Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building Alison Prato

Meet Leia and Krison Burroughs, who are still in the midst of their family building journey. On today's show, Leia and Kriston tell Ali about how Kriston was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when he was just a year old, and how they had no idea that the sickle cell drug, Hydroxyurea, would have a direct effect on his fertility. They also talk about microTESE surgery, the five hysteroscopies Leia had, and how the whole infertility journey has been hard on their marriage. They explain why they fired their OB, why they pivoted to embryo adoption, why they preferred doing that over donor sperm, and where they are now in the journey. Says Leia: "Did you know that 24% of men with Sickle Cell Anemia experience infertility due to the effects of the disease? Did you know that Sickle Cell Anemia affects about 100,000 people or that it occurs 1 in every 365 Black births in the U.S.?" Says Kriston, "Black folks need to start talking about our fertility treatments." 

For more, follow IG: @ladibuddafly08 and @owtspokeneducator and @iamkristonb

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; Sickle cell anemia; Hydroxyurea; fibroids; embryo adoption; donor sperm; therapy; marriage issues; health insurance; black maternal healthcare; fertility grants

EPISODE SPONSORS:
WORK OF ART
Children's Book about IVF
https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

Do not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini.

Personalized and non-personalized versions are available. Order yours now at https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

For bulk orders of 10 or more books, go to https://www.infertileafgroup.com/bulk-order-request

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 5 to 6 support groups per week, three private Facebook groups, tons of curated IRL and virtual events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey.

Join today at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com/membership
SAVE $40 on an annual membership with code RALLY2024

NATALIST
www.natalist.com

Natalist is on a mission to improve your fertility journey with evidence-backed essentials to support your needs, from vegan prenatal packets to easy-to-use, plastic-neutral ovulation tests and fertility-friendly lube. Natalist is offering my community 25% off your first order at Natalist.com with promo code INFERTILEAF.

RECEPTIVA DX
https://receptivadx.com/

ReceptivaDx is the singular test capable of identifying endometriosis,progesterone resistance, and endometritis in one comprehensive analysis. These conditions are often the hidden culprits behind unexplained infertility, directly impacting the success rates of IVF treatments. Ask for the Receptvia DX test today, and use code INFERTILEAF24 for $75 off.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Ali has a true sports icon on the show: Former pro soccer star Carli Lloyd, who won two World Cups and two Olympic Gold medals during her incredible career. Carli is currently pregnant -- and in the second trimester -- with her first baby, but it's been a long and difficult infertility journey to get here. Carli tells Ali all the details, starting from when she and her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, Brian, started to try for a baby, and what happened when it wasn't working. She talks about traveling the world playing professional soccer, why she didn't want to have kids while she was playing, and how, when she retired at 39, she found out, "It's a lot harder to get pregnant than people think." She explains being told they should do IVF, going through the retrieval process, and how her first transfer didn't work. She also talks about why they needed to take a mental break, what it felt like to do their next retrieval, and how she felt when she found out she was finally pregnant. "This journey was a humbling experience," she says. "For someone who's achieved greatness in the soccer world to have to struggle through this, it was really, really difficult. I was almost broken to a point I've never felt before." 

For more, follow IG @carlilloyd

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Unexplained infertility; IVF; egg retrievals; embryo testing; embryo transfers; zero healthy embryos; mental health; pregnancy after infertility

EPISODE SPONSORS:
WORK OF ART
Children's Book about IVF
https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

Do not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini.

Personalized and non-personalized versions are available. Order yours now at https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

For bulk orders of 10 or more books, go to https://www.infertileafgroup.com/bulk-order-request

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 5 to 6 support groups per week, three private Facebook groups, tons of curated IRL and virtual events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey.

Join today at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com/membership
SAVE $40 on an annual membership with code RALLY2024

NATALIST
www.natalist.com 

Natalist is on a mission to improve your fertility journey with evidence-backed essentials to support your needs, from vegan prenatal packets to easy-to-use, plastic-neutral ovulation tests and fertility-friendly lube. Natalist is offering my community 25% off your first order at Natalist.com with promo code INFERTILEAF. 

RECEPTIVA DX
https://receptivadx.com/

ReceptivaDx is the singular test capable of identifying endometriosis,progesterone resistance, and endometritis in one comprehensive analysis. These conditions are often the hidden culprits behind unexplained infertility, directly impacting the success rates of IVF treatments. Ask for the Receptvia DX test today, and use code INFERTILEAF24 for $75 off.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Pride Month! Ali's guest today is Michael, one of the dads behind Two Dads U.K., whose mission is to raise awareness of same-sex parenting and help other same-sex couples and other single gay people realize that becoming a parent shouldn't just be a dream. Michael talks about coming out; building a family with his husband, Wes; the 3-4 years they researched surrogacy; the birth of their daughter, Talulah; and how they’re working hard to make LGBTQ parenting better, safer and more equal.

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today Ali talking to her sweet SoulCycle friend Lex Borino, a super successful bridal hair stylist about her recent egg freezing journey. Lex, who is 30 years old, explains why she came to this decision: "Once I turned 30 and realized, 'Ooh, I'm not in a relationship, that's not on the table right now,' I had to look at my options and be like, 'What can I do to be proactive in still being able to have a family without having a partner in the picture?'" Lex talks about how her mother had secondary infertility; how she started typing "egg freezing journeys" into the TikTok search bar every night to do research and hear people's stories; and how her meeting with a financial advisor helped her realize it was a good time to go through with it. She also talks about having many friends who've successfully gotten pregnant and had babies with no issues; the anxiety of possibly "being a statistic;" fertility treatment hormones; and how she felt supported on the day of her egg retrieval. So what's next for Lex? Listen to her episode and follow her on social @bridalbylexborino for real time updates -- and stellar wedding hair videos. (Shoutout to Kaley!)

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Egg freezing; family building journey; hormones; secondary infertility; diminished ovarian reserve; SoulCycle; fertility clinics; financial advisor; egg retrieval 

EPISODE SPONSORS:
WORK OF ART
Children's Book about IVF
https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

Do not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini.

Personalized and non-personalized versions are available. Order yours now at https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

For bulk orders of 10 or more books, go to https://www.infertileafgroup.com/bulk-order-request

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 5 to 6 support groups per week, three private Facebook groups, tons of curated IRL and virtual events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey.

Join today at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com/membership
SAVE $40 on an annual membership with code RALLY2024

RECEPTIVA DX
https://receptivadx.com/

ReceptivaDx is the singular test capable of identifying endometriosis,progesterone resistance, and endometritis in one comprehensive analysis. These conditions are often the hidden culprits behind unexplained infertility, directly impacting the success rates of IVF treatments. Ask for the Receptvia DX test today, and use code INFERTILEAF24 for $75 off.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode features Carly Stockdale, who started Nascency, Everything to know about surrogacy, and whether it’s right for you Carly talks about her egg freezing experience, pregnancy, and why she and her husband decided to use a surrogate for baby number two. She also talks about everything she's doing with Nascency, which provides info on becoming a surrogate and also taking the surrogacy path as an intended parent. For more, go to https://www.nascency.com/

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; egg freezing; surrogacy; traumatic birth; intended parents

EPISODE SPONSORS:
WORK OF ART
Children's Book about IVF
https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

Do not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini.

Personalized and non-personalized versions are available. Order yours now at https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

For bulk orders of 10 or more books, go to https://www.infertileafgroup.com/bulk-order-request

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 5 to 6 support groups per week, three private Facebook groups, tons of curated IRL and virtual events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey.

Join today at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com/membership
SAVE $40 on an annual membership with code RALLY2024

RECEPTIVA DX
https://receptivadx.com/

ReceptivaDx is the singular test capable of identifying endometriosis,
progesterone resistance, and endometritis in one comprehensive analysis. These conditions are often the hidden culprits behind unexplained infertility, directly impacting
the success rates of IVF treatments. Ask for the Receptvia DX test today, and use code INFERTILEAF24 for $75 off.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode features a total badass, UFC fighter Katlyn Cerminara. Katlyn talks about getting into fighting as a young girl; thinking she would be pregnant right away when she took out her IUD (very relatable!); and going to a specialist after trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant after three months. She also talks about being told by her doctor "You're so young, everything looks fine" -- and why that pissed her off; doing a handful of IUIs that were unsuccessful; and moving onto IVF. She talks about her chemical pregnancy, her miscarriage, and also how going through infertility treatment in the public eye means that people will make rude comments on your social media ("You look so heavy--are you pregnant?"). She also shares why she chose to go public with her story; and where she is today.

Follow Katlyn on IG: @blondefighter

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Unexplained infertility; sex education; infertility; IUI; failed IUIs; IVF; social media; going through treatment as a professional athlete; chemical pregnancy; miscarriage

EPISODE SPONSORS:
WORK OF ART
Children's Book about IVF
https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

Do not miss Ali's children’s book about IVF! It's been getting rave reviews. “Work of ART” is the story of an IVF kiddo the day he learns he is a “work of ART” (born via IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology). For young readers 4-8. Hardcover. Written by Ali Prato; Illustrated by Federico Bonifacini.

Personalized and non-personalized versions are available. Order yours now at https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

For bulk orders of 10 or more books, go to https://www.infertileafgroup.com/bulk-order-request

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 5 to 6 support groups per week, three private Facebook groups, tons of curated IRL and virtual events, and an entire community of more than 500 women available to support you, no matter where you are in your journey.

Join today at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com/membership
SAVE $40 on an annual membership with code RALLY2024

RECEPTIVA DX
https://receptivadx.com/
ReceptivaDx is the singular test capable of identifying endometriosis,
progesterone resistance, and endometritis in one comprehensive analysis. These conditions are often the hidden culprits behind unexplained infertility, directly impacting
the success rates of IVF treatments. Ask for the Receptvia DX test today, and use code INFERTILEAF24 for $75 off.

DANDI
dandifertility.com/INFERTILEAF
A new kind of fertility care is here. Dandi just launched the Dandi IVF Care Kit, the first line of products built specifically to bring care, comfort and peace of mind to painful IVF injections. Their products guide you through every step of the injection process, whether you're freezing your eggs or preparing for an embryo transfer.
Check it out at dandifertility.com/INFERTILEAF

S'MOO
S’moo’s best-selling hormone balance powder is formulated with 7 essential vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are all highly recommended for Hormone Balance, Fertility, and PCOS. S’moo was created by fellow PCOS Cyster, and has helped thousands of women manage their PCOS naturally.
Go to thesmooco.com and enjoy a generous 20% off site-wide using code 'InfertileAF20' at checkout.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices