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Today's guest is author, lawyer, and fertility advocate Alex Johnston, who is on a crusade to educate women about the importance of knowing their fertility status even before they’d ever think about getting pregnant. Alex is the author of Inconceivable: My Life-Altering, Eye-Opening Journey from Infertility to Motherhood, which chronicles her painful and beautiful path to motherhood. She tells Ali all about her seven year-long journey, which began when she found out at age 34 that she was in premenopause. Alex talks about doing several rounds of IVF, what happened when she asked her sister to be an egg donor, why and how they pivoted to surrogacy, and the devastating stillbirth of their baby girl, Sam. She also talks about using surrogates in both the U.S. and Canada, and how they ended up, amazingly, having three babies in 15 months. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:IVF; sex education; infertility; premenopause; egg donors; surrogacy; pregnancy; EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilit

It's our 250th Episode! Wooooot! Today, Ali is talking to a very special guest: Adriana Carrig, the brilliant IVF mama behind Little Words Project, the jewelry line featuring inspiring and empowering words and promoting kindness and support. Adriana tells Ali all about her family building journey, including what kind of sex education (or lack thereof) she got while growing up; her two year trial period of having sex but not getting pregnant; and what happened when she and her husband, Bill, went to a fertility specialist. She talks about having her first son through IVF; going "clean" in terms of her diet and beauty products; having her second son -- including a long and difficult NICU stay; and why she believes so strongly in the "power of the mind." She also talks how she took LIttle Words Project from something she did in her parents' basement to the behemoth it is today. For more, check out www.littlewordsproject.com TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:IVF; bullying; sex education; infe

When we last talked to Kristyn, in January 2020, she shared how "nothing on the road to motherhood was easy" for her, from the "Clomid crazies" to her first failed frozen embryo transfer. At the time, her IVF twins were toddlers. Today, her twins are five years old, and Kristyn fills us in on what's happened since our last podcast episode, including two more years of fertility treatments. "In total, I did five embryo transfers over two years," she says. "Two losses and three that didn't implant at all. I just can't believe I'm here. I was so sure two years ago that we were gonna have three kids. Now I'm in this limbo period where I don't know what to do next." In addition to her family building journey, Kristyn shares how she pivoted from founding The Fertility Tribe to co-founding Rescripted, which covers women's health and wellness from first period to last period. For more, go to www.rescripted.com/TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Twin pregnancy; As

Today, Mara Smith joins Ali on the show to talk about her family building journey, which includes her diagnosis of PCOS, and what it was like to do IVF 20-plus years ago. (Her IVF twins are now in college.) Mara shares how it was a very lonely experience more than two decades ago, since not really anyone was talking about it. She also talks about PPROM (Preterm premature rupture of the membranes -- a pregnancy complication she faced), NICU life with her newborn twins, and what happened when she and her husband decided that after their twins were born, they were not yet finished building their family.For more, check out www.inspirotequila.comTOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:IVF; PCOS: IVF twin pregnancy; PPROM; TTC; ART; NICU life; premature babiesEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. We offer 4 to 5 support groups per week, 4 private Facebook groups, tons of curated IRL a

The road to parenthood has been challenging for Ali's guest today, Jessie Jaskulsky. In 2016, Jessie lost her son, Luke, at 22 weeks gestation. After their unimaginable loss, Jessie went through a series of surgeries and treatments, until she was diagnosed with Asherman's Syndrome (a rare complication from her early delivery). On this episode, she tells Ali all about her journey, including how, after lots of ups and downs, they eventually decided to pursue surrogacy. Jessie tells Ali how they navigated the surrogacy road, how she had her two daughters, Lily and Luna, and why she started Surrogacy Simplified, which is passionate about helping Intended Parents navigate the complexities of surrogacy with compassion, expertise, and personalized care.For more, go to https://surrogacysimplified.com/Follow her on IG: @surrogacysimplifiedTOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Pregnancy; still birth; surrogacy; gestational carrier; Asherman's Syndrome; retained placenta; emergency D&C; secondary infertility; p

Dr. Lucky Sekhon is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist. infertility specialist and obstetrician and gynecologist who works at  RMA of New York. Lucky is also a friend of Ali's and you might know her from social media, where she is a big voice with super smart, super important information about all things infertility and ART. Today, she tells Ali her family building story, including why she created embryos and went through IVF when it came time to have her family. She also talks about why she loves her job, what it's like to be such a strong presence on social media, and all the amazing things she's doing as part of Doctors for Fertility, which works towards creating a world in which every person who wants a family has access to fertility and reproductive care.COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:IVF; embryos; embryo transfers; doctors going through infertility; TTC; ARTEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst C

