereignty, and national security. In this episode: Why the U.S. is one of the only developed nations with zero federal laws governing international commercial surrogacy How China's one-child policy created a surge of older Chinese nationals now using American surrogates to have the children they were denied The 2019 data: over 3,000 surrogacy cycles involving foreign nationals — 42% from China The Arcadia mansion: 21 surrogate-born children found in a California home, most under age 5, being abused by nannies Why what happened at the Arcadia mansion was perfectly legal under California surrogacy law How surrogacy is being used to obtain U.S. citizenship — and what that means for national sovereignty Senator Rick Scott's Safe Kids Act and the legislative movement gaining traction in Washington 📌 Subscribe for new episodes every other week 0:00 Commercial surrogacy is banned in China — so they're coming here 0:21 What is birth tourism and how does it work? 1:11 The emerging high-tech version: international commercial surrogacy 2:17 No federal laws — the U.S. is a global outlier 2:34 China's one-child policy and what it created 3:16 The data: 3,000+ foreign national surrogacy cycles, 42% from China 4:38 Surrogacy as a path to U.S. citizenship 6:23 Should we be worried about the CCP? 8:05 The real threat: what happens to these children 9:07 The Arcadia mansion — 21 children, abuse, and a legal loophole 10:42 What was illegal vs. what was perfectly legal 11:49 The Safe Kids Act and legislative progress 12:11 Emma's personal story: how this became a policy focus 13:11 Closing — children are the ones who pay the price 🔗 Follow Emma @Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/X: https://x.com/rtfertilitySubstack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com——Show Notes & Sources: Journal of Fertility and Sterility, January 2024 — foreign national surrogacy cycles data: https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2823%2902142-8/fulltext Arcadia mansion case reporting: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/16/the-babies-kept-in-a-mysterious-los-angeles-mansion Senator Rick Scott — Safe Kids Act: https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/files/81BD93C4-10A3-4DD6-865D-9D88C96CB5B1 FDA regulations on international transport of embryos: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/tissue-tissue-products Rethinking Fertility is a channel dedicated to equipping families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person. #surrogacy #commercialsurrogacy #reproductivetechnology #fertility #rethinkingfertility #nationalsecurity #EmmaWaters #prolifepolicy #birthright #China

10. 

    23 Jun 2026

    The Truth About IVF: What Most People Are Never Told

    IVF creates life... so how is IVF not pro-life? Most of us haven't been given the full picture of how IVF actually works. And you cannot make a faithful, informed decision about something you don't fully understand. So today, we're going to change that. In this episode, Emma Waters walks through exactly how IVF works, what the real success rates are, and the ethical realities that most fertility clinics never put on their brochures. This isn't abstract. It's personal — and the data is more sobering than you've been told. In this episode: The step-by-step IVF process — hormones, egg retrieval, embryo creation — and what it actually costs women physically Why only 25–35% of IVF cycles succeed, and less than 10% for women over 40 The statistic that changes everything: only ~3% of human embryos created through IVF result in a live birth What pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) is — and why 73% of clinics use it for sex selection• Real stories from women navigating the hidden emotional and ethical costs of IVF Life-sparing alternatives: mini-IVF, and the work of Dr. John Gordon at Rejoice Fertility The zinc spark — and what it means for how we understand human lifeSubscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. Chapters: 0:00 IVF creates life — so how is it not pro-life? 0:20 Emma's book on reproductive technology (coming soon) 0:46 Real stories: the hidden human cost of IVF 4:35 How IVF has grown into an unregulated industry 6:55 How IVF actually works: the step-by-step process 9:09 Egg retrieval, hormone drugs, and what women go through 13:48 IVF success rates — what the industry advertises vs. reality 16:36 The medical risks for mothers and babies 17:59 The statistic nobody talks about: embryo survival rates 21:38 Life-sparing alternatives: mini-IVF and Rejoice Fertility 19:14 The zinc spark — "let there be light" 21:02 A biblical framework for reproductive technology 21:50 Closing — the fight for life begins at conception 📌 Subscribe for new episodes bi-weekly 🔗 Follow Emma: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/ X: https://x.com/rtfertility 📬 Substack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com ——Show Notes & Sources: CDC ART Surveillance Report 2021: https://www.cdc.gov/art Rejoice Fertility — Dr. John Gordon: https://rejoicefertility.com Pre-implantation Genetic Testing data: [source]• IVF success rate by age: [source]

11. 

