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

Episode 15 is a warrior story and our guest is Monica of waitingforbabywunder

Monica is a warrior is so many ways, but today we talk about her challenges on her IVF journey.  Monica has some anatomic variations that make carrying a pregnancy difficult, but add on to that infertility and this makes for a very unique journey.

This episode is a longer episode because we just had a great time chatting and she was just so open about her experiences and feelings in an effort to help us all.  Like luckybabylam, she shares with us her resources and I'm so grateful for this.  What I LOVE about Monica is that she is so genuine, smart, kind, thoughtful, and absolutely hysterical.  She was a joy to be around and just a lovely human.

A couple of things I want to mention.  As always, we’re not physicians and the information provided today is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.  Make sure that you consult with your own fertility doctor before choosing any medical therapies that may affect your fertility.  Unfortunately, every person’s situation is unique and it is vital that you discuss your personal situation with your own fertility doctor to decide what is the best course of action for you.  Please also make sure that you are taking your medications as prescribed by your physician..

Heads up - there is explicit language on this episode, so just be mindful where you’re playing this.

I hope you enjoy it!  Drop a 5 star review and a written review if you loved it!  I would be so grateful.  Get comfy guys, this one is good.

Resources:

Egg Whisperer:  https://www.instagram.com/eggwhisperer/

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh:  https://draimee.org/

Blue Ova Health:  https://www.instagram.com/blueovahealth/

Receptiva DX test:  https://receptivadx.com/

Endometrial Receptivity Analysis (ERA):  https://www.igenomix.com/our-services/era/

Endometrial Microbiome Metagenomic Analysis (EMMA):  https://www.igenomix.com/our-services/emma/

Analysis of Infectious Chronic Endometritis (ALICE):  https://www.igenomix.com/our-services/alice/

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

Joe’s Pizza:  https://www.joespizzanyc.com/

Warriors to Follow:

Alyssa - https://www.instagram.com/healthyivf/

Emily - https://www.instagram.com/emily.attenhofer/

Annie - https://www.instagram.com/luckybabylam/

This fertility journey is filled with triggers.  One trigger that affects many people is the occurrence of Mother's Day.  It will occur every year in May and there will be other triggers that we will encounter along this journey and beyond.  Because of this, I wanted us to have a conversation around grief, trauma, and triggers and ways we can manage our response to them.  

Dr. Wiyatta Fahnbulleh will join us today to have this conversation and will guide us through some of her best tips to navigate these emotions.  

Resources for this episode:

Dr. Wiyatta Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycounselingnow/

Work with Dr. Wiyatta:  https://drwiyatta.com/fertility-counseling/

Today, Emma Grønbæk shares with us her journey through life as a donor conceived person.  She provides advice on how recipient parents can help their donor conceived children have a positive upbringing.  She shares stories of how her parents have helped cultivate a positive environment the supported both growth and curiosity.  She also talks about her book that chronicles the story of her and her family!  Emma is a truly lovely human with a beautiful outlook on life and how she came to be!  If you're considering donor conception or you're a recipient parent, this episode is for you!  

Connecting with the guest:

Connect with Emma:  https://www.instagram.com/donorchild/

Emma's Website:  https://donorchildemmagroenbaek.com/

Get Emma's book here:  https://amzn.to/3ur0ip7

Also Mentioned in this episode:

Motherhood Reimagined Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/motherhoodreimagined/

Motherhood Reimagined wesite:  https://motherhoodreimagined.com/

Today we talk about how the philosophy and practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine may impact your fertility.  I have Dr. Mimi Le, DACM of Better Balance Acupuncture shares with us her knowledge of how acupuncture can impact your fertility journey.  

During this episode we talk about some of the basics and philosophy behind Chinese Medicine and the recommendations for timing during your fertility cycles.  Take a listen to see if this may be helpful for you.  

Research mentioned by Dr. Mimi (I have not read any of these studies; however, they were mentioned by Dr Mimi and she provided links):

Additional Research Resources:

Mentioned in this episode:  

The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis, PhD - https://amzn.to/3Dw8mb6

Dr. Aimee Egg Whisperer:  https://www.instagram.com/eggwhisperer/

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

Dr. Allison Rodgers:  https://www.instagram.com/dr.allison.rodgers/

Alease the Embryologist:  https://www.instagram.com/alease_the_embryologist/

Lucky Baby Lam:  https://www.instagram.com/luckybabylam/

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

Infertility Man:  https://www.instagram.com/infertilityman/

Awakening Worth:  https://www.instagram.com/awakening.worth/

Find an acupuncturist who specializes in fertility here:  www.ABORM.org

Grab a pen and paper (We're 40, we say get a pen and paper, but if you'd prefer to start a Google Doc or use your Notes app, fire those up too!) because you'll want to take notes!  This one is a must listen to!  Dr. Jenna Hua, PhD of Million Marker shares with us research and an abundance of information as well as her top 5 tips to life a cleaner lifestyle.  She gets into the chemistry of the toxins (if you're a nerd like me and find this fascinating) while simultaneous offers easy to understand explanations of the chemicals we should avoid and how.   

You can find out more about Jenna Hua, PhD at :  https://www.millionmarker.com/ 

Connect with Jenna on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/million_marker/ 

Also mentioned in this episode: 

It Starts with the Egg Book:  https://amzn.to/3NoGpGv

Environmental Working Group:  https://www.ewg.org/ 

Made Safe:  https://www.madesafe.org/

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

Lora Shahine, MD Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/drlorashahine/

Eggwhisperer:  https://www.instagram.com/eggwhisperer/

Dr. Aimee's Recommendations for Improving Egg Quality:  https://draimee.org/how-to-improve-your-egg-quality