Unfertile & Unfiltered

In this episode, we talk through the five biggest things we wish we had known before doing a microTESE. After going through the surgery and learning more after the fact, we realized there were several conversations we wish had happened sooner. We discuss genetic testing, how diagnosis can affect the odds of finding sperm, why overall success rates are not the same as your personal success rate, an...

In this episode, we share a detailed update on where we are in our fertility treatment process as we officially begin the IVM (In Vitro Maturation) study. After months of testing, appointments, procedures, and waiting, we finally have a treatment calendar, medications, and a timeline leading up to egg retrieval. We walk through the full protocol, including birth control, Clomid, monitoring appoint...

After a week off for boys camp, girls camp, and a near trailer disaster on the side of the freeway, we are back with an update on where they are in their fertility journey. In this episode, they break down their upcoming IVM timeline, including birth control, stimulation medications, egg retrieval, and what the next several weeks are expected to look like. They also share an update on their donor...

In this episode, we give an update on where we’re at in our infertility journey, including Matt’s post-microTESE recovery, testing for low testosterone, and additional genetic testing for male factor infertility. We also talk through our first IVM study appointment, the frustration of fertility timelines, preparing for egg retrieval, and some of the lifestyle changes we’re making while trying to i...

In this episode, we talk through Mother’s Day, the unexpected emotions that came with it, and what happened after reading back through old journal entries from the beginning of our infertility journey. We go back to the first few months of trying to conceive — the excitement, assumptions, optimism, and the gradual shift into confusion, testing, diagnosis, and grief after finding out we were dealin...

In this episode, we’re breaking down the book Three Makes Baby: How to Parent Your Donor-Conceived Child by Jana M. Rupnow and sharing our honest thoughts after reading it. If you’re navigating male factor infertility, azoospermia, or considering building a family through donor conception, this book is one of the most comprehensive resources we’ve come across. It focuses less on the medical side a...

In this episode, we break down the Gameto study and what it shows about IVM outcomes, timelines, and expectations—especially in the context of male factor infertility. We walk through the IVM process from start to finish, including testing, retrieval, fertilization, and transfer, along with where people tend to run into challenges and delays. We also talk through common concerns around using donor...

In this episode, we break down the growing concern around plastics, BPA exposure, and how microplastics may be impacting fertility—especially sperm count and hormone balance. We recap a recent plastic detox study and talk through what actually changed for the couples involved, including measurable improvements in sperm health and multiple pregnancies following lifestyle changes. We also share wher...

In this episode of Unfertile and Unfiltered , we dive into sperm donor regulations in the United States and what actually exists versus what people assume exists. After watching documentaries like Our Father and Delivery Man , we break down real concerns around donor conception, including cases of fertility doctors using their own sperm without consent, the lack of legal consequences, and how litt...

In this episode, we focus on the language used in the infertility and donor conception space—specifically the difference between terms like “sperm donor,” “biological father,” and “dad.” After receiving a diagnosis of non-obstructive azoospermia , we’ve had to navigate conversations that go beyond medical decisions and into how we actually talk about family, identity, and roles. This episode is a...

In this episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered, we shift away from medical updates and dive into the emotional side of male factor infertility and the infertility journey. After navigating a diagnosis of non-obstructive azoospermia and preparing for IVF with a sperm donor, we’ve learned that infertility isn’t just physical—it’s deeply emotional. From long waiting timelines to the uncertainty of tre...

In this episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered , we’re breaking down everything we learned from our first donor therapist appointment—and what completely shifted our perspective on building a family through donor conception. We went in expecting surface-level advice… but walked away with clarity on some of the biggest decisions we’ll make as parents. We talk about: Why openness matters more than yo...

In this episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered , we give an honest update on where we are in our infertility journey. After qualifying for a Gentle IVF study , we thought the process would move quickly—but like many fertility treatments, the timeline turned out to be much longer than expected. We talk about the emotional side of waiting, the reality of IVF timelines, and the frustration that comes...

When you decide to be open about infertility, you open yourself up to a lot of love… and a lot of opinions. In this episode, we talk through what it’s been like to share our male factor infertility journey publicly with family, friends, coworkers, and the internet. Some responses have meant everything to us. Others… not so much. We unpack common phrases like: “It’ll all work out.” “Everything happ...

What actually happens when male infertility leads you to consider a sperm donor? In this episode, we talk about sperm donor therapy, male factor infertility, and the emotional fallout that doesn’t get discussed enough. After a male infertility diagnosis, we were faced with decisions around donor conception and donor counseling. Matt shares what his first sperm donor therapy session was like — incl...

In this episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered , we unpack the big question that’s been living in the back of our minds (well, my mind - Sidney): Did we skip a step? After Matt was diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia and Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome, our doctor moved straight to microTESE surgery. No Clomid. No HCG. No hormone optimization. Just surgery. Now that we’ve had time to breathe (and...

Choosing a sperm donor isn’t just a clinical decision—it’s an identity-shaping one. In this episode, we share our real, unfiltered conversation about navigating sperm donation: known donor vs. sperm bank, genetics, counseling, and the quiet emotional weight that comes with deciding half of your child’s DNA. We talk about what gets passed down, what doesn’t, the reality of donor siblings, and why o...

This episode is exactly what infertility looks like in real life — messy, emotional, awkward, and unresolved. We pick up where the last episode left off: post-surgery, post-consultations, and squarely in the middle of waiting. After meetings with two fertility clinics, an unexpected fight, therapy sessions, and a first round of female fertility testing, we’re sitting with a lot of information… and...

In this episode, we walk through the day of Matt’s microTESE—start to finish—and everything that followed. We talk honestly about the surgery itself, what the doctors told us going in, how expectations were set, and what it felt like when nothing was found. We share the diagnosis of Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome, the strange in-between space of “maybe” and “almost,” and the moment hope quietly closed...

In Episode 2 of Unfertile & Unfiltered , Sidney and Matt walk through the period between their first at-home sperm tests and receiving a formal male infertility diagnosis. After multiple tests show zero sperm, they begin the process of sperm analysis, bloodwork, and clinic visits—learning in real time what terms like azoospermia, obstructive vs. non-obstructive azoospermia, FSH and LH levels,...

In the first episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered , we share the beginning of our infertility journey—the part no one really prepares you for. We talk about the moment we decided we wanted kids, the quiet excitement and anxiety that came with “starting to try,” and the assumption that it would all just… happen. Like so many couples, we entered this season hopeful, nervous, and completely unaware...