🎙️ Episode 18: Secondary Infertility: The Sequel No One Asked For

Having one baby doesn’t always mean the road to baby #2 will be smooth. This week, we’re diving into the often-overlooked topic of secondary infertility - what it is, why it happens, and how it feels when the sequel isn’t playing out the way you imagined. 💔➡️💪

In this episode, we talk about:✨ What secondary infertility actually means (and why it’s not just about big age gaps)
🧬 Common causes - from sperm changes to diminished ovarian reserve to “unexplained” mysteries
💭 The emotional toll: guilt, grief, and unsolicited “just be grateful” comments
💡 Coping strategies + advice if you’re just starting to wonder if something’s up
❤️ Why grief + gratitude can (and should) coexist in this journey

Laura also shares her personal story of facing secondary infertility - from surprise pregnancy in her twenties to IVF years later - and what she’s learned along the way.

🎧 Listen in if…

You’re trying for another child after having one, supporting a friend through it, or just want to understand the nuances of infertility better.

Because sometimes the sequel is harder, messier, and way more emotional than the original - but you don’t have to go through it alone. 💕

👉 Share your story or questions with us at CNYFertility.com/fertile-ish or on Instagram @fertileishpodcast. We see and appreciate every message you send! 💌

🎙 Episode 17 – PCOS Isn’t Just Cysts, Babe 💁‍♀️

PCOS is way more than just cysts on your ovaries - and in this episode, we’re breaking down all the myths, facts, and real-life experiences that come with it.

We’re talking:
✨ What PCOS actually is (spoiler: you can have it without cysts!)
🌀 Why your menstrual cycle matters & what “normal” really means
🥗 The role of insulin resistance and why diet + movement are huge
💊 Treatments that actually help - from metformin to myo-inositol to birth control
🧬 How PCOS affects fertility (and why it’s still possible to conceive!)
💡 Practical tips whether you’re TTC or just want your body in balance

Plus, Brandis gets personal about her own PCOS journey - the symptoms that get ignored, the advice we wish we’d gotten sooner, and the tools that make life so much easier now.

If you’ve ever been told “just lose weight” or “it’s just a cyst,” this one’s for you, babe. 💖

📩 Got PCOS tips, questions, or stories? DM us on IG/TikTok or email us at CNYfertility.com/fertileish - we might share your story in a future episode!

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, or wherever you get your pods!

#PCOSAwareness #FertileishPodcast #PCOSIsntJustCysts #WomensHealth #TTCCommunity 💬

🎙️ Episode 16 — From TSA to TSH: Traveling for Treatment at CNY FertilityThinking about hopping on a plane (or a road trip) for IVF? You're not alone. In this episode, Laura and Brandis unpack everything you need to know about traveling for fertility treatment at CNY Fertility, from how remote monitoring works to flying with meds, booking flights, and making your trip as stress-free as possible.

With nearly 70% of CNY patients traveling in from out of state (or country), we dive deep into the logistics, costs, planning tips, and what to expect—plus a few hacks we’ve learned along the way.

✈️ What We Cover:

• Why so many people travel for treatment to CNY

• How to find local monitoring partners (OBs, labs, ultrasounds)

• Understanding full-service vs. satellite clinics

• Tips for booking flights around retrievals or transfers

• What to pack: comfort must-haves, heating pads, and travel-safe med storage

• How to fly with meds, needles, and syringes (spoiler: TSA won’t bat an eye)

• Discounts on hotels and Airbnbs for CNY patients

• When to fly in and out to avoid mishaps

• What happens if your clinic location changes last-minute

• Choosing your provider regardless of clinic location

• Bring all your meds, even if you don’t think you’ll need them

• Book adjustable flights to reduce stress

• Download your airline’s app to easily modify flights

• Use the CNY website’s monitoring map and travel info section

• Pack sweatpants. Always.

🧳 TL;DR:Traveling for fertility treatment may sound daunting, but with a little planning, flexibility, and the right tools, it’s absolutely doable. Whether you’re flying in from across the country or crossing state lines, CNY’s inclusive care, affordability, and extensive resources make it worth the trip.

🎧 Tune in now and learn how to make your fertility travel journey as smooth as possible—because you’ve got enough to worry about already.

Have a fertility travel tip, hack, or disaster story to share? We’d love to hear it! Submit your story at cnyfertility.com/fertileish

🎙 Episode 15 - "The Transfer Didn't Take...Again"💔 Recurrent Implantation Failure & What Comes Next

In this candid and deeply supportive episode, Laura and Brandis dive into the emotionally draining and often misunderstood experience of recurrent implantation failure (RIF) - when seemingly perfect embryo transfers just… don’t work.

