Happy Tuesday! Today we welcome Alexa and Kevin to our show to speak about their 6 year fertility journey. Alexa is a former professional violinist who now teaches Pilates. Kevin is an accomplished composer of classical music, whose works have been played and broadcast around the world. He is also an aspiring writer. They have welcomed a baby boy to the world and we congratulate them! Four months after giving birth to their son, Robin, they embarked on yet another journey – one in which Alexa donated part of her liver to save Robin’s life, and we'll speak about this today as well.

You can connect with Alexa and Kevin on Instagram:
Alexa https://www.instagram.com/alexa.wilks.lau/
Kevin https://www.instagram.com/kevinwilkslau_composer/ 

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

On today's episode we welcome Tom and Alexie to our show. Many of you know Alexie very well from her very popular Instagram account @wearethereillys (formerly @epicquest4babyreilly) and you may feel like you already know their journey so well, but we're going to get in depth about it. We speak about their 6 year fertility journey, the various clinics they went to and the many treatments that they tried. Tom and Alexie also get real with us about the emotional rollercoaster and what it means to take a break sometimes and to take time to focus on their own relationship. 

You can connect with Alexie on Instagram @wearethereillys (formerly @epicquest4babyreilly) and Tom on Instagram @partner_in_fertility. We previously hosted Tom on the podcast on EP49: Tom's story: Navigating a fertility journey as a male partner – support, resources & advocacy.

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

Welcome back superhumans! We are so glad that you're joining us today for another episode of My Fertility podcast. The topic for this episode has been very wildly requested. We're going to talk about Frozen embryo transfers, otherwise known as FETs.

If you're interested in learning about fresh embryo transfers, please refer back to EP67: Fresh embryo transfers (ET) Part 1: The procedure, timelines, the pro & cons. 

You may also be interested in:
EP14: IVF Part 1: Let's talk about IVF
EP20: IVF Part 2: Risks related to the egg producer, pregnancy, & baby
EP30: PGT-A
EP36: PGT-M
EP54: IVF Part 3: IVF add-ons/adjuvant therapies to improve egg quality and embryo quality
EP58: IVF Part 4: Low dose IVF or mini IVF, is it right for you?

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

Let's talk about fresh embryo transfers (ET), of course, a key step in many fertility journeys: how they work and what you can expect, timelines, the science behind them, the pros, the cons, and the challenges that come with fresh embryo transfers. 

Now, if you are interested in hearing about frozen embryo transfer (FET) – stay tuned for a series on this topic coming out soon! 

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

Today we welcome Jessica Chalk, Founder of myStoria to our show.  Jessica speaks to us openly about her 6 year fertility journey and how her experience led her to where she is today. She founded the myStoria to give patients the support, knowledge and tools to take charge of their fertility – transforming their journey into a patient-centered and empowering one. This is a conversation that you don't want to miss!

Guest Bio:
Jessica Chalk is a serial entrepreneur, patient advocate, and a passionate voice for change in the fertility world. After six years of failed treatments, emotional ups and downs, and over $100,000 spent out-of-pocket, Jessica turned her personal struggle into purpose — founding myStoria to help other patients feel less alone and more in control on their fertility journey. Before launching myStoria, Jessica built and sold a successful company. She’s been named Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Alumna of the Year, and completed the Entrepreneurial Masters Program at MIT through the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). She also serves on several boards, including the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Lazaridis School of Business, and is deeply committed to giving back through community work.

At her core, Jessica is someone who believes no one should have to navigate fertility care in the dark. She’s now on a mission to arm patients with the tools, information, and support she wished she had – creating a movement to bring more compassion, accountability, and clarity to fertility care.

Learn more about Jessica and myStoria:
Instagram @JessicalChalk
Instagram @myStoriaFertility
Website https://www.mystoria.com/ 

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

Today we welcome back Courtney and Aparnaa to speak about the importance of pelvic floor health in pregnancy and postpartum – this is a must listen – you can thank us later! Check out EP45 for the topic of pelvic physio treatments and the impact of vaginismus on fertility.

