Fertility Forward

Being able to give the gift of life to a family who cannot have children of their own is a courageous and selfless act. Today on Fertility Forward, surrogate at Surrogate First, Zarah Hilliard joins us to tell us all about the magic of surrogacy. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how Zarah first got into surrogacy, the matching process, her relationship with her surrogate child’s dads, and how her partner, family, and son reacted to her decision to become a surrogate. Zarah highlights the importance of advocating for what you want as a surrogate before telling us about her TikTok channel and how she uses it as an opportunity to educate people about surrogacy. She also stresses the importance of having a good support system and shares her top tips and tricks for anyone wanting to become a surrogate. You won’t want to miss this inspiring episode, so press play now!

Hearing other people’s experiences with fertility and the journeys they take is important because one story is never quite like another. We are thrilled to have Bret Shuford on the podcast with us today! Bret is a Broadway actor, best known for Wicked and The Little Mermaid, as well as numerous TV series and films. While he loves acting, he also works as a director and producer. On top of his established acting career, he also helps other creatives step into their spotlight with private and group coaching, and along with his husband Stephen, he co-hosts Broadway Husbands a podcast that helps gay dads become better people, partners, and parents. Join us for a delightfully inspiring conversation about their journey to parenthood. Bret shares the story of how meeting his husband ignited his wish to become a father, ultimately leading to the start of their fertility journey. We hear what inspired them to choose surrogacy, how they found the perfect egg donor, and he details why finding a suitable gestational carrier is the hardest part of the journey. Tune in now to hear more about their beautiful story, including some insightful tips and resources. Thanks for listening!

Even as more and more children are conceived using assisted reproductive technology, there is still a negative stigma that tends to surround surrogacy. Joining us to discuss this unconventional path to parenthood and dispel some commonly held misconceptions about it is Yessenia Latorre, a surrogacy educator at SurrogateFirst and a mother of two who raises awareness about her personal surrogacy journey on TikTok, where she has nearly 230,000 followers. Yessenia was inspired to help other families achieve their dreams of parenthood after her own devastating experience of pregnancy loss. In today’s episode, she shares some practical advice for both surrogates and intended parents and highlights the importance of following your intuition when choosing an agency. We also discuss the emotional impact of surrogacy, the power of community, and more. Be sure to tune in for this gentle and thoughtful discussion about surrogacy with Mama Yessenia!

One of the most common topics facing doctors today is the issue of mental health medication and pregnancy. If you are a soon-to-be mother with a mental health condition, getting the right information may be an arduous and complicated task. So today, we’ve asked Dr. Marlee Medora to join us on the show and help us unpack safer ways of finding the right care for pregnant women with a mental illness. Dr. Medora is a Women’s Health Psychiatrist with her own private practice in New York and she begins our conversation by laying out three important tenets that govern how doctors treat pregnant patients who also have ailments to consider. Then, we discuss the dangers of starting a new medication or finishing a chronic course in and around pregnancy, why many women are still unaware of the options that are available to them, our guest’s process for assessing medicinal safety during pregnancy, and how patients can find the right doctors and resources for their particular plight. We also learn about the importance of dismantling stigmas relating to mental health and substance abuse and after taking a closer look at the infertility struggle and the value of self-care, we close with today’s moments of gratitude.

Dr. Natan Bar-Chama is a board-certified reproductive urologist and has been the Director for the Centre for Reproductive Health at RMA of New York for the past 20 years. His practice is exclusively dedicated to the field of male fertility. During this episode, he shares a summary of his recent presentation at the ASRM Conference, titled Breaking Down Barriers to the Male Fertiltity Evaluation in the Reproductive Clinic: Optimizing New Technology. This episode centers on two elements that the male reproductive analysis is based on, and how evolving technological solutions facilitate the process of extracting necessary information for fertility treatment. We discuss Telehealth assessments, how a couple can assess male reproductive factors through conversation, and how to approach fertility treatment planning. Dr. Bar-Chama also touches on research into testicular surgery and sampling for men. Listen in to hear all this and more!

Claudia Freedman was recently discharged from RMA of New York, under the care of Dr. Matthew Lederman. She is ten weeks pregnant today! During this conversation, Claudia joins us to share her story of reaching this point despite navigating a very real phobia of needles. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Claudia’s unexpected struggles to get pregnant, her journey to pursuing fertility treatment, and the apprehension she experienced leading up to the process. Claudia shares tips and tricks that she implemented during the IVF process, how she created a sense of control to combat fear, and how asking questions helped set her mind at ease along the way. We discuss how treatment differs from person to person and some of the valuable wisdom for life and parenting that Claudia gained along the way. Thanks for tuning in!

Welcome to our annual year-in-review for Fertility Forward! Today, we are delving into the highs and lows of 2023 and what we are looking forward to for next year. In this episode, you will hear what we love about this podcast, our favorite kinds of discussions, the good and bad of 2023, how things have changed in the world of fertility, and so much more! We discuss our goals for 2024 before talking about our self-care rituals and how we can prioritize them. From adapting to seasons, to reading great books, to what we are grateful for from 2023, to the excitement of 2024, this episode has it all so be sure to tune in now!

If you’re dreading the upcoming holidays, with their awkward conversations and cringe-worthy personal questions, this episode is for you! We are joined by returning guest, Dr. Georgia Witkin to discuss some handy tips and tricks for surviving the holiday season ahead. Dr. Witkin is the Director of Psychological Services and Wellness at RMA of New York and an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Tuning in today, you’ll hear Dr. Witkin’s thoughts on why you need to stop “should-ing” and her insights for being discerning about what and with whom you share. She also highlights possible answers you can give to relatives asking questions or making uncomfortable statements about your fertility. Press play to hear these and other helpful suggestions, including the option to opt out this holiday season, and remember: base your expectations on reality and not wishful thinking. Thanks for listening and happy holidays!

On the show today, we discuss the various meanings of motherhood with our special guest, Dr. Camille Hammond. Dr. Hammond is the Founder and CEO of the Tinina Q. Cade Foundation, otherwise known as The Cade Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote awareness of infertility and serve the needs of families struggling with infertility. They provide educational resources and financial assistance to help them grow their families. Join the conversation as Dr. Hammond candidly shares her personal infertility journey and the incredible story of her mother's offer to be a gestational carrier for her triplets. We explore the impact of social media in shedding light on less-discussed topics like infertility and delve into the founding of the Tinina Q Cade Foundation. Discover the Cade Foundation grants for families seeking support and gain insights into the diverse paths to parenthood and the empowering concept that you can define the word "mother" on your own terms. Don’t miss out on this insightful episode, so press play now.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, today’s episode explores the under-addressed topic of fertility care for active duty and veteran service members, the challenges they are likely to experience, and how to ensure they are better supported as patients. Joining us to discuss this subject is Dr. Samantha Estevez, a Clinical Fellow at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, and Katrina Nietsch, a medical student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. We discuss their fortuitous collaboration before delving into their recent abstract titled, Supporting Our Troops: 20 Years of Fertility Trends Among Active Duty and Veteran Service Members Seeking Fertility Care at a Major Urban Fertility Center. Tuning in, you’ll learn about Katrina’s long history with the military, what led her to medicine, and how she partnered with Dr. Estevez to explore fertility and fertility care within the veteran population. We take a look at the limitations that veterans or active duty service members might experience when seeking specialized fertility treatment and how our guests went about researching this topic. We also reflect on the important role of advocacy and policy initiatives in this area, and how they are pushing the Veterans Association (VA) and government to recognize and address pressing issues facing female service members and veterans. Join us for an eye-opening conversation about an urgent topic that should be receiving much more attention!

Today on Fertility Forward, we will discuss another research abstract presented at this year’s American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Conference, titled ‘Spironolactone use in oocyte maturation in patients undergoing oocyte cryopreservation.’ Here to join us in conversation about it are two of the authors, who are also endocrinologists at RMA of New York, Dr. Atoosa Ghofranian and Dr. Kimberley Thornton. Tune in now to hear more about Spironolactone and its uses, where their research question stemmed from including the story behind the interest in this project, highlights from the study’s findings, and more.

When it comes to accessibility, we’ve made important strides by enacting legislation that enables more inclusive access to fertility care, but there is still a long way to go. Here today to help unpack this important topic is return guest, Dr. Samantha Estevez, a clinical fellow at Mount Sinai and Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. In our conversation with Samantha, we examine the details of key legislative changes in New York State, their impact on LGBTQIA+ couples, and the contents of her new article ‘Breaking down barriers for same-sex female couples building families in vitro fertilization utilization since the enactment of 2021 New York state legislation’. Tuning in, you’ll hear Samantha’s breakdown of the 2017 New York state legislation, how it excluded LGBTQIA+ couples when it comes to family building, and the important ways in which the 2021 legislation changes addresses these shortcomings. We delve into the findings of Samantha’s study, including how the data showed greater inclusivity post-legislation, before reflecting on what this could mean for future advocacy and legislative changes across the US. This type of research plays a pivotal role in ensuring greater fertility access for all. To learn more about these types of legislative changes and why they are so important, be sure to tune in!

Today, we are joined by Dr. Tamar Alkon from RMA's Mexico City office to discuss her groundbreaking research on embryonic mosaicism and its correlation with spermatozoa recovery in severe male factor infertility patients. Dr. Alkon begins by explaining embryonic mosaicism and shares insights into her research process and findings. The research will be presented at the ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) conference in October, which signifies a tremendous step in fertility knowledge and understanding! Tune in to hear Dr. Alkon’s conclusions firsthand.

The system fails women with cancer who want to protect their fertility and joining us today on Fertility Forward is the person on the frontline of this battle, Founder and CEO of The Chick Mission. In this episode, Amanda Rice tells us all about her cancer diagnosis, what made her decide to freeze her eggs, the disappointment she experienced when her insurance refused due to her diagnosis, and how that inspired her to create The Chick Mission. We discuss Amanda’s current status, how she got through chemotherapy, and what she learned from her experience. Young women are also educated about reproductive health in a backward fashion; with the focus being on how not to get pregnant instead of providing them with an essential well-rounded education. Amanda discusses her mission to change that as well as the other important pillars of The Chick Mission before delving into how you can get involved in her organization. Finally, we are reminded of the importance of reaching out for help. To hear all this and so much more, tune in now!

Just as we always say, knowledge is power, and today’s guest is a massive advocate for getting more information about your fertility to make informed decisions. Dr. Jeffrey Klein is a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist at RMA of New York -- Westchester with a reputation for incredible patient care and a great passion for his work. He joins us in this episode of Fertility Forward to discuss secondary infertility, what it means, why it occurs, why the workup is similar to regular infertility, and so much more! We delve into why open lines of communication and pure honesty are imperative in fertility care before Dr. Klein explains AMH and the differences between egg reserve and egg quality. Fertility is filled with grey areas, and our guest leaves us with words of encouragement to arm ourselves with information about our own reproductive health. Finally, he shares his gratitude for his health! Thank you for listening in.

Welcome to PCOS Awareness Month here at Fertility Forward! Today we are joined by an incredible naturalistic doctor, Lana Butner to discuss all things holistic PCOS management. Tuning in, you’ll hear about what drew Lana to natural medicine, what PCOS is, how it manifests, the problematic traditional process of diagnosis, and so much more! Our holistic expert offers nutrition and exercise tips tailored to women managing PCOS followed by a illuminating discussion on cortisol and stress in PCOS. We then explore how mindful eating and acupuncture can assist in alleviating symptoms. Finally, Lana talks about her PCOS course and recipe books! You don’t want to miss this one so be sure to press play now!

Postpartum depression is a topic that is considered taboo among mothers, especially those who have been blessed with a baby following an infertility journey. But the reality is that it is a very real experience and can be managed with a little bit of support and education. Joining us today on Fertility Froward is the incredible author and mother, Jessica Wendi Abel, to tell us about her book, The Little Blue Rocket Ship, her postpartum experience, and why she wants to help families going through depression and anxiety. Our guest tells us all about the inspiration behind her book, why she wrote it from a child’s perspective, and how her eldest son reacted to it. We hear the difference between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, how they cross paths, factors that exacerbate these struggles, how they show up differently for different people, and why many women struggle to communicate their feelings. Finally, Jessica shares some words of wisdom for any family going through PPD and PPA before telling us that we can (and should) change our beliefs to suit the needs of our families. To hear all this and to be reminded to ask new mothers what they need, tune in now! To purchase Jessica's book, click here.

While navigating the fertility journey, women are encouraged to prepare their bodies for the intensive process of IVF. But equally important, is preparing your mind for the complex emotions and difficult challenges inherent to the process. Our guest today, Emily Getz, is the founder of Day 1 Fertility, a unique fertility network designed to support those struggling to bring home a baby. She is also a certified fertility, pregnancy and infant loss coach, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, and fellow fertility patient. In our conversation with Emily, she opens up about how she was impacted by her late-stage pregnancy loss, what she has learned about how your mindset can affect your fertility outcomes, and why she is on a mission to redefine the fertility journey. She shares how getting a life coach enabled her to see her journey from an entirely new perspective and how it inspired her to help other women facing the same struggles. We also discuss her 12-week program, the benefits of group coaching, and how she is equipping participants with the tools they need to handle painful moments. To learn more about the important work Emily is doing and the power of community, be sure to listen in!

“Where are you in your menstrual cycle?” This is something that every woman should be aware of, whether you are trying to fall pregnant, optimize your training schedule, or simply get a better understanding of your body. Unfortunately, education in this sphere is difficult to access, but today’s guest is doing everything she can to change that. Nora DeBora is a preconception health coach, holistic nutritionist, and fertility awareness practitioner. She joins us on the show today to discuss the journey that led her from the corporate HR space to where she is today, how the fertility awareness method (FAM) works, and the importance of employing strategies for calming your nervous system on your fertility journey. She also does a live demonstration of a breathing technique that we should all be doing everyday!

Today we are joined by two special guest speakers to discuss a very timely and engaging topic. Dr. Eric Flisser is our fellow reproductive endocrinologist and Paxton Maeder-York is the CEO and Founder of Alife Health. Alife Health is a fertility technology company that builds artificial intelligence tools to advance the IVF process. During our conversation today, we dive further into the topic of artificial intelligence and how it can impact the infertility and IVF sectors. Paxton shares the mission behind Alife Health and how AI is currently being used in the healthcare sector. He also explains how algorithms function in different settings and the importance of gathering a diverse data set to battle inequities in infertility care. To hear about the potential of AI to advance not only the IVF process but the patient experience as well, tune in now!