The Infertile Mafia: Real talk about infertility, IVF, and trying to conceive.

Kaela & Sarah are discussing harmful situations plaguing the infertility community.  They discuss a fertility nurse who stole fentanyl, replacing it with saline, leaving patients undergoing egg retrieval surgery in excruciating pain.  They comment on her sentencing, how she was treated, and how her victims were portrayed.  They also discuss the dilemma of misrepresentation in social media.  If you know someone isn't being truthful, should you say something?   Lisa Ransome joins the podcast again to talk about self-care and what it means to proactively take care of our mental and physical health.  Instagram: seeds_for_hope   Fertility Center Nurse Swaps Fentanyl for Saline

Sarah interviews Katie & Alex about their experience with fertility treatments and eventual decision to remain child free. Katie's shares her experience with PCOS, endometriosis, and eventual need for hysterectomy and oophorectomy. This loving and supportive couple is thriving and their story will warm your heart!   Find Katie on Instagram: @mkaties1

Kaela is joined by her fertile sister and brother-in-law (this already feels biblical) to discuss infertility throughout history - especially in the advent of Christianity- and its affect on modern day stigmas around women and fertility.   They also discuss the hit Hulu series, The Handmaids Tale, and talk about how infertility is portrayed in this modern day drama and what the show gets right and what it gets very wrong!   Follow us on Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Kaela interviews board certified urologist, Dr. Mary Samplaski, who specializes in male factor infertility. Dr. Samplaski answers listener questions on a number of topics including - who should see a reproductive urologist, what’s the deal with morphology, what is a varicocele and when should it be repaired, sperm DNA fragmentation, frequency of ejaculation, environmental effects on male fertility, general tips for success, and so much more.   Sarah and Kaela also discuss their experience with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and reflect on Sarah’s viral Instagram post!   Find Dr. Mary Samplaski here: Instagram: @drmarysamplaski https://www.maleinfertilitydoc.com/

Sarah & Kaela are discussing TTC superstitions including: McDonald's french fries, pomegranate juice, brazil nuts, pineapple core, warm socks, and even Mucinex!  Are these based in any factual evidence?  Listen to find out!  They also discuss a surrogacy row scandal, and defend some unpopular opinions! Lisa Ransome joins the podcast again to talk about how to regulate our feelings. Lisa Ransome: @seeds_for_hope 5 IVF Superstitions  Surrogacy Row   Follow us on Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Kaela interviews Regina Townsend, founder of The Broken Brown Egg. She shares her perspective on what it means to be a person of color in the infertility community.  Regina also shares her personal experience of missed diagnoses and being dismissed by doctors, the significance of self advocacy and compassionate medical care, and the importance of mental health during infertility, pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.    Follow Regina here: https://thebrokenbrownegg.org/

In today's episode Sarah interviews OG mafia member, Becca, and her sister-in-law, Kylie, about their experiences with being married to brothers who both share the same type of male factor infertility. Kaela and Sarah also discuss three person baby making.  Three Person Baby Article   Email us - infertilemafia@gmail.com Find us on Instagram - @infertilemafiapodcast  

Kaela & Sarah discuss the recent Oprah interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and discuss an open letter Meghan wrote for the New York Times about a recent miscarriage.  They also talk about Chrissy Teigen’s vulnerability after sharing intimate details of having a stillbirth son.  They discuss the importance of sharing our struggles and how validating and healing it can be for people who aren’t able to share or may be suffering in silence.  Always be kind - you never know what someone is going through.   Sarah also shares a questionable incident at an eye clinic, and starts a feud with a beloved Reproductive Endocrinologist! ;-)   Meghan Markle Miscarriage - New York Times Chrissy Teigen Stillbirth

Sarah & Kaela discuss a new treatment for male factor infertility, a new heartbeat bill in South Carolina, and a fertility doctor in Australia that is breaking all the molds on what it means to have a successful fertility clinic. Lisa Ransome, registered psychologist, joins again to give tips on sensory grounding and the benefits of staying grounded in the present moment.  Find Lisa on Instagram @seeds_for_hope   Articles cited in this episode: Injecting protein into testes South Carolina Heartbeat Bill Dr. Lynn Burmeister   Follow us on Instagram: @infertiliemafiapodcast  

Kaela & Sarah are talking about the internet rumor that the Covid-19 vaccine causes miscarriage.  They also discuss THC and pros and cons of marijuana and fertility treatments.  And, for the Out of the Box segment, Botox is the topic; but it’s not what you think.   Lisa Ransome, a registered psychologist in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, shares a moment for your mental health on mindfulness.  Find Lisa on Instagram and Facebook @seeds_for_hope   Articles cited in this episode: The Covid-19 Vaccine Does Not Cause Infertility Miscarriage Reports Are Not Proof of Covid-19 Vaccine Danger to Pregnancy