They break down:

• The official definition of recurrent implantation failure

• Common causes: embryo quality, uterine factors, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and more

• What testing can uncover (ERA, ReceptivaDX, ALICE, EMMA, HSG, saline sonogram)

• Immune factors and inflammation that could be impacting implantation

• Why some protocols (like Lupron suppression) are recommended even when tests come back normal

• The risks of transferring multiple embryos without answers

• When to consider additional options like reproductive immunology consults, donor eggs, or gestational carriers

• Why advocating for yourself and communicating with your provider is everything

👯‍♀️ Plus, Laura shares her own IVF experience and how she navigated treatment decisions, fear, and loss with honesty, humor, and hope.

📌 Whether you're in the thick of it or supporting someone who is, this episode offers validation, next steps, and a gentle reminder: you’re not alone-and your pain is real.

📩 Want to share your story, a question, or TMI Tuesday tale? Submit at ⁠cnyfertility.com/fertileish

🎙️ Episode 14: Chronically Clocked — Age & Your Fertility Timeline

Age ain’t just a number - especially when it comes to fertility.

In this episode, Laura and Brandis get real about one of the most asked (and misunderstood) topics in reproductive health: how age affects fertility. From egg quality and AMH to sperm fragmentation and the shady side of TikTok fertility scams, we break it all down.

Whether you're 25, 35, or 45+—this episode is your fertility reality check without the shame or scare tactics.

💬 In this episode, we discuss:

• Why your eggs are aging right along with you, even on birth control

• The truth about AMH, egg quantity vs. quality, and why it fluctuates

• The “vault” analogy + why IVF can’t unlock it

• How sperm quality declines with age too (yes, men have a clock)

• The importance of knowing your long-term family goals early

• Egg and embryo banking: who it’s for and when to consider it

• How CNY approaches treatment without strict age cutoffs

• Donor eggs, combo cycles, and the epigenetic magic of pregnancy

• Fertility scams, psychic predictions, and pineapple Band-Aids 🙃

✨ Quote of the Week:
"Fertility isn't a switch—it’s a dimmer."

👯‍♀️ Relatable, real, and refreshingly honest, this episode is your friendly reminder that it’s okay to explore your options and ask the hard questions - no matter what age the calendar says.

📩 Questions? DMs open. Need support? We’ve got you.
📲 Follow @fertileish.pod on Instagram
🌐 Learn more: cnyfertility.com/fertile-ish

🎙 Episode 13: Embryo Red Flags? Let’s Talk PGT

Embryo testing can feel like decoding an alphabet soup-and in this episode, we’re finally breaking it all down. Laura and Brandis get real about preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), who it’s for, and how to decide if it’s right for you.

🧬 What We Cover:

• What PGT-A, PGT-M, and PGT-SR actually mean

• The difference between carrier screening, karyotypes, and embryo testing

• Why some patients test every embryo-and others don’t test at all

• How PGT can impact embryo selection, miscarriage risk, and live birth rates

• What “mosaic embryos” are and why they’re controversial

• Compassionate transfers, family balancing, and navigating clinic policies

• The ethics of emerging tech like polygenic testing (aka embryo red flag overload)

💬 This episode is packed with insights to help you have informed convos with your doctor-and make decisions that actually align with your values and goals.

📬 Want to weigh in?
We want to hear your experience with PGT, carrier screening, mosaic embryos, or even your decision not to test. Submit your story (anonymous or not!) at CNYfertility.com/fertileish

Because let’s be honest: in fertility, there are no one-size-fits-all answers—only informed choices.

🎙️ Episode 12: BRB. Being an Emotional Support Human-

💡 In This Episode:

How not to say the wrong thing 101. This week, Laura and Brandis dive into the dos, don’ts, and “pls stop talking” moments of supporting someone going through fertility struggles. Whether you’re a well-meaning mother-in-law, a confused bestie, or a pregnant sister trying to navigate this emotional tightrope-this episode is your crash course in being a great friend/family member through the throes of infertility.

🔥 Hot Takes:

How to actually show up for your friend or loved one TTC (trying to conceive)

• What not to say (looking at you, “Just relax!” and “Why don’t you just adopt?”)

• Navigating support when you're pregnant and your loved one is struggling

• Thoughtful ways to offer help-without being invasive

• Acts of love: from casseroles to baby dust bottles

• The power of asking: “How can I support you?”

• Partner talk: checking in on each other through the chaos

• Guest voice: Fertility friend Krystal shares advice from the other side

• Toxic positivity ≠ helpful

• Please don’t ask “Are you pregnant yet?” 3 days after a transfer

• Support isn’t always about fixing-it’s about being present

🛎️ New episodes drop every Tuesday!

📱 Follow, rate, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon, iheartradio, or wherever you get your pods.

🎙️ Episode 11: Acronym Overload: WTF is IUI, IVF, AMH, & More

Let’s be real - fertility feels like a whole new language. Whether you're deep in the TTC world or just trying to figure out WTF your doctor meant when they said, “Your AMH looks good, but we still recommend an FET,” we’ve got you.

