40 and Infertile - A Fertility Podcast for the 40 and older

This is episode 25 and for this episode we have a warrior story.  Today we have Bring Home Baby Bax  - Alex.  She shares with us her story and experience with adenomyosis, poor egg quality, 9 egg retrievals, 2 transfers, and a cookie fundraiser!

I think it’s so important to share these stories because we can still learn from each other.  We assume those who are under 35 are going to have a super easy time and some will, but some won’t and for those who aren’t I don’t want you to feel alone and I want you to know that there are people here to talk to you and support you.

If you have not had a chance to connect with Alex, she is a wonderful human being.  I’m so lucky to have connected with so many awesome people.  You’ve heard so many of us talk about the kind and caring people we’ve met during this experience and it’s so true.  I’ve gotten so lucky getting to meet so many awesome people.  Alex is one of these people.  She’s so kind, smart, caring, and so so hilarious.  We had such a wonderful time, but we also get  real with what it’s like to have poor egg quality and have to do 9 retrievals.

Heads up.  As usual, we use strong language.  Because when you have infertility you get angry and sometimes an f bomb just makes it all better.  It’s very cathartic and therapeutic.

I’m going to keep this intro brief because Alex has a lot to share and I want you to hear it.  As usual, if you love what you hear, I’d love for you to share this episode, leave a 5 star review and a written review to get this into more ears.  I’m so grateful for your support and I want to give cute4fertility - Jenn a shout out for becoming a monthly supporter.  Thank you so much Jenn!  I’m so grateful for you!  You guys, please keep the requests and suggestions coming.  I want this to be a good resource for you!

RESOURCES THIS EPISODE:

Nevada Fertility Center:  https://www.nvfertility.com/

Rejuvenating Fertility Center:  https://www.rejuvenatingfertility.com/

Aimee Raupp:  https://aimeeraupp.com/

Warriors to Follow:

Cute4Fertility:  https://www.instagram.com/cute4fertility/

LuckyBabyLam:  https://www.instagram.com/luckybabylam/

Cozy Warrior:  https://www.instagram.com/cozywarriororg/

This is episode 23 and today’s a very special episode for me. Today’s guest is Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh the egg whisperer. For those who have not met her, you’re missing out on a great human! If you haven’t figured it out yet, her patients are her biggest fans because she listens to us. I first found out about Dr. Aimee from a friend of mine. I encouraged her to get her eggs frozen because she was turning 35 and I was just turning 40 and I didn’t want her experiencing what I was going through. She did some searching around and found Dr. Aimee and found out that Dr. Aimee had a lot of patients who were 40 and over. She also had this podcast. She encouraged me to call her because I was already to start another cycle. Because Dr. Aimee had made such a big impact on me and teaching me what happens to our fertility as we age, I asked her to come back and discuss these things because I think it’s so important for us to know. I think it really can help women advocate for testing or seek opinions from other physicians who will believe in them and their fertility as Dr. Aimee has for me. So, today, we tackle each decade of our childbearing years: 20’s 30s and 40s and what happens in each decade and things we should consider. We also answer your submitted questions. Let me tell you how I came to meet Dr. Aimee. If you want to skip this part, just jump ahead to the episode, but if you want to hear about how amazing Dr. Aimee is, keep listening. 

Welcome to Episode 22.  This is a requested episode from Instagram.  Today, we talk about Donor Eggs and IVF/Egg Donation Abroad.

When I originally recorded this episode it was back around the end of April.  In light of recent events, considering IVF abroad may be something that is coming up for you.  Luckily, Sarah Kowalski of Motherhood Reimagined shares some of her experience and her clients experiences with seeking egg donor abroad and domestically.

If you want to hear Sarah’s story, you can listen to episode 7 where she shares her path to independent parenthood and coming to terms with needing an egg donor.   Today, we focus primarily on the egg donor process and she shares what her experience was like in going abroad and researching using egg donor abroad.  Now, we don’t specifically go into what this experience is like with a partner.  I have someone sharing that experience in a couple of months.  She went through IVF in Mexico and is now doing a cycle in the US.  After her US cycle, she and I were going to have a conversation, so she could have better insight into differences and pros and cons to each.

Domestically, there are some cost saving programs, and I’ve linked them in the show notes for you.  CNY has a program and Dr. Aimee the Egg Whisperer also has the Freeze and Share program.

Egg donation is a complex topic.  I know I can’t cover it all in one episode.  I want to cover more stories and perspectives, so you can understand the experience and hopefully have the information to make the choice that is best for you.

I hope this is helpful for you.  As always, I have links available for you in the show notes about the things we have discussed today.