Sarah and Cody met freshman year in high school and have been dating since they were 14. Today, they're telling us all about their family building journey, including how it started taking over their day to day lives, the five medicated cycles they did, and how Sarah was shocked by how much she didn't know about her own body before going through infertility. They also talk about experiencing a missed miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, and a chemical pregnancy, and how they all "hurt like hell." They are still in the midst of their story, so they tell us about their first round of IVF and where they are now--about to do their second round, and not sure what's going to happen next. UPDATE: Since we aired this episode, Sarah and Cody welcomed their miracle baby girl, Kara, in July of 2022 -- and they are currently working to achieve their goal of taking Kara to 10 countries by her 2nd birthday.Follow them on IG at @sarahrogersjohnson for more.EPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY and FERTILITY RALL

Today, Ali is talking to Briana Vizzi Tresova, an NYC mama with three babies from IVF. Briana and her husband started their TTC journey in 2019, facing IUIs, unexplained infertility, and all of it taking a huge toll on her mental health. Briana tells Ali about going through IVF, her first FET, and the traumatic birth of her daughter. She also talks about her next FET, what happened when she started bleeding, going off her hormones, and what happened when she went in for her D&C. Briana also talks about her next FET, which resulted in her twin boys. Today, she is a fertility double working towards becoming a pregnancy coach and childbirth educator. “ I really believe after what I endured that it is so important to educate women on advocating for themselves,” she says. Follow her @blossomwithbriana @brievizziTOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IUIs; IVF; FET; D&C; miscarriage; fertility doula; hormones; anxiety; pregnancy after lossFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email i

Today, Ali picks up where she left off in 2021 with Suzie Welsh Devine, a Fertility and IVF Nurse, and the founder and CEO of Binto. Suzie talks about going from nurse to patient; her endometriosis, and everything that has happened since we last spoke, after a devastating miscarriage with a PGT-tested embryo. Suzie talks about transferring again, doing the Emma, Alice and ERA tests, and finding out she had two blood clotting disorders. She also talks about the 19 month old son she would not have without ART; how Binto has evolved after launching 7 years ago, the importance of sperm health, PRP and Ozone therapy, and the surprise pregnancy that rocked her world. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Endometriosis; IVF; sperm health; Ozone therapy; PRP; ART; IVF transfer: Emma and Alice; ERA; uterine health; surprise pregnancy Find out more at mybinto.com For podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo

Today, Ali is talking to model and wellness influencer Tess Annique Souray about her family building journey, which began when, at 25, she was told that her only chance to have a baby was through IVF. Tess talks openly about her sobriety and recovery; how she knew "absolutely nothing" about her fertility (like so many of us); doing treatment during COVID; her mental health; and her OHSS. She also talks about doing IVF; how she and her husband navigated the journey together; having a devastating miscarriage at 10 weeks; putting her phone on "do not disturb" for three months; and getting pregnant again (she is 20-plus weeks along today). Follow her at @tessannique TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:IVF; OHSS; sobriety and recovery; anxiety; marriage; IVF transfer; miscarriage; treatment during COVID; depression; women supporting womenFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one

Ali is so excited to share her conversation with the iconic figure skater and Olympic Gold Medalist Tara Lipinski, who is going to tell us all about her five-year-long infertility journey, which she describes as “hell.” Tara and her husband Todd recently launched their own podcast, called Unexpecting, and today, she is talking about getting her period at the age of 25, meeting her husband, discovering she has endometriosis, starting the IVF journey, her devastating miscarriages, and where she and Todd are today. ALSO! Tara is our headlining KeyNote Speaker at this October’s Fertility Rally Live virtual event, and the tickets to that event are TOTALLY FREE — and you can reserve your free ticket by going to the link in my bio on Instagram @infertileafstories and also @fertilityrally   Rally Live is on October 21, and everyone has 90 days to watch all of the talks. Reserve your FREE ticket today!Covered in this episode: Unexplained infertility; IVF during Covid; sex education; endometriosis; infertility in the p

Today, Ali is talking to Heather Passaro, who is 47 years old, and pregnant with her first child via embryo adoption. Heather talks about how she and her husband started trying for a baby when she was about 38, and how it didn't go as planned. She talks about going through several failed IUIs, doing ICSI, pivoting to IVF, and how she thought, like so many of us, that "IVF was a guarantee." She talks about how they started working with an adoption agency, and how that route didn't work out either. Heather also discusses how she heard about embryo adoption, which was a fraction of the cost ($5,000); getting medically approved to carry a child, going through the adopted embryo transfer, and finding out that she was pregnant with her son. She also talks about having another embryo "on ice," and what that means for her future family, and also her donors' family. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IUIs; IVF; unexplained infertility; ICSI, insurance; unsolicited advice; embryo ad

Today, Ali is talking to Sarah Shafer, a beauty boss and the founder of Milk Made Skin, a skincare line that harnesses the power of breastmilk in a 100% clean, nutrient-packed, natural proprietary complex to achieve beautifully smooth, younger-looking skin.Sarah talks about IUIs, multiple failed rounds of IVF, not being happy with her fertility clinic,  finding an immediate connection w her new doctor, and finally, having her two IVF babies. She also talks about founding Milk Made Skin and Fertility Dreams which advocates for infertility awareness and assist families that are struggling with infertility. Follow her on IG: @milkmadeskin @fertiledreams TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IUIs; IVF; failed transfers; successful transfers; changing clinics; female founders; IVF babies; women supporting womenFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility al

