This month, December 2021, IVF turns 40. Or, more specifically, Elizabeth Carr, the first US IVF baby, turns 40.  

Making headline news in 1981, Elizabeth was known as a “test tube” baby. The Washington Post coverage at the time said that the test tube baby, "is the first successful product of a 21 month old in-vitro fertilization program that literally fertilizes human eggs in plastic dishes at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. Both the baby and our mother Judith Carr, a 28 year old Westminster Mass school teacher leader were pronounced perfectly healthy. 'The baby cried right away. And that was very reassuring', said Dr. Mason Andrews who performed the cesarean. 'It was a relief to know this was a “normal” baby'."

Elizabeth was, in fact, healthy and “normal”; but nothing about the attention she received as an early "science baby" was normal.

On this episode, Andrea sits down with Elizabeth to talk about what it was like to grow up knowing she was created in a lab, what she has seen change in the world of reproduction during her lifetime, and what she hopes the future holds not only for her, but for the future of fertility. 

This episode is brought to you by First Response™, America’s most trusted Pregnancy Test Brand.* First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test can tell you 6 days sooner than your missed period.** 

*Voted 'most trusted Pregnancy Test brand"  by American shoppers based on the 2020 BrandSpark® American Trust Study.

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To many SoulCycle riders and fans, Master Instructor Emma Zaks looks like the model of good health as she inspires people in her weekly classes to live up to their fullest potential. Others know Emma from her time on Broadway, following in her parents footsteps.

What some of her fans and followers may not know is that Emma is also a stroke survivor and an infertility advocate. Navigating her undiagnosed autoimmune disease in her early 30s & and now struggling to conceive with her husband, popular child actor Geoffrey Wigdor, has inspired Emma to speak out and use her voice to advocate for change, so other people navigating confusing and upsetting health diagnoses like these don't feel as unsupported and alone. 

This episode is supported by Donor Egg Bank USA, the only egg bank in America with the 100% Assured Refund Plan™  guaranteeing that you'll bring home a baby or you'll receive your money back. To lean more, visit www.donoreggbankusa.com

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Nia Sanchez, Miss USA 2014, never thought she'd have a fertility issue as she was young and healthy when she and her husband, actor Daniel Booko, started trying to conceive in 2019. To their surprise, they were diagnosed with 'unexplained infertility' and pursued fertility treatments, all the while finding ways to support each other through the tough experience. 

On this episode we explore why it's a fallacy that women of Latin descent are always fertile, why what you see isn't always what you get when it comes to getting or staying pregnant, and how infertility brought Nia and Daniel even closer. 

The two are in the public eye and are now public about their fertility journey and their excitement to welcome a baby this fall. 

Today's episode is presented by First Response Pregnancy and their new Comfort Check Pregnancy Test Kit, which includes 8 pregnancy tests so you can test early & often. The 3 First Response™ Early Test Result Tests and 5 First Response™ Pregnancy Test Strips means more ways to test and be certain of your result.

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If you saw Krisily Fernstrom on Instagram today, you'd see a woman going through infertility and egg retrievals quote, “hoping, praying and waiting” to become a mom.

IVF warrior is in her bio, along with TV host, Movie Critic and Miss Rhode Island USA. She was also a contestant on The Bachelor and the popular reality show spinoff, The Bachelor Pad.

Some people may remember her as Krisily Kennedy, from Charlie O'Connell's season, when she was runner-up and considered by some as 'the most hated woman in America'!

Her no B.S, candid tell-it-like-it-is attitude is exactly why she's decided to share her infertility journey on social media, in the hopes that it will help others feel less alone.

On this episode, Krisily and Andrea have a candid chat about how to keep intimacy and relationships alive during setbacks, what infertility and reality TV have in common, and why Krisily thinks this current chapter of trying to build her family with science is one of the hardest and most defining experiences of her life.

This episode is supported by two plus fertility, an easy-to-use device to help guide sperm to egg when you're trying to conceive at home.

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Deidre Downs Gunn, M.D, held the state title of Miss Alabama, before entering the national Miss America competition in 2005. And, she holds another title today: Deidre is the first Miss America to enter a same sex marriage and build a family with her wife.

Deidre and her partner Abbott met on a dating site in 2017 while Deidre was finishing a fellowship and reproductive endocrinology and infertility.  She now practices as a fertility specialist at UAB Fertility and is expecting a baby with Abbott, conceived through an IVF transfer performed by Dr. Deidre herself!

In this interview, in honor of Pride 2021, Andrea and Deidre discuss why she entered the pageant and what it was like to hold the Miss America title, when she knew she was gay, and what she has learned on the "other side" of fertility treatments, as an IVF patient herself.