In this episode, Laura and Brandis break down the fertility alphabet soup - decoding the most common (and confusing) acronyms and medical lingo you’ll run into on your journey.

📚 What We Cover:

• TTC, BFP, CD, DPO… What all the letters mean (and why they matter)

• The difference between IUI and IVF

• Hormone crash course: AMH, LH, E2, P4, and why they fluctuate

• What’s a “Beta” and why everyone’s obsessed with it

• HSG vs. SIS vs. HSC (yes, those are all real things and no, you’re not crazy)

• The truth about sperm (yep, it affects miscarriage risk and pregnancy symptoms too!)

• Bonus: BD = baby dance. We didn’t make it up. The internet did.

Whether you're tracking OPKs or wondering if your RE suggested PGT-A or ICSI, this episode is your fertility dictionary. Because informed = empowered, and no one should need Google Translate for their own uterus.

💌 Connect With Us:
Have an acronym we missed? Or one you totally made up? DM us @fertileishpod or submit it at cnyfertility.com/fertileish. We just might start the trend for you.

🔊 Listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your pods.

#TTC #FertilityPodcast #IUI #IVF #OPK #AMH #FertilityAcronyms #Fertileish #FET #BFP #BFN #BetaIsLife #PGTA #ICSI #Fertility #FertilityJourney #TTCJourney #Infertility #InfertilityAwareness #FertilityTreatment #TWW #IVFWarrior #Embryo #EmbryoTransfer #HSG #SHG #SIS #HSC #Beta #CNYFertility

🎙 Episode 15 - "The Transfer Didn't Take...Again"
💔 Recurrent Implantation Failure & What Comes Next

In this candid and deeply supportive episode, Laura and Brandis dive into the emotionally draining and often misunderstood experience of recurrent implantation failure (RIF) - when seemingly perfect embryo transfers just… don’t work.

They break down:

• The official definition of recurrent implantation failure

• Common causes: embryo quality, uterine factors, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and more

• What testing can uncover (ERA, ReceptivaDX, ALICE, EMMA, HSG, saline sonogram)

• Immune factors and inflammation that could be impacting implantation

• Why some protocols (like Lupron suppression) are recommended even when tests come back normal

• The risks of transferring multiple embryos without answers

• When to consider additional options like reproductive immunology consults, donor eggs, or gestational carriers

• Why advocating for yourself and communicating with your provider is everything

👯‍♀️ Plus, Laura shares her own IVF experience and how she navigated treatment decisions, fear, and loss with honesty, humor, and hope.

📌 Whether you're in the thick of it or supporting someone who is, this episode offers validation, next steps, and a gentle reminder: you’re not alone-and your pain is real.

📩 Want to share your story, a question, or TMI Tuesday tale? Submit at cnyfertility.com/fertileish

🎙️ Episode 10: TWW – Currently in My Delulu Era

The Two Week Wait: It’s not two weeks—it’s two years (emotionally, at least). In this milestone 10th episode, Laura and Brandis crack open the chaotic, emotional, and often delulu reality of life during the TWW.

Whether you’re refreshing your patient portal every five minutes, lining up 12 home pregnancy tests with timestamps, or just vibing with your hydrangeas, this episode is a warm hug for anyone trying to survive the limbo between transfer and test day.

🧠 What We Cover:

• What exactly is the TWW, and why is it so mentally brutal?

• The temptation (and spiral) of testing early

• Coping with obsessive Googling, Reddit rabbit holes, and false hope

• Managing expectations: toxic positivity vs. emotional preparedness

• Finding your peace: walks, art therapy, diamond art embryos (yes, really)

• How to build a support system (even if it’s not IRL)

• Why therapy and grounding tools are clutch—even after the TWW

• How CNY Fertility’s team gets it because we’ve lived it too

💡 Fertile-ish Tips for Surviving the TWW:

• Get a “transfer buddy” to talk you down from the ledge

• Go for a nightly walk, water your plants, romanticize your peace

• Try crafts, books, or diamond art to pass the time creatively

• Know that feeling delulu is valid—and totally normal

• Protect your peace by choosing what and when to share

• Therapy = self-care, not a last resort

💬 Listener Call-In:
Going through the TWW? Share your funniest, weirdest, or most delulu moment with us—we might feature it in a future episode! Got a go-to distraction technique? Spill the tea.

📩 Submit via cnyfertility.com/fertileish or DM us on Instagram.

📲 Follow Us:

• IG: @fertileishpodcast

• Submit questions & episode ideas: cnyfertility.com/fertileish

✨ Whether you're clinging to hope, resisting the urge to test, or deep in your Pinterest baby clothes board... you're not alone. We're here. We get it. And we’re cheering for you. 💕