This is Fertility

Finding the right doctor can be difficult and finding one with a similar background or who looks like you can be even harder when you're a part of an underserved community. This issue, which often impacts women of color, was exactly what Ashlee Wisdom and Eddwina Bright set out to solve.

Enter Health in Her Hue, a digital platform that connects Black women and women of color to culturally competent and sensitive healthcare providers and offers health information and content that centers their lived experience. Founded by Ashlee and Eddwina, Health in Her Hue helps Black women navigate the healthcare system and find doctors who address their unique concerns.

In today's episode, Ashlee and Eddwina discuss the importance of advocacy, representation, and support when it comes to infertility in the Black community.

Guests: Ashlee Wisdom and Eddwina Bright, Health in Her Hue

Host: Dan Bulger

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

Frustration, confusion, and disappointment may be common feelings when going through a family building journey. But to have those feelings directed towards your physician is entirely different. For Delaine Williams, she felt dismissed by her doctor and the weight and reality of navigating the healthcare system as a Black woman became a bigger challenge.

In this episode, we hear how Delaine had to advocate for herself, the split decisions she had to make about her body after being diagnosed with uterine fibroids and endometriosis, and how rounds of IUI and IVF lead to questioning what path was right.

Guest: Delaine Williams, Progyny

Host: Dan Bulger

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

The Fertility 101 Series, because there's no shortage of daunting terms to keep your mind running, is a quick and dirty breakdown on a specific topic with insights from a fertility expert.

In today's episode, we discuss how someone can choose the right fertility clinic for their needs. Dr. Paul Lin of Seattle Reproductive Medicine discusses what requirements and key things someone should look for when assessing a fertility clinic. He also offers tips on how to identify a clinic's specialties, what factors to consider before and during the first visit, and how to ensure you're getting the best treatment.

Guest: Dr. Paul Lin, SRM

Host: Selena Campbell, Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

Many times, the family building journey can make someone feel alone and without help. This sentiment rang true to Priya Santhanam, Ph.D., a scientist and engineer in the STEM field.

In Priya's culture, having children is an important life milestone and she, like so many others, imagined a life that followed the blueprint of get a degree, have a successful career, have kids, and maintain a harmonious work/life balance. Things didn't exactly go as planned.

Her experience with miscarriage, IUI, IVF and successfully navigating her employer's fertility benefit was the start of her advocacy. When Priya began her journey, she found the lack of women in STEM led to an inherent lack of women in STEM talking about fertility. This gap and her own experience led her to become a tireless advocate for infertility awareness in her field.

On today's episode, Priya walks us through the importance of emotional support while on a fertility journey, the crucial impact of a robust family planning benefit, and the need to bring conversations around infertility to the forefront for women in all industries.

Guest: Priya Santhanam, Progyny Member

Host: Lissa Kline Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

As we close the chapter of 2021, we're also closing out season 4 of This is Infertility -- a season full of emotional first-hand stories, education from leading fertility doctors, and tales of tangible changes from the trailblazers and advocates in the fertility community.

This season's year-end episode highlights the six-part series we released in April as part of National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) and features several experts who fight in different areas of their lives for fertility coverage.

There are so many ways to be an advocate, such as listening to and subscribing to this podcast, so we thank you for being part of this community. Our podcast is nothing without the collective knowledge and experience from the fertility patients and professionals that we feature.

Season 5 will be back on January 10!

Here are the six full-length episodes referenced in this recap:

1. Episode 98: Fighting for Fertility Coverage: State Mandate in North Dakota
2. Episode 99: Fighting for Fertility Coverage: Benefits Consultants Taking the Lead
3. Episode 100: Fighting for Fertility Coverage: State Mandate in New York and Beyond
4. Episode 101: Fighting for Fertility Coverage: State Mandate in Colorado
5. Episode 102: Fighting for Fertility Coverage: Supporting Advocacy Groups and Companies
6. Episode 103: Fighting for Fertility Coverage: Bringing Benefits to An Employer

Hosts: Dan Bulger, This is Infertility Producer and Editor

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

Scott McGahey and his wife were among the 1 in 8 that struggled with infertility – their attempts at IUI and IVF failed, and when their employer-sponsored coverage ran out, the couple started thinking their dream of starting a family was impossible.

Just as the couple started considering other options, Scott got amazing news. His employer, Willis Tower Watson, had enacted Progyny, meaning Scott and his wife could continue their family building journey on their own terms – with financial help and support from a Patient Care Advocate.

Today's episode dives into Scott's journey – filled with challenges, heartache, and the surprise of a lifetime – finally becoming a dad.

Guest: Scott McGahey, Progyny

Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

When it comes to family building, the holidays can be a time of heightened anxiety, sensitive conversations, and awkward family encounters. Dealing with infertility can prove to be challenging on its own but paired with pressing questions from relatives can really make one feel as though it's their fault.

Today's episode features tips on how to handle tough situations and challenging questions about family building this holiday season, as well as leaning on partner support, distancing yourself when need be, and creating new traditions. Being around family during the holidays can bring up many emotions but it is important to remember that you are not alone.

While this episode is definitely worth the listen, we understand that life gets busy and have provided a summary for you here.

Experts: Dr. Georgia Witkin, Progyny; Regina Townsend, The Broken Brown Egg; Khaled Kteily, Legacy

Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

The challenges of life and building a family can bring the best or the worst out of people, but in this case, it was both. This episode follows the story of Keia Jones-Baldwin, a woman who showed substantial amounts of physical and emotional strength during tough times. After going through countless miscarriages, empty conversations with fertility specialists, and more failed experiences, Keia began to blame herself. It came to a point where Keia and her husband, Richard , decided that it was time to look at other family building options.

Hear how Keia and Richard navigated fertility treatments, surrogacy, foster to adopt, and a challenge they didn't think they'd encounter – the experience around a transracial adoption. Keia opens up about her experience around having a Caucasian baby, the need to educate others, and one universal theme of, "you don't need to look alike to love alike."

Guest: Keia Jones-Baldwin, Clinical Therapist and Life Coach

Host: Selena Campbell , Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

A family building journey may not always be straight forward and easy. And most times those feelings of hope and positivity may fade into confusion and gut-wrenching disappointment. This is what it was like for Claire and Patrick Gibson. As time passed and fertility treatments failed, Claire continued to struggle to find the right answers. However, those answers led to a breath of fresh air, building a family through adoption.

In this episode, Claire discusses her debate over fostering or adopting a child, the experience and difference between domestic and international adoption, and what led her and husband to their decision.

Guest: Claire Gibson, author of Beyond the Point

Host: Lissa Kline, Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].

COVID-19 and its aftermath has changed everything, leaving us with more questions on how to navigate this new normal. When it comes to the vaccine and fertility, pregnancy, and trying to conceive, new concerns have come to light about how to proceed. Progyny's Lissa Kline, Senior Vice President of Provider and Member Services, and Dr. Alan Copperman, Progyny's Medical Director, sat down in a recent webinar to discuss these key learnings, including the vaccine, booster shots, and how it impacts your family building journey.

While this episode is definitely worth the listen, we understand that life gets busy and have provided a summary for you here.

Expert: Dr. Alan Copperman, Progyny and RMA of NY.

Host: Lissa Kline, Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected].