Fertility Forward

We tend to use the terms jealousy and envy synonymously, but there’s a distinct difference between the two. Today’s guest is Dr. Lauren Appio, a licensed psychologist in the state of New York, who explains why this distinction can be important. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Appio about jealousy and envy and what exactly the difference is. We also discuss how to find balance when socializing while on a fertility journey, and how to honor and respect the feelings that may come up while trying to conceive. Dr. Appio goes on to shares with us some practical techniques for loving ourselves, dealing with painful emotions, and reducing stress at times when that may seem like it’s impossible. Tune in to find out more!

Struggling with infertility, miscarriage, or loss is incredibly difficult, and feeling isolated can often compound those difficult feelings. While it’s so important to have a support system, it can be hard to reach out to those closest to you, especially if they have not dealt with the same issues. Elyse Ash, our guest today, and founder of Fruitful Fertility is working to create connections to help people struggling with infertility. The platform pairs mentors, who have come out the other end of an infertility struggle, with mentees who are currently struggling with the issue. In this episode, we learn about some of the benefits of using this platform. For mentors, it gives them a chance to pay it forward and share their story, while for mentees, they can connect with someone who is not going to judge them. Elyse sheds light on how her own infertility struggles were the catalyst to create the platform. As an extrovert, she felt isolated, so she couldn’t imagine what others with less of a support system must have been going through. 

Despite being responsible for nearly half of all cases of couples' fertility struggles, men are largely left out of the equation. There are a plethora of resources for women, from educational material to psychological support, yet very few of the same support systems exist for men. Along with this, going to a male fertility clinic can be a vulnerable experience, leaving men feeling exposed. Our guest today, Greg Sommer, is the co-founder of Sandstone Diagnostics, a Bay Area diagnostics company that develops sophisticated wellness products that allow consumers to measure, monitor, and improve key health markers at home. 

Dr. Bojana Jankovic Weatherly is an award-winning physician, and double board-certified in internal and integrative medicine. After completing an internal medicine residency, she did a fellowship in integrative medicine, trained in functional medicine, nutrition, and mindfulness. Her approach is rooted in evidence-based medicine that is personalized to each individual she works with. She partners with her patients to discover and address the root causes of their conditions and develops individualized plans to support and empower each individual to achieve her or his health goals. She has a specific passion for working with women who have various thyroid conditions, and in this episode, Dr. Bojana gives us a fascinating and insightful Thyroid 101 lesson.

Being a fertility nurse is not an easy job. You often have to see patients go through great difficulties while remaining a positive, upbeat presence in their lives. The upside, however, is that you get to build great relationships with them, and you have the chance to pass on some of the best news they could ever receive. Eliza Ferstendig, a fertility nurse at RMA New York, is an extraordinary person whose passion for her job is contagious. She has been in the position for five years and doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. In this episode, we pull back the curtain to get an inside look into a fertility clinic and a day in the life of a fertility nurse. Eliza shares how she found the profession, despite having an initial aversion to anything science-related. She could not have dreamed up a more fulfilling career and feels grateful to have found her calling.

Margaret Daneyko currently serves as our Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at RMA of New York. With her 25 years of experience in women’s health, she is an expert voice when it comes to fertility-related operations and care. In this episode, we look behind the scenes at a fertility clinic, discussing empathic burnout and other challenges fertility nurses face; improving patient care; and the awkward waiting room setting. Almost every little girl dreams about becoming a mother one day and never questions whether that would be possible, yet fertility clinics help countless women who face the reality of infertility. This process can be overwhelming, but patients must remain open to all possible avenues that may lead to the desired result.

Teresa Cacchione is a board-certified genetic counselor at RMA of New York who guides patients on several genetics-related concerns such as cytogenetic anomalies, carrier screening, family history concerns, and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) of embryos, including single-gene disorders, aneuploidy, and structural rearrangements. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the topic of genetic testing, including the rapid evolution of the field over the last decade, and as you will hear from Tereasa, science has truly come a long way to help individuals optimize their chances of conceiving. She explains to listeners what PGT broadly involves and then gets into the different variations – PGT-A and PGT-M. She also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of 23andMe home testing, why eggs and sperm are near impossible to test for viability, the conditions that are typically screened for, the new research around mosaicism, and how testing science is impacting the world population.

Infertility is related to the body, which means that it deals with one of our most basic human needs. As long as you are struggling with it emotionally, it will have knock-on effects and hamper your ability to fully work on other parts of your life. Joanna Flemons, our guest today, is a seasoned Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been in the field since 1998. She runs Highlands Ranch Counseling and Coaching and specializes in individual, family, couple counseling, and Highlands Ranch relationship counseling. Additionally, she is a Certified Professional Coach, helping people personally and professionally. Having worked in the infertility space for numerous years, her work seeks to provide clinical validation and a roadmap for those suffering. She has even authored a book, Infertility, and PTSD: The Uncharted Storm, which we highly recommend to anyone going through trauma around infertility. In this episode, we learn more about what PTSD is and how it relates to infertility. Joanna sheds light on some of the symptoms that can manifest when the body perceives an active threat. As PTSD is a stress disorder, it means that the body does not feel safe, which can then collide with other issues. Joana also talks about different kinds of trauma and how it’s difficult for our bodies to get ‘rid’ of recurrent trauma.

Joining us today is Lori Metz, a licensed clinical social worker, and certified case manager who is also board certified in tele-mental-health and the host of her own podcast. Lori has adopted a positive psychology approach that includes mindfulness and cognitive behavioral health in partnering with her patients in an optimistic, goal-oriented manner, and embraces the idea that each of us has a unique path. In this episode, you will learn more about the importance of communicating and seeking support throughout the fertility journey and how to use mindfulness techniques to aid emotional regulation. There are so many complex and conflicting emotions involved in the process of getting fertility treatment and pregnancy and therefore it is important to seek any means possible to make the journey a bit easier on both partners.

Eastern medicine offers many unique diagnostic techniques and treatments to patients embarking on their fertility journey. We were fortunate to speak about some of these on the show today with Miriam Pineles who is a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine that specializes in women’s health concerns and perinatal health in particular. Miriam is the founder of Conscious Health and Wellness Inc. in Manhattan, is a diplomat in Oriental medicine, and has studied under well-respected practitioners such as Dr. Richard Tan, Robert Doane, Dr. Jimmy Chang, and Heather Bruce.