Choosing a sperm donor can feel overwhelming, emotional, and deeply personal, especially when you’re not sure where to begin. In this episode of Fertility Forward, hosts Rena and Dara are joined by Lisa Lightbourne, Clinic Relations Manager, and Andrea Darrington, General Manager at Fairfax Cryobank, for a behind-the-scenes look at how donor sperm programs really work. Lisa and Andrea explain how intended parents navigate the donor selection process, what goes into screening and approving donors, and why only a small percentage of applicants are accepted. They also discuss donor identity release, how to approach narrowing down donor choices, and the emotional realities many patients face when considering donor conception. Along the way, the conversation explores the growing openness around donor conception, the importance of diversity and representation, and how more insurance coverage is helping improve access to care. Tune in for an insightful conversation about donor conception and modern family building! 

 In this episode of Fertility Forward, Rena and Dara are joined by journalist and mother, Stephanie Butnick, for an honest conversation about IVF, genetic testing, and the emotional complexities of building a family. Stephanie shares how her journey with RMA began after learning her husband carries a BRCA1 mutation, and why they chose to pursue IVF with pre-implantation genetic testing. She reflects on her second IVF experience and how it differed from the first, while also opening up about the incredible support she received throughout her care. Together, they discuss what it was like for her husband to navigate these experiences as the BRCA1 carrier and how they plan to one day talk to her daughters about the journey that brought them into the world. Stephanie also shares how speaking openly about her experience has helped her connect with others facing similar challenges, emphasizing the importance of community, transparency, and keeping sight of the bigger picture throughout the fertility journey. 

For many women, trying to get a clear answer to their health problems can be challenging, if not downright frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Joining us today is Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy, a women's health technology company focused on closing the gender health gap by decoding the vaginal microbiome. In this conversation, Priyanka shares how her own experiences with unanswered symptoms led her to question the limits of traditional testing and explore overlooked areas of female biology. She explains the role of the vaginal microbiome in protecting reproductive health, how imbalances can contribute to inflammation and fertility challenges, and why many conditions are still misdiagnosed or missed entirely. They also discuss how Evvy’s at-home testing works, what makes it more comprehensive than standard approaches, and where it can support patients across the fertility journey, from early planning to IVF. Tune in for an informative and empowering conversation about an often-overlooked factor in women’s health! 

What if you could find joy through your infertility journey? Today on Fertility Forward, we welcome Dr. Lucky Sekhon back to the show to tell us about her amazing book, The Lucky Egg, and how it supports women battling fertility lovingly, practically, and by encouraging them to focus on the journey, not just the destination. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about what inspired Dr. Sekhon to write this book, how her incredible team helped her make it happen, why she wanted readers to feel like they were reading a book written by a friend, not a doctor, and so much more! We delve into how Dr. Sekhon detached from the outcome and surrendered to the process when writing this book, and how powerful doing that is, before discussing the mental health pieces of infertility she touches on in the book. Dr. Sekhon goes on to share her own struggles with secondary infertility and how it made her a more empathetic fertility doctor. We also talk about the importance of compassion in the fertility space and why comparison is so dangerous. Finally, and as always, we share what we are grateful for. Thanks for listening!  

 Welcome to another episode of Fertility Forward! Today, we are joined by registered dietitian and bestselling author Ashley Koff to discuss weight health and fertility. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Ashley’s new book, Your Best Shot, and what inspired her to write it. We talk about what agonists are, the pros and considerations of weight health therapy, and how we can understand weight loss hormones using a pizza analogy! Ashley delves into why nutrient reduction to lose weight when trying to get pregnant is dangerous, before discussing the use of GLP-1 agonists in fertility treatment, pregnancy, and postpartum. We even touch on the psychological piece of weight health, how trauma affects the function of the vagus nerve, and weight health, why you cannot bully yourself about your weight, and so much more. Finally, Ashley reminds us of the importance of including joy in weight health treatment programs. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss, so be sure to press play now!  

 Choosing ovum donation is an emotional and potentially daunting process. But there is great power in embracing it as the best decision for you and as a gift you are giving yourself instead of as an obstacle to overcome. Today on Fertility Forward, Dr. Georgia Witkin is back to discuss ovum and sperm donation and the emotional effects of each. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how Dr. Witkin helps patients become excited about ovum donation by busting some myths about the process, bonding concerns parents may have, why these concerns don’t actually come to fruition, and so much more! We delve into how sperm donation differs from egg donation from a psychological perspective before discussing the importance of normalizing donation for the child. We touch on how we use language to help our patients change their mindset about sperm or ovum donation, and why stress is not responsible for infertility. Finally, we discuss the importance of prioritizing self-care as women. To hear all this and, as always, what we are grateful for, be sure to press play now!  

In this episode of Fertility Forward, hosts Rena and Dara welcome Eboni K. Williams—acclaimed lawyer, author, and television host—for a powerful and personal conversation about her journey to single motherhood by choice. Known for her work on Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams, Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams, and as a former cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City, Eboni shares how she froze her eggs at 34 to preserve her options and later conceived her daughter, Liberty, through donor sperm and IVF. She speaks candidly about female self-sufficiency, taking ownership of fertility decisions regardless of relationship status, and challenging the stigma often attached to single parenting. This episode offers an empowering perspective on reproductive planning, intentional motherhood, and the importance of building a strong support system along the way. 

Infertility is a treatable and curable disease, and infertility treatment needs to be more accessible and affordable to the average American. Today on Fertility Forward, we are joined by Dr. Kaylen Silverberg from the Texas Fertility Center to discuss something we haven’t really touched on before: fertility legislation and the importance of advocating for our rights to start a family! Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Dr. Silverberg’s career, what led him to fertility legislation, how he has worked with the government, and what he sees happening in the near future in fertility policy and the impacts of these changes. We delve into why IVF needs to be covered by insurance before discussing how you can get involved in making real changes to infertility policy. We even talk about how the conversation about infertility has changed over the years. Finally, and as always, Dr. Silverberg shares what he is grateful for today. Thanks for listening!  

Sometimes the most powerful insights in fertility care come from lived experience. In this episode of Fertility Forward, we sit down with Dr. Amelia Kelly, the newest reproductive endocrinologist at RMA of New York’s Brooklyn office, to explore the personal and professional journey that brought her to this field. She shares how her mother’s volunteer work in reproductive health first opened her eyes to the importance of family building on your own timeline, and how training at institutions like Weill Cornell and NYU strengthened that early interest. Dr. Kelly also reflects on her own egg freezing experience and how it shaped her understanding of what patients navigate. We discuss her research on physician infertility, the stresses residents face, and why expanding access to care remains one of her biggest passions. Tune in to hear how Dr. Kelly’s path as both clinician and patient informs her approach and why compassionate, accessible fertility care matters now more than ever! 

This episode of Fertility Forward is a very special and highly anticipated one! Today, we are reflecting on the year that is about to end and sharing our hopes for 2026. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about what we want to leave in 2025, what we want to take with us into next year, our words for 2026, and more! From the best books we read this year to manifestation, this episode touches on it all. Thank you for your continued support of this podcast, and we can’t wait to see you next year!