In today's episode, we have the pleasure of welcoming Amy Glass. Amy's story is truly remarkable, and we believe it will touch many hearts. Initially, Amy experienced success with her first round of IVF but later faced a devastating loss. She opens up about her journey through grief and the proccess of healing, revealing her persistant desire to have another child at the age of 40 despite not having any embryos left. Join jus as Amy shares her journey, offering invaluable insights into the challenges of infertility.
In this week's episode, we will discuss when you might take a break from fertility treatments. Some breaks are voluntary, while others are not in your control because of some hiccups along the way. Taking a break from fertility treatments can be devastating because you feel like you are already behind. Listen in as we talk about ways you might have to take a break, not by choice, and times you might decide to take a voluntary break. Breaks during infertility can be challenging, and we are here to help validate those feelings and hopefully give a few tips to help.
In this week's episode, Madison welcomes Vann Gilbert onto the show! Vann holds a special place in Madison's heart for many reasons, one of which is that Vann was Madison's first nurse. Vann not only made a significant impact on Madison's medical journey but also provided emotional support. Currently serving as an IVF coordinator at a fertility clinic, Vann continues to touch women's lives every day. With years of experience and having undergone IVF herself, Vann and her husband are parents to twin boys, a result of their own IVF journey.
Tune in to hear Vann share her journey with IVF, now from the perspective of a coordinator rather than a patient, as she continues to inspire hope to others navigating their own fertility journeys.
In today's episode Morgan welcomed Laura Watson of @postive.fertility. Laura shares her story about starting her family at age 40 via IVF and eventually donor conception. The focus of today's episode is exploring the complicated emotions that come with pregnancy after loss, especially coupled with infertility. Laura validates the complex feelings of holding both fear and excitement and gives practical tips for how to navigate being pregnant after loss.
In this week's episode, we will discuss receiving a positive pregnancy test and the following emotions. You might be excited, but you might also be scared. You have waited all this time and finally got the big fat positive, but now what? Receiving a positive pregnancy test after fertility treatments can be challenging and bring on emotions you were not expecting. We will talk about all these emotions and what the process looks like in the few weeks following.
In today's episode, we're excited to welcome two special guests onto the show: Griffin Buser, the husband of Morgan, and Brad Brizendine, the husband of Madison. We recognize that during the challenging journey of infertility, our spouses often have unique perspectives that can offer valuable insights. Understanding their experiences and hearing their advice can be helpful for both men and women navigating this difficult season. So, we've invited Griffin and Brad to share their thoughts and feelings about infertility from their standpoint. By opening up this conversation, we hope to provide a platform for men to connect with our husbands' experiences and gain valuable tips on being supportive partners during this challenging time.
In today's episode, Morgan is joined by Alex Kornswiet of @ourbeautifulsurprise. Alex has experienced many facets of infertility, conceiving her first son through IVF, experiencing multiple losses, utilizing a surrogate to conceive her second son, and conceiving her third son spontaneously. Alex and Morgan discuss the hardships that come with trying to grow your family with living children, feeling like you don't fully belong in the "infertility community" or the "mom community", and the complex emotions of both gratitude and longing.
Alex has provided a free guide for our listeners: Navigating Motherhood during Infertility. Alex also has a 12-week coaching program for those seeking extra support during their fertility journey, no matter where you are. Mention Never Alone to get a special discount on her program. discovery.embraceyourmotherhood.com
In this week's episode, we have Ashley Pence on the podcast, an infertility warrior who created a side business to help offset the costs of her fertility treatments. Madison and Ashley discuss the financial toll of infertility, insurance coverage (or lack thereof), and ways to get creative in raising money to help with the costs.
This episode is intended for friends and family supporting a loved one who's experienced a miscarriage. We often avoid checking in with those who are grieving as we don't want to be the reason they are feeling sad, but it's always better to say something rather than nothing to someone who's lost a baby. We're debunking beliefs like this one and sharing tips and recommandations on when to reach out, what to do, what to ask, what not to question, and generally, how to best support.
In this week's episode, Morgan and Madison welcome Ashlyn Ellington to discuss grief and loss. Not only is Ashlyn a licensed therapist, she's also personally experienced heartbreaking loss. We discuss Ashlyn's story, what it feels like to navigate an impending loss, and the deep grief associated with miscarriage. Tune in to hear practical tips for coping as well as the simple validation that you are not alone if you've experienced pregnancy loss.
In today's episode, we're discussing how to prepare for an embryo transfer. Between the two of us, we've tried "all the things" and had several transfers - some successful, some unsuccessful. In addition to sharing our own experiences, we'll share tips on preparing and giving an overview of what to expect leading up to transfer, on transfer day, and in the days and weeks afterward.
In this week's episode, we're talking about the egg retrieval process. It can seem daunting, especially if you've never had to administer injections or had surgery before. Between the two of us, we have been through several retrievals, which were different each time. Some of the questions we'll cover are...
What should I expect leading up to an egg retrieval?
Is the egg retrieval painful? What is recovery like?
What happens after the egg retrieval?
We hope you will find some helpful tips or comfort from hearing our experiences. The process is a big deal and can seem scary, so we want you to know you are not alone.
In today's episode, we are walking through the IUI process step by step. IUI is usually the first attempt in ART (assisted reproductive technologies) and can be scary for some. We'll talk about some of our own experiences with IUI, as well as answer the below questions:
What should I expect during an IUI cycle?
Is IUI worth it?
What are the success rates with IUI?
How many IUI's should I try?
As a reminder, this is not medical advice but rather our own opinions and experiences.
In this episode, we will cover questions sent in through our Instagram. We had an extensive range of practical questions to emotional ones. Infertility is such a personal journey, and these answers are just from our perspectives. You will get various answers depening on who you are asking. Please reach out if you want to hear an answer explained in further detail. We are here for you.
In this week's episode, we'll explore the emotional challenges of navigating the holidays while dealing with infertility or loss. We'll provide practical tips on effectively managing interactions with family and friends and handling social events and gatherings. It's important to acknowlege that the holidays can be challenging and isolating. We want to emphasize that we are here to offer support- reminding you that you are not alone in your journey.
In this week's episode, we'll be joined by Erica Buster. Upon discovering unexplained infertility, Erica faced the decision to pursue IVF. She opens up about the challenges with ethical dilemmas rooted in her faith and navigating the unique challenge of not feeling fully embraced in the "infertility club" due to the seemingly straightforward nature of her situation. Tune in as we talk about Erica's path to expanding her family.
In this week's episode, we are giving some tips on how to share your pregnancy with a friend who is going trough infertility. This episode is primarily aimed at helping you, the supporting friend, as we aim to provide tips and insights on sharing your joyful news in a considerate and empatheitc manner. We understand that no one can navigate this delicate situation perfectlly. Still, our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to communicate your pregnancy news more effectively and compassionately. We hope that after listening to today's episode, you'll feel better prepared to approach this conversation with sensitivity and understanding.
This week, our focus remains on providing support, and we'll be talking about the delicate situation when a close friend shares their pregnancy. This scenario often triggers a complex mix of emotions, where you find yourself simultaneously thrilled and perphaps a little disheartened. You can be excited and heartbroken at the same time. Listen in as we discuss navigating these feelings to let you know you're not the only one going through this emotional journey.
When your hairdresser, doctor, neighbor, and every one of your friends are suddenly expecting all at once – why does it seem like there’s a bump everywhere you look? This week, we’ll talk about triggers, some of the hard times we experienced, and some practical tips for minimizing additional heartbreak during this season.
You can share this episode with friends and family to help them better support you as you're going through infertility. Our friends and family love us dearly, but unless they've been in our shoes, it's hard to know what is or isn't helpful during our infertility journey. It's a tricky topic, and no one is going to do it perfectly, but by being here, we hope you'll gain some insight on supporting the one you love walking through this challenging season.