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This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it\u2019s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It\u2019s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.<\/p>\n
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Scott McGahey and his wife were among the 1 in 8 that struggled with infertility \u2013 their attempts at IUI<\/a> and IVF<\/a> failed, and when their employer-sponsored coverage ran out, the couple started thinking their dream of starting a family was impossible.<\/p>\n Just as the couple started considering other options<\/a>, Scott got amazing news. His employer, Willis Tower Watson, had enacted Progyny, meaning Scott and his wife could continue their family building journey on their own terms \u2013 with financial help and Patient Care Advocate support.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s episode dives into Scott\u2019s story which, while challenging at times, was ultimately worth it, when, with the help of employer-sponsored coverage, he finally became a dad.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When it comes to family building, the holidays can be a time of heightened anxiety,\u00a0sensitive conversations, and awkward\u00a0family encounters.\u00a0Dealing with infertility can prove to be challenging on its own but paired with pressing questions from relatives can really make one feel as though it\u2019s their fault.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today\u2019s episode\u00a0features tips on how to handle tough situations and challenging questions about family building this holiday season, as well as leaning\u00a0on partner support,\u00a0distancing\u00a0yourself\u00a0when need be, and\u00a0creating new traditions.\u00a0Being around family during the holidays can bring up many emotions but it is important to remember that you are not alone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While this episode is definitely worth the listen, we understand that life gets busy and have provided a summary for you\u00a0<\/span>here.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The challenges of life\u00a0and building a family\u00a0can bring the best\u00a0or\u00a0the worst out of people,\u00a0but\u00a0in this\u00a0case,\u00a0it was both.\u00a0This episode follows the story of Keia\u00a0Jones-Baldwin, a woman\u00a0who\u00a0showed substantial amounts of physical and emotional strength during\u00a0<\/span>tough times<\/span><\/a>. After going through countless\u00a0<\/span>miscarriages<\/span><\/a>, empty conversations with fertility specialists, and more failed experiences, Keia began to blame herself. It came to a point where Keia and her husband, Richard , decided that it was time to look at other family building options.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hear how Keia and Richard navigated fertility treatments,\u00a0<\/span>surrogacy<\/span><\/a>, foster to adopt, and\u00a0a challenge they didn\u2019t think they\u2019d encounter \u2013 the experience around a transracial adoption.\u00a0Keia\u00a0opens up\u00a0about her experience around having a Caucasian baby, the need to educate others, and one universal theme\u00a0of, \u201cyou don\u2019t need to look alike to love alike.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A family building journey may not always be straight forward and easy. And most times those feelings of hope and positivity may fade into confusion and gut-wrenching disappointment. This is what it was like for Claire<\/a> and Patrick Gibson. As time passed and fertility treatments failed, Claire continued to struggle to find the right answers. However, those answers led to a breath of fresh air, building a family through adoption<\/a>.<\/p>\n In this episode, Claire discusses her debate over fostering or adopting a child, the experience and difference between domestic and international adoption, and what led her and husband to their decision.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n COVID-19 and its aftermath has changed everything<\/a>, leaving us with more questions on how to navigate this new normal. \u00a0When it comes to the vaccine and fertility, pregnancy, and trying to conceive<\/a>, new concerns have come to light about how to proceed. Progyny\u2019s Lissa Kline, Senior Vice President of Provider and Member Services, and Dr. Alan Copperman, Progyny\u2019s Medical Director, sat down in a recent webinar to discuss these key learnings, including the vaccine, booster shots, and how it impacts your family building journey.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly Ryman was nearing her due date with her second daughter, who she and her husband, Matt, had named Mabel, when suddenly, the baby stopped moving. An ultrasound revealed Mabel\u2019s heart had stopped beating. Molly,\u00a0Matt\u00a0and their daughter were left to pick up the pieces.