Infertile Af

Today, Ali's badass friend Samantha Busch @samanthabusch returns! It's been over two years since we did our first podcast episode, in March 2020. SO. MUCH. HAS. HAPPENED. Samantha and Ali catch up on ALL the things, including how she switched clinics and did another egg retrieval, how she had another loss--a pregnancy that ended devastatingly with two blighted ovums, finding the right gestational carrier, how it felt when her book, “Fighting Infertility,” came out, and how she and Kyle navigated the next phase together. She also talks about her baby girl, who is due via gestational carrier ANY MOMENT NOW! Always real AF, Samantha talks about how excited she is, but also how she is "so guarded" as well—understandably. If you want to hear her entire story, catch up on part one before listening to this ep. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; miscarriage; blighted ovum; gestational carriers; surrogacy and surrogates; the anxiety of motherhood after infertility; intended parents; the b

John Smothers is 71-year-old businessman, and today he's telling us about the difficulties he and his wife had building their family in the late 70s and early 80s, when ART hadn't really been developed yet, and it was all very "hush hush." It took John and his wife, Gayle, 7 years to have their first child, due to Gayle's endometriosis. But the trauma of infertility lived on. When Gayle died of breast cancer in 2018, one of the last things she said to him was, “Do whatever you can to help those couples.” He began investigating ways to improve the collection of human sperm, and today, John has helped create ProteX, the first and only product designed specifically for semen collection to aid in fertility treatment. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IUIs; IVF; endometriosis; breast cancer; semen samples; sperm motility; sperm health; assisted reproductive technology. EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with

Today, Ali is talking to her good friend and the very FIRST Fertility Rally member, Maiclaire Smith, about the long and winding road she took to get to her baby son, Isaac. "Having Isaac doesn’t erase what we went through," she says. "The pain, the loss, the sacrifices that went along with three years of hell to get us our miracle baby. This is just a small part of what infertility looked like for us. This is $152,000 of medical intervention not covered by insurance to get us our precious boy. It’s been two years since I wrote my book, which just scratches the surface of our journey." In addition to all this, Maclaire talks about her diminished ovarian reserve, her multiple miscarriages, her 2 IUIs, her 2IVF cycle that yielded nothing, financial difficulties, literally putting all of her "eggs in one basket," doctors who didn't pay attention, switching clinics, facing what felt like discrimination as a bi-racial couple, and what it was like to go through IVF in her 40s. She also ta

Emma K. Belle is a life coach and mentor with a focus on Mental Health Recovery, Trauma Recovery and Emotional Awareness Learning. She's also a huge advocate for the infertility community, and an #infertility warrior herself. She heads up a Bipolar Disorder Recovery Online Support Group, and she also created TFMR Mamas, a group for those who have lost their babies to Termination for Medical Reasons. Today, Emma tells Ali about her fertility journey so far, including her "very chaotic and hectic young life," what she found out about her fertility when she went to freeze her eggs at age 35 and living with bipolar. She also talks about the traumatic loss of her daughter, Willow, who was diagnosed with Edward's Syndrome in utero, and the extremely unthinkable decision they made to terminate the pregnancy for medical reasons. Plus: Stick around after our interview for an update from Emma about where she is now (hint: It's good news!).EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one shoul

Today Ali is talking to her friend and Fertility Rally member Jess L. about the infertility journey she and her wife, Ann, have been on so far. "In a same sex relationship, you know right away that you're gonna need help--reproductive assistance," Jess says, as she fills us in on everything that's happened so far, including choosing a sperm donor (known or anonymous?); the cost of sperm; her chemical pregnancy; going through multiples IUIs; more pregnancies that ended with no heartbeat; and where they are now. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IUIs; PCOS; sperm donation; same sex family building; same sex relationships; chemical pregnancy; miscarriage and D&C; endometriosis; ICSI; RPL panelsEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. We offer support groups, private Facebook groups, curated events, and an entire of more than 300 women available to support you, no

Today, Ali chats with Colorado lifestyle blogger Dani Wade, aka @dwbella. Dani fills Ali in on the four years she has spent so far battling infertility, and how her journey is not over yet. Still in the midst of her story, Dani tells Ali what has happened up until this point, including hormone fluctuations, failed IUIs, the "heartbreak of the process," and how she's had very tough conversations with her husband. Dani talks about "feeling like it was on all her, as the woman," the importance of taking a break, why she thinks "we would greatly benefit from having more diversity in our healthcare system," and where she is now. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IUIs; stress and anxiety; taking a break during infertility treatments; going through infertility as a woman of color, hormone fluctuations; surgery. EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. We offer

Today, Ali is talking to True Warrior Jewelry founder Melissa Randazzo about her long and complicated battle with infertility and endometriosis. Melissa tells Ali about how she'd never heard of endo before, and what happened when her insides were "black, covered in scar tissue, and all my organs were attached to themselves." She also talks about the healing power of crystals and how they helped on her journey, having her fallopian tubes removed, and going through multiple rounds of IVF. Melissa also discusses the anxiety of being pregnant after loss, and the complicated birth stories for both of her two children, ultimately leading to a hysterectomy. "Nobody can understand what you're going through with infertility unless you've been through it yourself," she says. Check out her jewelry at www.truewarriorjewelry.com TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; endometriosis; stress and anxiety; blocked fallopian tubes; fallopian tube removal; IUI; the healing power of crystals;

