Infertile AF artwork

Infertile AF

290 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 448 ratings

In this unfiltered podcast about infertility, NJ-based journalist and mom-of-two Ali Prato, who went through secondary infertility and IVF herself, talks to women—and some men—about the messy, frustrating, painful, heartbreaking, absurd and sometimes humorous journey to have a baby. Or in some cases, to not have a baby. Each episode tells a different story about family building, getting real about miscarriages, egg freezing, sperm and egg donation, IUIs, endometriosis, male factor infertility, adoption, surrogacy, genetic testing, single parenting by choice, LGBTQ+ fertility, living childless not by choice, depression, relationship issues, money issues, jealousy, PTSD, and so much more. Ali covers all of the outcomes in this safe, non-judgement zone: the happy endings, the soul-crushingly sad ones, and the ones still in limbo.

Alternative Health Health & Fitness Kids & Family Parenting adoption babies birth conception eggdonation endometriosis fertility health infertility iui
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Episodes

Elizabeth Carr, The First Baby Born in the U.S. via IVF

March 21, 2024 10:00 - 51 minutes

It's our Fifth Anniversary Episode! Ali's very special guest today is Elizabeth Carr, the first person born in the U.S. — in 1981 — via in vitro fertilization. "My birth was so widely publicized that my first press conference was at three days old," Elizabeth says. "I didn't get here like everybody else." Elizabeth shares what it's been like to live under media scrutiny since the moment she was born (check out the NOVA documentary about her life). She also explains why her parents did IVF in ...

Scrambled writer, director and star Leah McKendrick

March 14, 2024 10:00 - 45 minutes

My guest today, Leah McKendrick, is the writer, director and star of the new movie about egg freezing and fertility in your 30s, called "Scrambled." The movie is amazing -- it even got a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, so go check it out on demand and show the Hollywood system that we want even more movies and content around egg freezing, fertility, infertility and more. Today, Leah tells us about her own egg freezing journey, which was the impetus behind the movie. She also talks about the fe...

Jewish Fertility Foundation Birmingham City Manager, Julie Cohen

March 08, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour

My guest today, Julie Cohen, is an infertility warrior and advocate, and today, she tells Ali all about her roller coaster of a family building journey, including having her three boys, who are earthside with us today, and also her devastating experience with termination for medical reasons (TFMR), due to an extremely rare condition called Limb Body Wall Complex. Julie is amazing, and she's also the city manager of the Jewish Fertility in Birmingham. One caveat: We recorded this before the ru...

Special Encore Presentation: The Roe v. Wade Episode

February 29, 2024 17:43 - 46 minutes

On today's special bonus episode, Ali is joined by Dr. Sahar Wertheimer, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist practicing in Los Angeles, and InCircle Fertility founder, fertility coach and infertility warrior Abbe Feder to discuss the implications of the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Among the things they discuss: If life begins at fertilization, what does that mean for embryos, creating embryos, discarding embryos and things of that nature? Are women supposed to stock up o...

Caryn Johnson, CEO of BOND supplements, on being autoimmune Infertile

February 23, 2024 23:02 - 45 minutes

Caryn Johnson is the Co-Founder and CEO of BOND, an innovative line of supplements reimagining hormone and reproductive health, inspired by her experience with infertility. In 2017, when trying to start a family, Caryn learned she was autoimmune infertile. Today, Ali and Caryn unpack all of it, including exactly what "autoimmune infertile" means, how she was "pregnant for a few hours;" navigating pregnancy loss; cancelled IVF cycles; taking infusions; and the treatment she got for her immune ...

Infertility coach and Fertility Rally support group host Kristin Dillensnyder

February 20, 2024 12:13 - 48 minutes

Kristin Dillensnyder is a certified life coach who specializes in working with women who are consumed by their infertility to help them find their strength and joy again. And she should know--because she's gone through her own infertility journey too. On this episode, Kristin talks to Ali about male factor infertility, IUIs, going through IVF, fresh transfers, frozen transfers, getting pregnant after infertility, having her daughter, and doing a sibling cycle that unfortunately was not succes...

Stacy Since, on being sperm donor conceived and also navigating her own infertility journey

February 09, 2024 11:00 - 57 minutes

Stacy Since found out she was conceived via donor sperm at the age of 41, and today, she's talking all about her experience, including why her mom and dad chose to keep it a secret; how Stacy found out she was donor conceived; and what happened when she met up IRL with her bio-dad. She also talks about her own infertility journey, which started with IUI and went on to include 10 egg retrievals. Stacy eventually ended up transferring two embryos, neither of which were deemed "normal or healthy...

