This is Infertility

A Podcast by Progyny
  • 4.8 (92)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
This is Infertility

This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.

  1. 4D AGO

    Beating the Odds: From Cystic Fibrosis to Fatherhood

    Guest: Dustin and Tequila Menken, Progyny Members at TE Connectivity   Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny   “I grew up with an expiration date.”  Dustin Menken was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that brought him lifelong health challenges and made him part of the 98% of men with CF who are infertile. He never imagined he’d live to see 40, let alone become a father. But with persistence, support from his wife Tequila and a critical fertility benefit from his employer, TE Connectivity, through Progyny, Dustin beat the odds. Again.  In this episode, Dustin and Tequila Menken share their remarkable story: from a childhood spent in hospitals to navigating genetic testing, sperm aspiration, and multiple IVF cycles. They walk us through the setbacks, the emotional toll, and the moment they finally learned they were expecting their daughter, Jannie Bell Allena, who has now arrived healthy and thriving.  Tune into this episode for the Menkens story of resilience, partnership, and the power of access. Behind every fertility journey is a deeply personal fight - one that can be helped with the right support.  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

    11 min
  2. UFCW Local 152: How Personal Pain Led to Life Changing Benefits

    JUL 1

    UFCW Local 152: How Personal Pain Led to Life Changing Benefits

    Guest: Danny Ross, Jr., UFCW Local 152 President    Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny    Danny and Elizabeth Ross got married at 26, excited to start their lives together and hopeful about growing a family. When they started trying, they were met with a series of challenges that changed everything.  Elizabeth was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS. Danny had male factor infertility. After a year of trying to conceive, they were told their best option was IVF. At the time, they had no fertility coverage.  They started with IUI. One attempt turned into two, then six, then thirteen. They tore through their savings. Elizabeth suffered an ectopic pregnancy that led to the removal of one of her fallopian tubes. They had hit a wall. IVF was their next and only option.  On their third round of IVF, their first daughter was finally born, and they welcomed their second, a few years later. Through it all, Danny and Elizabeth remained each other’s rocks: husband, wife, and best friends.  Today, Danny is the president of UFCW Local 152, where he oversees the benefits for thousands of union members. When the opportunity arose to improve those benefits, his mind immediately went to fertility. Could they offer fertility coverage to union families so others wouldn’t have to go through what he did?  After an exhaustive search, they decided to partner with Progyny, a labor-friendly benefit with experience supporting union members. For Danny, what stood out most were the Progyny Care Advocates and Smart Cycle plan design. It was everything they never had: guidance, clarity, and a path to better outcomes.  Tune into this episode as Danny reflects on the impact of adding fertility coverage to his union’s benefits and the importance of leaving things better than he found them.  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.      Music:  V7DM5RBZLGAXKDRW

    21 min
  3. Fertility 101: Sperm with Dr. Turek: Everything You Didn’t Learn in Health Class

    JUN 17

    Fertility 101: Sperm with Dr. Turek: Everything You Didn’t Learn in Health Class

    Guest: Paul Turek, MD, FACS, FRSM, Founder of The Turek Clinic  Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny    The Fertility 101 Series, because there’s no shortage of daunting terms to keep your mind running, is a quick and dirty breakdown on a specific topic with insights from a fertility expert.  When it comes to fertility, men are half of the equation, but too often, they’re the half that gets forgotten or overlooked. This Men’s Health Month, we’re joined by Dr. Paul Turek, a world-renowned urologist and male fertility expert, to talk all things sperm, from how it’s made to how it affects fertility and IVF.  Dr. Turek explains how sperm health isn’t just about making babies, it’s also a sign of a man’s overall health, tied to things like life expectancy, cancer risk, and heart health. Dr. Turek also tells us about his podcast, Talk with Turek, where he and Rob Clyde expose men's health and talk about it frankly – tackling the issues that matter. So, if you want to hear more on men’s health from Dr. Turek, you’re in luck!  And if you’ve never thought about getting a semen analysis, this episode might change that. Whether you’re thinking about starting a family, planning for the future, or just want to stay healthy, your sperm may tell you more than you could believe.  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.     Video Version: https://youtu.be/VNTff8wEGmk

    17 min
  4. Reimagining LGBTQ+ Family Building: A Midwife’s Perspective

    JUN 2

    Reimagining LGBTQ+ Family Building: A Midwife’s Perspective

    Guest: Marea Goodman, Co-Founder of PregnantTogether  Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny   For LGBTQ+ individuals and couples going through their family building journeys, having a medical support system that truly understand their lived experience can make all the difference.  In this episode, we hear from Marea Goodman, a licensed midwife, parent of three, and co-author of Babymaking for Everybody about the role and importance of a midwife.   Marea explains how midwives operate across a wide range of settings, from hospitals and fertility clinics to birth centers and home births. While midwives often fly under the radar, they play a vital role in family building, especially in spaces where traditional care may feel less inclusive. Marea offers an in-depth look at the role of midwives, including how they complete years of clinical training to become licensed healthcare providers.   Today, Marea’s practice supports at-home births, where they connect with patients on a deeply personal level through shared identity, lived experience, and affirming care.  Over time, Marea noticed just how isolating this journey can be for queer and solo parents. That realization led them to co-create PregnantTogether, a virtual community designed to bring these families together. The platform supports people all over the world, offering both connection and logistical help in one beautiful space.  This episode is a reminder of the power of identity-informed care and how transformative it can be to feel seen and supported.  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

