This is Fertility

What does it really mean to own your fertility?  In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jaime Knopman from CCRM Fertility of New York and author of Own Your Fertility, for a candid conversation about egg freezing, fertility preservation, and grief.  Dr. Knopman shares what inspired her to write the book, who it’s for, and why fertility preservation can be one of the first acts of agency in reproduct...

In this episode, an expert breaks down irregular periods, what they are, how do you know if you're experiencing them, and what to do next? Dr. Ijeoma (Ij) Iko, Pinnacle Fertility Chicago https://www.pinnaclefertility.com/phy...   For more information about advocating for fertility benefits, visit Progyny's Talk To HR page at progyny.com/talktohrtoday Visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Educ...

In this video, an expert breaks down genetic testing of embryos, from PGT-A to PGT-M. What does it mean, and who should consider this option during an IVF cycle.  Dr. Katherine Koniares, CCRM Boston  https://www.ccrmivf.com/   For more information about advocating for fertility benefits, visit Progyny's Talk To HR page at progyny.com/talktohrtoday  Visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Educat...

In today's episode, we want to take a moment to thank you for being part of This Is Infertility and to share what's ahead as the podcast evolves. This is not a goodbye, but a transition. One that allows us to continue telling meaningful stories while expanding into education and new conversations across 3 podcasts: fertility, women's health, and menopause. To follow along on this journey, follow u...

Guest: Julie Eshelman, Founder & CEO, Building Military Families Network Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Today's guest always dreamed of building a family. But when she and her husband began trying to conceive, they faced years of unanswered questions and a string of devastating losses. Like many military families, Julie Eshelman's journey was shaped not just by infertility, but by deployments, chan...

Guest: Deniece and Gardy Delerme, AHA Grant Recipients Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Deniece discovered a lump that led to a stage two breast cancer diagnosis just days before her 33rd birthday. In today's episode, she and her husband Gardy share their emotional journey navigating cancer treatment, fertility preservation, and the financial burden that comes with unexpected medical challenges. Faced wi...

Guest: Justine Galloway, Progyny Member Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Many of the stories we share on this show end with successful pregnancy, that's the goal of family building, after all. But not every journey reaches that destination, and it's important to shine a light on those stories. Sometimes the family building journey means embracing the family you already have and giving yourself permission...

Guest: Teonna Woolford, CEO & Co-Founder, SC RED Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Teonna had always known she wanted to have a lot of kids. At the age of nineteen, she discovered something that would change the trajectory of her life: she might be infertile due to sickle cell disease. Despite years of managing sickle cell, in and out of hospitals, doctor's offices, and attending sickle cell conventio...

Guest: Maia Brown, President of The Beltane Guild Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Firefighters face physical and emotional challenges at work, but what about when they're facing challenges with fertility? In this episode we hear from Maia Brown, a firefighter paramedic and president of The Beltane Guild , a nonprofit dedicated to firefighter reproductive health. Maia shares her deeply personal journey,...

Guest: Ashley Rodón, President of the Carlos Rodón Foundation Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny In this powerful and personal episode, Ashley Rodón, wife of Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón and President of the Carlos Rodón Foundation, opens up about their emotional path to parenthood. Ashley shares how her dreams of starting a family were met with unexpected heartbreak, multiple pregnancy losses, and the res...

Guest: Jay Shaw, MS, CGC, Senior Product Manager, Fulgent Genetics Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny The Fertility 101 Series, because there's no shortage of daunting terms to keep your mind running, is a quick and dirty breakdown on a specific topic with insights from a fertility expert. Today's episode is a deep dive into the role of genetics in fertility care and planning. We're joined by Jay Shaw, a c...

Guest: Dustin and Tequila Menken, Progyny Members at TE Connectivity Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny "I grew up with an expiration date." Dustin Menken was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that brought him lifelong health challenges and made him part of the 98% of men with CF who are infertile. He never imagined he'd live to see 40, let alone become a father. But with persistence, support...

Guest: Danny Ross, Jr., UFCW Local 152 President Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Danny and Elizabeth Ross got married at 26, excited to start their lives together and hopeful about growing a family. When they started trying, they were met with a series of challenges that changed everything. Elizabeth was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS . Danny had male factor infertility. After a year of trying to...