Solo mom by choice and host of the Stork'd podcast, Julia Karol

February 01, 2024 11:00 - 56 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to solo mom by choice Julia Karol about everything from when she decided to embark on the solo parenting route to where she is today. Julia talks about freezing her eggs, why she prefers the term "solo parent by choice" to "single parent by choice;" the complex, interesting process of choosing a sperm donor; going through IUIs; and what happened when Covid hit and the clinics shut down (think at-home insemination). She also talks about the financial side of assisted repr...

The Sperm King: Legacy Founder and CEO Khaled Kteily

January 26, 2024 11:00 - 41 minutes

Khaled Kteily is the Founder and CEO of Legacy, the largest male fertility clinic in North America. Founded at Harvard, Legacy has raised $45M from some of the world’s best investors: Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, The Weeknd, and Orlando Bloom, to name a few. Today, Ali is talking to Khaled about his own family building journey, and how an accident with a scalding hot cup of tea in his lap from Starbucks ultimately led him to create Legacy, which aims to change outdated views of fertility as a "w...

Infertility Warrior Dr. Marcy Crouch, aka "The Down There Doc"

January 22, 2024 23:15 - 37 minutes

Dr. Marcy Crouch is a pelvic floor physical therapist, so she helps women prepare for delivery, get through their pregnancies with less pain, and much more. So you can imagine how difficult it was to go through infertility while working with pregnant women. Today on the show, Marcy tells Ali about her own journey, including going through IUIs, moving to the "big guns" of IVF, and her first heartbreaking miscarriage at 11 weeks. She also talks about being "a complete wreck," the "constant anxi...

Bachelor alum and infertility warrior Sarah Herron

January 09, 2024 11:00 - 46 minutes

This is such a great episode. It's hard not to fall in love with Bachelor alum Sarah Herron, who has such a huge heart, and who opens up to Ali about her fertility journey, from what she knew (and didn't know) about sex education to where they are today. Sarah talks about meeting her husband and deciding they wanted to build a family together; why she had a feeling she would have fertility issues; being diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve; being told they needed to do IVF; getting pregn...

Fertility Rally Member and New IVF Mama Kristin Thompson @financialfertilization

January 06, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour

Today, Ali talks to her Fertility Rally member and friend Kristin, who recently had a baby girl through IVF. But it was a long road to get to this point, and Kristin shares it all, including what she knew (and didn't know) about fertility as a younger woman; "pulling the goalie;" going through infertility during Covid lockdown; how life became a "hormonal shitshow;" when her husband had male "performance anxiety;" relationship issues; depression and not wanting to get out of bed; seeing a the...

Special Encore Presentation: Ali's husband, Vinny Prato (100th Episode)

December 29, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour

It’s the 100th Episode! Today Ali interviews her husband, Vince, about his version of their infertility story. Over some Coors and White Claws, they start with how the met and fell in love in high school, what happened when they moved to New York in 2003, and how their lives changed when they decided to have kids. They also discuss how, after Ever was born with no problem in 2009, their world was rocked when they found themselves going through unexpected secondary infertility, two failed IUIs...

Childfree Not By Choice Advocate and Life After Infertility Coach Charlie Dice

December 22, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes

This week's guest, Charlie Dice, is a 36-year old, married, childless-turned-childfree woman who has been through 8 years of infertility struggles, including three miscarriages and one failed round of IVF. A year and a half ago, Charlie and her husband made the difficult decision to stop trying to have a baby, and to move forward from infertility. "Honestly, it was one of the best decisions we ever made," Charlie says. "It saved our marriage, our friendships, our finances and our mental healt...

Infertility warrior, endurance athlete and "Secrets of Giants" author Alyssa Ages

December 17, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to Alyssa Ages, a Toronto-based, New York-born author and freelance writer. Alyssa is a mom of two, a strongman competitor, an endurance athlete, a rock climber, and a CrossFitter -- and today, she shares her family building and infertility journey. Alyssa talks about miscarriage and chemical pregnancy, what she knew about her fertility growing up, and why she is on a "soapbox" now to encourage women to talk and learn about their own fertility, and to advocate for themse...

Donor Egg Mama-to-Be Melissa Nath @becomingnathparty_3

December 09, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour

On today's episode, Ali is talking to Fertility Rally member Melissa Nath, who Ali and Blair lovingly refer to at the Rally Fam's "Resident Nurse" and "Social Chair." Melissa talks about how she met her husband, Darrel, and what happened when they started down the family building road. Their journey includes nearly two years of Darrell being on hormones, two rounds of IVF with Melissa's own eggs, one round of IVF with an egg donor, one failed embryo transfer, the sudden loss of Melissa's moth...

Alex Johnston, author of Inconceivable: My Life-Altering, Eye-Opening Journey from Infertility to Motherhood

December 02, 2023 11:00 - 44 minutes

Today's guest is author, lawyer, and fertility advocate Alex Johnston, who is on a crusade to educate women about the importance of knowing their fertility status even before they’d ever think about getting pregnant. Alex is the author of Inconceivable: My Life-Altering, Eye-Opening Journey from Infertility to Motherhood, which chronicles her painful and beautiful path to motherhood. She tells Ali all about her seven year-long journey, which began when she found out at age 34 that she was in ...

IVF mama and LIttle Words Project founder Adriana Carrig

November 22, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes

It's our 250th Episode! Wooooot! Today, Ali is talking to a very special guest: Adriana Carrig, the brilliant IVF mama behind Little Words Project, the jewelry line featuring inspiring and empowering words and promoting kindness and support. Adriana tells Ali all about her family building journey, including what kind of sex education (or lack thereof) she got while growing up; her two year trial period of having sex but not getting pregnant; and what happened when she and her husband, Bill, w...

Part Two: Kristyn Hodgdon, co-founder of Rescripted

November 18, 2023 11:00 - 46 minutes

When we last talked to Kristyn, in January 2020, she shared how "nothing on the road to motherhood was easy" for her, from the "Clomid crazies" to her first failed frozen embryo transfer. At the time, her IVF twins were toddlers. Today, her twins are five years old, and Kristyn fills us in on what's happened since our last podcast episode, including two more years of fertility treatments. "In total, I did five embryo transfers over two years," she says. "Two losses and three that didn't impla...

Inspiro Tequila Founder and IVF mama Mara Smith

November 08, 2023 11:00 - 45 minutes

Today, Mara Smith joins Ali on the show to talk about her family building journey, which includes her diagnosis of PCOS, and what it was like to do IVF 20-plus years ago. (Her IVF twins are now in college.) Mara shares how it was a very lonely experience more than two decades ago, since not really anyone was talking about it. She also talks about PPROM (Preterm premature rupture of the membranes -- a pregnancy complication she faced), NICU life with her newborn twins, and what happened when s...

Jessie Jaskulsky of Surrogacy Simplified

November 03, 2023 17:25 - 45 minutes

The road to parenthood has been challenging for Ali's guest today, Jessie Jaskulsky. In 2016, Jessie lost her son, Luke, at 22 weeks gestation. After their unimaginable loss, Jessie went through a series of surgeries and treatments, until she was diagnosed with Asherman's Syndrome (a rare complication from her early delivery). On this episode, she tells Ali all about her journey, including how, after lots of ups and downs, they eventually decided to pursue surrogacy. Jessie tells Ali how they...

Dr. Lucky Sekhon, board certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at RMA in New York

October 27, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes

Dr. Lucky Sekhon is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist. infertility specialist and obstetrician and gynecologist who works at  RMA of New York. Lucky is also a friend of Ali's and you might know her from social media, where she is a big voice with super smart, super important information about all things infertility and ART. Today, she tells Ali her family building story, including why she created embryos and went through IVF when it came time to have her family. She also talks ab...

Encore Presentation: Sarah and Cody

October 20, 2023 17:54 - 1 hour

Sarah and Cody met freshman year in high school and have been dating since they were 14. Today, they're telling us all about their family building journey, including how it started taking over their day to day lives, the five medicated cycles they did, and how Sarah was shocked by how much she didn't know about her own body before going through infertility. They also talk about experiencing a missed miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, and a chemical pregnancy, and how they all "hurt like hell....

NYC IVF Mama Briana Vizzi Tresova

October 13, 2023 10:00 - 54 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to Briana Vizzi Tresova, an NYC mama with three babies from IVF. Briana and her husband started their TTC journey in 2019, facing IUIs, unexplained infertility, and all of it taking a huge toll on her mental health. Briana tells Ali about going through IVF, her first FET, and the traumatic birth of her daughter. She also talks about her next FET, what happened when she started bleeding, going off her hormones, and what happened when she went in for her D&C. Briana also t...

