Time To Talk Fertility

1 in 8 women are affected by breast cancer and 1 in 4 women experience pregnancy loss. Despite being seldom discussed, it is likely that someone close to you will face one or both of these challenges. Sarah, a breast cancer survivor, is among these women. Nearly ten years after her diagnosis, she decided to pursue solo motherhood and sought assistance from a reproductive endocrinologist in Boston before settling in Chicago and becoming a patient at Fertility Centers of Illinois. Along her journey to become a parent, Sarah experienced love, loss, grief and joy. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month this October, Sarah joined the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast to share her story.

September is PCOS Awareness Month. PCOS is a common endocrine system disorder affecting women around the globe. Unfortunately, a PCOS diagnosis is sometimes overlooked in young women not trying for pregnancy because it can have many variable and subtle symptoms. In honor of PCOS Awareness Month, Dr. Asima Ahmad is answering some of your top questions like what it is, how it affects fertility and how to lessen symptoms.

Pregnancy loss is devastating. Sadly, it’s also very common. One in four will experience a loss or even multiple losses. Dr. Channing Burks Chatmon, who completed her fellowship in recurrent pregnancy loss, joins the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast to share her insight, perspective and knowledge about the difficult topic to provide support to anyone who is struggling with a heartbreaking loss.

The embryology team plays a critical role at Fertility Centers of Illinois. Though you may not have a lot of face time with the embryology team, they are working hard in the lab to help you grow your family now or in the future. Juergen Liebermann, PhD, HCLD, Director of Laboratories at Fertility Centers of Illinois joins the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast to discuss embryology and how his team supports you on your fertility journey.

There are many ways to build a family and Fertility Centers of Illinois is here to help. For some families, that includes using an egg or sperm donor to conceive, and Fertility Centers of Illinois has a dedicated third-party reproductive team that will help you every step of the way. Whether you are using Fertility Centers of Illinois’s in-house egg donor program or an outside source to realize your dream of parenthood, the third-party team will provide and coordinate all the services you will need, including medical, emotional, legal, and financial guidance. We are joined by Dr. Jane Nani, a reproductive endocrinologist and medical director of Fertility Center’s of Illinois third-party program, to talk about using an egg or sperm donor to grow your family.

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your body when you’re struggling with infertility. In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, Dr. Tiffany Edwards, PhD joined the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast to share how emotional wellbeing is affected by infertility and provide coping mechanisms that can help you find peace of mind on your fertility journey.

April 23 to 29 is National Infertility Awareness Week, a national week of action where the infertility community comes together to create a conversation about infertility and support those most in need. Today we are joined by Stephanie, a successful lawyer and lobbyist living in Chicago and a patient of Fertility Centers of Illinois. Her experience with infertility and treatment inspired her to be outspoken about navigating infertility and to lobby for IVF protection in Illinois. Today she is going to share her fertility journey and how she has advocated for access to family-building benefits, including helping pass two laws in Illinois.

We’re taught at a young age about how not to get pregnant, which is why many people are surprised to find out how difficult it can be when they are ready to grow their own family. It’s so important to understand fertility if you want to have kids someday, and getting fertility testing is a great first step towards understanding your own reproductive health. Dr. Allison Rodgers joined the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast to share some important (and sometimes surprising!) facts about fertility and fertility testing.

One in eight couples will have trouble conceiving or sustaining a pregnancy. While many are surprised by this, they certainly are not alone. The good news is there are now treatments available to help almost everyone conceive. Join Dr. Elie Hobeika as he discusses what you need to know about fertility and infertility.

Infertility affects approximately 1 in 8 couples. While it’s often thought about as a female reproductive issue, couples can also struggle to conceive due to male factor infertility. In honor of Movember, or Men’s Health Awareness Month, Dr. Samuel Ohlander, a board-certified Urologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois, is here to discuss symptoms, causes and what you can do about male factor infertility.

As your body changes over time so does your fertility. Join Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron, Reproductive Endocrinologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois, as she examines fertility in your 20s, 30s, and 40s—including potential obstacles and ways to boost your fertility.

One in eight couples will have trouble getting pregnant. To understand the reason for infertility, a doctor will order a series of tests for the couple and determine the best path forward. Sometimes during a fertility workup, there is no identifiable cause for infertility and these couples are given an unexplained infertility diagnosis. Not having a clear answer for why you can’t conceive can be frustrating, but the good news is that it doesn’t mean a fertility specialist can’t help grow your family. Dr. Allison Rodgers is here to explain what it means if you are diagnosed with unexplained infertility and how seeing a fertility specialist can help you on your fertility journey.

If growing your family is taking longer than expected, you may be considering fertility treatment to help you on your journey. It is common for fertility specialists to use medication that helps with hormones and ovulation, either alone or in combination with other procedures like IUI or IVF, to improve a patient's chance of getting pregnant. Join Dr. Elie Hobeika, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, as he explains how and why fertility medications are prescribed, and what to expect when you take medication for fertility treatment. Join Dr. Elie Hobeika, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, as he explains how and why fertility medications are prescribed, and what to expect when you take medication for fertility treatment.

There are many paths to parenthood, and for some families that includes collaborative reproduction. Using donor eggs or sperm and/or a surrogate is particularly essential for our LGBTQ+ friends, so in honor of Pride Month Monica Nitschmann, M.A, donor program and development manager at FCI, is answering the most common questions we receive about third party reproduction for the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast.

Join Dr. Tiffany Edwards and Susan Rizzato, MSW as they share what it is like to attend a fertility support group and why it can benefit your fertility journey. They will also discuss their role as Behavioral Health Specialists, how they interact with patients, and when a patient may see them during their fertility journey.

Join Dr. Burks Chatmon as she shares valuable insights that can help women and couples in the black community on their fertility journey. She covers the basics on fertility, common diagnoses that can lead to infertility, tips for finding a doctor you can trust and how to improve your chances of conceiving.

As the lovingly crowned icon of infertility, the pineapple has wordlessly united millions on their journey to parenthood. Join Dr. Allison K. Rodgers as she explains the history of the pineapple symbol, the meaning behind it, how it has helped patients, and whether eating pineapple can actually boost fertility. She will also discuss the importance of community for those with infertility and share free support resources.

Join Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron and her patient Rachel as they discuss everything to know about egg freezing. Together, they will discuss what the process was like, what to expect, and how to best prepare for it all.

Join Dr. Elie Hobeika as he shares everything you can do on your own to increase your chances of success with IVF, IUI or fertility treatment. Based on the latest medical research and insight gleaned from patient outcomes, these tips can help with every diagnosis including PCOS, endometriosis, sperm issues, ovulatory issues and more.

Únase al Dr. Juan Alvarez mientras habla de todo lo que debe saber sobre la fertilidad como mujer latina. Cubre los conceptos básicos sobre fertilidad, el ciclo menstrual y cuándo consultar a un médico si surgen problemas. También comparte diagnósticos de infertilidad comunes entre las mujeres latinas y por qué un peso saludable cuando tratando de concebir puede ser el arma secreta para aumentar la fertilidad.