Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART

Today's guest is Danielle Melfi, the CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. Danielle brings such a unique perspective because she's not only leading the nation's largest infertility advocacy organization—she's also been a fertility patient herself. In this episode, she opens up about her own egg-freezing journey and how that experience continues to shape the way she...

Today’s episode is a really special one because Ali is sitting down with three of her favorite people in the world: Helen, Aaron, and Blake—the real-life family behind her “Work of ART” children's book, Beautiful Bird . If you’ve read the book, then you already know a little bit about Jack Bird, the incredible boy at the center of the story. And today, you’re going to hear the real origin stor...

On this episode, we're talking about something that affects millions of fertility patients—but that almost nobody talks about until the bill shows up: reproductive tissue storage. If you have embryos, eggs, or sperm in storage, you know the drill. Every year, another invoice arrives. Maybe it's $600. Maybe it's $800. Maybe it's over $1,000. Most people just pay it because they assu...

Today’s guest is Cory Allen—a former police officer, longtime U.S. Secret Service Agent who spent years protecting Michelle Obama, author, dad, and advocate for LGBTQ+ family building. You may know Cory from his memoir, Breaking Free , where he shared his journey as a gay Secret Service Agent. Now he’s written a children’s book called Dada Takes a Trip , inspired by the very real emotions that com...

Model, entrepreneur, and new mom Analicia Chaves (aka Ana Montana on socials) joins Ali to share the fertility journey that led her to motherhood—and the mission that grew from it. Ana opens up about her experience with infertility and IVF, revealing how little she knew about fertility challenges before facing them herself. "I didn't even know infertility was a thing until it happened to m...

Angela Rastegar knows firsthand just how overwhelming — and expensive — the family-building journey can be. Before co-founding Sunfish, she spent years working in healthcare and tech while navigating her own fertility journey, including egg freezing and later, embryo creation. Now, she’s turned that experience into her life’s work. Through Sunfish, Angela is helping make fertility and family-build...

LISTEN AGAIN NBC News correspondent and former CNN entertainment reporter Chloe Melas joins Infertile AF for an incredibly honest conversation (from 2020) about the emotional toll of infertility, navigating IVF in the public eye, and the pressure so many women feel to “do it all” while struggling behind the scenes. Chloe opens up about her two-year journey to parenthood with husband, Brian, after...

This week on Infertile AF, Ali sits down with comedian, creator and storyteller Candice Guardino for a heartfelt and deeply honest conversation about infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, endometriosis, and finding light through the hardest moments. Candace opens up about freezing her eggs, navigating fertility treatment while building her career, the emotional toll of trying to conceive, and how come...

Today on Infertile AF, Ali is talking to Kat — better known online as @theivfbaby. And yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like: Kat was conceived through IVF herself, long before people were openly talking about infertility, assisted reproduction, or what it means to grow up as an IVF-conceived person. Now, she’s using TikTok and Instagram to normalize IVF from a perspective we rarely hear — the I...

Today’s guest is someone so many of you already know and love from IG and TikTok—Loren Rosko—and her story goes way beyond the viral song parodies and infertility anthems. Loren started making TikToks during COVID, at a time when so many of us were feeling isolated and searching for connection. What began as a creative outlet quickly turned into something much bigger—a space where she could share...

What if the products you use every single day—your water bottle, your skincare, your food containers—are quietly impacting your fertility? In this episode, Ali dives into The Plastic Detox on Netflix—the documentary that has everyone questioning what’s in their homes (and their bodies). Ali is joined by Dr. Shanna Swan, one of the world’s leading researchers on environmental exposures and reproduc...

On this week’s episode, Ali sits down with an icon and true pioneer in the infertility space: double board-certified REI and infertility warrior, Dr. Natalie Crawford. Natalie opens up about her own journey through four pregnancy losses before welcoming her two children—and what it’s like to be on both sides of the stirrups as both doctor and patient. She shares the unique challenge of navigating...

Today’s guest is Jackie Hutson, who opens up about experiencing multiple miscarriages, navigating uterine challenges, and the toll infertility can take on your relationship and sense of self. Ali and Jackie talk about what it means to keep moving forward after loss, and how those experiences shape you in ways you never expect. Now a mama of two boys, Jackie has created something meaningful: Piper...

