Libsyn Directory

189. BRCA: Understanding Risk and Reclaiming Control (in partnership with JScreen)

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

Release Date: 12/11/2025

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this special re-released episode, Aimee Baron, MD, founder of I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, shares her deeply personal experience with a second-trimester miscarriage. She explores the unique trauma of navigating a medical crisis while away from home for the Passover holiday and the lasting impact that loss had. Aimee walks through the timeline of a pregnancy that appeared healthy at her 16-week checkup, only to be upended by a phone call from her doctor while she was away. She describes the search for medical care and the crushing moment an ultrasound confirmed her baby had passed just...

198. Balancing Roles and Expectations: A Father’s Surrogacy Story with Samuel Konig and Aliza Abrams-Konig

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode, Aliza Abrams-Konig, surrogacy consultant for I Was Supposed to Have a Baby, sits down with her husband, Samuel Konig, to discuss the unique and often overlooked experiences of fathers during the surrogacy process. The couple recounts the surreal moments of their journeys, from the stress of legal uncertainties to the specific heartache of seeing someone else’s name on their newborn’s hospital bracelet. Aliza and Samuel explore the cultural and social pressures within the Jewish community, including the decision to keep their journey private until their children arrived....

197. Carrying for Family: A Cousin’s Gift of Surrogacy with Andrea Syrtash, Elana Syrtash-Ochs, and Aliza Abrams Konig

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode, IWSTHAB's Surrogacy Support Consultant Aliza Abrams Konig sits down with Andrea Syrtash, a relationship expert and founder of , and her cousin Elana Syrtash-Ochs, an early childhood educator and enentrepreneur, to discuss their shared journey through gestational surrogacy. The conversation explores the profound emotional shift that occurs when a family member steps in after years of infertility, loss, and the heartbreak of being ghosted by a previous surrogate. Andrea reflects on her winding path to parenthood, marked by endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, and the...

196. Not the After, the During: Telling the Truth From Inside Pregnancy After Loss with Sarah Guigue

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this two-part conversation, we return to Sarah Guigue’s fertility journey with honesty, vulnerability, and deep intention. When we first recorded in November 2025, Sarah was still pregnant. She made the brave choice to speak in the middle of it, not after the ending was known, because she wanted to capture the raw intensity of pregnancy after loss. The fear. The hope. The constant calculations. The way joy and terror lived side by side. Sarah shares how private she wanted to be during that pregnancy. How she almost didn’t tell her immediate family. How she entered...

How To Survive Purim with Dr. Romy Schulman [Re-Release]

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

On this re-released episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Dr. Romy Shulman joins Aimee Baron, MD for a thoughtful and practical conversation about how to celebrate Purim while honoring your mental health. Purim is meant to be joyful, but it can also feel overwhelming. Together they explore how choosing a smaller Megillah reading with fewer children can create a more manageable and meaningful experience. They also discuss rethinking mishloach manot by giving gifts of food specifically to those who have supported you, rather than feeling obligated to give to everyone you know. The conversation also...

195. When the Plan Changes: From Fertility Treatments to Adoption

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode, Aimee speaks with “Q” about infertility, identity, and redefining motherhood. She shares her diagnosis of PCOS and the emotional toll of years of fertility treatments, including multiple IUIs. Q discusses the decision she made to look into other options. She opens up about the heartbreak of closed doors, including her 15-year hope of adopting from Ethiopia, which became complicated after policy changes. F shares how she ultimately built her family through domestic adoption in the United States after navigating the cultural pressure to have biological children, and...

194. Balancing Loss and Life: Navigating Pregnancy, Healing, and Parenthood

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode of Talking Away the Taboo, Aimee sits down with Shira Sussi, a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in pregnancy and postpartum nutrition, for an honest conversation about pregnancy loss, the challenges of returning to work afterward, and her journey of building a family while holding joy and grief simultaneously. Shira shares her path to motherhood, which includes multiple losses, two medical terminations, and the emotional complexities of parenting after loss. She opens up about the stigma surrounding pregnancy loss and termination, as well as how grief has reshaped...

