‘We Met at Acme’ Wants You to Stop Waiting to Care About Your Fertility

If you’re quietly thinking “maybe next year,” this episode of We Met at Acme delivers a needed reality check: fertility isn’t something you start caring about once you’re actively trying to conceive—it’s something that benefits from attention far earlier. Host Lindsey Metselaar and Bird&Be co-founder and CEO Samantha Diamond unpack the education gap baked into reproductive healthcare, where people are taught to wait, watch, and hope instead of learning how their bodies actually function. 

Diamond’s perspective is shaped by lived experience—PCOS, pregnancy loss, and building a fertility brand while growing her own family—but the takeaway is bigger than any one diagnosis. Fertility prep starts with understanding your baseline before the pressure is on. That means paying attention to cycle regularity, ovulation, sperm health, lifestyle habits, and emotional support well before “trying” officially begins.

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Fertility prep starts months before ‘trying’

One of the most misunderstood parts of fertility is timing. Many people assume preparation begins the moment they stop preventing pregnancy, but Diamond explains that biology doesn’t work that way. “It takes three to four months to really make an impact from a health perspective on your egg quality or your sperm quality,” she says, noting that real change happens long before a pregnancy test ever turns positive.

That window matters because egg and sperm quality are influenced by everyday habits, not last-minute interventions. Diamond emphasizes that prep doesn’t require extreme protocols or perfection, either. It starts with fundamentals that can be adjusted immediately. “Your health, meaning your weight, what you ingest in your body, the amount of exercise you do in a day, the amount of sleep that you’re getting, start today,” she says.

Think of it as preventative care. “You can start today,” Diamond adds. “Those are things that you can actually literally wake up tomorrow and do differently.”

PCOS can affect your plan

Diamond explains that many people don’t realize what’s happening hormonally with PCOS until they stop birth control and symptoms suddenly appear. “I had no idea that I wasn’t ovulating on my own,” she says, noting that without clear ovulation, timing alone won’t solve the problem.

PCOS (or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) often shows up early—missed periods, acne, weight changes—but its impact on fertility planning tends to surface later, when someone is actively trying to conceive. “Most people don’t know,” Diamond explains, adding that she only had clarity because she happened to have medical insight at home.

And PCOS isn’t a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. Some people conceive quickly, others need ovulation support, and many benefit from earlier lifestyle and supplement interventions. Understanding whether you’re ovulating, how regular your cycle is, and what support your body needs changes how you plan, when you seek help, and how long the journey may take.

Stop waiting around if something already feels off

The default fertility timeline doesn’t serve everyone. Get that out of your head. Diamond is blunt about the risks of waiting when there are already signs your body may need support. “If you have any fertility red flags…do not wait a year,” she says. Those red flags include irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, pain that interferes with daily life, or painful sex. “If you are not getting a regular period, do not wait a year.” These symptoms can indicate ovulation issues, hormonal imbalances, or underlying conditions that won’t resolve on their own with time.

Gather information early, advocate for answers, and avoid losing months to uncertainty when simple assessments could provide clarity. Sometimes waiting is the most expensive choice—emotionally and biologically.

The missing piece could be emotional support

For all the testing, tracking, and planning that goes into a fertility journey, emotional support is often treated as optional—or postponed until things feel unmanageable. “I struggled really for a long time after I lost the pregnancy,” Diamond says of her pregnancy loss. “And I never talked about it and I never sought any kind of therapy.”

That silence made the process heavier than it needed to be. Looking back, she’s clear about what would have helped: “Find a therapist that you can talk to.” Whether someone is navigating loss, prolonged uncertainty, or the stress of treatment, Diamond stresses that mental health care shouldn’t be an afterthought.

“There are support groups,” she points out, noting that many fertility clinics offer group options that are more accessible and sometimes free. For those going through the process with a partner, involving them in that support can be especially impactful. Fertility is not just a physical process. Having structured emotional support in place can make the hardest days feel lighter.

To hear Metselaar and Diamond’s full conversation on fertility, listen to We Met At Acme wherever you get your podcasts.

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