TTC Society

On today’s episode, Kat and Jasmine talk about all the lessons and personal growth they each have gained after completing season 1 of TTC Society Podcast. They also share their favorite episodes (and the community’s most downloaded episodes), so if you are just finding us, you can circle back to any of those previous episodes and gain incredible insight and wisdom as you navigate your own personal journey.  This is not goodbye, just farewell <3. 

Today’s episode is a mini episode where Kat and Jasmine share their most powerful and inspiring mantras to help carry you through this experience. This episode is for you to take what you need and incorporate into your day to day TTC journey.

Today on TTC Society we are exploring foster care with the incredible Cathleen Bearse. Cathleen is a psychotherapist in private practice and mama of four. A bio, foster, and adoptive mom, Cathleen is passionate about raising awareness for foster youth, as well as providing support to foster families.  We will deep dive into how the system works, why foster care is so important, and how to explore foster care as an option to support a child in need and / or a potential path to expand your family.  Links:  TTC Society Private Facebook  Cathleen’s Instagram Fearless Fostering Cathleen’s Free Anxiety Course

Here at the TTC Society, we believe that you are already a mom ... no matter the phase of your journey that you may be in. Today's episode is a perfect example of that as we share a candid look into Jasmine's IVF journey as she approaches her due date with her first baby.  In an unexpected twist to today's episode, Kat interviews Jasmine where emotions come up that she wasn't expecting. Jasmine shares candidly about her past with anxiety, how that's bubbling up right now and how she's coping with the many budding changes in her life. We also respect where you are at in your journey, so if a pregnancy story is triggering for you, feel free to skip this one and head back to our earlier updates where we were in the midst of our fertility treatments. We are here for you and honor where you are at.  Links:  TTC Society FB Group

Today’s episode is one of our most requested topics … SEX. Let’s be honest … there is nothing sexy about a TTC journey and sex can often feel like the *last* thing we want to do in the midst of tests, treatments, and the emotional load of TTC. In today’s episode, Kat and Jasmine interview the incredible Vanessa Marin, sex therapist, and her hilarious and insightful husband, Xander. They provide very tangible tools, so you can reconnect with your partner in and outside the bedroom to bring FUN back to your sex life. You do not want to miss this episode.  Links:  TTC Society FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ttcsociety Vanessa Marin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessamarintherapy/  Vanessa Marin’s website: https://vmtherapy.com/  Sex Position Playbook: https://vmtherapy.thrivecart.com/sex-position-playbook-early-bird/?_ga=2.230184346.761627751.1630776503-1959018551.1630776503 

On today’s episode, Kat and Jasmine dive into a question that one of our listeners asked us: how do you navigate social media in the midst of a TTC journey? Social media can be an amazing place to connect with fellow TTC sisters, however, it can also be a breeding ground for triggering content. If you need support setting boundaries, listen to today’s episode for tons of tangible tips and tricks we both used in our journeys. Links:  TTC Society FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ttcsociety TTC Society Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ttcsociety/ 

Unfortunately, many TTC journeys can be a long experience and that continued stress can lead to a huge lack of motivation in your everyday life. Grief and sadness truly take a physical toll on your body, and it’s normal to feel your energy levels drop. You can see the effects in many parts of your life including work, daily obligations, and relationships. So what do you do when you feel unmotivated? When you don’t feel like doing “the thing” you need to do? In this episode, Kat and Jasmine share perspectives of how to overcome your lack of motivation in a way that serves you.  Links:  TTC Society FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ttcsociety  Episode #37 with Dr. Sasha: https://www.ttcsociety.com/podcast/ep-37-how-to-maximize-your-fertility-with-dr-sasha-hakman 