Courtney is a Physiotherapist who works at Cornerstone Physiotherapy in Richmond Hill.  She has been working as a Physiotherapist for over 15years and in the specialization of Pelvic Physiotherapy for 10.  She loves working with all sorts of pelvic conditions including: incontinence, pelvic pain, vaginismus and helping women prepare their bodies for birth.  She finds it truly rewarding to get patients back to meaningful life activities and/or living a better quality of life.

Aparnaa is a Physiotherapist at Cornerstone Physiotherapy in Richmond Hill, specializing in pelvic health. With 2 years of experience, she treats both male and female patients with varying pelvic floor conditions and supports those preparing for childbirth. As a CrossFit athlete, Aparnaa loves teaching patients how to engage their pelvic floor during exercise without the fear of weakening it, helping them incorporate pelvic health into their fitness routines. She is dedicated to restoring function, improving quality of life, and supporting her patients in achieving their goals—whether it’s overcoming pain, preparing for childbirth, or enhancing performance.

Social Links:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CornerstonePhysio
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cornerstonephysio
Website https://cornerstonephysio.com/ 

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

On today's episode we are joined by Zane. He is a keen relationship builder and he lives and breathes political outreach and fertility advocacy. Having spent years working at Queens Park, he now works in government relations consulting for one of Canada's premier boutique firms.

Together with his wife, they launched the blog, Not my Yummy but I'm still Mummy in 2021 to chronicle their journey to building a family with the help of a gestational surrogate. Their daughter, Scottie, was born in July of 2023, and they are now in the midst of a sibling journey. For his work in advocating for equitable parent leave and ensuring Canada’s latest Time-to-Attach legislation included parents by surrogacy, Zane was named Fertility Matters Canada 2003 Change Maker of the Year. Zane is the proud Board Member of Conceivable Dreams - this is Ontario's fertility patient advocacy organization and was the champion behind Ontario's announcement to triple the funding for their fertility program and introduce a $5,000 fertility tax credit.

You can follow;
Baden and Zane on Instagram @notmytummy
Scottie's Law https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-43/session-1/bill-229
Conceivable Dreams website https://conceivabledreams.org/
Conceivable Dreams on Instagram @conceivedreams

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

June is Pride Month – a time to celebrate, uplift and advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. At Markham Fertility Centre we are proud to support individuals and couples of all gender identities and sexual orientations on their journey to building a family. Whether through donor sperm, donor eggs, reciprocal IVF, surrogacy fertility preservation, we are committed to removing barriers, honouring diverse family structures, and ensuring every patient is seen, heard, and respected. Love makes a family and we're here for all of them. 

Today we welcome Laine to our show! Laine Halpern Zisman, PhD is a certified Fertility Support Practitioner and Full Spectrum Doula, helping people navigate all stages of their perinatal journeys. She's currently the director of training and education at Birthmark and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria.

Laine is also the author of Conceivable: A Guide to Making 2SLGBTQ+ Family. You may purchase this book at your local bookstore or online bookstore.

Connect with Laine;
Instagram @ConceivableFamilies
Website: https://www.lainehalpernzisman.com
Dr. Laine Halpern Zisman (she/her) | M.A., M.F.A, PhD 
Adjunct Assistant Professor  | Full Spectrum Doula  |  Fertility Support Practitioner  

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

That's right – we're starting a series of WTF appointments that cover scenarios where you and your doctor are thinking "WTF happened?!". Today we cover WTF: You get less eggs than expected at your egg retrieval and talk through the reasons why this can be the case. 

You may also be interested in:
EP02: The menstrual cycle
EP33: The impact of decreased ovarian reserve (DOR) on fertility and IVF treatments

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com

We're back with another "I'm pregnant, now what?" series topic. Today we discuss nausea, medications, nutrition, exercise, weight & cats(!). Are you enjoying this series? Drop us a review, comment or DM on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast

You may also be interested in:
EP55: I'm pregnant, now what? Part 1: Initial testing, vitamins & diet
EP45: Pelvic physiotherapy treatments and vaginismus explained with Courtney and Aparnaa from Cornerstone Physiotherapy

Follow us on Instagram @myfertilitypodcast, YouTube @MyFertilityPodcast, or reach out to us at [email protected]
Visit Markham Fertility Centre at markhamfertility.com