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month so this week, Molly sat down with her friend and our colleague, Lissa Kline, for a deeply personal\u00a0conversation about\u00a0<\/span>pregnancy\u00a0loss<\/span><\/a>, grief, motherhood,\u00a0<\/span>strength, and the importance of connections<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss and Awareness Month, and we want to shed light on the painful reality that is Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, sometimes shortened to RPL.<\/p>\n RPL is a diagnosis when a patient experiences two or more miscarriages. And while this reality can be overwhelming, it\u2019s crucial to understand how common miscarriages are<\/a> and not self-blame.<\/p>\n On today\u2019s episode, Dr. Lora Shahine of Pacific Northwest Fertility answers those common questions associated with RPL, the different treatment options, and reminds us that no matter what, we\u2019re not broken.<\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we\u2019re shedding light on\u00a0oncofertility, the intersection of cancer,\u00a0cancer treatment,\u00a0and fertility.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A cancer diagnosis can be\u00a0terrifying,\u00a0and\u00a0often\u00a0decisions need to be made quickly.\u00a0One of those decisions may be around\u00a0whether or not\u00a0to pursue fertility preservation before cancer treatment starts\u00a0since some treatment may leave a patient infertile.\u00a0Oncofertility\u00a0gives a patient the opportunity to focus on life after cancer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although\u00a0oncofertility\u00a0is a groundbreaking practice,\u00a0there are still questions and\u00a0misconceptions. Today, we have Dr. Wael Salem of CCRM San Francisco to help break it down.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes\u00a0trying to have a child using your own eggs\u00a0can be dangerous or impossible\u00a0\u2013 this is where\u00a0an egg donor\u00a0comes in.\u00a0We hear a lot about egg donation from the clinical perspective\u00a0or from the intended parents,\u00a0but what is the process like for the\u00a0<\/span>egg donor<\/span><\/a>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Holly Smith\u00a0has donated her eggs to six different families. In today\u2019s episode, she shares\u00a0the physical and emotional aspects of her journey,\u00a0recounts her own fertility experience, and stresses the\u00a0importance and beauty in providing joy for others trying to conceive.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u00a0are a multitude\u00a0of challenges that people face on their\u00a0family building journey\u00a0— whether it\u2019s\u00a0being\u00a0misdiagnosed,\u00a0not having enough information\u00a0about your health, or facing a\u00a0global pandemic. Angela Vega experienced all three, among others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Angela, a Progyny member through Expedia, was initially\u00a0misdiagnosed with\u00a0<\/span>endometriosis<\/span><\/a>\u00a0at an early age but when she\u00a0decided she\u00a0wanted to have kids, they correctly diagnosed her with\u00a0<\/span>PCOS<\/span><\/a>. Once she learnt what was\u00a0going on in her body, she had to deal with a whole new set of challenges. From\u00a0a misdiagnosis, to\u00a0<\/span>IVF<\/span><\/a>, to\u00a0finding\u00a0<\/span>fertility\u00a0coverage<\/span><\/a>, to\u00a0<\/span>having a baby while testing positive for COVID<\/span><\/a>, Angela covers everything in her journey and what\u00a0the experience taught her.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n September is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome\u00a0(PCOS)\u00a0awareness\u00a0month,\u00a0and we are here to do exactly that:\u00a0<\/span>spread awareness about PCOS<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0break down some\u00a0<\/span>common misconceptions<\/span><\/a>\u00a0about it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n PCOS<\/span><\/a> can be a confusing health condition that is difficult to diagnose and complicated to manage. However, with the help of Dr. Todd Deutch, we are here to deliver as much as we can to help educate about the challenges of PCOS, such as infertility, treatment options, <\/span>causes<\/span><\/a>, and the general taboo surrounding it.<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n One thing always leads to another,\u00a0and in\u00a0Eloise\u2019s case,\u00a0her actions\u00a0illuminated a path of happiness and health for\u00a0one family after another.\u00a0Eloise Drain, founder of\u00a0<\/span>Family Inceptions<\/span><\/a> and\u00a0Reproductive Advocates for Multiethnic Professionals (RAMP),\u00a0started by donating her kidney to her cousin,\u00a0and eventually Eloise found herself as\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>gestational carrier<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for many\u00a0grateful couples over the years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this episode,\u00a0Eloise talks about the process of being an\u00a0<\/span>egg donor<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0gestational carrier, as well as\u00a0the ups and downs that come with it.\u00a0During her journey,\u00a0Eloise\u00a0noticed the discrepancies in\u00a0<\/span>healthcare\u00a0<\/span>for women of color<\/span><\/a>\u00a0when she was told that \u201cblack women don\u2019t have fertility issues.\u201d\u00a0This influenced\u00a0her\u00a0to create\u00a0Family Inceptions,\u00a0an\u00a0agency\u00a0that seeks out surrogates or egg donors\u00a0that\u00a0carefully\u00a0places\u00a0them with others who are\u00a0a perfect match for them,\u00a0as well as\u00a0RAMP,\u00a0an agency\u00a0designed to\u00a0prioritize\u00a0minorities in their family building journey.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We\u2019ve said often on this podcast that sharing a journey can be very cathartic for both the person sharing as well as for the audience. This was certainly the case for author Amy Klein, author and fertility advocate who chronicled her\u00a0four-year\u00a0journey with\u00a0<\/span>IVF<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>recurrent\u00a0pregnancy loss<\/span><\/a>\u00a0through a column in the\u00a0<\/span>New York Times<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and eventually, a book.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Amy\u2019s story consists of\u00a0<\/span>ten doctors<\/span><\/a>, nine rounds of\u00a0<\/span>IVF<\/span><\/a>, four miscarriages, an international move, and eventually, a healthy baby girl. And while Amy\u2019s\u00a0experience\u00a0was unique to her and her husband, her stories and advice have already helped thousands out there struggling with their own version of infertility.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Society\u00a0has\u00a0come\u00a0a\u00a0long way in\u00a0finally\u00a0providing\u00a0fertility\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>family\u00a0building\u00a0benefits for same-sex male couples<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and single fathers by choice.\u00a0But\u00a0this journey can be complex and confusing. Which is why, for our third installment of our Journey to Fatherhood series, we pulled a panel of experts to give an overview on how to build family with a\u00a0<\/span>surrogate<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>donor eggs<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>adoption<\/span><\/a>. We also dive into how to maintain the relationships around you and how to ask for emotional support.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While this\u00a0episode\u00a0is\u00a0definitely worth the listen, we understand that life gets busy and have provided a summary for you\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/p>\nBonus<\/span>\u00a0Episode<\/span>16: Navigating Your Family Building Journey Through the Holidays<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 121: Raising Cultures Through a Transracial Adoption<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 120: Maybe a Baby? The Adoption Journey<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nBonus Episode 15: COVID-19 Update: FDA Vaccine Approval, Booster shots, and Trying to Conceive<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 119:\u00a0<\/span>Miscarriage Awareness:<\/span>\u00a0The Grief and Strength of a Late-Term Loss<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 118: Fertility 101: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL)<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 117: Fertility 101:\u00a0<\/span>Oncofertility<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 116: Egg Donation from the Egg Donor\u2019s Point of View<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 115<\/span>: PCOS and Fertility: How Expedia’s Fertility Benefit Gave New Hope<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 114<\/span>: Fertility 101:<\/span>\u00a0PCOS<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 113: Bringing Joy to Others<\/span>: POV of a Gestational Surrogate\u00a0<\/span>and Egg Donor<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nEpisode 112: The\u00a0<\/span>Tr<\/span>y<\/span>ing Game<\/span>: IVF, Miscarriage, and a Book<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nBonus Episode 14: Journey to Fatherhood: Same Sex Couples + Single Fathers by Choice<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n