This is Fertility

When you fall down, you get back up again. That's an old saying. It's a lesson in persistence, and it can be applied to all aspects of life. But it's not always easy to just get back up, especially if you are struggling with infertility. Today we're going to learn the power of persistence through Lynn and Drew Polin's fertility journey. They went through multiple rounds of IVF, and a life-threatening pregnancy to have a baby. But they found out that this was just the beginning of their fertility journey when they started trying for baby number two. Today's host is Jaime Ford, Claims and Billing Specialist at Progyny. Guests include: Lynn Polin and Drew Polin. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page http://www.progyny.com/podcast and Walk of Hope NJ https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Sewell/WalkofHope2019 Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]

Choice can really make all the difference. Tania always wanted to be a mother but realized she was running out of time. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands and through her journey connected with a community of likeminded women called Single Mothers by Choice. In this episode we hear about Tania's decision and journey to becoming a single parent by choice. We also hear about the importance of having a community and what it takes to run one. Today's host is Melissa Maldonado, Implementation Manager, at Progyny. Guests include: Tania, member of Single Mothers by Choice, and Jennifer Cruz, member of Single Mothers by Choice. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page http://www.progyny.com/podcast and Singe Mothers by Choice https://www.singlemothersbychoice.org Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]

Unless you've been through an identical experience it can be difficult to understand what it's really like for those who are struggling to build their families. But what if there was a place where people could communicate their personal stories of infertility in a way that others could truly understand? The ART of Infertility, founded in 2014, curates innovative and emotionally provoking art exhibits to portray the realities, pains and joys of living with infertility. Today we hear from its founders, Elizabeth Walker and Maria Novotny, about each of their personal struggles with infertility, and how they came to create this innovative organization. Today's host is Lissa Kline, VP of Member & Provider Services at Progyny. Guests include: Elizabeth Walker and Maria Novotny from The ART of Infertility. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page http://www.progyny.com/podcast and The ART of Infertility http://www.artofinfertility.org Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]

In 2018 we heard from some amazing people who shared their fertility stories with us. Stories of struggle, frustration, pain, sacrifice, hope, joy, and love. In this episode we look back at a season of This is Infertility, from the beginning to the end, as we try to get a true sense of what it means to build a family. Today's host is Dan Bulger.

After years of trying to have a baby via fertility treatments, Becky Fawcett and her husband chose to adopt their first child. When deciding if they should try IVF for baby number two, Becky realized that adoption was now her preferred path to parenthood. The adoption process can be extremely complex and prohibitively expensive, which is why Becky founded an organization that helps bridge the financial gap for those looking to build their families through adoption: HelpUsAdopt.org. Today's episode is hosted by Dan Bulger, Producer at Progyny. Guests include: Becky Fawcett from HelpUsAdopt.org For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page: http://www.progyny.com/podcast and HelpUsAdopt.org Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]

When Laura Perez turned 35, she felt like she was running out of time. She was in a long-term relationship, but her partner already had children from a previous marriage and indicated that he didn't want to have any more kids. So, Laura took things into her own hands and froze her eggs. For Laura, freezing her eggs was an empowering process that gave her peace of mind, and it also changed the nature of her relationship with her boyfriend (now husband!) Today's host is Selena Campbell, Patient Care Supervisor at Progyny. Guests include: Laura Perez from Progyny and Dr. Spencer Richlin from RMA of CT. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page http://www.progyny.com/podcast Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]

Heather Huhman and her husband struggled with infertility for years, enduring trauma after trauma, until finally they met their daughter, Aurora. But Heather wanted some good to come out of her pain, so she has dedicated herself full time to helping others via her twice a week podcast, Beat Infertility. In this episode we will hear about her struggle, how she got through it, and learn why she says her podcast gave her the hope and perspective she needed to carry on. Today's host is Janelle Branch, Patient Care Advocate at Progyny. Guests include: Heather Huhman from Beat Infertility For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page: http://www.progyny.com/podcast and Beat Infertility: https://beatinfertility.com Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in light of this, we are dedicating four episodes to oncofertility – the bridge between oncology and reproductive research that explores and expands options for the reproductive future of cancer survivors.

In the fourth and final episode of our oncofertility series, we hear from Kristin Smith, who dedicated her life to helping educate young cancer patients about their fertility preservation options. As Program Manager for Fertility Preservation at Northwestern Medicine and the Oncofertility Consortium, Kristin helps patients navigate their treatment between their oncology team and their reproductive endocrinology team.

We'll learn how fertility preservation has evolved over the past decade, how cancer patients are now being offered more preventive options, and how advocates like Kristin are offering individualized support to newly diagnosed patients.

Guest: Kristin Smith, Program Manager for Fertility Preservation at Northwestern Medicine

Experts: Dr. Jennifer Levine, from Alliance for Fertility Preservation and Weill Cornell Medicine, and Dr. Janet Choi from CCRM New York

Host: Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page, Oncofertility Consortium, Alliance for Fertility Preservation and CCRM.

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].

Host

Lissa manages and oversees Progyny's Patient Care Advocates. Prior to joining Progyny, she worked at Columbia University Medical Center in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Involved in Patient Services and the Donor Egg Program, she loved working with patients while they underwent fertility treatment. Lissa graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.

Guests

Kristin consults with all young, newly diagnosed oncology patients at Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center to help each patient understand their individual fertility risk associated with treatment as well as options for fertility preservation. She works extensively with young adult oncology survivors to help each patient explore their unique family building options and reproductive health post treatment. Kristin helps run the National Physician's Cooperative of the Oncofertility Consortium by providing support across the country to providers who participate in national fertility preservation studies and also answers the national fertility hotline to triage patients for fertility preservation across the country.

Dr. Jennifer Levine was a Principal Investigator on a study through the children's oncology group evaluating ovarian reserve in adolescents diagnosed with lymphoma. Levine completed her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and her fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center/MSCHONY.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with an A.B. in English literature, Dr. Choi earned her medical degree from Columbia University. She remained at Columbia for her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Subsequently, she completed her sub-specialty fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Prior to joining CCRM New York, she was on faculty at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center where she was the director of oncofertility/fertility preservation.

Oncofertility Series – Part 3 of 4. When Megan Connolly was 19, her whole world stopped and she entered a fight against Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer threatened not only her life, but a lifelong dream of becoming a mother. In today's episode we hear how Megan beat cancer (twice!) and with the help of patient navigator Kristin Smith of the Oncofertility Consortium, preserved her fertility. Today's host is Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny.

Oncofertility Series – Part 2 of 4. When Amanda Rice was diagnosed with breast cancer her doctors recommended an aggressive treatment protocol that would potentially threaten her fertility. She had some infertility health insurance but when she called the insurance company she found that they had illogical barriers that excluded her from coverage for fertility preservation. Now, a cancer survivor, Amanda has created Chick Mission, a non-profit organization relentlessly focused on critical issues unique to cancer patients – including fertility challenges that may follow after surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and drug treatment. Today's host is Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny. Guests include: Amanda Rice from Chick Mission, Dr. Jennifer Levine from Alliance of Fertility Preservation and Weill Cornell Medicine, and Dr. Thomas Molinaro from RMA of NJ. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page: http://www.progyny.com/podcast Chick Mission: https://www.thechickmission.org Alliance for Fertility Preservation: http://allianceforfertilitypreservation.org RMA of NJ: https://rmanj.com Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]