Egg Donor Resources:

Episode 7:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QA5iQRrNB63E0IkYBWOvd?si=fGlFTM6nR_q41Ldx4R2Q4g

Episode 10:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1RcSJTCGBltDKaeUFCpGdP?si=h2EWKzJHRRWDQ0qWgrG4qw

Everything You Need to Know Before Picking an Egg Donor on Egg Whisperer Show:

https://draimee.org/everything-you-need-to-know-before-picking-an-egg-donor

Egg Whisperer Freeze and Share:

https://freezeandshare.com/

CNY Egg Donor Program:

https://www.cnyfertility.com/donor-egg-ivf/

California Conceptions:  https://californiaconceptions.com/pregnancy-with-donor-embryos-embryo-adoption/

IVF Traveler:

https://www.ivftraveler.com/

Santa Monica Fertility Egg Donor Program:

https://www.santamonicafertility.com/egg-donation/using-donor-eggs/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtvqVBhCVARIsAFUxcRsoQa5esv6L1j3O8lOy6ht1DK9woEhM4ZPSTbsrdnS5c4AhEDg5pF8aAsIbEALw_wcB

Everything You Need to Know Before Picking an Egg Donor on Egg Whisperer Show:

https://draimee.org/everything-you-need-to-know-before-picking-an-egg-donor

All right folks.  Ever wonder what the heck is going on in the lab and what all that jargon means?  Well, if you're wanting to know more about your eggs, embryo, and sperm and what happens to them in the lab, this is the episode for you.   Today, we have Alease the Embryologist, who has been featured on Good Morning America and ABC News for her work on educating us patients about what goes on in the lab, to talk about your eggs, sperm and embryos.  She does not skimp on this episode.  Grab a pen and notebook (if people still do that - I'm old I still use pen and paper) or grab your Notes app and get ready to do some serious learning!   If you're a veteran IVF patient and you've already got the nitty gritty details, may skip to the end for the Q&A portion!   

RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:  

Alease on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/alease_the_embryologist/

Dr. Merhi comes back and this time he talks to us about At Home IVF and Ozone Sauna.  He discusses who might benefit from these treatment options.  Dr. Merhi helped create the At Home IVF system where you can get your stimulation medications without injections, monitoring or labs.  He explains this further as not all patients are candidates for this method of IVF.  We also discuss another treatment option that might be beneficial for those who are 40 and over or for those who might need help with egg quality.  

Resources: 

Rejuvenating Fertility Center:  https://www.rejuvenatingfertility.com/

Dr. Zaher Merhi:  https://www.instagram.com/dr_merhi/

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh:  https://www.instagram.com/eggwhisperer/

We typically have stories where we’re talking about struggling to get pregnant.  This story is a little different today.

Today, we’re talking to Christina @christinawangdmd on instagram about how her autoimmune disease, how progression of her disease and her medications have kept her from getting pregnant.  Because of her autoimmune disease, she has had to use a gestational carrier.  So, we do a deep dive into what it’s like to be told you can’t carry your own pregnancy, what she learned for her successful first experience and she reviews some of the struggles and lessons learned as she embarks on her second surrogacy experience.  She is a complete open book and like so many other warriors I’ve had on here, holds nothing back for you.

My goal here has always been to showcase all different ways people are growing their families, so I hope that this episode helps those out there who are struggling with an autoimmune condition and have been told that there may be obstacles.  If you found value in this conversation, I would love for you to drop a 5 star review or a written review to help get this episode in as many ears as possible.

The information provided today is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or legal advice.  Unfortunately, every person’s situation is unique and it is vital that you discuss your personal situation with your own fertility team to decide what is the best course of action for you.

Heads up - there is explicit language on this episode, so just be mindful where you’re playing this and let’s be real.  Moving forward I would probably just prepare for explicit language in any warrior story.

Thank you to Christina for sharing your story with us and all of your nuggets of wisdom that you’ve learned on your 1.5 experiences with surrogacy.  I’m so grateful for your time and your generosity to be such a valuable resource for our community of warriors!

Resources:

Dr. Mika Thomas - https://www.dallasfertility.com/about-dallas-fertility/your-doctors-and-staff/mika-r-thomas-md/

For those of us who are over 40, there is a higher likelihood that we may need the help of third party reproduction like egg donor.  If we have chosen to be independent parents and are over 40, we may need both egg and sperm donor.  Those who are in same sex partnerships will also need to explore this as an option.  To help us navigate this from the physician point of view is Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York.  She talks to us about the third party reproduction basics, the pros and cons to using an agency or unaffiliated donors, and answers your submitted questions!  

More about Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey:  https://www.rmany.com/our-team/physicians/tia-jackson-bey-md 

Follow Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey:  https://www.instagram.com/drtiajacksonbey/