Sarah & Kaela are talking about the pandemic wreaking havoc on fertility treatments and Paris Hilton doing IVF to have boy/girl twins. They also share some of their favorite pandemic binges!   TRIGGER WARNING: Talk of depression, anxiety and abuse in this episode starting at 23:25.   Pandemic article here Paris Hilton article here   Follow us on Instagram @infertilemafiapodcast

TRIGGER WARNING: Just in time for Halloween, Sarah & Kaela are serving up another episode of creepy, spooky, horrifying stories related to fertility!  Included in this episode is an unbelievable story about syphilis and the US government experimenting on African-American men. They also talk about the devastating, sadistic, and demented ways the Nazis caused infertility for their own citizens and how they treated victims of the Holocaust.     They share the story about the 74-year-old woman from India who gave birth to IVF twins.  They discuss if it’s an ethical choice and also share a crazy plot twist on the father of the twins!  Read about it here.   To balance out the horror, they end the episode with some hilarious facts about animals and their fertility and mating rituals.  A lot of animals have it worse than humans, and they definitely have the drive to procreate just as much as people!    CALL THE CONSIGLIERE: The guest spot this week goes to Dr. Sasha Mikhael, MD.  Dr. Mikhael is a Reproductive Immunologist practicing in Michigan and talks about weight and infertility treatments.  What’s the real reason some doctors will not treat patients over a certain weight or BMI?  And finally, in keeping with the episode, she shares a really creepy story about an artificial insemination...yikes, it’s a doozy!   Find Dr. Mikhael on Instagram: @sashamikhaelmd   Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Kaela & Sarah are talking about infertility related books!  This includes fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, children’s books, stories that will make you laugh and some that will make you cry - something for everyone!   Joining the show is Tess Kossow, author of I’m Very Ferris a children’s book about In Vitro Fertilization.  Tess shares her inspiration behind writing a children’s book about such a complicated (and sometimes confusing) topic and shares what an impact infertility has had on her own family.  Find Tess here: www.tesskossow.com Instagram: @tesskossow   CALL THE CONSIGLIERE: The guest spot this week goes to Meg Keyes, author of The Waiting Line: What To Do (And Not Do) When Someone You Love is Struggling With Infertility. She recaps some of the most common missteps people take when trying to care for those with infertility, and helps redirect them toward a more productive approach! Find Meg here: www.thewaitinglinebook.com Instagram: @thewaitinglinebook   Other books featured on the show can be found at the following links: It Starts With the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF by Rebecca Fett Fueling Male Fertility: Nutrition and Lifestyle Guide for Men Trying to Conceive by Lauren Manaker MS, RD Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss by Lora Shahine, MD FACOG Hilariously Infertile: One Woman's Inappropriate Quest to Help Women Laugh Through Infertility by Karen Jeffries Your Fertility. Your Family: The Many Roads to Conception by William Schoolcraft, MD The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood by Belle Boggs Little Dream by Celeste Rankine   Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.  1 in 4 women experience a miscarriage and millions of women have lost infants during pregnancy or after birth.   Unfortunately, many of them suffer in silence. In this episode, Kaela is joined by Christine McDonough, of Infertility Illustrated, and together they are breaking the silence by sharing stories from listeners about how they have honored their losses and what has given them closure and comfort.     October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and the International Wave of Light.  Light a candle at 7pm in your respective time zone in honor of all the little lives lost too soon.   Special thanks to Dr. Lora Shahine of Pacific Northwest Fertility for joining the podcast to tell us about her incredible #NOTBROKEN campaign.     Instagram: @drlorashahine Website: lorashahine.com       Featured song: “Rizpah” by Families  Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast  

