Fertility Journeys

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D. speaks with Dr. Tayyaba Ahmed, a doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. She was born and raised in New York, completed the BS/DO program at New York Institute of Technology, and was trained at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northwell Health Plainview Hospital and the NYU Langone Medical Center/RUSK Institute for Rehabilitation. A board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician, Dr. Ahmed is also a fellow of the Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a member of the International Pelvic Pain Society. Dr. Ahmed is a contributing author to a textbook which is considered a staple during every Physiatrist’s training.  This full chapter title reference is: Ahmed T, Chan I:  “Pelvic Pain”,  which is included in, Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 4th edition by Frontera W,  Silver J, Rizzo T; Elsevier, Philadelphia, In Press. She has been treating pelvic pain since the inception of Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine in early 2017. She was nominated to New York Rising Stars in 2019 and 2020. She has advocated on the importance and need for pelvic education on a variety of podcasts including RUSKS Insights.

On this week's episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., speaks with Dr. Marissa Long who began her doctorate with a plan to complete specific education, research and training in reproductive health. Fourteen years later, she is a sought after expert in the field with a wealth of knowledge and experience in reproductive psychology. She is dedicated to helping individuals and couples who are going through fertility treatment, and women with high risk pregnancies and pregnancy loss to manage or relieve the emotional distress associated with these challenges. She has completed research exploring the different types of distress experienced by fertility patients, and has developed and implemented a model of care attending to the mental health and support of fertility patients in the REI department of a large scale medical setting in Central California.   Her work with fertility patients incorporates a mind-body approach to wellness and she often works closely with medical providers to maximize the support patients receive.   Dr. Long is the owner and Clinical Director of ARC Counseling and Wellness, a private practice in Southern California. ARC Counseling and Wellness has 4 offices staffed by multiple providers across various disciplines, specialties and areas of expertise. Dr. Long is trained and educated as a Health Psychologist, and thus tends to work with clients who are managing serious health issues or complications. With regards to her fertility work, she enjoys working with clients at any and all points along their journey whether that be during fertility treatments, assessment for gestational carriers and donors, transition to pregnancy and postpartum. In her personal life, Dr. Long loves to travel, design spaces, cook for her loved ones and has been a dancer since the age of two. She even performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl 32 and in the Sydney Opera House a year later! For more information follow the links below http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-marissa-long-arc-counseling-wellness-two-offices-one-claremont-one-irvine https://www.arccounselingandwellness.com/fertility-and-reproductive-health/  https://www.arccounselingandwellness.com/marissa-long-maob-psy-d/   

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., speaks with Parijat Deshpande, the leading integrative high-risk pregnancy specialist, somatic trauma professional and speaker, and author who guides women to improve their pregnancy complications so they can reduce their risk of preterm birth. Her unique neurobiological approach has served hundreds of women to manage pregnancy complications and reclaim a safety and trust in their bodies that they thought was eroded forever. Parijat is the author of the bestselling book Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy. She is also the host of the popular podcast Delivering Miracles®️, that discusses the real, raw side of family-building including infertility, loss, high-risk pregnancy, bedrest, prematurity, and healing once baby comes home. https://parijatdeshpande.com Instagram: @healthy.highriskpregnancy

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., speaks with Dr. Natasha Stamper, a clinical pharmacist and online fertility coach. She found her love for all things fertility while living in a remote Alaska village navigating her own IVF journey alone. After many miscarriages, two ectopic pregnancies, and one cervical ectopic, she had her two miracle babies. Now with over 12 years of clinical pharmacy experience and her own experiences, she is so excited to be helping families all over the globe fulfill the dream of making their families complete. You can find her on: Instagram @fertility_pharmacist or www.fertilitypharmacist.com

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., takes a deep dive into meditation with Dr. Rashmi Schramm, M.D., a board certified family physician and a certified Integrative Health Coach and Meditation Teacher. She is the founder of Optimal Wellness, where she incorporates evidence-based meditation techniques into her individual and group coaching programs. Dr. Schramm helps busy women to ditch guilt and tap into inner peace and power so they can live more energetic and purposeful lives.     Website: (Dr. Schramm offers all visitors a free 5 minute meditation) https://optimalwellnessmd.org     On Demand and Live combo Meditation program is here... https://www.optimalwellnessmd.org/meditation   Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/drrashmischrammoptimalwellness   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.rashmischramm/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.rashmischramm   LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashmi-schramm-md/    