On this episode, Ali talks to Emmy Award-winning journalist and NFL Network reporter Sara Walsh about her infertility journey and what finally led to her "miracle twins." Sara opens up about her four miscarriages; how working in a male-dominated industry drove her to keep her journey a secret; having a devastating loss while out of town for work; why advocating for oneself is so important; and when she started to feel "suicidal and falling apart." She also talks about hosting a big event at the Plaza Hotel in NYC the day of her IVF retrieval; feeling guilt-ridden to her husband and her parents about not being able to have kids; her "IVF Hail Mary;" and why, even once she was pregnant, she "never allowed (herself) to have the happiness." TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; infertility trauma; IUIs; medicated cycles; egg retrievals; failed cycles; miscarriage; anxiety and depression; guilt; suicidal thoughts; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility; going through infer

On this episode, Ali talks to fellow infertility warrior Bre, about her "roller coaster" infertility ride. Bre talks about what happened when her partner, who is 21 years older than her, had a reverse vasectomy. She also talks about how infertility affected her relationship, how she and her husband were "looked at differently every step of the way" trying to have their own child, and how the judgement "became almost too much to bear." She also talks about finally having her son, and why she has no problem speaking to women sometimes on the street about her miracle baby.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; medicated cycles; vasectomy; vasectomy reversal; relationship issues; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility. EPISODE SPONSORS:MIRAIf you’re trying to conceive, listen up: According to Mira, you can get pregnant faster by tracking your ovulation and hormones using the Mira Fertility tracker. Mira is a super cute, palm-sized device that measures your *actual* hormone concent

Today, Ali is talking to proudAF egg donor mama Dani Repsch, who chronicles her infertility journey from IUIs to medicated cycles to donor eggs and beyond. Dani goes into detail about choosing a donor, grieving her genetics, failed cycles, becoming pregnant, and why she and her husband think it's so important that they tell their young son, Nathan, that he was conceived with donor eggs from the jump. She also talks about what happened with their four embryos after Nathan was born (hint: She's pregnant with another baby right now). TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; infertility trauma; IUIs; medicated cycles; egg retrievals; Clomid hot flashes; egg donors; sperm donors; finding a donor; chemical pregnancy; miscarriage; anxiety and depression; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility; the difference between closed donors and known donors; depression and grief.EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members

Nidhi is an IVF and Surrogacy Warrior, and today she tells Ali the long, complicated story of having her three babies under the age of four. Nidhi talks about a host of issues that contributed to her infertility journey, including uterine polyps, an ovarian cyst, and much more. She talks about multiple rounds of IVF, why they skipped IUI entirely, the effects of infertility on her marriage, how her Indian culture came into play while she was going through treatment, how going through transfers almost "felt like an addiction," why she became a fertility coach, and where she and the family are now.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; infertility trauma; IVF; IUIs; uterine polyps; ovarian cyst; egg retrievals; infertility triggers; surrogacy; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility; depression and grief.EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. We offer support groups, priva

Today, Ali is talking to Dr. Loree Johnson, @drloreejohnson, a therapist specializing in reproductive health, grief, infertility and pregnancy loss. Loree talks about going through six rounds of IVF and so much more, including finding out in the second trimester that their baby had chromosomal issues—and making the devastating decision to terminate for medical reasons. Loree talks about the grief of that decision, how infertility affected her marriage, and why taking a break to travel was so important to them. Then Ali and Loree discuss trauma, EMDR, black maternal health, and the disparities in health coverage for women everywhere.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; unexplained infertility; stress and anxiety; IUI; TMFR; chemical pregnancy; tubal blockage, ruptured uterus, pregnancy after infertility and loss, rainbow babies.EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. We offer su

What an episode! On today's show, Ali and her dear friend Alex Slate, aka @rockabyemaybe about her years-long journey to finally becoming pregnant and staying pregnant—and simultaneously expecting another baby via her beloved surrogate. It's an incredible story, featuring Alex's experiences with and thoughts on her five devastating pregnancy losses, her IUIs, moving to IVF, the Canadian healthcare system vs. the U.S. healthcare system, dealing with anxiety and stress throughout it all, and so much more. Alex also discusses when they decided to use a surrogate, and what happened when both she and the surrogate became pregnant at the same time (she and her surrogate are about 8 weeks apart). TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; unexplained infertility; stress and anxiety; IUI; surrogacy; the Canadian health care system; pregnancy after infertility and loss.EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Member

