Infertile Af

On today's episode, Ali is talking to Sammi, a strongAF infertility warrior she met when Sammi joined Fertility Rally. Sammi shares all the details of the path to having her children, including going through secondary infertility; a very rare C-section ectopic pregnancy (a first for this show); termination for medical reasons; more surgery; the discovery of male factor infertility; and when they decided to go down the surrogacy road. She also talks about meeting her "angel" surrogate, several bumps along the way, and what lead--finally--to the birth of her second baby boy.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:TTC; C-section ectopic pregnancy; trauma, anxiety, depression; termination for medical reasons; pregnancy loss; D&C; male factor infertility; surrogacy; surrogacy in Canada vs. U.S.;EPISODE SPONSORS:WORK OF ARTAli's Children's Book about IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technologyhttps://www.infertileafgroup.com/booksDo not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rav

On today's episode, Ali is talking to yet another amazing woman who has turned her pain into her purpose:  Dr Sarah Oreck, Co-Founder and CEO of Mavida Health. After her late-term pregnancy loss, Sarah created a company that would provide those on their path to parenthood the right tools and resources to take care of their mental health, every step of the way. Ali and Sarah talk about sex education and what they both learned about having babies when they were growing up; the devastation of what Sarah went through; how talking about miscarriage (or any loss, for that matter) and mental health need to be normalized, and how her Mavida Health co-founder also experienced a second trimester pregnancy loss.  For more, go to mavidahealth.com  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:TTC; late-term pregnancy loss; mental health; perinatal mental health; miscarriage EPISODE SPONSORS:WORK OF ARTAli's Children's Book about IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technologyhttps://www.infertileafgroup.com/booksDo not miss Ali

Catherine John is a dear member of the Fertility Rally fam, and today, she's sharing her entire story with Ali, from being diagnosed with PCOS to going through IUIs. Catherine talks about exploring the option of doing her fertility treatments in Tijuana (and why she ultimately decided against it), her irregular periods; why she was told she was a good candidate for IVF; and what happened when she finally became pregnant with her son. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:PCOS; high testosterone; ovarian cysts; irregular periods; IUIs; IVF; IVF abroad; pregnancy after infertility; IVF success EPISODE SPONSORS:WORK OF ARTAli's Children's Book about IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technologyhttps://www.infertileafgroup.com/booksDo not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and ART). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini.Per

What do you know about the vaginal microbiome? What does your vaginal microbiome have to do with your ability to conceive? Ali didn't know much about this, and is still learning, thanks to today's guest, Cheryl Sew Hoy, CEO and Founder of Tiny Health. Cheryl, a longtime entrepreneur and women's health advocate, explains how the microbiome impacts well-being and fertility. She talks about prioritizing her career for years, having her two kids via C-section, what the term "vaginal seeding" means, and more recently, the heartbreak she's experienced having two miscarriages. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:C-sections; microbiome; microbiome testing; vaginal microbiome; gut health; miscarriage; vaginal seeding; grief; immune systems; chronic disease For more, go to https://www.tinyhealth.com/For info on the IVF Clinical Study, go to https://www.tinyhealth.com/research/fertility-ivfEPISODE SPONSORS:WORK OF ARTAli's Children's Book about IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technologyhttps://w

On today's episode, Ali is talking to Emily Patel, founder of Hopeful Mama Foundation, about her family building journey, years of struggles, and finally having her two daughters. Emily talks about having hot flashes and night sweats at the age of 16, being put on birth control, and later learning that she had premature ovarian failure/early menopause. She also talks about having a doctor with terrible bedside manner, who told her, "Well, you're never gonna have a kid," and later, how going through a private adoption process ended in devastation. She talks about how infertility and the failed adoption lead to the end of her first marriage; finding love again; embarking on the donor egg route; and finally having her two daughters. Emily also talks about creating Hopeful Mama Foundation, which supports women on their infertility journey through financial grants, educational workshops and support groups.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Premature ovarian failure; early menopause; marriage issues; di

Christie Bishop is host of the podcast, "What Nobody Tells Us," where she tackles taboo topics and hosts uncomfortable conversations, from cancer to grief to the foster care system. Today, she tells Ali her own family building story, starting with how her then-fiance, Bryan Bishop, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and given six months to live. Bryan's diagnosis changed everything about how and when they'd try to have kids, as their doctor told them, "You need to go bank sperm -- right fucking now." Christie shares how she and Bryan have navigated his cancer treatment over the years (thankfully, he is now healthy and doing well!); how "You're not having a lot of sex when your fiance has just been given a death sentence of six to 12 months," how nothing was the same BC and AD (before cancer and after diagnosis); doing multiple IUIs that didn't work; doing two rounds of IVF; and how they finally, miraculously, had their daughter, who was conceived naturally. TO