PCOS is the topic for this episode!  After a podcast break during PCOS Awareness Month, Sarah & Kaela are offering some new information about PCOS - signs, symptoms, treatments and even discuss an article about what your poop says about you (and PCOS)!    They cover the New York Times article "When You're Told You're Too Fat To Get Pregnant" and share their own opinions around weight and fertility treatments.  And finally, they get real talking about taking control of habits and coping skills to ensure healthy lifestyle choices.    CALL THE CONSIGLIERE: The guest spot this week goes to Melissa Groves of Avocado Grove Nutrition & Wellness.  Melissa shares practical tips around nutrition for women with PCOS, foods to avoid (hint: avoidance isn’t part of her philosophy) and foods that may help a PCOS diagnosis. Follow her on Instagram: @the.hormone.dietitian Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Kaela & Sarah are baaaaack!  In this episode they talk about the biggest news in fertility from this past summer - the couple that had the WRONG embryos transferred, gave birth to twins, only to discover that they belonged to two different families!  They also share some podcasts they binged over the summer and respond to a crazy Mom rant that went viral about Disney World and “childless women.”    They introduce a new segment to the show - CALL THE CONSIGLIERE: The guest spot this week goes to the Mafia’s own Nurse Mandy who gives us an exciting update on her life!  Follow her on Instagram: @courageouslyinfertile_rn Finally, they share some new changes with the podcast, including exclusive merch designed specifically for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month!   TRIGGER WARNING: Starting at minute 1:01 Sarah and Kaela talk candidly about mental health and infertility, being a new Mom, and their own experiences with postpartum depression. Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Sarah & Kaela are talking about taking a break from trying to conceive.  They share their own experiences when it comes to taking a break, and how they spent their time - good, bad, and ugly.  And, they share comments from listeners about when and why they took a break and how it helped (or not)!   They also discuss whether they’re team Ross or team Rachel on the “We were on a break!” FRIENDS topic!  And, they ponder things like mushrooms for men and their favorite wedding moments. Finally, stay tuned to the end of the episode - they have some big news, and need your help!  Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Kaela & Sarah are talking about ways to have a positive impact in the infertility community, including ways to get involved whether through support groups, social media, or active advocacy for continued and expanded rights for people seeking fertility treatments.    They also revisit the topic of IVF tourism and share some of the highlights from their recent live show and RESOLVE: Chicagoland Walk of Hope. And finally, they expound on some of their favorite Would You Rather Questions! Get involved! resolve.org     Website: infertilemafia.com Email: infertilemafia@gmail.com Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Instagram: @infertilemafiapodcast

Sarah & Kaela have FINALLY met - and they're talking about it, live in Chicago, with lots of infertile friends and healthcare professionals.  Enjoy this episode full of inspiration from these amazing special guests! Christine McDonough, the artist behind Infertility Illustrated, is such a talent! We instantly bonded after meeting her over a year ago.  She shares some of the inspirations for a few of her favorite illustrations (and wins the award for the best giveaway item!). Kaela & Sarah are so glad to call her a friend and so proud of the amazing support she gives the infertility community. ⁣ She also gives them a really exciting life update!!! You can find her here: Instagram: @infertilityillustrated Website: infertilityillustrated.com   Dr. Lauren Schneider, DC is a wonderful resource and advocate for the infertility community with years of experience working alongside fertility specialists. She also personally understands the struggle of infertility and gives an update on her gestational carrier (sorta)!  She also wins the award for worst “Would You Rather?” question, but her husband’s outburst from the audience wins the award for best response!  You can find her here: Instagram: @drlaurenschneider Website: conceptionconsultant.com   Dr. Lora Shahine MD,FACOG is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist practicing at Pacific Northwest Fertility in Seattle, Washington where she specializes in recurrent pregnancy loss.  She has been incredibly supportive of The Infertile Mafia and is actively sharing such a positive and inspiring message to the infertility community. And, she does it with such kindness and humility (and humor)!  In this interview with her she talks about the negative effects of toxins on our fertility and practical ways to mitigate the damage!⁣  You can find her here: Instagram:@drlorashahine Website: lorashahine.com   Dr. Roohi Jeelani MD, FACOG is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist practicing at Vios Fertility Institute in Chicago, IL.  She had everyone in tears sharing her personal story about her experience with IVF and how she's doing her part to erase the shame and stigma around infertility. ⁣ And, she’s an incredibly kind and wonderfully intelligent physician educating the infertility community - and doing it with style!  You can find her here: Instagram: @roohijeelanimd   Dr. Natalie Crawford MD, FACOG is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist practicing at Aspire IVF in Austin, TX.  She is also the host of the popular podcast As A Woman and an incredible FORCE for good - for all women! What an inspirational and empowering voice. Kaela & Sarah are so thankful she speaks so passionately on behalf of women and so honored that she joined them for this live show. ⁣ Hear her talk about the importance of the presence of medical professionals on social media. You can find her here: Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmd Website: nataliecrawfordmd.com     Website: infertilemafia.com   Follow on Instagram @infertilemafiapodcast Email questions, comments, and other mafia matters to infertilemafia@gmail.com Join the closed Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies

TRIGGER WARNING: Sarah & Kaela are discussing new abortion laws and the government making decisions that could affect your access to fertility treatments (you can skip this portion from 12:00 to 27:30).  They answer some of your questions about secondary infertility, PGS tested embryos, and their favorite types of wine!  They also give you some updates on Facebook happenings, and finally, they discuss the importance of puppy therapy.   Don't forget to get your tickets to the Infertile Mafia Podcast LIVE SHOW happening June 8th!  Event details and tickets can be found at www.infertilemafia.com   Join the Infertile Mafia Podcast team for the RESOLVE: Chicagoland Walk of Hope and donate to help us reach our fundraising goal! Chicagoland Walk of Hope Resolve.org   Email questions, comments, and other mafia matters to infertilemafia@gmail.com Join the closed Facebook group(s): The Infertile Mafia Podcast & The Infertile Mafia - Bosses & Babies Follow on Instagram @infertilemafiapodcast