Infertile AF Alison Prato

"Growing up, I always imagined I'd one day be married with kids" says today's guest, single dad by choice John Yurcisin. "I've dated many smart, interesting, beautiful women. I was engaged once and called it off. I just never found my life partner." And so, John decided to become a dad on his own. On this episode, John shares the entire journey to having his two sons as a solo parent, including being the only heterosexual man in a room of 250 people at the Men Having Babies conference; finding a single parents group online; choosing and connecting with his surrogate; choosing an egg donor; and meeting his egg donor for dinner. He also talks about having his two boys, including his advice for anyone contemplating a single dad by choice journey. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Single dad by choice; solo dad by choice; egg donor; surrogate; surrogacy journey; IVF; Men Having Babies conference; doctors; lawyers; single parents' groups online 

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

Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now!
“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

RECEPTIVA DX
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

"Truthfully, my journey is about 10 years long at this point," says today's guest, Cara DiFalco. Cara grew up in a big, boisterous Italian family in NJ, and she always knew she wanted many children. After getting divorced with no children at 38, she decided she would pursue being a single mom by choice, and today, she tells us her whole story. She talks about how her family embraced that decision; finding a sperm donor, including her pro tips on choosing a donor and navigating the donor sperm process; navigating three unsuccessful IUIs; her endometriosis; her egg retrievals and how "fertility treatments are stupid expensive, whether you have insurance or not." She also talks about feeling jealous of family and friends who've easily had babies, and where she is today. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Single parent by choice; solo parent by choice; donor sperm; donor sperm selection; IUI; finances; egg retrieval; IVF; jealousy

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

Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now!
“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

RECEPTIVA DX
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

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 Enjoy a generous 20% off sitewide using code 'InfertileAF' at checkout.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's part two with our friend Bailey, who first shared her story on the pod in 2021. At the time, Bailey talked about having hair loss, night sweats -- finding out her AMH was just 0.1 and she had diminished ovarian reserve. She was told, 'You should be freezing your eggs, like, yesterday.'" Catch up on Bailey's first episode, and then listen to this one to find out where she is today, three years later: No longer going through treatments herself, working in a clinic, and making life much easier and better for any infertility warriors following in her wake. She also talks about the mental effects of infertility treatments, and how that helped her make the decisions which lead her to where she is today. "Infertility never leaves you," she says. "Your journey that you've been through -- it's never ending." 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
DOR; IVF; egg retrieval; egg freezing; fertility preservation; mental health; community support; patient care

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

Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now!
“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

RECEPTIVA DX
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

LFG!!!!!! Today's guest is a dear friend of Ali's, Ashely Hingston, aka @rage_against_infertilty. Ashley tells Ali all about having PCOS symptoms as a young woman and going on birth control, how certain doctors don't want to work with someone over a certain BMI; and going through letrozole rage. She talks about meeting her husband, Rob, doing medicated cycles and discovering male factor infertility, and recovering from an eating disorder. She talks about joining Fertility Rally; finally finding a clinic and medical team that would work with her, enduring many cycles that ended in failed implantation, and -- SPOILER ALERT -- what happened when they met their surrogate, and finally had their son, Jackson Walter, in early 2024. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
PCOS; IVF; egg retrieval; ART; BMI; Letrozole; medicated cycles; male factor infertility; surrogacy; surrogacy agencies; surrogacy pregnancy; grieving your pregnancy; IVF success 

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

Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now!
“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

RECEPTIVA DX
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

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 the first place, what the IVF landscape was like back then, how the actual procedure worked (so much has changed!) and the incredible work she's doing today to advocate for IVF and reproductive rights. She also shares how the pope, when she was born, called her "a child of the devil." 

For more, check out https://ejordancarr.com/
and her IG: @ejordan12

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
IVF; first baby born via IVF; egg retrieval; IVF in the 80s; ART; advocacy

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

Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now!
“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

RECEPTIVA DX
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

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 Enjoy a generous 20% off sitewide using code 'InfertileAF' at checkout.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 fertility landscape in Hollywood, sex education or lack thereof, periods, family building through ART, IVF, where she is now in her own family building story, and so much more.  

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Fertility; egg freezing; Hollywood and fertility/infertility; periods; sex education; IVF; ART; advocacy

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

Ali wrote her first children’s book, and it’s available now!
“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

RECEPTIVA DX
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