Caryn Johnson, CEO of BOND, shares her journey from recurrent miscarriage to having two children after discovering autoimmune issues were causing her fertility problems. She explains how inflammation and immune dysfunction create 'unexplained infertility' and discusses her supplement company BOND.
Caryn Johnson· IVF· Son Elijah and daughter Ruthie via surrogacyBefore
Multiple pregnancy losses with 'unexplained infertility' diagnosis, feeling like she was killing her babies
Key Shift
Discovered autoimmune root cause and addressed immune dysfunction with reproductive immunologist
After
Successfully carried two children and created BOND to help other women address root causes
Fertility supplementation and autoimmune infertility
Key Insights
Actionable Advice
Caryn shares her progression from unexplained infertility through multiple IUIs and IVF cycles, until discovering through reproductive immunology that she had some of the highest antibody levels ever seen. This revelation changed everything about how she approached her fertility journey.
After starting immune protocols including IVIG treatments, Caryn conceived twins but lost her daughter at 7 weeks while continuing to carry her son. She navigated a high-risk pregnancy on bed rest while managing her demanding role as CMO of Vital Proteins.
Following another devastating loss at 13 weeks due to inflammation, Caryn chose surrogacy for her second child. She found an incredible surrogate, Ashley, and welcomed daughter Ruthie in a beautiful experience that defied her initial expectations about surrogacy relationships.
Motivated by advocacy work and research into autoimmune infertility, Caryn launched BOND supplements to address the root causes that reproductive doctors miss. Her mission is to help women understand their bodies and hormones before dysfunction develops, with 17 documented pregnancies in her first year.
“Unexplained infertility is not a diagnosis. Doesn't tell you anything.”
— Caryn Johnson▶ 59:42
Unexplained infertility is not actually a diagnosis. It's what doctors say when they haven't found a root cause by looking only at reproductive organs, often missing immune dysfunction, inflammation, or gut health issues.
“week seven and eight is placentification. That's the largest piece of the immune puzzle. That's the hardest part to get through if you have immune issues.”
— Caryn Johnson▶ 62:15
Week 7-8 losses often occur during placentification, the most challenging time for women with immune dysfunction. The immune system can reject the pregnancy during this critical development phase.
“we have to stop looking at our doctors as our only source of truth. It's because they are only one point in our source of truth.”
— Caryn Johnson▶ 66:00
No. Reproductive endocrinologists only know reproductive organs, not immune, metabolic, or gut health that affects fertility. You need to build a committee of practitioners for full-system health.
“your brain is your brain. It doesn't change when you get pregnant. It doesn't change when you go through infertility.”
— Caryn Johnson▶ 47:11
Yes, you can maintain a successful career while pursuing fertility goals. Your professional abilities don't change when going through fertility challenges - you can pursue both simultaneously.
“most women with unexplained infertility are actually deficient in vitamin B and D. Maybe you should look into that.”
— Caryn Johnson▶ 63:59
Most women with unexplained infertility are deficient in B and D vitamins. Addressing foundational nutritional gaps, gut health, and inflammation through targeted supplementation can support hormone balance and immune function.
A systematic approach to finding root causes when doctors say there's no explanation
Request comprehensive testing
Ask for recurrent miscarriage panels even if insurance won't cover them. Pay out of pocket as it's minimal compared to treatment costs.
Test for immune dysfunction
Seek out a reproductive immunologist to test antibody levels, MTHFR mutations, and other immune markers.
Evaluate gut health
Work with a naturopath to do IGG food intolerance panels and assess for gut dysbiosis and inflammation.
Check nutritional status
Test for vitamin deficiencies, especially B and D vitamins, which are commonly low in unexplained infertility.
Build your committee
Assemble a team including reproductive immunologist, functional medicine practitioner, and naturopath alongside your RE.
Unexplained infertility is not actually a diagnosis - it's doctors throwing their hands up instead of looking for root causes
Caryn Johnson experienced 'unexplained infertility' for years until she discovered she had some of the highest antibody levels her reproductive immunologist had ever seen, leading to successful pregnancies after immune protocol treatment.
Most women with unexplained infertility have underlying immune dysfunction and inflammation that prevents implantation and causes early pregnancy loss
Caryn Johnson discovered she had Hashimoto's-related antibody issues causing her body to reject pregnancies. After immune protocol including IVIG treatments, she successfully carried her son Elijah. She now has 17 documented pregnancies in women who addressed immune issues through BOND supplements.
Week 7-8 of pregnancy is placentification - the hardest part to get through if you have immune issues, which is why many losses happen then
Caryn Johnson lost multiple pregnancies around weeks 7-8, and explains this timing correlates with placentification when the immune system is most challenged. Her daughter's heart rate slowed at 7 weeks due to immune dysfunction.
