Fertility Forward

What if slowing down is not something you earn after burnout, but a practice you can begin in seconds? In this episode, Rena and Dara welcome meditation teacher and retreat facilitator Carlos Diaz. His work combines meditation, mindfulness, conscious living, and personal transformation to help people slow down, gain clarity, and reconnect with themselves. In their conversation, they explore how simple, consistent practices can bring the benefits of a calm nervous system into everyday life. They discuss why effort and consistency matter when building a sustainable wellness practice, how small choices can create more space for stillness, and how recognizing what adds or releases tension can support a more intentional way of living. Carlos also shares the deeply personal turning point that led him to self-love and meditation, clears up a common misconception about quieting the mind, and guides listeners through an accessible meditation practice. Tune in to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and discover how even a few intentional breaths can begin to shift your day! 

PCOS has a new name, but what does that actually mean for patients? In this episode, Dr. Kimberley Thornton, reproductive endocrinologist at RMA of New York, explains why polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) and why the change better reflects the condition. She clarifies what has changed, what hasn't, and how the new terminology may reduce confusion and lead to earlier diagnosis. Dr. Thornton breaks down the current diagnostic criteria for PMOS, its metabolic and hormonal features, and why irregular ovulation affects fertility. She also addresses common misconceptions, including why not everyone with PMOS has ovarian cysts, and reviews treatment options ranging from lifestyle changes and medications to fertility treatments. Discover what this updated definition means for patients and fertility care! 

How do we bridge the gap between Eastern and Western medicine and create a holistic approach to patient care in order to get the best possible fertility results? Today on Fertility Forward, we welcome the founder of NYC Acupuncture + Wellness, Dr. Ting Wu, to discuss her integrative East Asian medicine approach to women’s health, fertility, and reproductive wellness. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how research and perception of East Asian medicine have changed over the last decade, her unique approach to HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal) axis and how it helps with fertility issues, and more! We delve into how Dr. Wu is working to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western medicine within her patient care and the power of collaboration, before discussing the importance of listening to your own body above anything else when it comes to your health. Our guest even challenges us to do an internal audit of our lives. Finally, and as always, we all talk about what we are grateful for today. Thanks for listening!  

What if the biggest barrier to building a family is not medical, but financial? In this episode, Angela Rastegar, CEO and co-founder of Sunfish, joins the conversation to share how her own fertility journey inspired her to create a company designed to help patients better navigate the financial and logistical challenges of fertility care. Angela opens up about spending more than $50,000 out of pocket on her own treatments and explains how that experience revealed major gaps in fertility care that extend beyond the clinical side. The conversation explores how Sunfish helps patients manage the financial realities of fertility care, better understand insurance coverage, access personalized planning tools, and receive support throughout every stage of family building. The episode also dives into the emotional weight of fertility treatment, the need for more personalized care, and why having better guidance before and during treatment can make all the difference. Join us for an insightful conversation about reimagining fertility care and how Sunfish is helping reshape the patient journey. 

Imagine living with debilitating pain for years, only to be told it’s “just a normal period,” before discovering that endometriosis and adenomyosis have been affecting your body all along. In this episode of Fertility Forward, Dr. Zoran Pavlovic (Dr. Z) joins Rena to unpack these complex inflammatory conditions and explain why they require far more than hormone-based treatment alone. Together, they discuss the key differences between endometriosis and adenomyosis, as well as the two primary treatment approaches: excision surgery and lesion burning. Dr. Z also explores the role of dynamic ultrasounds in accurate diagnosis, how long-term oral contraceptive use may impact these conditions, and why building a multidisciplinary care team is essential. Most importantly, he offers hope, encouraging patients to advocate for themselves and emphasizing that with early intervention and proper care, building a family is absolutely possible. Thanks for listening! 

Infertility can be isolating, but sharing the story can help people feel less alone. In this episode of Fertility Forward, Rena and Dara sit down with Erin Bulcao, a wife, mother of three, and content creator. In their conversation, Erin shares how she discovered she was not ovulating in her twenties, the steps to getting pregnant with triplets after intrauterine insemination (IUI), making the difficult decision to have a medical reduction, and later going through years of failed transfers and miscarriage before welcoming her youngest daughter. She also talks about her marriage, therapy, friendship, and the pressure of trying to live normally while going through fertility treatment. They also delve into how infertility can affect relationships, why support looks different for everyone, and how honest conversations can create connection. Hear about Erin’s current content around motherhood, women’s health, perimenopause, and normalizing the conversations many people are still afraid to have. Tune in for insights into navigating infertility, resilience, friendship, and the value of being open about the hard parts of life with Erin Bulcao. 

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!