Fertility Horizons

Today, our journey takes us across the Atlantic Ocean to the dramatic landscapes of Iceland! In a small nation with a population of around 400,000, almost 8% of all children born in the country are conceived with help from Livio Reykjavík. In this field report, we step inside the clinic to explore how a thriving fertility center operates in a small, isolated community. We meet with Medical Director Snorri Einarsson, embryologist Steinunn Thorsteinsdottir, to talk about Nordic egg retrieval methods, PGT-A genetic testing, social egg freezing, and Snorri’s ground-breaking study on obesity and fertility.

In this episode: Emma Karling – midwife and show host

Carolina Tristen – fertility doctor

Snorri Einarsson – Medical Director at Livio Reykjavík

Steinunn Thorsteinsdottir – embryologist at Livio Reykjavík

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Photos and graphics by Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our last episode, we heard Timo’s story about taking a DNA test for fun, only to discover over 50 secret half-siblings. Eggs and sperm are traded and shipped across international borders every single day. But what actually happens when there are no laws or regulations regarding donations? In this episode, we dive into the global donor business, comparing the regulations between egg and sperm donation, and highlighting the critical lack of cross-border tracking. We are joined in our Stockholm studio by embryologist and Director of Research at Livio, Aisling Ahlström, to discuss donor families, commercial DNA testing, and how to create a safer, more transparent future for everyone involved.

In this episode: Emma Karling – midwife and show host

Carolina Tristen – fertility doctor

Aisling Ahlström – embryologist and Director of Research at Livio

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Photos and graphics by Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Timo bought a casual DNA test for fun at age 39, he expected to learn about his Viking roots. Instead, he uncovered a life-altering secret: he was donor-conceived, and part of a massive, hidden sibling network. In this season premiere, we step inside a story about commercial DNA testing, identity, and what happens when an unregulated past collides with the present. We meet up with Timo to talk about ethics, honesty, and the emotional impact of uncovering 54 half-siblings—and counting.

In this episode: Emma Karling – midwife and show host

Carolina Tristen – fertility doctor

Timo Ramu – donor-conceived and author

Follow Timo:

Substack: timoramu.substack.com

Instagram: @timomittimo

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Photos and graphics by Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us on a visit to Brilliant Beginnings in London, UK to talk about one of the most controversial subjects in the field - surrogacy! While offering wonderful opportunities for struggling couples to become biological parents, this method is widely questioned and debated all over the world. We meet up with surrogate mother Laura, and Stephen who became a dad through surrogacy, and who both went on to work for Brilliant Beginnings. 

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

Laura Clarke - surrogate mother at Brilliant beginnings

Stephen Ashe - father through surrogacy at Brilliant beginnings

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sarah runs a boutique fertility practice in central London, UK. She is passionate about spreading awareness about fertility in general, and also tells us about how small establishments like hers can work in parallel with the larger fertility clinics, in order to shorten the wait for families to get treatment. 

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

Dr Sarah J Matthews - gynecologist and fertility specialist

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicitas is a privately run chain of fertility clinics in Helsinki. Dr Merja and embryologist Jorge tell us about how things are done in Finland, and give us the pros and cons of genetic screening and PGT-A. 

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

Dr Merja Tuomi-Nikula - gynecologist Felicitas

Jorge Gomez - Embryologist Felicitas 

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Ernesto Bosch is a legend within the fertility industry, being one of the leading fertility specialists in Europe. We talk to him and his colleague Maria about their operations at IVI Valencia in Spain. A huge organization operating all over the world, and focusing not only on fertility treatment, but on research as well. 

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

Dr Ernesto Bosch - fertility specialist IVI

Maria José de los Santos - head of laboratories IVI

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cryos Interational is one of the largest sperm banks in the world, serving more than 100 countries worldwide. Suzanne takes care of their Nordic clients, and she gives us a tour of the facilities. We also get to talk to Emma about her experiences of being donor conceived, and how she spreads awareness under the name Donorchild.  

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

Suzanne - head of Nordics, Cryos International

Emma Groenbaek - Donorchild 

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Japan is a country struggling with low birthrates and an aging population. In a society where work ethics and personal privacy is highly valued the question of fertility isn’t necessarily at the center of the conversation. Dr Ishikawa shows us around Reproduction clinic Tokyo, and we have a conversation with two Japanese women about their personal choices regarding building a family.

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

Dr Tomomoto Ishikawa - CEO and reproduction specialist, Reproduction clinic Tokyo

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To start off our tour of fertility clinics around the world, we take a look at how it is done here in our home town - Stockholm. The IVF facilities at Sophiahemmet was one of the first IVF clinics to open in Sweden, and Carolina takes us on a tour!

We draw the map of fertility treatment as we know it, before setting out on our journey in search for different paths to parenthood.

In this episode:

Emma Karling - midwife and showhost

Carolina Tristen - fertility doctor

This production is made at Beppo

Sound design and editing by Erland Karling

Scriptwriting Susanna Lewenhaupt

Photos and graphics Anneli Nygårds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.