Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART

Today, Ali talks Aaron and MJ, who are married and also co-authored the book, "Men and Miscarriage: A Dad's Guide to Grief, Relationships and Healing After Loss." Aaron and MJ get allll into it, including how men don't know how to express their feelings around miscarriage, infertility and loss; their devastating loss of a baby at almost 17 weeks due to Sirenomelia, also known as mermaid syndrome; and how, when they went to terminate the pregnancy for medical reasons, they were faced with very outspoken anti-choice protestors. They also talk about the PTSD of infertility, their five or six total losses, and how they feel today, with three healthy boys. 

Topics covered in this episode:

Infertility; marital issues surrounding loss, grief and infertility: Sirenomelia or mermaid syndrome; termination for medical reasons or TFMR; miscarriage; recurrent miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss; PTSD; Chron's Disease; fertility support. 

Episode sponsors: 

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, Ali talks to the Today Show's Sheinelle Jones about her own fertility journey and her devastating miscarriage—and her new documentary, "The Stories We Tell: The Fertility Secret," which airs tonight on MSNBC. 

Episode sponsors: 

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally

PREMAMA

Premama creates doctor-backed supplements that support every stage of your maternity wellness journey. Premama Fertility support for Her is the #1 selling over the counter fertility supplement for women trying to conceive. All Premama supplements are gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan or vegetarian, with no additives and no synthetic flavors. Discover why moms (and dads-to-be!) trust Premama wellness for their nutritional support from preconception to postpartum by visiting Premamawellness.com. You can get your first month supply free when you subscribe to any Premama product for a limited time!

PROOV

Proov’s Predict and Confirm kit allows women to predict ovulation and confirm high quality ovulation to help them get pregnant faster. And now, the free Proov Insight app takes your hormone knowledge one step further by providing numeric hormone levels, info about what they mean, and personalized action plans to help you reach your fertility goals faster! Proov also offers an entire suite of at-home hormone tests and hormone supporting products to empower you with the right information on your journey. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first order of a Predict & Confirm kit, Confirm PdG tests, Balancing Oil and Luteal Love.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Not all of these stories end with babies. And this is one of those stories. Today, Ali talks to Jody, @childless_and_confident, who, after being diagnosed with early menopause at 37 or 38, decided she did not want to pursue fertility treatments to have children. Instead, she pivoted to embrace a life without children. "I need to help people find a path that shows them that there are great things to experience, and there's great happiness to pursue, and just because you don't have a child doesn't mean your life isn't complete," she says.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; early menopause; NOT pursuing IVF or ART; societal pressures of having children; embracing a childfree life; relationship and marriage issues; what to say to someone who asks why you don't have children; how adoption in Australia is "deeply expensive,"; egg donation; grief; living out "Plan B Fabulous." 

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today's guest, Stephanie, has been through it all during her infertility journey, including unexplained infertility, a daughter who ended up in the NICU and had to have brain surgery; a natural pregnancy that had to be terminated for medical reasons, and 10 IVF transfers. Ten! You read that correctly. Now about to give birth again, Stephanie recalls everything she's been through--and why she wants to help people everywhere by sharing her incredible story. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; infertility trauma; IVF; brain surgery; NICU babies; NICU trauma; egg retrievals; Trisomy 21; termination for medical reasons; infertility triggers; infant and baby loss; pregnancy loss; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility; natural pregnancy; relationship and marriage issues; breast cancer; the "random crapshoot" of infertility. 

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, Ali talks to entrepreneur, creative director of Poppington, author (of the children's book, "Dusko Goes to Space") and infertility advocate Raquel Horn about the years-long fertility journey she went through with her fiance, music mogul Damon Dash. Raquel and Damon have been through a tremendous amount as they've tried to expand their family, from going vegan, embracing acupuncture and doing IUIs, to going through IVF and experiencing the heartbreaking late term pregnancy loss of their baby daughter--after Raquel's baby shower was on TV. Raquel is an open book about her entire roller coaster of a journey, including how they grieved, when and why they decided to try again, and what it was REALLY like to finally become pregnant with and become parents to baby Dusko, their now one-year-old son. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; infertility trauma; IVF; IUIs and unsuccessful IUIs; acupuncture; normalizing the infertility conversation; blasting taboos; uterine polyps; holistic care; Clomid; egg retrievals; mock cycles; infertility triggers; pregnancy arthritis; Covid; late term loss; baby loss; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility; baby blues; postpartum anxiety. 

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally

PREMAMA

Premama creates doctor-backed supplements that support every stage of your maternity wellness journey. Premama Fertility support for Her is the #1 selling over the counter fertility supplement for women trying to conceive. All Premama supplements are gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan or vegetarian, with no additives and no synthetic flavors. Discover why moms (and dads-to-be!) trust Premama wellness for their nutritional support from preconception to postpartum by visiting Premamawellness.com. You can get your first month supply free when you subscribe to any Premama product for a limited time!

RECEPTIVA DX

The ReceptivaDX test can help couples struggling with unexplained infertility. It can help identify endometriosis before an embryo transfer, and has the potential to save women the stress, anxiety, and cost of multiple failed IVF attempts. Learn more at receptivadx.com or download the ReceptivaDX app.

