Fertility Forward

About 30% of women with unexplained infertility are found to have endometriosis. While this condition is usually associated with severe pain during menstruation, it often goes undiagnosed, and about six to 10% of women are likely to suffer from it. Today on the Fertility Forward Podcast, we talk to Dr. Kimberley Thornton, a Reproductive Endocrinologist, Infertility Specialist, Obstetrician, and Gynecologist about everything ‘endometriosis’. She explains in detail what endometriosis is and how it affects the body. She describes what symptoms you may experience if you have it and how to get diagnosed. Later, she talks about how birth control and surgery can help, and whether or not surgery may be the best option for you. Even though 30 to 50% of women with endometriosis struggle with fertility, she explains that there is hope! Hear some helpful advice for women who have endometriosis or suspect they may have it, and discover some available treatment options for those who want to fall pregnant and those who just want to treat the symptoms.  

At some point, you have to realize that it is your life, and you have to do what you have to do to find your peace and your happiness. These are the words of Jenna Wolfe, who is today’s guest on Fertility Forward. Jenna is the host of First Things First, a daily morning sports talk show on FOX Sports 1, where she talks sports, adds a little comic relief, and sprinkles in the occasional Seinfeld reference. Before that, she was the first-ever lifestyle and fitness correspondent on NBC’s Today Show. Jenna wrote her first book, Thinner in Thirty, outlining a 30-day diet and fitness plan in her charismatic voice. She is a certified personal trainer, health and wellness expert, and motivational speaker, and when she’s not running, squatting, lunging, and bear-crawling a million miles an hour in one direction, she is usually happily doing it in another. Join us today as Jenna shares her own personal story and struggles through fertility, conception, pregnancy, and being a mom, not to mention working in a high-profile job and taking huge public steps to tell her truth. Tune in and enjoy!

There’s no difference between a pregnancy lost at six weeks than a pregnancy lost at 10 weeks, or later down the road. Any pregnancy loss, at any point, is damaging. It’s unexpected and carries weight, no matter where you are in your gestation. Our guest today is Dr. Tanmoy Mukherjee, a board-certified Gynecologist, and Reproductive Endocrinologist, and is the Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and co-director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York. He completed his residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. The author of numerous journal articles and textbook chapters, Dr. Mukherjee is also the recipient of the prestigious Society of Reproductive Surgeons Award, for his extensive research in ovum donation and medical therapy for the treatment of infertility. In addition to his expertise in invitro fertilization, egg donation, and other assisted reproductive techniques, Dr. Mukherjee excels in a wide array of medical and surgical treatments for the management of endometriosis, uterine abnormalities, abnormal uterine bleeding, and abnormalities of the fallopian tubes. He has lectured and written extensively on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions. Today on the Fertility Forward Podcast, we are going to talk about the topic of recurrent pregnancy loss. Tune in today for a jammed-packed episode with Dr. Mukherjee to hear all about miscarriages, causes, statistics, and the mental health aspect thereof. There’s so much information and the discussion is filled with snippets and advice that you don’t want to miss out on. So, stay tuned and enjoy!

Even though men contribute to more than 50% of instances of infertility, there is not the same culture around male fertility testing as there is around female fertility testing. Here to discuss this and many other topics around male reproductive health and fertility is the esteemed Dr. Natan Bar-Chama, Director of the Center of Male Reproductive Health at RMA of New York. He is a board-certified urologist and male infertility specialist and his practice is dedicated to the fields of male infertility and sexual medicine. He has published extensively and lectured throughout the world on these topics. Since 2005, Dr. Bar-Chama has been listed in New York Magazine’s Best Doctor list of urologists. In this episode, we discuss some of the positive changes around fertility testing which have been brought about by the pandemic. When men feel more at ease, they are more likely to get tested. Dr. Bar-Chama discusses what semen analysis entails and explains the process that would follow after receiving irregular results. Lifestyle impacts sperm tremendously and as Dr. Bar-Chama points out, research shows it also impacts children's health. Our conversation also touches on how Dr. Bar-Chama makes his patients feel comfortable through education and testing, some sperm-related myth-busting, and the aspects of your lifestyle that impact sperm. Male infertility issues are starting to become more openly spoken about, but we still have a way to go. We hope this discussion creates a space for these challenges to be addressed more openly. 

There are not many resources for males to assist them in supporting their partners undergoing fertility treatments. This can often lead to increased feelings of guilt, shame, and isolation. Today’s guest, Steve Moskowitz, is the other half of Rachel Hess, a guest on episode 39. Steve joins us to present the male perspective of what it is like to watch a partner go through treatments. As Steve highlights, many of us have been taught that getting pregnant is easy, when, in fact, different people experience varying levels of difficulty. So, when there are fertility struggles, it can be difficult to know where to turn for emotional support. Steve sheds light on how he supported Rachel emotionally and physically and what they learned from the journey. The couple is now expecting their first child. Steve acknowledges that while it has been challenging, it has strengthened them as individuals and as a couple because they had to communicate so openly. We also talk about the resources that could be out there for male partners and the power of sharing your struggles, dealing with miscarriage, and how families and friends can support those struggling with fertility. Fertility treatments are not easy physical or emotional undertakings, but as Steve points out, when it ends with you having a family, it is so, so worth it.   