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, MD, has an in-depth conversation with Dr. Christine Maren, D.O. a board-certified physician and the founder of a virtual functional medicine practice in Colorado, Michigan, and Texas.   Dr. Maren was introduced to functional medicine after struggling with pregnancy complications and recurrent miscarriages. A functional medicine approach helped her address her own underlying health issues associated with gut infections, hypothyroidism, hormone imbalance and mold toxicity. Now a mother of three, she’s devoted her professional life to helping women optimize their health before pregnancy, thrive postpartum and get their lives back. Dr. Maren is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP). She is also the co-founder of Hey Mami (pronounced: “Mommy”), a platform dedicated to helping women navigate a healthy and happy motherhood. She is a compassionate clinician, speaker, and wellness advocate. Married to a surgeon, together they balance rewarding careers with raising three beautiful children. Learn more at drchristinemaren.com.

On this episode of the Fertility Journeys podcast, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., welcomes Zermina Akbary, MSN, BSN, RN- a Registered Nurse and Holistic Nutritionist with graduate training in Functional Medicine and Nutritional Science. Her journey to becoming a Women's Health Nurse specialist was rooted in her own health challenges. Her Diagnoses of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Hashimotos, and ultimately thyroid cancer were barriers faced when she wanted to start a family. She decided to turn to functional medicine to understand and mitigate the root causes of these diseases, instead of merely treating the symptoms associated with them. Zermina's practice focuses on hormones, gut health, and conception. She identifies the root causes through comprehensive lab testing and helps patients thrive through lifestyle medicine. Her passion lies in empowering and educating women on taking control of their health and fertility.   Instagram:  @living_wholelistic

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem MD, welcomes Lily Nichols, RDN, a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is co-founder of the Women’s Health Nutrition Academy and the author of two books, Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily’s bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. She writes at https://lilynicholsrdn.com/ Instagram: lilynicholsrdn

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem MD, talks with Dr. Kalea Wattles, ND  a Naturopathic Physician specializing in fertility and Functional Medicine. She earned her doctorate from Bastyr University and is certified as a Functional Medicine Practitioner by the Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Wattles combines her Naturopathic and Functional Medicine training to treat patients with a “Functional Fertility” perspective, using a root-cause, science-based, body-systems approach to cultivating a fertile body. She is dedicated to using this patient centered method to support patients anywhere on their fertility journey – whether they are thinking about getting pregnant for the first time or exploring advanced fertility treatments. Instagram: @functionalfertility

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, MD, speaks with Narissa Roper, a Wife, Mom and Infertility Advocate. Narissa and her husband Kenneth began their IVF journey in 2018  with a male factor, and after a few tests following two failed transfers, Narissa was diagnosed with Chronic Endometritis. After treatment they had a successful transfer and their daughter Kennedy was conceived. Their next transfer sadly ended in a early miscarriage and they began again on a 2nd retrieval round which produced 2 beautiful embryos ready for transfer. They are thankful to God for all of His Blessings, and are in constant prayer for everyone in the infertility community. Narissa has a blog called a "Bundle of Faith" that documents their journey and focuses on the ups and downs of infertility. She can be found on instagram under the handle @narissaroperart where she documents and vlogs about their journey and advocates for the infertility community.

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D.  speaks with Rima Chahbar .  Rima shares her personal fertility journey, her diagnosis of endometriosis,  recurrent pregnancy losses and how she is managing the grief of infertility and loss. Rima is a second generation Lebanese-Canadian secondary school teacher, and staunch infertility, loss and human rights advocate. She firmly believes in the importance of representation and inclusion in all avenues and works hard to break the stigma associated with infertility in racialized communities. 

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., talks with Dr. Aly Cohen. Dr. Cohen is the co-author of the bestselling consumer guidebook, Non-Toxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World, Non-Toxic, published by Oxford University Press, and part of the Dr. Weil Healthy Living Guides. Dr. Aly Cohen is triple board-certified in rheumatology, internal medicine, and integrative medicine, as well as an environmental health expert in Princeton, New Jersey. She has collaborated with the Environmental Working Group, Cancer Schmancer, and other disease- prevention or­ganizations, and is coeditor of the textbook, Integrative Environmental Medicine, part of the Oxford University Press/Weil Integrative Medicine, Academic Series. In 2015, she created TheSmartHuman.com to share environ­mental health, disease prevention, and wellness information with the public. She lectures nationally on environmental health topics for el­ementary/ high schools, colleges/ universities, medical schools, and physician- training programs, and she is a regular expert guest for tele­vision, print, and podcasts. She has been the recipient of countless awards, including Top Docs NJ in rheumatology from 2016-2021, the NJ Healthcare Heroes Award in Education for The Smart Human educational platform in 2015, and the 2016 Burton L. Eichler Award for humanitarianism.    Dr. Cohen is working to educate and empower the next generation to make safer, smarter lifestyle choices through the creation of en­vironmental health and prevention curricula for schools nationally. Her TEDx talk, “How to Protect Your Kids from Toxic Chemicals", can be found on YouTube, and you can follow her health and wellness tips and recommendations on Facebook at The Smart Human, Twitter, and Instagram: @thesmarthuman. Sign up for The Smart Human newsletter, read her latest posts at TheSmartHuman.com, and listen to her podcast The Smart Human.   Dr. Cohen lives on a farm in New Jersey with her husband, two sons, and lots of furry friends.

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., speaks with Sayeda Abbas, a racial justice lawyer living in New York City. She is an infertility advocate and the face behind Brown Girl Infertility, a social media platform to raise awareness and create a space for women of color in the infertility community. She started the page to diversify the conversation around infertility and to break the stigma on this topic in her community. She shares her own journey through IVF cycles and raises awareness around the topic. She has also created a private Facebook support group called “Brown Girl Infertility and Loss,” for women to have a safe space and feel that they are a part of a community on their fertility journey.

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem M.D., interviews Kezia Okafor, a Fertility Mindset Coach and infertility counselor, working with women struggling with the emotional distress of infertility.  She helps them take charge of their emotions and mindset, so they feel in control of their infertility journey and life, which maximizes their chances for a successful and healthy pregnancy. Kezia's own experience with infertility and experiencing the lack of emotional support has spurred her to plug the gap on mental and emotional health knowledge within the fertility community.  Kezia is also author of the book "Flipping the Script on Infertility- Taking Back Control of Life and Purpose."      website : www.keziaokafor.com  instagram : @iamkeziaokafor

Today's guest on this episode of Fertility Journeys with Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., is Jennifer Robertson, a fertility coach who has helped women all over the world transform their mindset and take back control of their life in the midst of infertility.  She is also author of "The Injustice of Infertility," a deeply inspiring and raw account of her own seven-year fertility journey. Throughout her own fertility journey, Jen discovered that her old ways of pushing and working hard weren’t serving her. She is now using the lessons learned along the way to develop programs and support women throughout their journey to motherhood - from the moment they start trying to conceive, until they hold their baby in their arms.  You can follow Jennifer on Instagram @msjenniferrobertson or @yourpregnancyhaven Or via her website www.jenniferrobertson.co or www.yourpregnancyhaven.co 

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, talks with nutritionist, mother, researcher and educator, Nimisha Gandhi who is well-known for her work and life passion for women’s health issues. Nimisha Gandhi is a functional medicine nutritionist, Ayurvedic counselor, Yoga Nidra/meditation teacher, and former tech founder. She holds a B.S. in pre-med Psychobiology from UCLA and has years of additional education in her field. In Nimisha’s private practice, Moon Cycle Nutrition, she specializes in fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum care with an emphasis on the mind, body, and soul. Nimisha combines functional medicine nutrition with ancient Ayurvedic principles to help her clients find deeply personalized eating and lifestyle plans. Her clients learn to awaken their untapped healer and empower themselves about their own health journey. She also uses the innate wisdom of changing hormones and cycles of nature to help her clients flow with their body. Moon Cycle Nutrition is a conscious evolution practice that draws on deep inner inquiry, food as medicine, meditation, sleep, rituals, lab work, movement, and insight that she has picked up along the journey. Nimisha serves as a board member of several health and wellness companies and organizations, including FemTech Collective and Conscious Kitchen. She speaks regularly at conferences, retreats, and private events. You can also find Nimisha teaching workshops and classes in-person and virtually. Her work is research-based, intuitive, and from the soul. Website: www.mooncyclenutrition.com Instagram: @mooncyclenutrition Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mooncyclenutrition/  

This episode of Fertility Journeys features Dr. Shala Salem,M.D.,  interviewing Dr. Jenna Hua, RD, MPH, Ph.D. An environmental health scientist and dietitian by training, Jenna is passionate about the environment, public health and everything food. Frustrated by the lack of data for how harmful chemicals (like BPA, phthalates and parabens) from plastics and everyday products affect our health and clinical outcomes, and the absence of personalized approach to mitigate harmful chemical exposures, Jenna is set out on a mission to change these. From there, she founded Million Marker, a health-tech startup dedicated to empower everyone with the data and tools to determine how the products they use, the food they eat, and the water they drink negatively or positively influence their health. Million Marker helps people understand what chemicals are inside of them—and then provides simple solutions for quickly reducing harmful chemicals through mail-in test kits, lifestyle audits, product recommendations, and counseling. "Our mission is to get one million people to take our test—building the first ever dataset on how environmental exposures like microplastics impact our bodies. Starting with a few markers of harmful exposures, our vision is to discover over a MILLION MARKERS to inform and improve individual health and to advance precision medicine." Jenna holds a BS in Nutrition and an MPH and PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from UC Berkeley. Jenna also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in chronic disease prevention at Stanford Medicine.  Japanese claypot mentioned in the interview:  Toiro.  Website : www.millionmarker.com IG @million_marker

In this episode of Fertility Journeys with Dr. Shala Salem; Aisha Balesaria shares her fertility journey – where a late diagnosis of stage IV endometriosis revealed the primary cause of Aisha’s infertility. Over 11 unsuccessful IVF attempts and many miscarriages later,  Aisha and her husband Billahl decided to embrace their childfree-after-infertility life. With real courage and determination, they eventually got to a place of healing and acceptance. Aisha shares her infertility journey in the hope that it will inspire others without children - she is living proof you can have a happy life beyond being a parent, even if it’s not the one you planned.  Instagram : mindbodyrevival_coach  www.mindbodyrevivalcoach.com

On this episode of Fertility Journeys, Dr. Shala Salem, MD, sits down with Faiza Shireen. Faiza shares her experience and decision to freeze her eggs. Faiza is a corporate philanthropy professional in New York City. A second generation Pakistani American, Faiza shares her experience navigating her hyphenated identity, as well as coping with anxiety and grief through personal essays and poetry which she shares on her blog faizashireen.com. She also co-hosts a podcast, The Femmedamentalists, with her friend Mehak Jamil, where they break down taboos in the South Asian community and dissect desi culture across the diaspora. You can follow along her journey @faiza_shireen on Instagram.

On this episode of the Fertility Journeys Podcast, Dr. Shala Salem, M.D., speaks with Allison Schaaf, founder of Miscarriage Hope Desk, which she created as the resource she wanted during her years long struggle with recurrent pregnancy loss. Miscarriage Hope Desk provides evidence-based research articles, stories of hope and community for those struggling with recurrent loss.  Allison has a background as a chef and dietitian and is also a serial entrepreneur. She founded the meal planning website, PrepDish.com which helps busy moms get healthy, delicious meals on the table! Allison currently lives in the Texas Hill Country outside of Austin, TX with her husband, 2 sons, 2 cats, 2 pups, lots of chickens and a few bee hives. Instagram: @miscarriagehopedesk www.miscarriagehopedesk.com