    14 min
  5. Family Building Without Barriers: Maggie’s Reciprocal IVF Journey

    MAY 19

    Family Building Without Barriers: Maggie’s Reciprocal IVF Journey

    Guest: Maggie Garnsey, Progyny Member at Santander  Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny   For LGBTQ+ couples, traditional fertility coverage can leave them behind with little to no access to the actual coverage. Many are forced to undergo unnecessary, emotionally taxing procedures to meet outdated definitions of infertility. For Maggie and her wife, Alli, they thought they would need to pursue IUI, like many of their friends.   However, Maggie discovered that her employer, Santander Bank, offered inclusive fertility benefits through Progyny and that they had something rare: options.  In this episode, Maggie takes us through their family forming journey: from discovering the benefit, to forgoing healthcare through Alli’s role in the military in pursuit of the best family building option. The couple opted for a reciprocal IVF journey, where using a sperm donor, Alli would retrieve eggs, genetically test and freeze embryos, for Maggie to one day soon, take on the role of carrying the pregnancy.   Maggie also shares the importance of their village, showing up in ways that make the journey feel a little lighter, like hosting their friends to help choose a sperm donor and consulting couples they know have been in their shoes. Maggie shares her gratitude for how seamless their journey has been thus far, and when Alli returns from her upcoming deployment, their dreams of family will soon become a reality.  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.   https://youtu.be/GyHdAkXq1KoWatch this episode on YouTube:     Music: HA2XAHY5DVIOKQVA

    16 min
  6. From Struggle to Storybook: The Journey Behind Cupcakes Everywhere

    MAY 5

    From Struggle to Storybook: The Journey Behind Cupcakes Everywhere

    Guest: Erin Sarris, Progyny Member  Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny   When Erin Sarris and her husband first visited a fertility clinic, they were hit with unexpected news: severe male factor infertility and an immediate recommendation to pursue IVF. What followed was a long, winding, and often painful journey filled with setbacks, from failed cycles to loss and emotional isolation.     Now a mother of three and author of Cupcakes Everywhere: One Sweet Tale of Overcoming Infertility, Erin shares how infertility reshaped her view and inspired a metaphorical children's book that captures the bittersweet reality of struggling to grow a family. This conversation is raw, vulnerable, and ultimately a reminder that even when the path to parenthood is anything but straightforward    For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.     Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/VRuXbZ4g460     Music Code: HA2XAHY5DVIOKQVA

    16 min
  7. Building Better Benefits—for Bread Financial and Herself

    APR 21

    Building Better Benefits—for Bread Financial and Herself

    In this episode, we hear a deeply personal and professional journey. As a benefit’s leader, Deanna Allison was on a mission to bring better fertility and family building benefits to her company, Bread Financial. Simultaneously, Deanna had also just set out on her own path to parenthood, realizing she would likely need support to build a family.  Deanna shares how her team's search for better benefits led them to adopt Progyny, a decision driven by lived experience, better outcomes, and the desire to truly meet their associates' needs.   Deanna was able to utilize Progyny, navigating unsuccessful egg retrievals, and ultimately choosing to use donor eggs to have her beautiful baby girl. Through it all, Deanna's personal experience and professional purpose were aligned — knowing she had done right by Bread Financial Associates through the lens of her own experience.  Tune in to explore what it means to build inclusive benefits and how validating it can be when those benefits end up supporting you, too.  Guests: Deanna Allison, Director, Benefits, Well-Being, and Financial Programs, Bread Financial  Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

    14 min
  8. Love & Surrogacy: A Broken Brown Egg AHA Grant Winner's Story

    APR 7

    Love & Surrogacy: A Broken Brown Egg AHA Grant Winner's Story

    When Kristina and Lorenzo set out to build their family, they knew their path wouldn’t be traditional. Kristina’s complex medical history including epilepsy, endometriosis, and thalassemia made pregnancy unsafe, but that didn’t stop them from pursuing their dream of having a child.   In this episode, they share their deeply personal journey of sacrifice in pursuit of a surrogate—highlighting the emotional highs and lows along the way, from downsizing their apartment to postponing their wedding. They open up about the importance of trust in the surrogacy process and the unwavering love and support they’ve found in each other; Kristina and Lorenzo remind us there is more than one way to build a family.  Thanks to the AHA Grant from The Broken Brown Egg and Progyny, they are one step closer to making their dream a reality. They offer heartfelt advice for others navigating the complexities of infertility, emphasizing the power of advocacy, community, and perseverance.   Applications for the latest cycle of AHA Grants can be found at www.thebrokenbrownegg.org, starting April 8th!  Guests: Kristina King and Lorenzo Bellard, AHA Grant Recipients   Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

    15 min
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4.8
out of 5
92 Ratings

About

This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.

Information

  • Creator
    A Podcast by Progyny
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    This is Infertility

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