"I never thought I'd be down a 10 year journey just to have my one and only miracle daughter," says Sandra Rimaldi, an infertility nurse and infertility warrior who spent a decade trying to build her family. For years, Sandra worked with renowned Reproductive Immunologist Dr. Jeffrey Braverman, who passed away in 2019, treating patients from all over the world who had unexplained infertility diagnoses. At the same time, she was undergoing her own infertility journey, including IVF, a traumatic transfer, endo surgery and more. On today's show, Sandra tells us the details her journey, including her anxiety and PTSD after infertility and how the advent of the Receptiva DX test has helped countless patients all over the world. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Endometriosis; endo surgery; reproductive immunology; traumatic transfer; IVF; embryos; Receptiva DX test; anxiety; pregnancy after infertility; PTSDEPISODE SPONSORS:WORK OF ARTChildren's Book about IVFhttps://www.infertileafgroup.com/book

Leyla Bilali is a veteran fertility nurse with over a decade of clinical experience at a top NYC clinic. She considers herself to be a "Fertility Godmother," with big ideas for fertility care. Today, she tells Ali about her family building journey, including the road to having her two girls, and the devastating losses she has experienced while trying for a third child. Leyla talks about working in the fertility industry, freezing embryos, her husband's vasectomy, co-founding Dandi based off of her clinical experiences and fertility concierge business, and how as a fertility patient herself, she has more empathy and compassion than ever.  To reach out to Leyla, email leyla@dandifertility.com Follow her on IG: @lamleybilali and @dandifertility Topics covered in this episode: IVF; fertility nursing; hysteroscopy; miscarriage; D&C; pregnancy; vasectomy; embryo freezing; fertility immunologist; high risk pregnancy  EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Children's Book about IVF https://www.infertile

Pride Month Continues! Today we are celebrating the beautiful family built by Christina Bailey, aka @babybaileymamadrama on IG. Christina talks about coming out when she was younger, having her two older daughters via IVF, and how the LGBTQ community gets asked a lot, "Why don't you just adopt, or why don't you just foster?" Christina talks about going through the embryo adoption process, but deciding it was not the right path, and later, breaking up with her wife. "I spent so much time grieving and being hard on myself, like I wasn't good enough for somebody, and who would ever want me?" she says. She also talks about meeting her current girlfriend, falling in love, and having two more babies -- making her a mom of four. Follow Christina's story at @babybaileymamadrama on IG TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; same sex family building; IVF; reciprocal IVF; egg retrievals; egg transfers: embryo adoption; love is love.  EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Children's Bo

In 2011, singer Nelly Joy told a doctor that she thought she had endometriosis, but the doctor just chuckled and said, "Most girls have painful periods," handed her birth control and Nelly went on her way. She spent years navigating kidney issues, anemia (blacking out), IBS, and constant throwing up from pain while being on the road doing an arena tour with Jason Aldean and Eric Church, opening sold out shows, being in and out of the ER not knowing what was wrong. When she and her husband started to try to have a baby, the road continued to be rough, including IVF and a devastating ectopic pregnancy. At this point in her journey, she's going the IUI route, channeling her pain and experiences through her beautiful music, including her new song, "Baby Showers." Her story is not over yet--stay tuned.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; endometriosis; endometrial cysts; IBS; kidney issues; debilitating pain; IVF; ectopic pregnancy; pregnancy loss; egg retrieval; acupuncture Listen

Meet Leia and Krison Burroughs, who are still in the midst of their family building journey. On today's show, Leia and Kriston tell Ali about how Kriston was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when he was just a year old, and how they had no idea that the sickle cell drug, Hydroxyurea, would have a direct effect on his fertility. They also talk about microTESE surgery, the five hysteroscopies Leia had, and how the whole infertility journey has been hard on their marriage. They explain why they fired their OB, why they pivoted to embryo adoption, why they preferred doing that over donor sperm, and where they are now in the journey. Says Leia: "Did you know that 24% of men with Sickle Cell Anemia experience infertility due to the effects of the disease? Did you know that Sickle Cell Anemia affects about 100,000 people or that it occurs 1 in every 365 Black births in the U.S.?" Says Kriston, "Black folks need to start talking about our fertility treatments."  For more, follow IG: @ladibuddaf

Today, Ali has a true sports icon on the show: Former pro soccer star Carli Lloyd, who won two World Cups and two Olympic Gold medals during her incredible career. Carli is currently pregnant -- and in the second trimester -- with her first baby, but it's been a long and difficult infertility journey to get here. Carli tells Ali all the details, starting from when she and her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, Brian, started to try for a baby, and what happened when it wasn't working. She talks about traveling the world playing professional soccer, why she didn't want to have kids while she was playing, and how, when she retired at 39, she found out, "It's a lot harder to get pregnant than people think." She explains being told they should do IVF, going through the retrieval process, and how her first transfer didn't work. She also talks about why they needed to take a mental break, what it felt like to do their next retrieval, and how she felt when she found out she was finall

