Fertility Forward Rena Gower & Dara Godfrey of RMA of New York

Fertility journeys can be similar in experience, but they are unique to everybody in terms of the emotions they experience, the support they have, and the narratives surrounding them. Beth Gulotta is a licensed Mental Health Counselor and the Owner and Founder of NYC Therapeutic Wellness. She holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Manhattan College and has undergone extensive training in an outpatient setting, specializing in the treatment of individuals facing a wide range of social, emotional, and behavioral issues. Amongst other passions, she’s also the host of Quiet the Clock, a podcast that delves into topics such as fertility, egg freezing, and relationships. Join our conversation as we delve into who Beth is, processing and moving through unhelpful narratives, and why it’s a privilege to be part of someone’s fertility journey as a healthcare provider. Beth shares her own egg-freezing journey and the emotional challenges she faced, and she also highlights other emotions that surfaced throughout the journey. We dive into a discussion on building support around you, how you can set up your friends and family for success, and when a therapist becomes a key component. Tune in now to hear all this, and much more. Thanks for listening!  

We are thrilled to have Dr. Michelle Goldsammler join us on today's episode of the Fertility Forward podcast. Dr. Goldsammler brings a wealth of expertise as a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist Infertility (REI) Specialist and Obstetrician and Gynecologist. Her clinical proficiency spans reproductive endocrinology and all facets of fertility treatment, including IUI, IVF, and fertility preservation. She's dedicated to empowering her patients to actively participate in their reproductive journeys through education. With a commitment to individualized care, Dr. Goldsammler prioritizes the patient experience and delivers culturally sensitive healthcare. As a practicing Orthodox Jew, she brings a cultural sensitivity and valuable insights into religious considerations like family ritual purity; a law in their religion. In our conversation, Dr. Goldsammler shares how she integrates her religion into her work, her approach to counseling within religious boundaries, and the importance of collaboration and communication with religious leaders in her practice. For a truly insightful discussion on the religious aspects of the fertility journey, don't miss out on this episode with Dr. Michelle Goldsammler. Thanks for tuning in! 

Being able to give the gift of life to a family who cannot have children of their own is a courageous and selfless act. Today on Fertility Forward, surrogate at Surrogate First, Zarah Hilliard joins us to tell us all about the magic of surrogacy. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how Zarah first got into surrogacy, the matching process, her relationship with her surrogate child’s dads, and how her partner, family, and son reacted to her decision to become a surrogate. Zarah highlights the importance of advocating for what you want as a surrogate before telling us about her TikTok channel and how she uses it as an opportunity to educate people about surrogacy. She also stresses the importance of having a good support system and shares her top tips and tricks for anyone wanting to become a surrogate. You won’t want to miss this inspiring episode, so press play now! 

Hearing other people’s experiences with fertility and the journeys they take is important because one story is never quite like another. We are thrilled to have Bret Shuford on the podcast with us today! Bret is a Broadway actor, best known for Wicked and The Little Mermaid, as well as numerous TV series and films. While he loves acting, he also works as a director and producer. On top of his established acting career, he also helps other creatives step into their spotlight with private and group coaching, and along with his husband Stephen, he co-hosts Broadway Husbands a podcast that helps gay dads become better people, partners, and parents. Join us for a delightfully inspiring conversation about their journey to parenthood. Bret shares the story of how meeting his husband ignited his wish to become a father, ultimately leading to the start of their fertility journey. We hear what inspired them to choose surrogacy, how they found the perfect egg donor, and he details why finding a suitable gestational carrier is the hardest part of the journey. Tune in now to hear more about their beautiful story, including some insightful tips and resources. Thanks for listening! 

Even as more and more children are conceived using assisted reproductive technology, there is still a negative stigma that tends to surround surrogacy. Joining us to discuss this unconventional path to parenthood and dispel some commonly held misconceptions about it is Yessenia Latorre, a surrogacy educator at SurrogateFirst and a mother of two who raises awareness about her personal surrogacy journey on TikTok, where she has nearly 230,000 followers. Yessenia was inspired to help other families achieve their dreams of parenthood after her own devastating experience of pregnancy loss. In today’s episode, she shares some practical advice for both surrogates and intended parents and highlights the importance of following your intuition when choosing an agency. We also discuss the emotional impact of surrogacy, the power of community, and more. Be sure to tune in for this gentle and thoughtful discussion about surrogacy with Mama Yessenia! 

One of the most common topics facing doctors today is the issue of mental health medication and pregnancy. If you are a soon-to-be mother with a mental health condition, getting the right information may be an arduous and complicated task. So today, we’ve asked Dr. Marlee Medora to join us on the show and help us unpack safer ways of finding the right care for pregnant women with a mental illness. Dr. Medora is a Women’s Health Psychiatrist with her own private practice in New York and she begins our conversation by laying out three important tenets that govern how doctors treat pregnant patients who also have ailments to consider. Then, we discuss the dangers of starting a new medication or finishing a chronic course in and around pregnancy, why many women are still unaware of the options that are available to them, our guest’s process for assessing medicinal safety during pregnancy, and how patients can find the right doctors and resources for their particular plight. We also learn about the importance of dismantling stigmas relating to mental health and substance abuse and after taking a closer look at the infertility struggle and the value of self-care, we close with today’s moments of gratitude.