Episodes

  • Fertility 101: Egg Donation: Transparency for the Intended Parent and Donor

    Fertility 101: Egg Donation: Transparency for the Intended Parent and Donor
    Jul 29 2024
    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. In this episode, we dive into the detailed process of egg donation and its profound implications for families with Aisha Lewis, President of Everie, a known donor egg program. Aisha discusses the steps involved on both ends of the egg donation process, from the pivotal choices donors can make surrounding their anonymity and the meticulous screening process donors undergo, to the legal considerations that ensure clarity and protection for all parties involved. Join us as we unravel the complexities of egg donation, the different considerations, and how patients and donors can be empowered in their decisions. Guest: Aisha Lewis, Everie Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  This episode is also a video: https://youtu.be/_Wh0UdTfnrU
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    14 mins
  • A Decade with Whitney: Freezing her Eggs, Winning the Bachelor, and Becoming a Mom

    A Decade with Whitney: Freezing her Eggs, Winning the Bachelor, and Becoming a Mom
    Jul 15 2024
    You may know her as the winner of ABC’s The Bachelor from season 19, but patients at OVA Egg Freezing Specialty Center in Chicago know Whitney Bischoff Angel as their fertility nurse who can also relate to their journey. In this episode, Whitney tells us about her decision to freeze her eggs in 2013, a decision that provided her with peace of mind as she navigated life's uncertainties. She also shares where she is today, almost a decade later, and her journey to parenthood. Whitney now uses her personal journey to empower women with choices and provide compassion and support to patients during their own egg freezing journeys. Guest: Whitney Bischoff Angel, RN, BSN, OVA Egg Freezing Host: Julie Campbell, Progyny For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  This episode is also a video! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/1yuxJ1if_9U
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    21 mins
  • Experiencing the Unexpected: Sarah's IVF Journey

    Experiencing the Unexpected: Sarah's IVF Journey
    Jul 1 2024
    Today’s episode is a story of trial and error. Sarah Freese was not expecting to have difficulty conceiving until she discontinued her birth control and found that her menstrual cycle didn’t return. She was suddenly thrusted into a new world, one filled with new medical terms, fertility doctors, and a treatment plan that came with a high price tag. Sarah then discovered her employer, LinkedIn, offered coverage for fertility treatment through Progyny. This meant she didn’t need to make cost-based decisions and instead was able to pursue treatment that would result in the best possible outcome. Join us for this episode to hear how Sarah navigated her family building journey, the highs and lows that came with it, and how through trial and error, she found a path that worked. Guest: Sarah Freese, Principal Customer Success Manager at LinkedIn, Infertility Advocate, and Progyny Member Host: Lissa Kline, Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  This episode is also a video! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/zrTFKlhA7qs
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    16 mins
  • Fertility 101: Transgender Family Building Options

    Fertility 101: Transgender Family Building Options
    Jun 17 2024

    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.

    This week’s episode answers all the questions around transgender family building options and how it works. Dr. Daniel Potter at HRC Fertility joins us to discuss the impact of hormone affirming therapy, the importance of fertility preservation, questions to consider if one is deciding to build a family, and how to better serve this community.

    Guest: Dr. Daniel Potter, Regional Medical Director at HRC Fertility

    Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny 

    For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com. 

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    13 mins
  • Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception

    Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception
    Jun 3 2024
    In today’s episode, we explore the complex world of donor conception with experts Dr. Mark Leondires and Lisa Schuman, LCSW. They provide an overview of their book, Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, which serves as a resource for those considering donor conception due to infertility, medical issues, same-sex partnerships, or gender orientation. The book covers everything from initial considerations and emotions to the medical and genetic processes involved, selecting the right donor, and talking to children about their donor conception. Tune in to hear how to manage the challenges of a donor conception journey. Guest: Dr. Mark Leondires and Lisa Schuman, LCSW, authors of Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception Dr. Mark Leondires Medical Director and Founding Partner at Illume Fertility and Gay Parents to Be Lisa Schuman, LCSW Founder of The Center for Family Building Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  This episode is also a video! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/kX60smGnP9k
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    10 mins
  • Overcoming the Emotional Toll of Infertility

    Overcoming the Emotional Toll of Infertility
    May 20 2024
    Today’s episode highlights the emotional toll that infertility can take on individuals and couples. Our guest speaks candidly on how her fertility journey affected her mental health, marriage, and perspective towards friends who found easy success with pregnancy. Hana Peters and her husband started trying to have a baby and soon realized they needed to seek additional support. In this episode, Hana shares her journey. She speaks on the unsolicited advice she received along the way and how this impacted her relationships, her initial reaction to a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, and how she was able to pursue parenthood with a dedicated doctor and through her employer-sponsored benefit, Progyny. For mental health support and resources, check out: Progyny Article: Coping with stress during fertility care This is Infertility Podcast episode: Bonus Episode 10: Prioritizing Your Mental Health During Your Fertility Journey Employer guide: How to support employees with infertility mental health guide Guest: Hana Peters, Progyny Member at Salesforce Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  This episode is also a video! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/o_-IvppWYK0
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    16 mins
  • Single Parent by Choice: Rethinking the Notion of Family

    Single Parent by Choice: Rethinking the Notion of Family
    May 6 2024

    In today’s episode, award-winning journalist, Rachel Lehmann-Haupt shares insights from her two books, which have ignited the knowledge and passion that came from her own family building journey.

    Her latest book, Reconceptions: Modern Relationships, Reproductive Science, and the Unfolding Future of Family, calls upon her experience of becoming a single parent by choice. She dives into her own family building journey, how she’s navigated using a sperm donor and the relationships she’s built from this, and how she’s rethinking and redefining the meaning of family.

    Guest: Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, award-winning journalist and author

    Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny 

    For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com. 

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    15 mins
  • #NIAW: A Path to Parenthood Turned into a Path to Purpose

    #NIAW: A Path to Parenthood Turned into a Path to Purpose
    Apr 22 2024
    Today’s guest embodies the purpose of National Infertility Awareness Week. Each year the infertility community, led by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, takes this week to amplify and educate the public about reproductive health and issues that make building a family difficult for many. Danielle Zoll has dedicated herself to advocacy and awareness through her St. Louis based organization, Making a Miracle. The isolation Danielle felt along her path to parenthood with endometriosis, lack of coverage, and pregnancy loss, inspired her to build a community that supports others along their family building journeys. Tune in for how Danielle made her miracle. Guest: Danielle Zoll, founder of Making a Miracle Host: Emma Gallagher, Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com. 
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    26 mins