    9 Jun 2026

    America Stopped Having Babies -- IVF Made It Worse

    "They told us motherhood could wait — then they sold it back to us at $12,000 a round." That headline stopped me cold. Because it tells the story of an entire generation of women handed a life script — delay fertility, trust the technology, start your family later. And we followed it. Now America isn't having children, and a $12,000-a-round industry has stepped in to fill the gap. In this first episode of Rethinking Fertility, I'm breaking down: Why U.S. birth rates have been falling for decades How the messaging around the pill and egg freezing shape women's fertility decisions What the data actually says about IVF success rates — and what the industry doesn't advertise Why a pro-life, science-grounded approach to this issue leads somewhere different than you might expect This isn't about shame or blame. It's about the full picture — the science, the data, and the ethical questions nobody in mainstream media wants to touch. If you've been through infertility, are considering IVF, or just want to understand what's happening to family formation in America — this episode is for you. 0:00 Introduction — What if IVF is part of the problem? 0:17 The Evie Magazine headline that started it all 0:51 America's birth rate: what the data actually shows 3:01 How we got here — and what the numbers reveal 3:11 Why IVF was created (and what it was never meant to fix) 4:41 The global IVF experiment: Spain, Hungary, China 5:53 If IVF isn't the answer, what is? 6:10 Marshall McLuhan and the medium is the message 7:39 The core false belief driving the fertility crisis 8:07 Katy Faust and children's rights 8:44 Closing — IVF promised control. The data tells a different story. 📌 Subscribe for new episodes every week Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. New episodes every two weeks. 🔗 Follow Emma @Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/ X: https://x.com/rtfertility 📬 Substack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com —— 📚 Sources & Further Reading: https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/they-told-us-motherhood-could-wait-then-sold-it-back-to-us-at-12-000-a-round https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/us/fertility-rates-decline.html https://ifstudies.org/blog/mandating-insurance-coverage-for-ivf-will-not-boost-fertility https://x.com/Katy_Faust/status/1949307725000696318?s=20 https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Massage-Marshall-McLuhan/dp/1584230703 International Data Sources:Fertility data: World Bank — Fertility rate, total (SP.DYN.TFRT.IN), last updated 2026-04-08. Spain IVF law: Ley 35/1988, BOE. Hungary policy context: Family policy in Hungary — Family Protection Action Plan, 2019; free IVF from Feb 2020 widely reported. China policy context: Two-child policy — Beijing's 2023 insurance inclusion reported via Reuters/SCMP. --- Rethinking Fertility is a channel dedicated to equipping families with honest, evidence-based education on reproductive technology — grounded in science and a biblical understanding of the human person. —— #fertility #infertility #IVF #reproductivehealth #christianworldview #familyplanning #eggfreezing #NaProTechnology #reproductivemedicine #fertilitychannel #EmmaWaters

12. 

    3 Jun 2026

    Rethinking Fertility - Trailer

    Hosted by Emma Waters, a policy expert in reproductive health, Rethinking Fertility is about navigating reproductive technology, and what it means to be human in an age of limitless medical possibility. The solution to the modern fertility crisis begins with asking the right questions. Subscribe and join this community. 📌 Subscribe for new episodes every week Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. New episodes every two weeks. 🔗 Follow Emma @Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkingfertility/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rethinkingfertility/ X: https://x.com/rtfertility 📬 Substack: https://rethinkingfertility.substack.com

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Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

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