This episode is presented by "A Lifetime of Pride and Joy" which is customizing a free fertility journey, including IVF and surrogacy services up to $75,000, to a random winner in the LGBTQ+ community. No purchase necessary. To learn more, see the contest rules and apply, visit pridejoybaby.com. The winner will be announced in early July, 2021.

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You may recognize the Dürt family: Matthew and his partner Elliot, from the headlines their family story made just a couple of years ago.

Elliot's sister Lea donated her eggs to the couple and Matt's 61-year-old mother, Cecile, carried and delivered their first baby (who is also her first granddaughter!) -- making her one of the oldest women in the world to give birth!

Matt and Elliot are now the proud parents of a little girl named Uma.

As if this wasn't already a very modern family story, the Dürt family is helping another queer family achieve their dreams of parenthood. Matt is the sperm donor for his childhood best friend, MB, and her partner August, who recently transitioned from female to a trans masculine non-binary person. 

Today, August and MB call Matt their 'Fairy Godfather', and all know how extraordinary and lucky they are to build their families, considering all of the personal, practical and societal challenges they faced to get there. 

On this episode, in honor of Pride 2021, these four friends - now connected for life - show what is possible when families are built from love. 

Thanks to episode sponsor, A Lifetime of Pride and Joy, which is customizing a free fertility journey, including IVF and surrogacy services up to $75,000, to a random winner in the LGBTQ+ community. No purchase necessary. To learn more, see the contest rules and apply, visit pridejoybaby.com in June 2021.

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Identical twin sisters Amy and Courtney, who jokingly refer to themselves as 'lefty' and 'righty', both knew that they'd have to pursue IVF in order to have children so they wouldn't pass down a rare genetic condition. They didn't imagine the years of fertility treatments, set-backs and losses they'd experience, or that they would become even more connected than they already were.

36 years after sharing their mother's uterus, the twins are sharing a pregnancy journey again -- this time through Courtney, who is acting as gestational surrogate for Amy and her husband's baby.

This is a story of preserving through challenges, building a family when the odds are stacked against you, and the deep love and connection shared by twin sisters.

This episode is supported by Marin Fertility Center, a National Center of fertility excellence located in Marin, CA with the highest quality medical care, a patient-centered approach and affordable effective treatment options.

Continue to follow Amy & Courtney’s journey on Instagram @twinfertility_sisters

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If you saw meditation and mindfulness expert Josephine Atluri with her family today, you may think she had no issues trying to conceive. She has 5 children and twins on the way!

But, Josephine’s path to parenthood was anything but straight or simple. Multiple IVF rounds, late term pregnancy loss, international adoption and surrogacy are all part of her family story. And each chapter of her family building journey, which is still unfolding now, has its own story with plenty of unexpected twists and turns, beautiful and unexpected surprises and life lessons.

This episode is not just about infertility - it's one that examines how to overcome adversity in the darkest and most unpredictable times in our lives.  

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This episode is supported by Beli, prenatal vitamins optimized for fertility, prenatal & post pregnancy health.

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"So Tell Me About the Last Time You Had Sex" is a question Ian Kerner often asks people in his sex therapy practice and it's the title of his new book.

In this interview, Ian and Andrea discuss the difference between procreative sex and recreational sex, and Ian shares why we may need to update our 'sex script' in order to stay connected through tough challenges like grief and infertility.

Ian s a licensed psychotherapist, best-selling author and nationally recognized sexuality counselor who specializes in sex therapy, couples therapy and working with individuals on a range of relational issues that often lead to distress. 

Whether or not you've experienced infertility and/or pregnancy losses, this episode is helpful for anyone who wants to keep intimacy alive in their lives as challenges arise.

This episode is presented by "This Is What Infertility Looks Like", a program produced by pregnantish with support from First Response Pregnancy. Visit pregnantish.com/infertilitylookslike for more

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When people look at entrepreneur Samantha Busch and her husband, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, they may see a picture-perfect life and family, and have no idea how much this couple struggled behind the scenes to become parents. Both faced an infertility diagnosis that led them on a path they never expected while in the public eye, and one that resulted in their Bundle of Joy Fund. They developed this non-profit in an effort to advocate for infertility awareness and remove financial barriers by granting monetary awards to couples who require fertility treatments.

On "First Comes Loves, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes...Infertility?!", Relationship Expert Andrea Syrtash, and Samantha Busch, author of the new book, "Fighting Infertility: Finding My Inner Warrior Through Trying to Conceive, IVF and Miscarriage" get real about how their lives and marriages have been affected by failed IVF transfers and pregnancy losses, and explore what it means to keep intimacy alive and marriages connected during the immense challenges that infertility can bring into relationships.

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