193. Not Broken, Just Wired Differently: The Quiet Fertility Struggle No One Talks About

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode of Talking Away the Taboo, Dr. Baron is joined by Hadassah Eventsur, an occupational therapist and life coach, for a deeply needed conversation about neurodiversity in Jewish life, and how that contributes to a smaller family size. Hadassah reached out to name something many women feel but struggle to articulate: the pain of wanting a large family while knowing that undiagnosed ADHD or other neurodivergent traits make the day-to-day demands of parenting feel overwhelming or unsustainable. Dr. Baron names this experience as circumstantial infertility, where...

192. Adoption, Transparency, and Trust: Pamela Krooth’s Story (Part Two)

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode of Talking Away the Taboo, Dr. Baron is joined again by Pam Krooth as they pick up right where their first conversation ended, the moment Pam received the call about a little boy available for adoption. Pam shares her experience adopting her son, David, from Ethiopia, including the emotional weight of the legal process, the heartbreak of separation during visa delays, and the realities of bringing a young child into a new country, culture, and family. She reflects on the importance of ethical adoption practices, thorough preparation, and honest self-assessment before choosing...

191. Nothing About This Was Simple: Amanda Bryk on Miscarriage, Pregnancy After Loss Anxiety, and Finding Community

Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

In this episode, Aimee sits down with Amanda Bryk, a new IWSTHAB board member, to talk honestly about miscarriage, anxiety, and the complicated reality of building a family after loss. Amanda shares her first miscarriage and the shock of learning there was no heartbeat at an early ultrasound, navigating that moment without her husband Darren present due to residency, and the emotional weight of making decisions no one prepares you for. As her losses continued, Amanda opens up about how anxiety followed her into subsequent pregnancies and how grief doesn’t disappear just because you go on to...

More Episodes

This episode brings together the science, the medicine, and the lived experience behind BRCA mutations.

Emily Goldberg, JScreen’s Director of Genetic Counseling Services, breaks down what these mutations are, how they’re inherited, and what the actual cancer risks look like. Dr. Melissa Frey, a GYN oncologist at Cornell who works closely with high-risk families, walks us through what happens after someone tests positive — from screening to risk-reducing surgeries to the big conversations around fertility and timing.

We also hear from Heather Boussi, who shares her powerful story of living with both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. She talks about diagnosis, surveillance, surgeries, and how this all shaped her family-building decisions.

Lastly, we look at what BRCA means for men, how that journey differs, and why PGT can still be an option.

If you or someone you love is navigating this, we close with places to turn for support: JScreen, Sharsheret, I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, and Stardust (links below). It’s a mix of expertise, honesty, and heart — the kind of conversation so many people wish they had heard earlier, especially when faced with such difficult decisions.

Note: This episode is the 4th of a series of 5 that we are collaborating on with Jscreen in 2025.

Take a look at our previous three episodes here :

Episode 157: Introduction to Genetics and Infertility
Episode 166: Fragile X Syndrome: A Silent Factor in Infertility
Episode 185: It’s Not Just Her: Male Factor Fertility and Genetics Uncovered

Resources:

More about Emily Goldberg:

Emily Goldberg serves as the Director of Genetic Counseling Services at jscreen, where she is dedicated to helping individuals understand and manage their genetic health. With dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College, Ms. Goldberg has been a certified genetic counselor since 2011. Prior to joining jscreen, she worked at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, specializing in prenatal and cancer genetics. In addition to her role at jscreen, Ms. Goldberg is committed to education, serving as an Instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and adjunct faculty at Sarah Lawrence College, where she teaches and mentors future genetic counselors. Her expertise and dedication make her a key member of the jscreen team.

Connect with JScreen:

- visit their website here

- check out their Instagram

More about Melissa Frey, MD:

Dr. Melissa Frey is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Director of the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Frey’s clinical care and research focus on the management of individuals with hereditary cancer syndromes (e.g. BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome) and strong family history of breast and gynecologic cancers. She performs gynecologic cancer risk-reducing surgeries and is the principal investigator on several large trials aimed at cancer prevention among high-risk individuals. Dr. Frey has presented her research at national and international meetings and has more than 130 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Connect with Dr. Melissa Frey:

- check out her Instagram

- view the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program website

More about Heather Boussi :

Heather grew up in Westchester, NY and now lives in Englewood, NJ with her husband and three children. Her personal experience with hereditary cancer risk and genetic testing has made her a passionate advocate for awareness, education, and empowerment in women’s health. Grounded in faith and family, Heather shares her story to help others approach life’s challenges with strength, perspective, and gratitude.

Connect with Heather:

- check out Heather’s Instagram and connect with her via email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

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