Happy Pride Month! Ali's guest today is Michael, one of the dads behind Two Dads U.K., whose mission is to raise awareness of same-sex parenting and help other same-sex couples and other single gay people realize that becoming a parent shouldn't just be a dream. Michael talks about coming out; building a family with his husband, Wes; the 3-4 years they researched surrogacy; the birth of their daughter, Talulah; and how they’re working hard to make LGBTQ parenting better, safer and more equal. Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today Ali talking to her sweet SoulCycle friend Lex Borino, a super successful bridal hair stylist about her recent egg freezing journey. Lex, who is 30 years old, explains why she came to this decision: "Once I turned 30 and realized, 'Ooh, I'm not in a relationship, that's not on the table right now,' I had to look at my options and be like, 'What can I do to be proactive in still being able to have a family without having a partner in the picture?'" Lex talks about how her mother had secondary infertility; how she started typing "egg freezing journeys" into the TikTok search bar every night to do research and hear people's stories; and how her meeting with a financial advisor helped her realize it was a good time to go through with it. She also talks about having many friends who've successfully gotten pregnant and had babies with no issues; the anxiety of possibly "being a statistic;" fertility treatment hormones; and how she felt supported on the da

Today's episode features Carly Stockdale, who started Nascency, Everything to know about surrogacy, and whether it’s right for you Carly talks about her egg freezing experience, pregnancy, and why she and her husband decided to use a surrogate for baby number two. She also talks about everything she's doing with Nascency, which provides info on becoming a surrogate and also taking the surrogacy path as an intended parent. For more, go to https://www.nascency.com/ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; egg freezing; surrogacy; traumatic birth; intended parents EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Children's Book about IVF https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books Do not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini. Personalized and non-persona

Today's episode features a total badass, UFC fighter Katlyn Cerminara. Katlyn talks about getting into fighting as a young girl; thinking she would be pregnant right away when she took out her IUD (very relatable!); and going to a specialist after trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant after three months. She also talks about being told by her doctor "You're so young, everything looks fine" -- and why that pissed her off; doing a handful of IUIs that were unsuccessful; and moving onto IVF. She talks about her chemical pregnancy, her miscarriage, and also how going through infertility treatment in the public eye means that people will make rude comments on your social media ("You look so heavy--are you pregnant?"). She also shares why she chose to go public with her story; and where she is today. Follow Katlyn on IG: @blondefighter TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Unexplained infertility; sex education; infertility; IUI; failed IUIs; IVF; social media; going through treatment as a profe

Today Ali is talking to Modern Mom Probs founder Tara Clark about her unexplained infertility journey. Tara talks about growing up in Catholic school and the "fear-based" sex education she got; her three devastating miscarriages; being diagnosed with fibroids and having a procedure to remove them, and why she and her husband needed to take a mental health break after their losses. She also talks about trying again, doing three IUIs; getting pregnant on her third IUI; and the anxiety after loss she experienced when she was pregnant with her now-11 year old son, Jack.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Unexplained infertility; sex education; miscarriage; mental health; infertility; IUI; failed IUIs; IUI success; pregnancy after loss; the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility  EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Children's Book about IVF https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now! “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a

In this week’s special crossover episode, Ali is joined by her friends Abbe Feder (host of The Fertility Chick) and Elizabeth King (host of Creation Innovation podcast) to discuss infertility in pop culture. As infertility becomes more talked about in TV, movies, music and the news, what shows get it right? Where do we still need more support and stories shared? How can we ensure the narrative feels authentic? And when it doesn’t, is it just plain fun to laugh at? Ali, Abbe and Elizabeth get into all of this today, covering everything from Bluey to American Horror Story to the Taylor Swift song, "Bigger Than The Whole Sky."  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: IVF; miscarriage; Taylor Swift; Kim Kardashian; Emma Roberts; Bluey; UP!; TTC; pregnancy after loss; childlessness not by choice  EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Children's Book about IVF https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now! “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he lear

"Growing up, I always imagined I'd one day be married with kids" says today's guest, single dad by choice John Yurcisin. "I've dated many smart, interesting, beautiful women. I was engaged once and called it off. I just never found my life partner." And so, John decided to become a dad on his own. On this episode, John shares the entire journey to having his two sons as a solo parent, including being the only heterosexual man in a room of 250 people at the Men Having Babies conference; finding a single parents group online; choosing and connecting with his surrogate; choosing an egg donor; and meeting his egg donor for dinner. He also talks about having his two boys, including his advice for anyone contemplating a single dad by choice journey.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Single dad by choice; solo dad by choice; egg donor; surrogate; surrogacy journey; IVF; Men Having Babies conference; doctors; lawyers; single parents' groups online  EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Childr

"Truthfully, my journey is about 10 years long at this point," says today's guest, Cara DiFalco. Cara grew up in a big, boisterous Italian family in NJ, and she always knew she wanted many children. After getting divorced with no children at 38, she decided she would pursue being a single mom by choice, and today, she tells us her whole story. She talks about how her family embraced that decision; finding a sperm donor, including her pro tips on choosing a donor and navigating the donor sperm process; navigating three unsuccessful IUIs; her endometriosis; her egg retrievals and how "fertility treatments are stupid expensive, whether you have insurance or not." She also talks about feeling jealous of family and friends who've easily had babies, and where she is today.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Single parent by choice; solo parent by choice; donor sperm; donor sperm selection; IUI; finances; egg retrieval; IVF; jealousy EPISODE SPONSORS: WORK OF ART Children's Book about IVF