Join us this week as we interview Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Sasha Hakman, MD, about how to optimize your lifestyle for the best fertility outcomes. We talk about everything from supplements to weight training to tackling the big question "should I get the COVID-19 vaccination if I am TTC?"  Dr. Sasha Hakman is a board certified OBGYN and a Reproductive Endocrinologist and infertility specialist who is passionate about lifestyle modifications to optimize your natural fertility. Her goal in this episode is to help women understand that although there is little they can do to prevent infertility, there are some valuable lifestyle changes that may help maximize their treatment success. Links:  Dr. Hakman's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashahakmanmd/ Dr. Hakman's website:  https://www.sashahakman.com/ Gainsbybrains: https://www.instagram.com/gainsbybrains/ Alexia Clark: https://www.instagram.com/alexia_clark/ Ferticalm: https://www.instagram.com/ferticalm/ 

One of our amazing listeners wrote in that they needed support on managing a high-stress career while juggling the physical and emotional demands of a TTC journey. In this episode, Kat and Jasmine dive into tangible ways you can navigate your job while seeking medical treatments. Whether you are fearful of facing discrimination in the workplace or just need support on how to fit all your appointments into an already busy schedule, this episode will leave you with tips you can implement ASAP. 

Loss at any stage of a pregnancy is a difficult journey, and coping with that grief is something that’s often not talked about… leaving many women feeling alone. Our guest today, Megan, experienced three miscarriages all within a year. She shares how she continually processes her grief, how she has honored her babies, and how she has been able to find strength and love amidst her losses. Join us as we chat about miscarriages (and pregnancy after miscarriage) in an episode that is sure to provide you with solace. Links: Find Megan on Instagram here

A TTC journey feels isolating, defeating, and all-consuming. If you’re on this journey with a partner, it can especially feel as if it puts a strain on your relationship… talk about an elephant that follows you to every room. In today’s episode, Kat & Jasmine are opening up about how infertility and pursuing fertility treatments has impacted their marriages — the good, the not so good, and everything in between. Whatever you may be feeling right now on this journey as you navigate new emotions and especially new decisions to make with your partner, we are here to let you know that you are not alone and it is all a very real side-effect of fertility treatments. Links: TTC Society Facebook Group

From comfy socks and French press coffee machines to tarot cards, ovulation strips, and prenatal dummies — today we are sharing ALL of our ‘TTC must-have items and favorite products. Now, can you really have a FAVORITE item during such a time of hardship and discouragement? Maybe or maybe not… that is not for us to decide. But during our TTC journey, we’ve both had products that we used frequently, that got us through tough times, that were recommended by our doctors, and that simply allowed us to smile. Have a listen, take some notes, and let us know what items and products you frequently use or that are special for you during your TTC journey! Links: TTC Society Facebook Group

There is no “right” way to navigate infertility. Having children is only one aspect of motherhood, and today we our joined by an incredible guest, Erin, who is openly sharing her TTC journey that ultimately led to the acceptance toward finding happiness in a life together without kids.  As Erin shares, your value in life and quality of life is not dependent on having children. Male factory infertility coupled with various treatments and adoption not being the right path for Erin and her partner, this episode illuminates the power of self-awareness, partnership, and love. After recording our episode, Erin wanted to pass on a few additional thoughts and perspectives: I wanted to share one section of a small book I read about motherhood that really helped my perspective as well: “I know that having children is only one aspect of “motherhood” and I can channel my motherly traits to other aspects of my life. Even if I don’t have my own, I can mother in different ways. I also I joined a volunteer program to help with kids in my area who are in the foster care system. So even finding hobbies like this can help you feel fulfilled and make a difference to find peace within.” -Erin LINKS: Instagram: @erinskitchendiary TTC Society Episode 2 w/ Dr. Loree (referenced in the episode) 

We are so used to seeing negative test after negative test on a TTC journey… so what the heck do we do when we see those two lines? On a TTC journey, we can be quick to hold onto negative emotions but not the positive — is there a “right” or “wrong?” Today we are talking all about how you discover exactly what you need during this time period and can tap into your intuition as you experience new (and positive!) milestones on your TTC journey. We share how acknowledging what you’ve desired doesn’t need to be grand announcement, but can instead be a simple acknowledgement or celebration that is meaningful to you. A positive test in a TTC journey is a beautiful opportunity to lean into your boundaries, reflect on intrusive thoughts, and understand that there is no ‘right’ way to navigate ANY part of this journey! Links: TTC Society Facebook Group

If you’re in the phase of your journey where you’re courageously considering or even beginning to pursue fertility treatments, no one needs to be telling you “I’m sorry!” Instead, this is an opportunity of hope and new beginnings. So while we will never undermine the pain and despair that can arise in tandem with fertility treatments, we are here to share the light, hope, and positivity that fertility treatments offer. So while many may feel this is a time to be sorry, we are here to remind you that every day of fertility treatments is one day closer to your desire! Links: TTC Society Facebook Group

Losing weight isn’t about what you’re eating. There is a reason behind our behaviors and WHY we don’t feel like we can show up in the world just as we are. Has there ever been a time in your life when you’ve controlled your weight by detaching from what you think your weight means about you? Christine Ajisafe is guiding us through a very powerful conversation about listening to your body (even during a time when it feels like your body is betraying you), celebrating YOU — just as YOU are, and Join us as Chrissy provides insight into leveling up your relationship with food, create new habits, begin to heal your relationship with food, and clue into what you and your body REALLY want. This episode will make you think and it may feel uncomfortable, but it’s exactly the conversation we all didn’t even realize we needed. Links: Follow Christine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissyajisafe/ Like Christine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/christineajisafefitness

Do you ever feel like your default reaction is to posh negative emotions aside and to just try and work past them rather than fully acknowledge them? The TWW during a TTC journey makes that so easy to do — it’s a recurring cycle of emotions that simply don’t feel good, and so it can be easy to want to find a way to deal with this difficult time rather than finding what’s there for you during those two weeks. Today we are talking about what we have learned amidst our many two week wait windows and how you can acknowledge whatever you may be feeling during that dreaded waiting period. If you’ve experienced a negative pregnancy test in hopes for a positive, you know the feelings of that two week wait. And if you’ve experienced a negative pregnancy test that made you feel anything but joyful — this episode is for you. Links: www.facebook.com/groups/ttcsociety

If fertility treatments are potentially on your horizon, we’re certain you’ve thought about the financial barriers, or perhaps your wallet has already felt the pain of fertility treatments.   There are SO many financial barriers to fertility treatments, yet one barrier related to money that’s rarely discussed and is actually a VERY important place your life to look (which not only affects your fertility treatments but can affect ALL areas of your life)… is your money mindset. We are joined in today’s episode by Devon Baeza — the Fertility Finance Coach (and an IVF mom!) who helps infertility warriors recognize the power of their money mindset and shift into abundance to think of new and creative ways to fund fertility treatments. Devon shares a mixture of mindset + tangible tips, and it’s likely this episode has many tips you haven’t tried yet. Make money, save money, and manifest money for your future baby with the tips from today’s episode! Links: Fund Your Fertility: 10 Easy and Effective Ways  https://www.devonbaeza.com/10ways IG: @The_Fertility_Finance_Coach FB: @TheFertilityFinanceCoach Tik Tok: @Fertility_Finance_Coach Website: www.DevonBaeza.com

Here at the TTC Society, we believe that you are already a mom… no matter the phase of your journey that you may be in. Today’s episode is a perfect example of that as we share a candid look into secondary infertility and pregnancy after secondary infertility as Kat approaches a monumental day. In an unexpected twist to today’s episode, Jasmine asks Kat a question that wasn’t anticipated and sparks some unexpected emotion.

Monique walked into a fertility clinic, a time when we are often our most vulnerable selves, and she was treated differently than another couple in the clinic... because she was black. In today’s episode, we are continuing the hard (and necessary) conversation about racism and infertility and how racism extends far beyond treatment in a fertility clinic lobby. While Monique Farouk, host of the Infertility and Me Podcast, is making a profound impact on social media and via her podcast, she’s also sitting down with us in today’s episode to talk about her personal journey with infertility, navigating racism, and ultimately providing space and hope for others (and she does all of this with a big slice of humor too)! Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infertilityandmepodcast/