100 episodes
This is Infertility A Podcast by Progyny
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- Health & Fitness
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4.8 • 85 Ratings
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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.
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Rescripting the Conversation Around Fertility
Today’s guest was thrusted into the world of infertility and soon became a co-founder to address the lack of education when it came to reproductive health. Kristyn Hodgdon was first diagnosed with PCOS after getting married and embarked on a long journey which included IUI, IVF, miscarriage, twins, and everything in between.
Along this journey, Kristyn came to the conclusion that there was no reason to bear the experience of fertility treatment alone. A cathartic blog turned into something bigger, which today Kristyn and her co-founder Abby call, Rescripted.
In this episode, Kristyn walks us through her family building journey, the importance of having family building care, and creating a community filled with support.
Guest: Kristyn Hodgdon, Rescripted, Progyny Member
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. -
Bundle of Joy via a Gestational Surrogate
This episode features a guest who is not new to this podcast, or to Progyny at all. You may remember her from Episode 34: Transforming Pain into Bundles of Joy, where she described turning her experience with infertility into the Bundles of Joy foundation which has now distributed a million dollars in grant money to those struggling with infertility.
Today Samantha Busch joins us to discuss her most recent step on her family building journey, gestational surrogacy. She shares what’s been happening over the last few years, what the transition was like to carrying her own child, to how she found someone to carry her second. We also hear from Dr. Dorette Noorhasan a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert from CCRM Dallas Fort Worth. Dr. Noorhasan describes both her personal and professional experience with finding a gestational carrier, and how being the patient has altered her experience as the provider.
Guest: Samantha Busch, Bundle of Joy Foundation, and Dr. Dorette Noorhasan, CCRM Dallas
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. -
The Infertility Crisis in Canada
In today’s episode our guest, Carolynn Dubé, shares her family building journey with a few universal themes and emotions that many of our guests and this community has shared – the frustration, disappointment, sadness, and moments of hope. Carolynn also opens the question of, is Canada doing enough to support those struggling with infertility?
Join us as Carolynn shares her experience with male factor infertility, multiple rounds of IVF, the emotional and financial toll this journey took on her and her husband, and how she’s on a mission to change access to family building care in Canada with Fertility Matters Canada.
Guest: Carolynn Dubé, Executive Director, Fertility Matters Canada
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. -
When the Right Decision is a Difficult One
In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting a story that we know all too well – the fight with fibroids. This condition impacts about 80% of Black women and while it’s common, many will never know they have it or require medical intervention.
In today’s episode, we speak to Shannon Walker about the barriers to expanding her family. She’s challenged with secondary infertility, fibroids, the COVID-19 pandemic, financial barriers, and physicians who didn’t understand her needs. Shannon was starting to lose hope till one day her husband joined Microsoft. She quickly learned about the Progyny benefit offered through Microsoft and realized this journey wasn’t over.
Guest: Shannon Walker, Progyny Member
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.
Fertility 101: Uterine Fibroids - https://progyny.com/education/podcast/episode-92/ -
Fertility 101: Preparing for Your First Fertility Clinic Appointment
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.
In today’s episode, our host speaks with five doctors about how a person can prepare to meet with a fertility doctor. They answer questions ranging from, “What should you bring to the initial evaluation?” to, “What is a transvaginal ultrasound and how do you prepare for that?”
Let this episode serve as a good starting place to ease any anxiety or questions about the family building journey.
For additional resources and answers to frequently asked questions, check out
Frequently Asked Questions During a Fertility Journey 8 Tips To Getting Started with Fertility Treatments Progyny Webinar: Your Family Building Journey with Progyny Guests: Dr. Michael Drews from RMA of New Jersey, Dr. Jennifer Brown from Northeastern Reproductive Medicine, Dr. Linnea Goodman from Virginia Fertility and IVF, Dr. Thomas Molinaro, from RMA of New Jersey, Dr. Kathleen Hong from RMA of New Jersey
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. -
How a Former Googler Formed His Family
Welcome back to season six of This is Infertility! As you may have heard from the trailer, we have a new season filled with new guests, new stories, and new twists and turns but one thing that has stayed constant through all the episodes and seasons – people who want to share their story with the infertility community.
In today’s episode, we hear from Russ Freyman, a former Google employee, who wanted to continue to build his family with his wife. After trying for some time, they found themselves hitting a wall. So, they decided to turn to medical intervention. While they were going through treatment, Russ and his wife kept reminding each other, there was nothing wrong with facing this challenge. People start their families in so many different ways and this was just part of their story. Russ dives into their diagnosis, different treatment paths, how Progyny’s Patient Care Advocate saved the day, and an unexpected twist at the end.
Guest: Russ Freyman, Progyny member
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.
Customer Reviews
Love this podcast
I have been listening to this podcast for over a year and it has helped me to ask questions to my doctor while on my journey to motherhood. It’s really good to hear the SMC and fibroids stories as I am a SMC and have fibroids. Keep up the good work as I enjoy listening.
Spade and Gretchen’s episode
Love their story. I used to watch them in RHOC, and have followed them since I’m social media. Love the way they tell their story and how relatable it is. As a person who suffers with Premature ovarian failure, there have been quite a bit of similarities of struggles. Losses and especially Doubt of the relationship. But in my case it was more of letting my husband know if he wanted to end our relationship to pursue a family, I understood. Luckily, he disagreed and he said this is OUR issue and whatever our fate is we’re going through it together. Here we are a couple years later and are happily 5 months pregnant!
Not everyone can try IVF
It would be nice to find a podcast that focuses on people who can’t afford IVF, and/or even if they could, still have an extremely LOW chance of success, hence don’t try IVF. IVF is not an option for all, and it would nice to hear how to cope with the ongoing sadness of that once in a while.