Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART

Latest Episodes:

IVF advocate and stillbirth mama Jenna Cuccionilli @jcuccionilli Feb 04, 2023

Show notes

Jenna Cuccionilli has one of the biggest hearts Ali has encountered in this community, and today, Jenna and Ali are talking about Jenna's 5-plus year infertility journey, including being diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 16, five miscarriages, one stillbirth and how now, they have five embryos left. Jenna gets into the details of her first miscarriage, one week before she and her husband Pete's wedding, why she calls herself "half crunchy," starting with IUIs and moving onto IVF, and why she turned her household into a non-toxic household. She also talks about the devastating loss of their baby, Graham, who was stillborn when she was around 20 weeks pregnant. Jenna gives advice to anyone navigating stillbirth, where they are now on their family building journey, and why her word for 2023 is "breakthrough."

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Miscarriage; IUI; IVF; pregnancy after loss; still birth; non-toxic environment; infertility and weight loss.

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. We offer 4 support groups per week, 3 private Facebook groups, tons of curated events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey. Doors open the 1st of every month! Join at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at fertilityrally.com

RECEPTIVA DX

ReceptivaDx is the only test that can identify endometriosis, progesterone resistance and endometritis in a single sample, all causes for unexplained infertility and thus success rates of IVF treatments. ReceptivaDx includes BCL6, a marker that identifies uterine inflammation most often associated with asymptomatic (silent) endometriosis. BCL6 is found in more than 50% of women with unexplained infertility and over 65% of women with two or more IVF failures. If positive for the ReceptivaDx test, treatment options can improve the chances for a successful live birth 5 fold! Learn more at receptivadx.com or download our app “Receptivadx" --and USE CODE INFERTILEAF23 for $75 off the test

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

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Jillian Sipkins, Interior Designer, Photog, Surrogacy Mama and Wife of "Magic for Humans" star Justin Willman Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

Ali's guest today is the incredible interior designer, photographer, mom of two, and wife of magician and "Magic for Humans" star Justin Willman. Jill shares all the details of her family building journey, from being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 18 to her first miscarriage, to finally getting pregnant with her son -- although it was far from an easy pregnancy. Jill talks about how she and Justin met, how they made a list of baby names the night they got engaged, and what happened when her first pregnancy ended after eight weeks. She also talks about how, when she finally got pregnant with her son, she "bled the whole time," the anxiety of pregnancy after loss, and how Justin, who was doing a show across the country, almost missed Jack's birth. Jill also discusses how, after her body had been through so much with her pregnancy with Jack, they were advised to use a surrogate if they wanted to have any more children, how they found the perfect surrogate for them (shoutout to Katie!) and what happened when their daughter, Rosie, was finally born. Sidenote pro tip: After listening to this episode, check out Jill and Justin's two hilarious YouTube Drunk History videos, about how they met and about Jack's birth. You won't regret it.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Type 1 diabetes; miscarriage; pregnancy after loss; anxiety; surrogacy; IVF; surrogacy success

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

CIRCLE SURROGACY

Having an experienced agency by your side to guide you and manage your journey means you can focus on what’s important: the arrival of your baby. Intended parents and surrogates recommend Circle Surrogacy because of the company’s 27 year history of bringing over 2,800 babies into the world. And with a 99.3% success rate for parents, Circle also delivers peace of mind. If you’d like to see what surrogacy is all about, visit circlesurrogacy.com or follow them on social media @circlesurrogacy

RECEPTIVA DX

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Cancer survivor, surrogacy mama and Circle Surrogacy Marketing Director Kristin Marsoli Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

Ali's guest today is Kristin Marsoli, a loyal Target shopper, an aspiring novelist, and a cancer survivor. Knowing she couldn’t carry a baby because of her medical history, when Kristin and her husband were ready to start their family, they turned to surrogacy. After a long journey with many bumps in the road, they finally welcomed their beautiful son into the world in 2014. Kristin then turned her personal experience with surrogacy into her profession, taking the role as the Marketing Director at Circle Surrogacy. Kristin educates intended parents, surrogates and egg donors about surrogacy and egg donation through Circle’s marketing efforts, and is passionate about helping make parenthood possible for others. On this episode, Ali and Kristin get into allll of it — as well as what song was number one in 2004. (Can you guess?)

For more info on Circle Surrogacy, check out circlesurrogacy.com

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Cervical cancer; cancer survival; infertility; radical hysterectomy; surrogacy; IVF; surrogacy success

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. GET ONE MONTH FREE THROUGH 1/7/23 with code INFERTILEAF. (Go to fertilityrally.com, purchase the monthy membership and use the code--your first month is free!) We offer 4 support groups per week, 3 private Facebook groups, tons of curated events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey. Doors open the 1st of every month! Join at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at fertilityrally.com

BELI @beli.baby

Beli is formulated with the right nutrients to help boost your fertility, increase egg quality and support IVF to increase your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. To get started with Beli, go to belibaby.com and use code ALI15 for 15% off your first month of either Beli Women or Beli Men.

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Fitness expert, influencer and infertility advocate Deja Riley Izydorczyk Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Today's guest, Deja Riley Izydorczyk, is a a fitness instructor and an ambassador for Lululemon, she was named one of Forbes' Black Women Changing the Face of Fitness. She is also a huge influencer on social, with almost 100,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 105,000 followers on TikTok, where she and her husband, Jimmy, have been chronicling their fertility journey. Deja tells Ali all about what she and Jimmy have been going through since they started their family building journey, including unexplained infertility, four failed IUIs, a devastating miscarriage, screaming in the shower, and now the next phase: IVF. Deja is still in the midst of her journey, so follow along on her IG @dejarile or on TikTok @dejarileyizy -- and stay tuned for another Deja episode down the line.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

IUI; unexplained infertility; pregnancy loss; miscarriage; polyps; fitness during infertility; IVF

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

BELI @beli.baby

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Erin Bulcao @mybeautifulblunder on IG Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

Today, Ali is talking to warrior mom Erin Bulcao about her real and raw fertility journey. Erin talks about how not ovulating led her to see a fertility specialist when she was in her late 20s, and why they recommended she start with IUIs. She talks about getting pregnant with triplets via IUI, and why it was recommended by her medical team, for the health of both Erin and her babies, that they reduce the pregnancy to twins. After discussing the aftermath of that decision and that procedure, as well as the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, Erin shares how she felt "horrible and embarrassed." She also shares the difficulties of bringing one twin home while the other was still in the hospital, when and why her marriage almost "crashed and burned," moving on to IVF, and the importance of switching clinics and advocating for herself. Erin also talks about more losses, including an excruciating miscarriage that seemingly lasted forever, and finally bringing home their rainbow baby, via a final round of IVF.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

IUI; IUI success; triplet pregnancy; pregnancy reduction; twin pregnancy; NICU life; IVF; marriage issues; miscarriage; advocating for oneself; rainbow babies

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

PROOV

Today’s episode is sponsored by Proov, a women’s health company dedicated to providing information and solutions on key fertility hormones so they can reach their goals faster. The best part is that they’re giving Infertile AF listeners a special discount code. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI20, and you’ll get 20% off your first Proov order of $25 or more.

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Monica Bivas, Author of “The IVF Planner” Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

Today, Ali is talking to Monica Bivas, IVF warrior and advocate, mindset and holistic fertility coach, and author of "The IVF Planner." Monica talks about her stage-four endometriosis, finding out that IVF was her only option to have healthy pregnancies, the several IVF cycles she went through, and how IVF can be considered taboo in the Latina community. She talks about having her now-17 year old daughter through IVF, and how blood clots in her umbilical cord during another pregnancy lead to the devastating stillbirth of another daughter, at 39 weeks. Monica explains what happened next, including depression, suicidal thoughts, her marriage almost "crumbling," more IVF cycles, the anxiety of pregnancy after infertility, how it felt when her next daughter (who is now nine years old) was born and how she turned her "pain into her purpose." Follow Monica on IG at @monicabivas

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Endometriosis; Stage-four endo; IVF; successful IVF; IVF in the Latin community; taboos; pregnancy after infertility; fertility coaching; IVF coaching; stillbirth; blood clots; depression; suicidal thoughts.

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

RECEPTIVA DX

The ReceptivaDX test can help couples struggling with unexplained infertility. It can help identify endometriosis before an embryo transfer, and has the potential to save women the stress, anxiety, and cost of multiple failed IVF attempts. Learn more at receptivadx.com or download the ReceptivaDX app. Use code INFERTILEAF for $75 off.

PROOV

Today’s episode is sponsored by Proov, a women’s health company dedicated to providing information and solutions on key fertility hormones so they can reach their goals faster. The best part is that they’re giving Infertile AF listeners a special discount code. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first Proov order of $25 or more.

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

April Christina, Endometriosis and Fertility Advocate, @iamaprilchristina Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

April Christina is one of the biggest endometriosis advocates in this community and today, Ali hears April's entire fertility journey, from when she first got her period at the age of 9 to where she is today -- still in the midst of it all. April talks about her very early menstruation; her endometriosis diagnosis in her early 20s (and how when she was diagnosed, she had never even heard of endo before); her two endo surgeries; being in a depressive state; the discovery of her chocolate cysts; how she met her husband and when they started talking about family building; knowing that IUIs were not the right thing for her; and how her first IVF cycle did not go as planned. April also talks about her Endo Brunch, the power of community, the trauma of infertility, feeling isolated, and where she and her husband are now in their journey. (Hint: A new IVF cycle is starting soon.) April Christina is also a partner of Fertility Out Loud’s newest offering, Fertility Outreach a text-based platform providing aspiring parents with access to a live fertility coach. Find out more here: https://www.fertilityoutloud.com

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Early menstruation; endometriosis; IUI; IVF; isolation; depression; chocolate cysts; fibroids; trauma; the power of community

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

RECEPTIVA DX

PROOV

Today’s episode is sponsored by Proov, a women’s health company dedicated to providing information and solutions on key fertility hormones so they can reach their goals faster. The best part is that they’re giving Infertile AF listeners a special discount code. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first Proov order of $25 or more.

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Blair Nelson Part Two: Ali's Fertility Rally Co-Founder and @fabivfmama Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Today, Ali is talking to her incredible PIBAC (Partner in Biz and Claw), Fertility Rally co-founder Blair Nelson, aka @fabivfmama. Blair was on Ali's 8th episode three and a half years ago, and sooooo much has happened since then: Blair did many more rounds of IVF, Blair had her baby girl, Hadley, Blair and Ali launched Fertility Rally in 2020, Blair got pregnant again in the fall of 2022, and then Blair received some devastating news that her baby, in utero, has an extremely rare disease called Limb Body Wall Complex, which is fatal. Blair talks about all of it on this episode, including what's going to happen next.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Balanced translocation; IVF; FETs; pregnancy after infertility; parenthood after infertility; rare diseases; Fertility Rally; limb-body wall complex; TFMR (termination for medical reasons).

Follow Keegan @theivfdad and check out his book here: https://www.theivfdad.com/

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

RECEPTIVA DX

PROOV

Today’s episode is sponsored by Proov, a women’s health company dedicated to providing information and solutions on key fertility hormones so they can reach their goals faster. The best part is that they’re giving Infertile AF listeners a special discount code. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first Proov order of $25 or more.

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sarah: Secondary Infertility In Shanghai Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

On this episode, Ali talks to Sarah, a U.S. citizen who's been living --and going through secondary infertility -- in Shanghai, China. Sarah emailed Ali, "I have always had good access to mental health support and friends in the US, but the past two years I have been living in Shanghai, China. The border remains closed due to covid so we have not been able to travel out at all. I recently experienced a miscarriage here, between 8 and 9 weeks, had a D&C, and really struggled to find anyone to talk to about it. While Shanghai is a very very modern city, it really lacks the sort of mental health awareness and access we have in the US and it was a real struggle." Sarah shares what it's like going through secondary infertility in China, where for many years, there was a "one child" policy; the cultural differences she's faced; finding community (or the lack thereof); how some people have embryos in China but are not allowed in the country; and more.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; IUI; IVF; Shanghai, China; China's "one child" policy; Covid-19; miscarriage; D&C; secondary infertility; anxiety; frozen embryos; PCOS; quarantine; Letrizole; Clomid.

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. We offer 4 support groups per week, 3 private Facebook groups, tons of curated events, and an entire community of more than 450 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey. Doors open the 1st of every month! Join at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at fertilityrally.com

RECEPTIVA DX

PROOV

Today’s episode is sponsored by Proov, a women’s health company dedicated to providing information and solutions on key fertility hormones so they can reach their goals faster. The best part is that they’re giving Infertile AF listeners a special discount code. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first Proov order of $25 or more.

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Payal @payalponders on IG Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Today Ali is talking to a very dear friend of hers, Payal @payalponders, who she met when Payal joined the Fertility Rally family. Payal is mama to Zion Edward, who was with us earthside from 7/4-7/6/22 --and she's going to tell us all about her sweet son, as well as her entire fertility journey. Payal talks about meeting her husband Ron, why she had a feeling she might need fertility treatments, doing 3 IUIs, doing 3 egg retrievals, and doing two FETs. She also talks about her placenta abruption when she was 24 weeks two days pregnant with Zion, including what happened at home, what happened in the hospital and the NICU, and what happened when they realized sweet Zion was not going to make it. This is a very special episode, and Ali can't thank Payal enough for sharing. Here's to Zion Edward and ice cream forever.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

Infertility; IUIs; egg retrievals; FETs; frozen embryo transfers; pregnancy after loss; placenta abruption; NICU; baby and infant loss.

EPISODE SPONSORS:

FERTILITY RALLY @fertilityrally www.fertilityrally.com

No one should go through infertility alone. Join the Worst Club with the Best Members at fertilityrally.com. We offer 4 support groups per week, 3 private Facebook groups, tons of curated events, and an entire community of more than 450 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey. Doors open the 1st of every month! Join at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at fertilityrally.com

RECEPTIVA DX

PROOV

Today’s episode is sponsored by Proov, a women’s health company dedicated to providing information and solutions on key fertility hormones so they can reach their goals faster. The best part is that they’re giving Infertile AF listeners a special discount code. Go to proovtest.com, enter the code ALI25, and you’ll get 25% off your first Proov order of $25 or more.

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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