IVF mama and Binto founder Suzie Welsh Devine, Part 2

October 06, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes

Today, Ali picks up where she left off in 2021 with Suzie Welsh Devine, a Fertility and IVF Nurse, and the founder and CEO of Binto. Suzie talks about going from nurse to patient; her endometriosis, and everything that has happened since we last spoke, after a devastating miscarriage with a PGT-tested embryo. Suzie talks about transferring again, doing the Emma, Alice and ERA tests, and finding out she had two blood clotting disorders. She also talks about the 19 month old son she would not h...

IVF mama and Binto founder Suzie Welsh Divine, Part 2

October 06, 2023 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MB

Today, Ali picks up where she left off in 2021 with Suzie Welsh Devine, a Fertility and IVF Nurse, and the founder and CEO of Binto. Suzie talks about going from nurse to patient; her endometriosis, and everything that has happened since we last spoke, after a devastating miscarriage with a PGT-tested embryo. Suzie talks about transferring again, doing the Emma, Alice and ERA tests, and finding out she had two blood clotting disorders. She also talks about the 19 month old son she would not ...

Model and Wellness Influencer Tess Annique Souray

September 29, 2023 10:00 - 41 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to model and wellness influencer Tess Annique Souray about her family building journey, which began when, at 25, she was told that her only chance to have a baby was through IVF. Tess talks openly about her sobriety and recovery; how she knew "absolutely nothing" about her fertility (like so many of us); doing treatment during COVID; her mental health; and her OHSS. She also talks about doing IVF; how she and her husband navigated the journey together; having a devastati...

Olympic Gold Medalist in Figure Skating and Infertility Warrior, Tara Lipinski

September 22, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes

Ali is so excited to share her conversation with the iconic figure skater and Olympic Gold Medalist Tara Lipinski, who is going to tell us all about her five-year-long infertility journey, which she describes as “hell.” Tara and her husband Todd recently launched their own podcast, called Unexpecting, and today, she is talking about getting her period at the age of 25, meeting her husband, discovering she has endometriosis, starting the IVF journey, her devastating miscarriages, and where she...

Embryo Adoption Mama at Age 47, Heather Passaro

September 20, 2023 10:00 - 55 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to Heather Passaro, who is 47 years old, and pregnant with her first child via embryo adoption. Heather talks about how she and her husband started trying for a baby when she was about 38, and how it didn't go as planned. She talks about going through several failed IUIs, doing ICSI, pivoting to IVF, and how she thought, like so many of us, that "IVF was a guarantee." She talks about how they started working with an adoption agency, and how that route didn't work out eit...

IVF Mama and Milk Made Skin Founder Sarah Shafer

September 15, 2023 10:00 - 51 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to Sarah Shafer, a beauty boss and the founder of Milk Made Skin, a skincare line that harnesses the power of breastmilk in a 100% clean, nutrient-packed, natural proprietary complex to achieve beautifully smooth, younger-looking skin. Sarah talks about IUIs, multiple failed rounds of IVF, not being happy with her fertility clinic,  finding an immediate connection w her new doctor, and finally, having her two IVF babies. She also talks about founding Milk Made Skin and ...

Intended Parent Alex @ourbeautifulsurprise and Surrogate Madison

September 08, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes

Intended Parent Alex @ourbeautifulsurprise and Surrogate Madison: A Successful Surrogacy Journey   Today, Ali is talking to Alex, an Intended Parent, and Madison, her Surrogate, about both sides of a surrogacy family building journey. Alex and Madison talk about how they first connected with each other, why they knew they both wanted to work together, and how it was when they finally talked in depth. They also talk about myths and untruths surrounding surrogacy, their IVF journey, their two t...

Rashmi Gill, Photographer and IVF Mama of Two

September 01, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to London-born photographer Rashmi Gill about her decade-plus infertility journey, and the many ups and downs and heartbreak that finally resulted in her two IVF babies. Rashmi talks about her Punjabi Sikh heritage, and how her culture perceived the stigmas of infertility and not being able to have babies. She talks about doing IVF in London versus America, why she waited 10 years to see a doctor when she was having trouble, and the many hurtful things people said to her...

Mosie Baby CEO and Co-Creator Maureen Brown

August 25, 2023 10:00 - 45 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to Maureen Brown, CEO and Co-founder of Mosie Baby, a revolutionary at-home insemination device that she created with her husband. Maureen tells Ali all about her infertility journey, being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, how she didn't want to go through IVF, how "it broke our hearts, and it broke us mentally, thinking about the financial constraints," and how they finally created the product that was missing in the fertility world.  Find out more at mosiebaby....