Guest: Paul Turek, MD, FACS, FRSM, Founder of The Turek Clinic Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny The Fertility 101 Series, because there's no shortage of daunting terms to keep your mind running, is a quick and dirty breakdown on a specific topic with insights from a fertility expert. When it comes to fertility, men are half of the equation, but too often, they're the half that gets forgotten or overlooke...

Guest: Marea Goodman, Co-Founder of PregnantTogether Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny For LGBTQ+ individuals and couples going through their family building journeys, having a medical support system that truly understand their lived experience can make all the difference. In this episode, we hear from Marea Goodman, a licensed midwife, parent of three, and co-author of Babymaking for Everybody about the...

Guest: Maggie Garnsey, Progyny Member at Santander Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny For LGBTQ+ couples, traditional fertility coverage can leave them behind with little to no access to the actual coverage. Many are forced to undergo unnecessary, emotionally taxing procedures to meet outdated definitions of infertility. For Maggie and her wife, Alli, they thought they would need to pursue IUI , like many...

Guest: Erin Sarris, Progyny Member Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny When Erin Sarris and her husband first visited a fertility clinic, they were hit with unexpected news: severe male factor infertility and an immediate recommendation to pursue IVF. What followed was a long, winding, and often painful journey filled with setbacks, from failed cycles to loss and emotional isolation. Now a mother of three a...

In this episode, we hear a deeply personal and professional journey. As a benefit's leader, Deanna Allison was on a mission to bring better fertility and family building benefits to her company, Bread Financial. Simultaneously, Deanna had also just set out on her own path to parenthood, realizing she would likely need support to build a family. Deanna shares how her team's search for better benefi...

When Kristina and Lorenzo set out to build their family, they knew their path wouldn't be traditional. Kristina's complex medical history including epilepsy, endometriosis , and thalassemia made pregnancy unsafe, but that didn't stop them from pursuing their dream of having a child. In this episode, they share their deeply personal journey of sacrifice in pursuit of a surrogate—highlighting the em...

Infertility is a deeply personal and often isolating experience, but for singer-songwriter Nelly Joy, music became both an outlet and a source of connection. In this episode, Nelly shares her raw and emotional journey with endometriosis and the struggles she faced while trying to conceive , which pushed her limits physically and emotionally. From touring with country music legends to navigating th...

For Alex Kornswiet, the path to parenthood started with unexpected ease, having her first son after one round of IVF, following a blocked fallopian tube diagnosis. Trying to have their second child wasn't as smooth sailing. Alex and her husband experienced secondary infertility and a frustrating path including canceled cycles, recurrent pregnancy loss, and emotional isolation. As challenges contin...

Newly engaged and nearing her thirties, today's guest knew she wanted children in the future, so she opted for an at-home fertility test. The results shocked her, revealing something that changed everything - her biological clock was ticking faster than she had expected. What started as curiosity quickly became a call to action. In this episode, Erin Antoniak takes us along her journey of preservi...

For today's guest, becoming a mother wasn't just a dream—it was a promise she made to herself. In her mid-30s, Erica Ward knew she wanted to be a parent more than she wanted to be a wife. By 40, she made the decision to pursue single motherhood , despite the challenges ahead. Her path wasn't easy, from choosing a sperm donor , failed IUIs to IVF, and devastating loss. While Erica grieved for her p...

What happens when the path to parenthood takes unexpected turns? For Laura, it meant navigating the heartbreak of unexplained infertility, the frustrations of multiple failed IUIs, and the surprising joy of a positive pregnancy test during the unlikeliest of cycles. But as her story unfolds, it becomes clear that getting pregnant was just the beginning. For our 200th episode, Laura shares the hone...

Ashley Chukwu is a 30-year-old food and wine blogger in Atlanta, living her life without the prospect of building a family soon. So, when her mom suggested she consider freezing her eggs, Ashley decided to do some research. At the time, she knew little about the process or whether her insurance would cover it. That's when she discovered her employer offered fertility preservation through Progyny....