WorkLIFE Balance: The Need for Family Building Support in the Workplace
Release Date: 11/06/2023
Redefining Belonging – Jessica’s Journey from Adoptee to Advocacy
This is Infertility
This National Adoption Month, we hear from Jessica Luciere, a transracial, transnational adoptee, who shares her journey of self-discovery. Growing up with the love and support of her parents, Jessica also yearned for a sense of community to help her navigate her identity. She ultimately realized the importance of representation and the power of connecting to others with similar backgrounds. Today, Jessica works alongside adoptees, families, and professionals, as a program facilitator and adoptee advocate, creating spaces that celebrate and honor diverse backgrounds and foster deeper...
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Surrogacy: Finding the Perfect Match – Insights for Intended Parents and Surrogates
This is Infertility
On today’s episode, we’re joined by Sammi Itatani and Carly Vollero from , a matching platform devoted to fostering strong, authentic matches between surrogates and intended parents. They tell the stories of their own surrogacy journeys, with Sammi’s experience as a two-time surrogate and Carly’s journey as a parent through surrogacy. They bring personal and professional insights into what makes these partnerships successful. They also dive into the importance of compatibility, navigating legal and financial hurdles, and understanding the different relationship dynamics...
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Facing Menopause: A Candid Conversation with a Doctor and a Therapist
This is Infertility
This Menopause Awareness Month, we bring together two experts who are specialists in their fields and personally navigating their own menopause journeys. Dr. Janet Choi, an OBGYN, reproductive endocrinologist, and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and Dr. Juliana Hauser, a therapist with a focus on sexuality and menopause, share their personal experiences with menopause. Alongside their professional expertise, they offer a rare dual perspective on the physical and emotional changes that come with this life stage. Through this candid conversation, they discuss the...
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Protecting Her Fertility Future in the Face of Breast Cancer
This is Infertility
In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re highlighting Joyelle Fleming’s story with breast cancer, which began at the young age of 31. During her journey, Joyelle was faced with a difficult decision – what to do about her future fertility given the impact of cancer treatment. With the support of her doctors and access to fertility benefits through Progyny, Joyelle was able to freeze her eggs and focus on fighting cancer. In this episode, Joyelle reflects on her experience, from navigating fertility preservation to finding strength and support from loved ones...
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The Importance of Celebrating Small Wins: Mandy’s IVF Journey
This is Infertility
Today’s guest discusses her unexpected struggles with infertility. After a year of trying to conceive, Mandy Menaker trusted her instincts and decided to seek advice from others. She turned to Julie Campbell, at Progyny, who helped guide her on how to find the right fertility clinic, navigate insurance, and understand the ins and outs when it comes to fertility treatment. After the rollercoaster of emotions and multiple rounds of fertility treatment, Mandy and her husband Eric finally achieved their dream of becoming parents. But the journey didn’t stop there, Mandy later...
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Two Journeys, One Friendship: Egg Donation, Surrogacy, and Secondary Infertility
This is Infertility
In this episode, we dive into a powerful story of two lifelong friends, Nicole Gomez Fisher and Mary Lamattina, who supported each other through some of the most challenging moments of their lives; navigating infertility. They both faced their own unique struggles, Mary with , experiencing multiple miscarriages after her first child, and Nicole facing the heartbreak of failed attempts and what seemed like the never-ending emotional hurdles of and . With time, friendship, and medical intervention, both women found ways to grow their families and meaningful ways to...
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How Lauren Turned Her Infertility Story into an Infertility Non-profit
This is Infertility
Today's guest is a testament to resilience, turning personal pain into a powerful purpose. Lauren Clements faced a long, difficult journey in her efforts to build a family, battling through a diagnosis of PCOS, blocked fallopian tubes, and undergoing numerous treatments. Yet, despite these significant setbacks, Lauren never lost hope. In this episode, she opens up about how these challenges inspired her to create , a nonprofit dedicated to providing local resources, advocacy, and financial grants to those struggling with infertility in Detroit. Lauren's story is one of courage,...
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Teamwork makes a dream work: How Jennifer’s village made parenthood possible
This is Infertility
Today’s episode is a story of teamwork. Along each step of her path to parenthood, Jennifer Osmond’s obstacles were overcome with the help of her village; A doctor who laid out options and supported her along the way. An employer that provided Progyny and eased the financial strain of fertility treatment. And a wife who managed the logistics of their journey so that Jennifer could focus on her well-being. Without Jennifer’s support system, her journey would not have been made possible. Guest: Jennifer Osmond, Progyny Member at AT&T Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny For more...
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Fertility 101: Egg Donation: Transparency for the Intended Parent and Donor
This is Infertility
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 this episode, we dive into the detailed process of and its profound implications for families with Aisha Lewis, President of , a known donor egg program. Aisha discusses the steps involved on both ends of the egg donation process, from the pivotal choices donors can make surrounding their anonymity and the meticulous screening process donors undergo, to the legal considerations that...
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A Decade with Whitney: Freezing her Eggs, Winning the Bachelor, and Becoming a Mom
This is Infertility
You may know her as the winner of ABC’s The Bachelor from season 19, but patients at OVA Egg Freezing Specialty Center in Chicago know Whitney Bischoff Angel as their fertility nurse who can also relate to their journey. In this episode, Whitney tells us about her decision to freeze her eggs in 2013, a decision that provided her with peace of mind as she navigated life's uncertainties. She also shares where she is today, almost a decade later, and her journey to parenthood. Whitney now uses her personal journey to empower women with choices and provide compassion and support...
info_outlineThis Veteran’s Day, we’re featuring Brian Tucker, a Veteran who is outspoken about his experience with male factor infertility. He is also an HR disruptor who knows that employers, are, in part, responsible for executing the American Dream.
On the path to building a family, Brian and his wife, Jenny, found themselves at a financial crossroad. Their coverage for fertility treatment was miscommunicated, which left them confused about what they actually need to pay vs what was covered. Left completely in the dark, with one common goal of having a child, they chose the only clear-cut financial benefit that was laid out for them, a Veteran’s discount. Having experienced this, Brian now speaks about his experience – and has presented at DisruptHR, where he discussed the need for more support in the workplace.
Listen to him here: Brian Tucker: Work LIFE Balance Talk
We also hear from Dr. Tolulope Bakare, a Reproductive Urologist from Posterity Health, and Dr. Ron Feinberg, Reproductive Endocrinologist from RADfertility of CCRM, about the treatment options when diagnosed with male factor infertility.
Guest:
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Brian Tucker, Director of Human Resources at Elior North America, Veteran, and Infertility Advocate
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Dr. Ron Feinberg, RADfertility
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Dr. Tolulope Bakare, Posterity Health
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].