Intended Parent Alex @ourbeautifulsurprise and Surrogate Madison: A Successful Surrogacy Journey  Today, Ali is talking to Alex, an Intended Parent, and Madison, her Surrogate, about both sides of a surrogacy family building journey. Alex and Madison talk about how they first connected with each other, why they knew they both wanted to work together, and how it was when they finally talked in depth. They also talk about myths and untruths surrounding surrogacy, their IVF journey, their two transfers, and how Alex's second son finally came into this world. It's a beautiful story -- their forever bond is palpable. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Surrogacy; IVF; gestational carriers; successful transfers; unsuccessful transfers; women supporting womenFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilit

Today, Ali is talking to London-born photographer Rashmi Gill about her decade-plus infertility journey, and the many ups and downs and heartbreak that finally resulted in her two IVF babies. Rashmi talks about her Punjabi Sikh heritage, and how her culture perceived the stigmas of infertility and not being able to have babies. She talks about doing IVF in London versus America, why she waited 10 years to see a doctor when she was having trouble, and the many hurtful things people said to her while she was on her journey. She also talks about the financial aspects of infertility, and how her most recent failed transfer left her heartbroken once again.  Find out more at rashmigill.com TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Unexplained infertility; IVF; IVF in London vs. America; finances; grief and heartbreak; Punjabi Sikh heritage; failed transfers; successful transfers; women supporting womenFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @f

Today, Ali is talking to Maureen Brown, CEO and Co-founder of Mosie Baby, a revolutionary at-home insemination device that she created with her husband. Maureen tells Ali all about her infertility journey, being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, how she didn't want to go through IVF, how "it broke our hearts, and it broke us mentally, thinking about the financial constraints," and how they finally created the product that was missing in the fertility world. Find out more at mosiebaby.com TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Unexplained infertility; IVF; not wanting to do IVF; artificial insemination; at-home insemination; financial constraints; babies born through IUI; babies born through at-home inseminationFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. We offer 4 to 5 support

Today, Ali is talking to mama, speaker, activist, and New York Times Bestselling author Alexis Jones, whose memoir, "Joy Hunter," talks about her infertility journey -- and so much more. Alexis gets into it all with Ali, including five frustrating years of unexplained infertility, navigating the world of IVF, a heartbreaking miscarriage, working with an expensive egg donor, finally getting pregnant, and what happened when she went into labor seven weeks early. A self-described “productivity junkie,” Alexis talks about what happened when she was forced to slow down for the first time in her life. She also talks about how "Joy, it turns out, is not a destination; it’s a way of life."Follow Alexis on IG @alexisjonesFind Joy Hunter here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707008/joy-hunter-by-alexis-jones/TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Unexplained infertility; IVF; miscarriage; donor eggs; embryo transfer; pregnancy after loss and infertility; early labor; NICU life; finding joyFor podcast s

Today, author Tasha Van Howe shares her personal tale of tragedy and triumph, which includes navigating her marriage to her high school sweetheart through years of infertility; losing a son shortly after he was born; the inability to walk after labor; a roller coaster of failed attempts at IVF; suicidal thoughts; and an adoption gone wrong that ended in complete heartbreak. Now 43 with no living children at home, Tasha is here to talk about being hit with one tragic life event after another. In fact, she calls her own story, "a Lifetime movie." Follow Tasha on IG @authorvanhoweTOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; unexplained infertility; IVF; infant and newborn loss; grief; suicidal thoughts and tendencies; surrogacy; adoption; adoption gone wrongFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at f

Today, Ali is talking to Infertility Warrior and Peak and Valley Beads founder Rachel Sloan, about her family building journey. Included: male factor infertility; being a military family (& doing IVF at a military hospital), placenta complications attributed to the IVF process, deployment, postpartum depression, starting her own business, being pregnant with twins in the time of Roe v Wade being overturned, and so much more. Follow Rachel on IG @peakandvalley.beads TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Infertility; IVF; IVF in a military hospital; male factor infertility; grief; placenta complications; twin pregnancy; pregnancy after loss and infertility; post-partum depression; Roe v. WadeFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. We offer 4 to 5 support groups per week, 4 private Facebo

On today's episode, NYC-based Lifestyle influencer Esther Santer and husband, Avi Rosenberg, share their male factor infertility story. Esther and Avi talk about how not having children is an anomaly in their Jewish community, which has a "big emphasis on family;" her needle phobia and how she never thought she would have to do IVF; how everyone assumed she was the problem; and how it felt for Avi to get his male factor diagnosis of low sperm count. They also talk about paying for treatments 100 percent out of pocket; why they want to destigmatize the topic of male factor infertility, and finally, having their son through IVF. Follow her on IG @esthersanter   TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:IUI; IVF; male factor infertility; IVF in the Jewish community; breaking the taboos of male factor infertility; needle phobia; low sperm countFor podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.comEPISODE SPONSORS:FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.comNo one sh