Ivfml

Some women can get pregnant all they want, but being able to carry it to term is another story entirely. On this episode, Simon and Anna go beyond miscarriage to talk about when a pregnancy becomes a physical health risk for the mother. Along with one woman’s personal story, experts weigh in on why more women die in America during or after childbirth than in any other industrialized country, and how racial prejudice plays a role.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After years of infertility, people can be tapped out both financially and emotionally. On this episode, Anna and Simon speak to a couple that decided enough was enough after one of them almost died from a fertility-related procedure.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not every infertility story is about a couple fighting their biology. People who want to have children take for granted that those children are going to be the fruit of a loving relationship. What if you haven’t met the right person but you still want kids? On this episode, we hear from a comedian who is using her podcast to find a sperm donor, and a woman who found strength and independence through her choice to become a single mother.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Normally on this show we focus on people who struggle to have a baby, but this week we want to look at infertility from the donor’s perspective. What motivates people to donate eggs and sperm? Is it just about the money? Is the money even worth it? And how do they feel years later about the experience?On this episode we talk to a couple who donated sperm and eggs to pay their bills, a woman who deeply regrets donating her eggs, and a medical anthropologist who is tracking the impact of egg donation on donors.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Infertility can sometimes feel like waging a battle against your own body. And for a dedicated few, the only solution is to change the battlefield itself. On this episode, we follow one family’s journey through gestational surrogacy, one of the most expensive and difficult fertility treatments out there.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this ~very special~ Thanksgiving bonus episode, Anna and Simon take a look at some of the latest infertility headlines, including Michelle Obama’s IVF history, and Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s birth via a surrogate. Later, they read emails and tweets from listeners.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simon and Anna realize that having a child doesn’t cure infertility. To get advice, they catch up with the parents they interviewed last season and discuss what sucks about secondary infertility. Later in the episode, they argue over whether they should do another round of IVF or just implant their genetically abnormal embryos.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a suggestion infertile people hate receiving. And yet, fostering and adoption offer an alternative path for some people to form their families. On this episode, Anna and Simon break down the costs and timeline of a typical adoption, interview an adoptive mother, and talk to experts about the complexities of transracial adoption.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the third episode of IVFML Becoming Family, Shea and Sienna Gilliam tell the story of how they met, fell in love and decided to start building a family. When Shea comes out as transgender, Sienna has difficult choices to make about whether she should stay with her and whether to continue pursuing parenthood. Trystan Reese, Director of Family Formation at the Family Equality Council, joins the episode to talk about the barriers that LGBTQ people face when it comes to infertility treatments and acceptance of their families.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When people think about fertility preservation, they think of young women who freeze their eggs so they can focus on their career. But it's so much more. On this episode, Simon and Anna interview a woman whose sudden cancer diagnosis forced a race against the clock to freeze her eggs.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After hearing from fans of season one, Simon and Anna provide the long awaited conclusion to their pregnancy story and consider whether they should still identify as infertile.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Season Two Arriving October 17  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simon and Anna want to have a baby, but things don’t go as planned. We talk about infertility with experts, explain how to masturbate in a doctor’s office, and discuss all the amazingly bad advice we’ve received from our friends and family. The very definition of TMI. They’re joined by fertility expert Dr. Gregory Rosen of Reproductive Partners Medical Group in Los Angeles.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simon and Anna discuss their miscarriages in detail, talk to a pregnancy loss expert about how we do and don’t mourn them in our society, and compare pregnancy losses with comedians. A fun time was had by all! They’re joined by miscarriage expert Dr. Kristin Bendikson of the USC Keck School of Medicine and New York-based comedians John Murray and Silvija Ozols, writers and performs of Infertile, a Sketch Comedy Show.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simon and Anna get candid about how much money they spent on IVF and talk to experts from Resolve about the state of insurance coverage for infertility treatments. Now’s your chance to take a look at someone else’s bank statements! They’re joined by Candace Wohl, author of the blog Our Misconception, and Barbara Collura, President and CEO of Resolve, the National Infertility Association.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Twist! Simon discovers that his sperm may not be as excellent as advertised. He discusses the blow to his ego with another man diagnosed with male factor infertility, and we discuss sperm quality with an expert. They’re joined by Dr. Jesse Mills, Director of The Men's Clinic at UCLA, and Nam Tran, an expectant father with male factor infertility.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a series of audio diaries, Simon and Anna await the results of their embryo implantation. We discuss the anxiety and depression that can affect couples after infertility and pregnancy loss. They’re joined by Dr. Anna Glezer, a reproductive psychiatrist at UCSF and founder of the site Mind Body Pregnancy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Coming June 7th.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.