Parenting

‘Beyond the Mat’ Discusses The Fertility–Longevity Connection Your Doctor Probably Isn’t Talking About

November 15, 2025

When you think about fertility, you probably think of timing, hormones, cycles, and the chaotic emotional rollercoaster that comes with trying to get pregnant. However, on Beyond the Mat, host Bryony Deery and Oxford Healthspan founder Leslie Kenny open up the conversation in a way many women never hear from their doctors. Instead of focusing only on reproductive organs, they explore how the entire body—immune system, thyroid, inflammation, and longevity—quietly shapes a woman’s chances of conceiving.

Fertility is more than just the reproductive organs

Kenny shares how her own journey through autoimmune disease revealed the missing pieces in her fertility story. “I’ve always been told that the body has an innate sense of wisdom, so it knows how to heal itself if you just bring it back to its balance point,” she explains. “I thought, maybe instead of suppressing the immune system, I should just bring it back to balance because I’m going to need the immune system later. I need the immune system to surveil for cancer. I need it to fight against viruses and things.” This became the foundation of how she approached her health while trying to conceive.

She also opens up about the role Hashimoto’s disease plays in her fertility struggles—something many women go years without having properly diagnosed. “What I think affected the pregnancy was still undiagnosed at that point. It was Hashimoto’s. My immune system had already destroyed most of my thyroid gland,” she explains. “It’s really important for getting blood down to the uterus to help with a nice uterine lining so that the embryo can implant. But you also need thyroid hormone for the baby’s brain.”

Why symptoms matter more than we think

Kenny also explains how the signs were there long before her diagnosis. “The signs of Hashimoto’s would be fatigue, cold hands and cold feet, hair loss, brain fog, weight around the middle that you can’t shift, dry skin, dry, brittle nails,” she explains. “I did have all of those symptoms, but they just weren’t followed up. And at that point, I was still in the dark about Hashimoto’s—so important for fertility.”

It’s the kind of moment that makes you mentally rewind your own memory bank: the minor symptoms you brushed off, the discomfort you ignored, the “it’s probably nothing” moments that might have been something.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Bryony – Pilates By Bryony (@bryonydeery)

“There is so much space and importance in the medical industry and the traditional medical space,” Deery says, echoing Kenny. ”But I also want to say it’s amazing what you can do with your body—really going in, listening to your body and noticing things. Being the perfect patient is like giving yourself the best possible chance.”In other words, the data your body gives you every day matters.

Why being an active participant in your fertility journey changes everything

Kenny reflects on becoming a biological mother at 43 and why self-advocacy matters so much. “My co-founder for the Oxford Longevity Project often says the patient is the biggest missing piece in modern medicine,” she says. “So we have a role to play—collaborate, meet the doctors halfway, and also take responsibility. Audit your life. What are you doing daily or weekly that you’re not paying attention to that might be affecting your balance?”

This isn’t about replacing doctors—it’s about participating in your own care. Fertility isn’t passive. For many women, learning to track patterns, symptoms, and lifestyle choices becomes a pivotal turning point in their journey.

Kenny also shares a powerful reflection on the unexpected arrival of her daughter. “She’s a miracle. Both of my daughters are miracles for me,” she reveals.

While the path to fertility can be complicated, unpredictable, and sometimes deeply painful, there’s room for hope—even when the story unfolds in a way you never expected.