Cautious Optimism: An Infertility Podcast

So grateful to interview a wonderful friend and awesome human being Jessica Palu this episode! Jess thought her plan for her family was going to go fairly smoothly when her first four pregnancies came easily with no issues. Little did she know the change that would occur in the course of her family's life the years that followed. Jess is the perfect example of digging deep and enduring the ha...

Meeting Anna at a random girl's night last month couldn't have been a bigger blessing-there's nothing more special than connecting with a friend who knows the path of infertility and can relate to all the different ups and downs that go with it! And we are so grateful she was willing to share her story with us on the podcast! Anna shares about her experience with endometriosis and h...

A long awaited reunion episode is here! The three of us are back together  to share a vulnerable and special conversation going through life's updates over the past year. Although we are each on such different paths of grief, joy, struggle and growth we can all find common ground in that there are good things to hope for ahead. Thanks for listening, we love you and see you wherever you are in...

So happy to be back and to have a new episode to share with you all with our friend Diondra Terry! Diondra is no stranger to the struggles of infertility and has experienced so many different challenges along the way to creating her family. She shares with us her experiences of being nudged onto the path of adoption which brought her both of her beautiful daughters but also struggling to understan...

We are back in a new year with a new episode and we are so excited to share this one! Mental health is something we have always wanted to talk about more on this podcast and we couldn't be more grateful to have our friend Brighton Capua share her story with us. Brighton shares with us her experiences with OCD and how the last few years the mountains of anguish and pain she has been faced with...

We are so happy to have Paige on this week to share her experience with infertility with us! Paige's path led her to jump right into IVF which was followed by some devastating unsuccessful transfers. After further testing and learning of a new diagnosis, Paige and her husband were able to move forward with a third FET and bring their beautiful baby girl into the world. Paige shares about the...

We have been absent way too long and are happy to be back together with an episode for you all after a few months off! This episode Karly shares about her miracle baby boy Hayes who arrived back in October 2021. Gratitude and happiness are the standout emotions after many years of hoping to become a mother but there have been some tough moments along the way as well. Some of those being adjusting...

We are so blessed to hear from Sarah Larson on our episode this week! Sarah has experienced parenthood in ways she never expected but it has turned out to be such an immense blessing that has also been accompanied by unexpected challenges in her life. Sarah shares with us her experiences as a young mother, then facing infertility for many years and then the miraculous path that led her and her hus...

In this episode we hear from our wonderful friend Michelle Larson about her unique experiences with motherhood. She shares with us the miraculous birth and life of her sweet daughter Rose and how she has conquered so much in her short 5 years on this earth. Michelle shares her perspective as she has experienced new, unexpected challenges these past few years while trying to get pregnant and add to...

On this episode we talked with Anne Rowley a friend of the podcast. She shares her experiences as she has learned to walk  paths she never anticipated and how she has found strength in vulnerability. Loss and grief can be so isolating and Anne opens up about how opening up and sharing with others can be a launchpad for connection. She discusses how she found strength through her faith and how God...

Today we have a new episode of the Cautious Optimism podcast. We have our friend Ariana as a guest today sharing her amazing story of her path and journey to motherhood. Ariana shares her experience of having to shift expectations early on in with fertility treatments. Ariana talks about how she held on to the moments and the people in her life that brought her joy and gratitude in the moments tha...

We are so grateful to have Cicily Oldham as a guest this week! Cicily and her husband Dave are no strangers to the world of infertility and spent ten years trying and trying to grow their family. After they welcomed their son here naturally they never imagined the road that would lie ahead for them to get their second child and miracle daughter here. Cicily shares the countless embryo transfers an...

Last but not least we finally get to hear updates from Karly! In Karly’s story that she shared a full year ago we learned of the intimate details of how she and her husband Jordan were dealing with the aftermath of yet another heart breaking loss and learning to really be ok with not knowing their next step. Time and time again they have chosen to put their faith to action and believe that all of...

We are so excited to catch up with Chelsey this week! It's amazing all the miraculous things that can occur in just a year's time. Chelsey shares with us about her beautiful baby girl Arlo as well as how her relationship with her has differed from her special bond with her son Oliver. We also get to hear all about the miraculous progress Oliver has made with his development in the last f...

We can hardly believe that The Cautious Optimism  Podcast is coming up on a year anniversary from its launch date! We’ve never wanted this podcast to be all about our stories, but a lot has happened in each of our lives this past year and we figured after our summer break that this would be a perfect opportunity to share some life updates.  This week we are starting out with an update on Karin’s s...

HI FRIENDS, we are back and have missed sharing and connecting with you as we've taken a little break over the summer.  Today, Karly, Chelsey & Karin talk about something they call "Infertility Brain".  We hope this is a positive conversation that provides some comfort to those who may feel alone in their "Infertility Brain," which we believe is a common side effect fr...

We are back this week with our guest Mattie Larsen. Mattie is no stranger to all things infertility. She was met with challenges to get pregnant from the start which ultimately led her and her husband to explore IVF. Although it wasn't the smoothest road, it did lead them to having their miracle little boy Channing. Since having their son things have not been easy as they have tried to grow t...

Today is part 2 of our interview with Anna Chitty.  Anna shares some memories that brought some light during Desi’s hospital stay. She details the events leading up to Desi’s passing and the heartbreak that follows when losing a child. She also opens up about her family’s special connection to Desi still and some special moments when Desi has found a way to say hello and let them know he is ok. Fi...

This week we are grateful to our guest Anna Chitty for sharing her story. Anna is a friend of the podcast and her experience with loss, unmet expectations and trying to live life through the unimaginable is one we know so many will connect with. Anna’s son Desmond was born with a congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She shares how her family navigated this incredibly d...

Today we are incredibly lucky to share our very first interview with a PODCAST LISTENER! We connected with the amazing Kelsey Filewicz through social media thanks to our platform with the Cautious Optimism Podcast that brought us all together with our shared experiences through infertility, loss, and disappointment.   One of our biggest motivations for starting and continuing this podcast is to cr...

We are so excited to share this interview this week! Karly sits down with Chelsey and her gestational carrier (surrogate) Michelle Burton to discuss the amazing experiences these two have undergone over the last year. Michelle shares her amazing perspective she was able to have while carrying Chelsey’s baby girl and how it has been something she has always wanted to do.  We discuss the relationshi...

Karly, Chelsey & Karin are together again on today's episode to talk about the sometimes very difficult emotions that can accompany Mother's Day.  We want you to know that wherever you find yourself today that we love you, see you, and validate your joy or pain. We love and appreciate you all!  "Don't let sadness obscure the view.  Your covenants have already paved your pat...

We are so thankful and excited to have Becky Freestone on to share her story with us this week! Not only is Becky a cherished friend and neighbor but also an infertility warrior in every way. Her story is incredible and at times unbelievable of how her four miracles came to her and made her a mother. She has persevered through infertility on top of battling an eating disorder for many years. She n...

In this episode we are joined by an incredible  Ultrasonographer, educator, and dear friend Kari Wood.  Kari has over 10 years of experience in this industry and has a unique perspective into the challenges of those struggling with infertility as she has provided such a crucial service at sometimes the most pivotal moments of someone’s journey through infertility time and time again. Kari shares t...

We are back this week with an incredible interview with Oakley Peterson @nothingdownaboutit.   Oakley is a Northern California girl who has embraced Utah as her home after marrying her husband Scott 12 years ago.  Oakley describes herself as an advocate, family girl, ex girl band bass player, and just a mom who loves to get loud about the things she is passionate about.  Oakley is a source of ligh...