Author and Motivational Speaker Alexis Jones

August 18, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour

Today, Ali is talking to mama, speaker, activist, and New York Times Bestselling author Alexis Jones, whose memoir, "Joy Hunter," talks about her infertility journey -- and so much more. Alexis gets into it all with Ali, including five frustrating years of unexplained infertility, navigating the world of IVF, a heartbreaking miscarriage, working with an expensive egg donor, finally getting pregnant, and what happened when she went into labor seven weeks early. A self-described “productivity j...

Infertility advocate and "Miss Me Always" author, Tasha Van Howe

August 10, 2023 10:00 - 52 minutes

Today, author Tasha Van Howe shares her personal tale of tragedy and triumph, which includes navigating her marriage to her high school sweetheart through years of infertility; losing a son shortly after he was born; the inability to walk after labor; a roller coaster of failed attempts at IVF; suicidal thoughts; and an adoption gone wrong that ended in complete heartbreak. Now 43 with no living children at home, Tasha is here to talk about being hit with one tragic life event after another. ...

Infertility Warrior and Peak and Valley Beads founder Rachel Sloan

August 04, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour

Today, Ali is talking to Infertility Warrior and Peak and Valley Beads founder Rachel Sloan, about her family building journey. Included: male factor infertility; being a military family (& doing IVF at a military hospital), placenta complications attributed to the IVF process, deployment, postpartum depression, starting her own business, being pregnant with twins in the time of Roe v Wade being overturned, and so much more.  Follow Rachel on IG @peakandvalley.beads  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ...

Male Factor Infertility Advocates Esther Santer and Avi Rosenberg

July 29, 2023 13:47 - 53 minutes

On today's episode, NYC-based Lifestyle influencer Esther Santer and husband, Avi Rosenberg, share their male factor infertility story. Esther and Avi talk about how not having children is an anomaly in their Jewish community, which has a "big emphasis on family;" her needle phobia and how she never thought she would have to do IVF; how everyone assumed she was the problem; and how it felt for Avi to get his male factor diagnosis of low sperm count. They also talk about paying for treatments ...

Arielle Bogorad, Progyny SVP, Employer Market Strategy and Services

July 21, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes

In 2017, Arielle Bogorad was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and, after more than a year of trying IVF drugs, she was told she was a “poor responder” to them and would have a hard time achieving chromosomally normal embryos. Today, Ali talks to her about her family building journey, including how, in 2019, she was able to obtain 2 normal embryos with one being transferred and resulting in her having a beautiful baby girl that September. The exorbitant cost of fertility treatment would ...

1980s IVF Pioneer and "Unstoppable" author Ellen Weir Casey

July 15, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour

Today Ali is talking to an ART O.G.! It's Ellen Weir Casey, "The Original Fertility Advocate," who forged her own unique path to parenthood in the very early days of IVF. "Infertility wasn't even a word then," Ellen says. "It was, 'You're not getting pregnant. There's no way you're getting pregnant.'" Ellen tells Ali her entire family building journey, starting with how she got an unapproved IUD in her early 20s, which led to a severe internal infection that resulted in extreme scarring in bo...

"Fertility Rules" author and infertility advocate Leslie Schrock

July 08, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes

"There is so much about pregnancy and fertility health that no one talks about," says this week's guest, author and infertility warrior Leslie Schrock. Leslie has written two books, "Bumpin: The Modern Guide to Pregnancy," and "Fertility Rules," in which she debunks myths and empowers you to be your own advocate from preconception to pregnancy and beyond. Today, Ali talks to Leslie about her own family building journey, including ovulation tracking, her first miscarriage, and how she has been...

Elana Frank, CEO and Founder, Jewish Fertility Foundation

June 30, 2023 10:00 - 46 minutes

Today, Ali talks to Jewish Fertility Foundation founder Elana Frank about getting married but not getting pregnant right away, going through fertility treatments in Israel, getting put on Clomid without even getting an exam, and so much more. She also talks about IUIs, IVF, transferring multiple embryos, embryo donation, having her babies, and why she started the JFF.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; IVF; Jewish infertility; IUIs; infertility treatment in Israel; Clomid; embryo ...

Fertility Doctor and IVF Mama Sasha Hakman, MD

June 22, 2023 10:00 - 50 minutes

Sasha Hakman is not only a fertility doctor, she is a fertility patient, and today we are talking about ALL OF IT. In her podcast debut, Sasha (formerly known on IG as Dr. Fierce) talks about why female physicians have a greater percentage of infertility, and how that specifically affected her when she went through her OBGYN residency for four years, and then her REI fellowship for an additional three years. She talks about thinking about freezing her eggs, how she met her now-husband and why...

Bailey Hawkins @baileyannhawkins on IG

June 16, 2023 10:00 - 44 minutes

Bailey Hawkins is an IVF mama, and today she's going to tell us everything she went to to have her son -- and where she and her husband are now in their family building journey. Bailey talks about having endometriosis and very painful periods from a young age (and how her mom also have severe endo); how the Receptiva DX test changed the game for her; being called "irrational" by her doctor,; the immense stress of infertility; doing a frozen transfer; the anxieties of pregnancy after infertili...

IVF advocate and mama Lisa McCarty @mccarty717pr

June 09, 2023 10:00 - 46 minutes

Lisa McCarty is a women's health and infertility advocate who has been through so much, including 14 IVF transfers. Today, Lisa tells Ali the whole story, including IUIs, moving on to IVF, discovering she had Asherman's syndrome, the anxieties of pregnancy after recurrent miscarriage and loss, and so much more. She also talks about the benefits of therapy during infertility, including Cognitive Based Therapy, and how her therapist used to say "You can't change the thought going into your mind...

Infertility Warrior and Kindergarten Teacher Darlene on how infertility is "so humbling"

June 02, 2023 10:00 - 54 minutes

Today, Ali is talking to Darlene, a woman who emailed Infertile AF asking to share her family building story. Darlene is a self-described "kindergarten teacher who spends all day with kids but is yet to have kids of her own." She and her husband have been trying for a baby since 2020, including 4 failed IUI's, 2 cancelled IVF cycles and a tragic pregnancy that was diagnosed as cornual ectopic. On this episode, Darlene explains how her journey continues, and how infertility is "so humbling." "...

Darlene

June 02, 2023 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MB

Today, Ali is talking to Darlene, a woman who emailed Infertile AF asking to share her family building story. Darlene is a self-described "kindergarten teacher who spends all day with kids but is yet to have kids of her own." She and her husband have been trying for a baby since 2020, including 4 failed IUI's, 2 cancelled IVF cycles and a tragic pregnancy that was diagnosed as cornual ectopic. On this episode, Darlene explains how her journey continues, and how infertility is "so humbling." ...

Encore Presentation: Actress, comedian and writer Michelle Buteau

May 25, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour

Michelle Buteau is a brilliant and real AF comedian, actress and host best known for appearing on Netflix's "The Circle" and in the movies "Isn't it Romantic" and "Always be My Maybe." She's also a fierce infertility and surrogacy advocate, who Ali first met in early 2020 when they were both in Albany, NY for Surrogacy Lobby Day. Today, Michelle tells Ali all about the long road to having her twins, Hazel and Otis, including IUIs, several rounds of IVF, four devastating miscarriages, prolacti...

Embracing Childless: Katy @childlesscollective and Alisha @twobechildfree

May 18, 2023 10:00 - 58 minutes

On today's episode, Ali talks to Katy Seppi, creator of @childlesscollective, and Alisha, creator of @twobechildfree, about living -- and thriving -- without children after infertility. Katy, who told her full infertility story on Ali's podcast in 2020, talks about all the work she is doing to support those in the community who have pivoted from their family building journeys and are now living childless not by choice. Alisha, another strong voice and bright light in the #embracechildless com...

Dr. Kelli Burroughs

May 12, 2023 10:00 - 51 minutes

Dr. Kelli Burroughs is a board certified OB/Gyn who has been practicing in Texas with Sweetwater OB/Gyn since 2009. Dr. Burroughs graduated from Spellman College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She currently serves as Department Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology for Memorial Hermann in Sugar Land, Texas. Today, she tells Ali all about her two and a half year battle with infertility, including going through IVF -- and what it was like seeing her patients while she was strugg...

Mary Leah and Rodney Miller

May 05, 2023 10:00 - 56 minutes

Mary Leah and Rodney Miller spent 10 long years trying to build their family. Today, Ali talks to the couple about how they met, how Mary Leah was told that her eggs were not viable and that she’d likely never be able to get pregnant; and their ultimate decision to pursue embryo adoption. Mary Leah and Rodney talk about the effect infertility had on their marriage, how at certain points they had different paths in mind, but how they both felt excited when it was suggested that they connect wi...