OB-GYNs and reproductive endocrinologists only know reproductive organs - they don't practice full system health or understand immune, metabolic, or gut issues
Caryn Johnson explains that after years of failed treatments, she had to seek out reproductive immunologist Dr. Joanne Kwak Kim to address her immune issues. She had over 200 food intolerances indicating gut dysbiosis that no reproductive doctor identified.
You have to stop looking at doctors as your only source of truth and build a committee of many different practitioners
Caryn Johnson found success only after working with a reproductive immunologist, naturopath, and building her own research database of over 200 clinical studies on nutrients and immune function - not from her original reproductive team.
Most women with unexplained infertility are deficient in vitamin B and D, but doctors focusing only on reproductive organs won't test for this
Caryn Johnson discovered through her research database of over 200 clinical studies that vitamin deficiencies are common in unexplained infertility cases. Her BOND supplements address these foundational nutritional gaps that reproductive doctors miss.
High inflammation breaks your water early - your body has to go through an inflammatory flow during pregnancy and if it doesn't regulate down in second trimester, things like water breaking happen
Caryn Johnson's water broke at 35 weeks with her son due to inflammation, and again at 13 weeks with her daughter, causing pregnancy loss. Both instances were caused by her immune system creating too much inflammation.
You can be a successful professional and pursue motherhood simultaneously - your brain is your brain and it doesn't change when you go through infertility
Caryn Johnson balanced being CMO of Vital Proteins, writing the Jennifer Aniston campaign script during her miscarriage, and ultimately selling the company to Nestle while navigating multiple pregnancy losses and raising her son Elijah.
Unexplained infertility is not actually a diagnosis - it's doctors throwing their hands up instead of looking for root causes
▶ 59:42Most women with unexplained infertility have underlying immune dysfunction and inflammation that prevents implantation and causes early pregnancy loss
▶ 21:55Week 7-8 of pregnancy is placentification - the hardest part to get through if you have immune issues, which is why many losses happen then
▶ 62:15OB-GYNs and reproductive endocrinologists only know reproductive organs - they don't practice full system health or understand immune, metabolic, or gut issues
▶ 63:36You have to stop looking at doctors as your only source of truth and build a committee of many different practitioners
▶ 66:00Most women with unexplained infertility are deficient in vitamin B and D, but doctors focusing only on reproductive organs won't test for this
▶ 63:59High inflammation breaks your water early - your body has to go through an inflammatory flow during pregnancy and if it doesn't regulate down in second trimester, things like water breaking happen
▶ 35:36You can be a successful professional and pursue motherhood simultaneously - your brain is your brain and it doesn't change when you go through infertility
▶ 47:11“Unexplained infertility means there's no explanation for why you can't get pregnant”
CONSIDER: Unexplained infertility isn't a diagnosis - it means your doctors haven't looked beyond your reproductive organs to find the root cause
“Your reproductive endocrinologist should be your primary source of fertility information”
CONSIDER: Your RE is one member of a committee - they only know reproductive organs, not immune, metabolic, or gut health that affects fertility
“Unexplained infertility is not a diagnosis. Doesn't tell you anything.”
“we have to stop looking at our doctors as our only source of truth. It's because they are only one point in our source of truth.”
“your brain is your brain. It doesn't change when you get pregnant. It doesn't change when you go through infertility.”
“I literally would cry to my husband that, like, I'm a murderer.”
“week seven and eight is placentification. That's the largest piece of the immune puzzle. That's the hardest part to get through if you have immune issues.”
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The fertility journey can be a catalyst for complete life transformation if you allow it to wake you up to an entirely different way of living
Lavinia spent 10 years on her fertility journey from age 33-43, transforming from someone living in victim mentality to an empowered woman who now coaches other women through fertility struggles.
You can meditate all day, but if you don't change the underlying belief system that's causing you to be stuck in worst-case scenario thinking, meditation alone won't create the transformation you need
Lavinia tried meditation and felt better physically but still had racing thoughts about 'what if I transfer and it doesn't work' until she addressed her limiting beliefs through mindset work.
The ambitious, driven qualities that make you successful professionally are actually your superpowers on the fertility journey, not obstacles to overcome
Jennifer initially thought her ambitious, driven nature in finance would make her a bad mother, but discovered that same resilience and refusal to quit is what ultimately brought her to conceiving her son after ectopic pregnancy and multiple failed transfers.
Your mind will give up way before your body ever will - this is why mindset is the foundation of fertility success
Jennifer's fertility clinic told her they see many patients who still have medical and financial options but give up emotionally before exhausting their possibilities. Jennifer's mental resilience kept her going through ectopic pregnancy, pregnancies of unknown location, and failed transfers until she conceived.