Today, Ali is bringing back a special encore episode with the incredible Sheinelle Jones — an award-winning journalist and co-host of Today with Jenna & Sheinelle . In this powerful conversation from December 2021, Sheinelle opens up about her personal experience with miscarriage and infertility, sharing the heartbreak, the resilience, and the honesty. She also talks about her documentary, &#3...

Today, Ali is talking to Emily Westerfield — a surrogate to nine babies and mom of three — who has carried a total of twelve healthy pregnancies… six boys and six girls. Emily has delivered nine babies through surrogacy, helping other families grow in the most extraordinary way. But as you’ll hear, this journey has not come without high highs, low lows, and everything in between. Ali and Emily tal...

Cheri Bergeron’s path to motherhood is anything but simple—and that’s exactly why her story is so powerful. Cheri is the author of Mission: Motherhood , and in this episode, she shares with Ali the full, unfiltered journey: from devastating pregnancy loss to IVF, to donor conception, and ultimately becoming a mom to her two children. But Cheri didn’t just navigate the system—she challenged it. Che...

Today’s episode is a special one — it’s a replay of Ali's 2023 conversation with Dr. Lucky Sekhon. Lucky is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and OB-GYN at RMA of New York. She’s also one of the most trusted voices on social media and TV when it comes to fertility, IVF, and reproductive health, breaking down complicated topics with clarity, compassion, and...

What happens when one of the most disciplined bodies in the world can’t do the one thing everyone assumes it should? On this episode -- one of our most downloaded of all time -- Ali sits down with Mathilde Froustey, principal dancer at the San Francisco Ballet and widely considered one of the most extraordinary dancers in the world. Born in Bordeaux, France, Mathilde began dancing at just nine yea...

It's Endometriosis Awareness Month. Ali's guest this week, Holly Abel, was eleven years old when her debilitating periods started. For decades, doctors told her it was “normal.” That she was dramatic. Hormonal. Sensitive. It wasn’t normal. In early 2023, Holly was finally diagnosed with severe stage 4 endometriosis — affecting multiple organs throughout her body. Shortly after, she experie...

Today, Ali talks to Barbara Ginty, host of the Future Rich podcast, for a special crossover episode to share her deeply personal fertility journey — and to talk honestly about the emotional and financial realities of IVF. Barbara froze her eggs in her 30s, not knowing exactly when or how she might use them. Seven years later, she returned to those frozen eggs and went through IVF — and now, as thi...

Today’s guest is Alexis Allegra, and her path to motherhood is one of those stories that reminds you just how many twists and pivots this journey can take. Alexis met her person later in life and, like so many of us, thought, okay — let’s go, let’s start trying right away. But what followed was nearly three years of fertility treatments… chemical pregnancies… failed IVF transfers… and a whole lot...

If you're considering freezing your eggs: This one's for you. Fashion influencer and writer Lily Montasser built her platform sharing effortlessly cool style, NYC life, and sharp, honest storytelling. But recently, she opened up about something far more personal: her decision to freeze her eggs. Instead of keeping it private, Lily brought her followers along for the ride — partnering with...

On today's episode, content creator and mama of three Ruby Smoot gets real about the parts of infertility and pregnancy after infertility we don’t talk about enough — the mental health spiral, the obsessive thoughts, the fear, and the quiet, heavy darkness that can creep in while you’re trying so hard to become a parent. In this deeply candid conversation, Ruby opens up about pregnancy after i...

Today’s guest is Rachel Swanson — MS, RD, LDN — one of the most in-demand nutritionists in the country, known for helping people optimize performance using deeply science-backed, totally personalized care. She’s also the author of the brand-new book Trying!: A Science-Backed Plan to Optimize Your Fertility . On today's episode, Ali and Rachel flip the fertility conversation on its head with wh...

On this episode, Ali is joined by Jared Walker—author of The Empty Nest and founder of the non-profit Dollar For—for one of the most raw and important conversations we’ve had in a while. It's so great to hear a guy's perspective on infertility, and Jared and his wife are still in the thick of it. There’s no neat ending here, no bow tied on the story—and that’s exactly why this conversation...