In today's episode, we explore the complex world of donor conception with experts Dr. Mark Leondires and Lisa Schuman, LCSW. They provide an overview of their book, Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, which serves as a resource for those considering donor conception due to infertility, medical issues, same-sex partnerships, or gender orientation.

The book covers everything from initial considerations and emotions to the medical and genetic processes involved, selecting the right donor, and talking to children about their donor conception.

Tune in to hear how to manage the challenges of a donor conception journey.

Guest: Dr. Mark Leondires and Lisa Schuman, LCSW, authors of Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception

Dr. Mark Leondires

Medical Director and Founding Partner

at Illume Fertility and Gay Parents to Be

Lisa Schuman, LCSW

Founder of The Center for Family Building

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].

This episode is also a video! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/kX60smGnP9k

Today's episode highlights the emotional toll that infertility can take on individuals and couples. Our guest speaks candidly on how her fertility journey affected her mental health, marriage, and perspective towards friends who found easy success with pregnancy.

Hana Peters and her husband started trying to have a baby and soon realized they needed to seek additional support. In this episode, Hana shares her journey. She speaks on the unsolicited advice she received along the way and how this impacted her relationships, her initial reaction to a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, and how she was able to pursue parenthood with a dedicated doctor and through her employer-sponsored benefit, Progyny.

For mental health support and resources, check out:

• Progyny Article: Coping with stress during fertility care

• This is Infertility Podcast episode: Bonus Episode 10: Prioritizing Your Mental Health During Your Fertility Journey

• Employer guide: How to support employees with infertility mental health guide

Guest: Hana Peters, Progyny Member at Salesforce

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].

This episode is also a video! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/o_-IvppWYK0

In today's episode, award-winning journalist, Rachel Lehmann-Haupt shares insights from her two books, which have ignited the knowledge and passion that came from her own family building journey.

Her latest book, Reconceptions: Modern Relationships, Reproductive Science, and the Unfolding Future of Family, calls upon her experience of becoming a single parent by choice. She dives into her own family building journey, how she's navigated using a sperm donor and the relationships she's built from this, and how she's rethinking and redefining the meaning of family.

Guest: Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, award-winning journalist and author

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].

Today's guest embodies the purpose of National Infertility Awareness Week. Each year the infertility community, led by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, takes this week to amplify and educate the public about reproductive health and issues that make building a family difficult for many.

Danielle Zoll has dedicated herself to advocacy and awareness through her St. Louis based organization, Making a Miracle. The isolation Danielle felt along her path to parenthood with endometriosis, lack of coverage, and pregnancy loss, inspired her to build a community that supports others along their family building journeys.

Tune in for how Danielle made her miracle.

Guest: Danielle Zoll, founder of Making a Miracle

Host: Emma Gallagher, 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].

With a focus on her career and a determination to find the right "other half" for her child, today's guest shares her journey to being a single parent by choice.

Navigating the stress of her ticking biological clock, Gloria Soler went from realizing that the perfect parenting partner was not yet on her horizon to manifesting her own dreams of parenthood. Gloria went to find the doctor, the right sperm donor, the right treatment, and with a comprehensive employer-sponsored benefit, Gloria met the love she had been searching for all along, her son Emmet.

Tune into Gloria's journey with Progyny to learn how she navigated her path to parenthood.

Guest: Gloria Soler, Progyny Member

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 journey to ideal health is a constant battle. And when emergency surgery is needed, most may not think twice about the impact this will have on their future fertility. In today's episode, we hear from Haley, who shares her family building journey. It's one marked by multiple diagnoses, surgeries, and financial strain. Despite these setbacks, Haley was determined to become a parent. She advocated for herself and found a doctor that she could trust. She then learned her employer had a fertility benefit, which relieved the financial pressure and helped her to reach her goal.

Haley's journey embodies the realities that many face on the path to parenthood: a mix of setbacks, doubts, and ultimately, hard-won victories.

Guest: Haley, Progyny Member

Host: Shannon Zuber, 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 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.

This week's guest, Dr. Paul Dudley, Medical Director of Pinnacle Fertility Atlanta, dives into what tests are expected during an initial consultation, including the need for a blood test, semen analysis (if a partner is involved), and comprehensive assessments like an ovarian reserve evaluation. He also shares his perspective on at-home fertility testing kits and when to seek guidance from your doctor when trying to conceive.

Guest: Dr. Paul Dudley, Medical Director, Pinnacle Fertility Atlanta

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].

Today's episode delves into a supportive yet often overlooked contributor to the birthing process and much more: the role of doulas.

Our guest, Latham Thomas, Founder of Mama Glow, elaborates on the diverse responsibilities of doulas, ranging from offering emotional and physical support in co-creating your birth plan, to advocating for individuals and facilitating communication between patients and healthcare providers. She explains what to keep in mind when finding the right doula for you. And highlights how doulas work to address birth disparities within marginalized communities.

Latham shares Mama Glow's mission of democratizing doula support, which aims to transform maternal care on what she describes as the childbearing continuum.

Guest: Latham Thomas, Founder of Mama Glow

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].

Times are changing, and more employers are choosing to prioritize fertility and family building benefits to attract and retain talent. Investing in employee benefits isn't just about cost, it's about fostering a positive employee experience, driving engagement, and ultimately enhancing business performance.

Today's guest, Purvi Tailor, Vice President of Human Resources at Ferring U.S., describes Ferring's groundbreaking approach to employee benefits. With a focus on enhancing the family building journey for employees, she discusses the implementation of the, "Building Families at Ferring" package, which includes access to unlimited financial support for family building care, 26 weeks of paid parental leave, and a supportive workplace culture.

Tune in to learn how you can start reimagining your company's benefits package for a brighter future.

Guest: Purvi Tailor, Vice President of Human Resources at Ferring U.S.

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].

Music:

Artist: Andy G Cohen Track: A Perceptible Shift URL: https://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Josh Woodward Track: Hollow Grove Instrumental Version URL: https://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Jahzzar Track: MainSquare URL: https://freemusicarchive.org/

Struggling with disbelief, enduring back-to-back treatments, cancelled appointments, and an overwhelming emotional toll - these experiences are all part of Sonya Heer's journey to building a family. How did she get here? Sonya and her husband embarked on what most couples do: they got married, spent some quality time together, and then wanted to expand their family. But, after months of not having success, Sonya turned to a specialist where she was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. This left Sonya with more questions, but she persevered and continued treatment. After more rounds, she realized there must be something else to her diagnosis.

In this episode, hear how Sonya navigated her journey, how she advocated for herself and found the right doctor, how unexplained infertility turned into diminished ovarian reserve, and why despite it all she continued. Sonya also shares the stress of paying for treatment and the difference when she gained access to a comprehensive family building benefit through her employer.

Guest: Sonya Heer, Progyny Member

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].