Becoming an egg donor, or looking for one, can feel like a daunting task. Our guests on today’s show, Dara Berg and Melissa Brisman are here to provide some clarity around several common questions and concerns and hopefully quell your fears and give you the courage to embark on this journey. Dara explains the rigorous process involved in becoming an egg donor. While it is impossible to verify all of the information outside of their office, Dara has the utmost faith in her team’s ability to identify whether a potential donor is trustworthy or not. Melissa highlights the importance of lawyers and psychologists in the donor process; they are there to help, not to make things difficult. We also discuss the reasons that people choose to donate eggs, why some people are rejected as donors, the available options for choosing an egg donor, shared cycles versus non-shared cycles, the potential difficulties that can arise when receiving eggs from family members, and more! There is no one-size-fits-all approach to third-party reproduction, and RMA offers the support that you need to make this journey as smooth and fulfilling as possible. 

Today’s guest is a friend of RMA New York and someone whose name comes up often: attorney Melissa Brisman. Melissa first started helping couples become parents in 1996. Actually, she was her own first client, guiding and directing the process in which she and her husband became parents of twin boys and later a daughter, all carried by a gestational carrier. Attorney Brisman has been instrumental in creating the law in many states regarding naming genetic parents on the original birth certificates of their children delivered via surrogacy. Her expansive knowledge and experience have allowed her to create an agency staff that is prepared to successfully help parents build their families. Melissa is considered a true pioneer in this field, and advocates for changes in the law in this area, lecturing to physicians, potential parents, universities, and lawyers around the world. In this episode, Melissa addresses the fact that New York has recently legalized paid gestational surrogacy, and she explains the nuances and limitations of the law. She also has some advice for both parents and carriers going through this process and she talks through the financial costs and the toll it can take on one’s mental health. What stands out about this interview is Melissa’s practical approach and her emphasis on the importance of patience, gratitude, and kindness. Tune in today!

Undergoing cancer treatment can be incredibly difficult and is complicated even further when you have to consider how it impacts your fertility. Today’s guest, Jen Rhodes, faced this challenge when she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in June 2011, at just 26 years old. After her bilateral mastectomy, followed by a chemotherapy regimen known to have reproductivity toxicity, Jen was advised to consider freezing her eggs. In today’s episode, we talk about Jen’s recovery and what it was like having cancer so young. We then hear about the experience of freezing her eggs and what happened when she decided to start having children. Although it was disappointing having her eggs drop off during thawing, Jen bravely elected to pause her oral chemotherapy and undergo IVF. She talks about what this was like and shares a message of hope for those who may be going through similar struggles. Infertility treatment has its ups and downs, so it is important to trust your medical team and have faith that you will get through, just like Jen did!

For thousands of years, Chinese Medicine has been used to enhance fertility, improve sexual health, balance hormones, and regulate the menstrual cycle. Today’s guest is Dr. Daryl Thuroff from the Yinova Center to the Fertility Forward Podcast, who has spent the last 13 years honing her skills as a health care facilitator and educator. She has a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist, and is nationally certified as a Diplomat of Chinese Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Dr. Thuroff’s goal is to facilitate healing based on individualized treatment for physical conditions along with emotional stressors. Treatments often include acupuncture, massage therapy, and herbal medicine combinations to ensure optimal results. The focus of her work has evolved into the emotional origins of pain, stress management, women’s health, fertility, and pediatrics. Dr. Thuroff developed Yinova’s Reproductive Health Bodywork Program, alongside Yinova founder, Jill Blakeway. This comprehensive approach to bodywork was designed to help our patients build a good reproductive foundation that can improve fertility and treat conditions such as irregular cycles, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS, endometriosis, and more. Tune in today to hear all about Dr. Thuroff’s journey through different fields of practice, how she found Chinese Medicine, how she’s using it in fertility processes, and so much more! 

Many patients who discover they have fibroids often have a lot of fear associated with the diagnosis. The aim of all of these episodes is, as always, to put out reputable information. Today’s episode should help you feel a little bit less fearful and more understanding about what fibroids are, how they can be treated, and how it affects your fertility. Tuning in, you’ll hear from Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey of RMA of New York. Dr. Jackson-Bey is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist and board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who cares for patients at RMA of New York’s Brooklyn office. Her professional interests include physician-patient education, IVF outcome improvement, global public health, and mentoring underrepresented college and medical students on careers in medicine. Dr. Jackson-Bey is passionate about reproductive justice and increasing access to fertility care for all. She was recently appointed a member of the newly formed ASRM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce, which will enhance opportunities in reproductive medicine for underrepresented minority populations and reduce health disparities and access to care. She is a talented surgeon and dedicated fertility expert, who is focused on fertility preservation, IVF success, and great outcomes for her patients. As she dives into the topic of fibroids, she shares some knowledge around what they are, where they are located, factors associated with increased and decreased risk of uterine fibroids, possible treatments, and much more. Tune in today!