Today, Ali is talking to her good friend Kate Knapton, founder of Jojii And Co., about her infertility journey, which ultimately led to having her two children through embryo adoption. Kate talks about finding out her husband had "zero sperm," what happened after his micro-TESE procedure, feeling "so defeated," getting lost in Google rabbit holes and all the anxiety of #TTC. She discusses why they chose to go the embryo adoption route instead of using her eggs with donor sperm, the logistics of adopting an embryo, and grieving their genetics. Kate also discusses pregnancy after infertility, secondary infertility, and why she started Jojii and Co., her jewelry line for #infertilitywarriors. See Kate's super rad jewelry at https://jojiiandco.com/TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; male factor infertility; micro-TESE; anxiety; donor eggs; donor sperm; embryo adoption; pregnancy after infertility and loss; secondary infertility; snowflake babies. EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, 

Today, Ali is talking to IVF mama and fertility coach Ceire about her dream of always having four kids—and how, of course, that dream did not go as planned. Ceire talks about her unexplained infertility and how while doing IVF, she hid all of her fertility treatments from family, friends and co-workers because of shame and her unconscious beliefs of what family-building should look like. She talks about having her twin girls through IVF, a surprise natural pregnancy, and the battles she got into her husband over having a fourth child. She also talks about restricting my diet to veganism, detoxing from endocrine disruptors, and running on autopilot, missing the joy in front of her kids. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; being raised Irish Catholic; unexplained infertility; anxiety; pregnancy after infertility and loss; having twins; veganism; orthorexia; fertility coaching. EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the B

Episode 1: Laughing Through Infertility with Karen Jeffries from Hilariously InfertileIt's said that laughter is the best medicine, but does that apply to a fertility journey? This episode's Baby or Bust guest Karen Jeffries certainly thinks so. With an avid social media following and successful book, Karen joins host and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Lora Shahine to discuss humor's crucial role in her IVF experience, online community, and book Hilariously Infertile.From PCOS diagnosis to IUI to IVF, Karen's fertility journey was full of ups, downs, tears, and—intentionally—laughter. Together with host Dr. Shahine, Karen reflects on moments from her family-building experience with unapologetic honesty. With laugh-out-loud stories, this episode will inspire you to choose comedy as a tool for self-care and empowerment.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, Ali is talking to Jamie B., a.k.a. Glitter Enthusiast, about the long and winding infertility journey to having her twin boys. Jamie talks about her three IUIs, moving onto IVF, miscarriage, failed transfers, and feeling like everywhere she went, everyone was pregnant. She also talks about being in the "jail of your own anxiety," how being pregnant after infertility is like "waiting for a miscarriage," how watching "The Bachelor" helped while she was grieving, and the importance of therapy. Jamie then discusses the unique style of art she's created, inspired by her own infertility journey, in which she uses sterile IVF needles to create art and decor—much of which winds up in the nurseries of babies who've been wanted so badly for so long. For more on Jamie, check out @glitterenthusiast and https://glitterenthusiast.com/TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:Miscarriage; infertility; anxiety and grief; IUIs; IVF; failed transfers; unexplained infertility; pregnancy after infer

Welcome to the Season Four Premiere! Today, Ali is talking to Amanda Knox, who, as many of you know, is the American who spent almost four years in an Italian prison following her wrongful conviction of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student with whom she shared an apartment. In 2015, Knox was definitively acquitted by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation, and today, she is a mother to her baby girl, Eureka, a journalist, and the host of her own podcast, Labyrinths. And just so you know, this is not a podcast about the aforementioned. Today, Ali and Amanda are talking about Amanda’s own fertility journey, her devastating miscarriage, becoming a mother after loss, the criminal justice system's effect on family building, and the advocacy work she is doing today for wrongfully convincted women (and men) everywhere. They also talk about Amanda's four years in prison, and how she was terrified she would never become a mother, even comtemplating suicide. Also covered: How Amanda fo

Chelsea and her wife have been trying to grow their family since January 2020. LIke so many others, they were derailed by COVID, and today, she tells Ali all about the rest of her story, including seven failed IUIs, being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, and their first failed round of IVF. She also talks about using three different sperm donors because there was a donor sperm shortage in 2020--and the first two we chose ran out of vials. After their second round of IVF, Chelsea is now pregnant--and she discusses their future plans, as well as the anxiety that comes along with pregnancy after infertility. TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; same sex couples; same sex family building; IUI; IVF; donor sperm; unexplained infertility; failed transfers; anxiety; pregnancy after infertility and loss; two moms. EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY, @fertilityrallyNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at www.fertilityrally.com. We offer support groups, priv

Today's story talks about stillbirth. It's not an easy one, but it's real. And Ali is forever grateful to her guest, Christa, for sharing her first hand experience with infertility, IVF, and the devastating loss of their son, Zeke, who was born still at 27 weeks. Christa, a nurse, talks about how finding out that she and her husband were both genetic carriers for the same disorder, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a hormone disorder, "rocked her world," how IVF was twice as expensive as she was expecting, and the toll fertility and other things took on her marriage. She also talks about the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility, "always waiting for the other shoe to drop," and the worst day of her life, when she had to deliver her stillborn son. She also gives tips on what to do if you know someone who's gone through stillbirth or infant death. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; financial difficulties; infertility trauma; guilt and anxiety; pregnancy after inferti