ELAN HEALTHCARE

Ovofolic from Elan Healthcare is an inositol combination that helps manage PCOS. It helps regulate the menstrual cycle, improve ovulation, improve mood and sleep, balance hormones and overcome insulin resistance in women with PCOS. Infertile AF listeners get 20% off using the code ‘ALISON20’ at checkout. https://elanhealthcare.ca/discount/ALISON20

PROOV

Proov’s Predict and Confirm kit allows women to predict ovulation and confirm high quality ovulation to help them get pregnant faster. And now, the free Proov Insight app takes your hormone knowledge one step further by providing numeric hormone levels, info about what they mean, and personalized action plans to help you reach your fertility goals faster! Proov also offers an entire suite of at-home hormone tests and hormone supporting products to empower you with the right information on your journey. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first order of a Predict & Confirm kit, Confirm PdG tests, Balancing Oil and Luteal Love.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, Jacqueline, who has always wanted to tell her story on a fertility podcast, is checking that goal off her list. She starts by telling Ali about her husband's battle with kidney cancer, and the very interesting, very lucky way his cancer was discovered. Then she explains how male factor infertility came into play (in the form of low sperm count), what happened when she went through IVF, the extreme anxiety of pregnancy after IVF, and, after having two babies, the moral dilemma of having more embryos on ice. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; infertility trauma; IVF; IUI; hyperstimulation; kidney cancer; male factor infertility; low sperm count; normalizing the infertility conversation; traumatic pregnancy; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility; self-care; frozen embryos. 

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally 

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tara Brandner is a nurse practitioner, an infertility warrior and a full-time fertility coach. Like so many of you, she's endured a long road through infertility, followed by infertility treatments and a traumatic pregnancy. Today, she talks to Ali about all the things, including feeling lonely and confused, making a shift to a "not healthy mental space", why she left a clinic after her doctor said something really rude to her; her unexplained infertility; finally being diagnosed with endometriosis; why it's important for everyone to feel like they can trust their doctor and their clinic; the fear of pregnancy after infertility, and how she was life-flighted after a massive bleed at 32 weeks. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; infertility trauma; IVF; IUI; fertility coaching; miscarriage and loss; endometriosis; the power of community; traumatic pregnancy; anxiety during pregnancy after infertility; self-care. 

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrally

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. Doors open the 1st of every month. See more on our IG @fertilityrally 

VIOS Fertility Institute, @viosfertility

Vios is a different fertility clinic experience built on a foundation of patient-centered care, evidence-based medicine, and innovative technology. With clinic locations throughout Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis, the Vios Fertility Institute team understands the challenges of infertility. To learn more about Vios Fertility Institute and schedule your first appointment, visit ViosFertility.com.

BELI, @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is the story of two sisters who each have their own infertility journeys—but they are also very much intertwined. Both Emily and Katie had one child, and then, in 2019, their world was rocked when Emily was diagnosed with appendix cancer. After a surgery that took her ovaries, Katie donated her eggs to her sister, Emily, so she could try for her second kid. And then a lot more happened after that. Today, Ali gets the entire story from these two incredible sisters. Grab the tissues because this story is beautiful, and heartbreaking, and also a true testament of love and the incredible bond between two sisters. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Cancer, appendix cancer, IVF, failed transfers, miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, anxiety and intense emotions, egg donation, egg donation between family members, fresh transfers, FETs, the intense bond of sisterhood, pregnancy after loss, being in the thick of infertility.  

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com -- it's just $199/annually or $19.99/month! See IG @fertilityrally for even more info. 

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, Ali talks to Nicole, who is still in the middle of what she calls her "infertility puzzle," -- with no baby yet. Nicole shares what she's been through so far, including not being able to get pregnant naturally, starting with IUI because she wasn't yet ready for IVF, a chemical pregnancy, getting those "big, fat, negative" pregnancy tests and the devastation of her two unsuccessful transfers. She also talks about how difficult it is to explain infertility to your parents and family, how she handled her emotions being "all over the place," why she found it so important to take a break from treatment, and asking herself, "Am I gonna ever get pregnant?"

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Endometriosis, IUI, IVF, failed transfers, chemical pregnancy, anxiety and intense emotions, taking a break, questioning one's body

EPISODE SPONSORS

FERTILITY RALLY

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com -- our doors are open through November 7th for just $19.99/month!

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ashley has been a surrogate to three babies and has three kiddos of her own, and today, she talks to Ali about what it's really like to be a surrogate: Why does someone do it, What are the logistics, Where does one even begin? She also talks about the difference being a surrogate for a same sex couple and a couple that has gone through infertility. Then, she answers frequently asked questions about the surrogacy process--some of which may surprise you.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Surrogacy; becoming a surrogate or a gestational carrier; the anxiety of pregnancy after loss; surrogacy via agency and not via agency; same sex family building; surrogacy after infertility; intended parents. 

EPISODE SPONSORS: 

FERTILITY RALLY 

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com -- our annual rate is just $109 until November 1!

FIRST REPUBLIC

With a best-in-class banking app that allows you to bank anywhere, anytime, and a dedicated personal banker when you need one-on-one service, First Republic is uniquely positioned to offer the best of both worlds. With this combination of personal attention and convenience, it’s no wonder that First Republic Bank has a client satisfaction rating, two times the industry average.

So whether you’re opening a Personal Line of Credit or planning for your retirement, you can count on First Republic to be there for you, every step of the way. Visit FirstRepublic.com today to learn more. That’s FirstRepublic.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.'

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

Support this podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infertileaf

https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy