Infertile AF Alison Prato

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 devastating miscarriage at 10 weeks; putting her phone on "do not disturb" for three months; and getting pregnant again (she is 20-plus weeks along today). 

Follow her at @tessannique 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
IVF; OHSS; sobriety and recovery; anxiety; marriage; IVF transfer; miscarriage; treatment during COVID; depression; women supporting women

For podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.com

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 to 5 support groups per week, 4 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 now at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com

BERRY
Introducing the Berry Fertility app, a free way to manage your fertility treatments like Egg Freezing, IVF, and embryo transfer all in one place. The Berry app can help you understand the stages of your treatment, look up information about your medications, and set reminders for your doses and appointments. You’ll also find simple to follow injection videos, tutorials, as well as articles with pro tips on how to manage your injections.The Berry team is always available to provide support and answer your questions. It’s 100% free to use, and you can find it in the Apple app store. Try Berry Fertility, the trusted partner for every fertility journey.

Go to https://www.berryfertility.com/

MIRA
How does Mira help to track ovulation? Mira measures actual fertility hormone concentrations with 99% accuracy. Mira is unlike other fertility trackers–it uses technology that’s similar to what’s used in the fertility lab, so it’s just like having your own mini-lab at home. Order the Mira Starter Kit or Mira Plus starter Kit online on miracare.com with promo code INFERTILEAF to get an exclusive discount.

For more, go to https://www.miracare.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

Go to https://receptivadx.com/

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy


Our Sponsors:
* Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/


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

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

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

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 and Todd are today. 

ALSO! 

Tara is our headlining KeyNote Speaker at this October’s Fertility Rally Live virtual event, and the tickets to that event are TOTALLY FREE — and you can reserve your free ticket by going to the link in my bio on Instagram @infertileafstories and also @fertilityrally   

Rally Live is on October 21, and everyone has 90 days to watch all of the talks. Reserve your FREE ticket today!

Covered in this episode: Unexplained infertility; IVF during Covid; sex education; endometriosis; infertility in the public eye; failed IVF cycles; miscarriage; healthy and unhealthy embryos; grief and anxiety 

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 to 5 support groups per week, 4 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 now at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.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


Our Sponsors:
* Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/


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

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

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

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 either. Heather also discusses how she heard about embryo adoption, which was a fraction of the cost ($5,000); getting medically approved to carry a child, going through the adopted embryo transfer, and finding out that she was pregnant with her son. She also talks about having another embryo "on ice," and what that means for her future family, and also her donors' family. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Infertility; IUIs; IVF; unexplained infertility; ICSI, insurance; unsolicited advice; embryo adoption; Covid; IVF babies; acupuncture; adoption; women supporting women

For podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.com

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 to 5 support groups per week, 4 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 now at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com

FIRST RESPONSE
First Response knows that when testing for pregnancy, you want to be sure of your result. That’s why they created Comfort Check, a pregnancy test kit that helps you test confidently and conveniently. The First Response Comfort Check Pregnancy Test Kit is a value pack containing 8 total tests: 3 First Response Early Result Tests and 5 First Response Pregnancy Test Strips, allowing women to test early and often for added reassurance. First Response’s Early Result Test, included in the Comfort Check Kit, is their #1 best-selling pregnancy test. It detects all major forms of the pregnancy hormone commonly found in urine and is over 99% accurate from the day of your expected period, with results ready to be read in just three minutes. The First Response Comfort Check Pregnancy Test Kit is available for purchase in store and online. Be sure to pick one up today.

See more at www.firstresponse.com

Our Sponsors:
Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/

Support this podcast at: https://redcircle.com/infertile-af/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy


Our Sponsors:
* Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/


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

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

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

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 Fertility Dreams which advocates for infertility awareness and assist families that are struggling with infertility. 

Follow her on IG: @milkmadeskin @fertiledreams 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Infertility; IUIs; IVF; failed transfers; successful transfers; changing clinics; female founders; IVF babies; women supporting women

For podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.com

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 to 5 support groups per week, 4 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 now at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.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

RITUAL
Daily essentials with good intentions — for living life or creating it. Ritual is offering my listeners 30% off during your first month. Visit ritual.com/INFERTILEAF to start Ritual or add Essential for Women 18+ or Prenatal to your subscription today.



Our Sponsors:
* Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/


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

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

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

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 transfers, and how Alex's second son finally came into this world. It's a beautiful story -- their forever bond is palpable. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Surrogacy; IVF; gestational carriers; successful transfers; unsuccessful transfers; women supporting women

For podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.com

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 to 5 support groups per week, 4 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 now at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com

FIRST RESPONSE 
First Response knows that when testing for pregnancy, you want to be sure of your result. That’s why they created Comfort Check, a pregnancy test kit that helps you test confidently and conveniently. The First Response Comfort Check Pregnancy Test Kit is a value pack containing 8 total tests: 3 First Response Early Result Tests and 5 First Response Pregnancy Test Strips, allowing women to test early and often for added reassurance. First Response’s Early Result Test, included in the Comfort Check Kit, is their #1 best-selling pregnancy test. It detects all major forms of the pregnancy hormone commonly found in urine and is over 99% accurate from the day of your expected period, with results ready to be read in just three minutes. The First Response Comfort Check Pregnancy Test Kit is available for purchase in store and online. Be sure to pick one up today.

See more at www.firstresponse.com


Our Sponsors:
* Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/


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

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

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

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 while she was on her journey. She also talks about the financial aspects of infertility, and how her most recent failed transfer left her heartbroken once again.  

Find out more at rashmigill.com 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Unexplained infertility; IVF; IVF in London vs. America; finances; grief and heartbreak; Punjabi Sikh heritage; failed transfers; successful transfers; women supporting women

For podcast sponsorship or partnership inquiries, please email infertileafstories@gmail.com

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 to 5 support groups per week, 4 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 now at link in bio on IG @fertilityrally or at www.fertilityrally.com

MIRA
How does Mira help to track ovulation? Mira measures actual fertility hormone concentrations with 99% accuracy. Mira is unlike other fertility trackers–it uses technology that’s similar to what’s used in the fertility lab, so it’s just like having your own mini-lab at home. Order the Mira Starter Kit or Mira Plus starter Kit online on miracare.com with promo code INFERTILEAF to get an exclusive discount.

For more, go to https://www.miracare.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
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy


Our Sponsors:
* Check out Mosie Baby and use my code INFERTILEAF for a great deal: https://mosiebaby.com/


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

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

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