The Pineapple Podcast: Stories of Infertility

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. In honor of all those who have lost a little one, Monica, today's guest, shares her story. Monica is an IVF coach, speaker, author, and infertility warrior. In this episode, Monica shares the story of going through infertility as well as the loss of her daughter. She opens up and honestly speaks about how her marriage and relationships suffered from the grief of her experiences. I appreciate the bravery and courage it takes to talk about this subject and am so grateful to have been able to talk with her. Thank you so much Monica for sharing your story! To connect with Monica: https://www.monicabivas.com https://www.facebook.com/monica.bivas https://twitter.com/MonicaBivas @monicabivas on Instagram You can also find her book at, www.theivfplanner.com.

Tarryn and her husband, who live in Australia, began the TTC process just as we all do, hopeful that they would soon be pregnant. After months of no luck, Tarryn reached out to her doctor to try and get some answers. ⁠After multiple tests, her doctor diagnosed her with diminished ovarian reserve. Onto IVF they went. Multiple rounds later and still they were no closer to growing their family. Her doctor ended up doing a laparoscopy and eventually gave her a diagnosis of stage 4 endometriosis. ⁠While taking a break from IVF Tarryn had an inkling that something was up so she went and took a pregnancy test. IT WAS POSITIVE!! Now she and her husband have their perfect little boy. ⁠Tarryn is an advocate for infertility and endometriosis awareness after she went undiagnosed for so long. Thank you so much for sharing your story!! ⁠

In ep. 18 we heard the beginning of Alana and Amanda's story. When we left off, Alana had just had an awful experience with her care provider and was in the process of changing providers. In today's episode, we hear how Alana changed providers and what her experience was like. Alana discusses how after multiple rounds she and Amanda switched gears and began reciprocal IVF, with Amanda going through the egg retrieval process. You can follow along with Alana and Amanda's story on Instagram at @mummyplusmumma.

This week's guest is Alana. Alana and Amanda are a same-sex couple who began their family building back in 2017. ⁠ In this part 1 episode, Alana shares her experiences going through multiple sperm donors, clinics, procedures, failed IVF transfers, and miscarriages. Listening to her speak about all she went through made my heart break for her and Amanda. Her story shows how IVF is not a guarantee, like so many not in the infertility community believe. ⁠ *Alana mentioned an organization in Australia called Pink Elephants Support Network. You can find them on Instagram @pinkelephantssupport. Thank you, Alana, for sharing your story!

This girl is the definition of an #infertilitywarrior. Katie and her husband have undergone 6 rounds of IVF. After not getting pregnant for months after getting married, Katie and her husband went in and got tested for all the things. To their surprise, they had both male factor infertility and diminished ovarian reserve. So began their infertility story. ⁠Katie shares her experience through all 6 cycles and describes the various protocols and changes her doctor made to each cycle. ⁠ ⁠ Katie also talks about how during the COVID-19 infertility treatment shutdown, she and some other women developed an alliance to advocate for the infertility community and to get treatments going again. She is amazing!!

Today's guest is Morgan. She and her husband did all the things right. They "were young", their testing came back normal, and they listened to their doctor and proceeded with IUI. ⁠ ⁠When all that didn't work, Morgan and her husband listened to their gut and moved forward with IVF. ⁠ ⁠Morgan share's her experience going through IVF and experiencing multiple failed transfers. After the 3rd failed one, Morgan needed to do something to regain control. She did tons of research about implantation failure and advocated to have her protocol adjusted. Morgan and her husband finally had their miracle baby!⁠ Thank you for sharing Morgan!!

In this episode, I give another update to my husband and my story. I discuss all things IVF and my experience up to this point. This episode is great if you are new to the IVF process and want to hear someone's experience. By no means am I an expert, but as having gone through it I hope my experience is helpful! 

Eli and his wife always knew that it may be challenging to get pregnant due to his wife's diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome, however, when they started doing testing, they realized more was going on. Navigating infertility with their faith, Eli reached out to leaders in his community for support. They decided to move forward with IVF and now have an adorable little one. ⁠ Not only did he share his and his wife's story, but he provided so much great information through the lens of being a therapist. He offers great advice for couples going through infertility and ways to take care of both yourself and your relationship during the process. I hope you all enjoy :) Thank you Eli! You can find him @elivation_therapist on Instagram or on his website, https://www.elivation.org/

Today's guest is Emily. She and her husband TTC naturally for about a year. After learning that they had male factor infertility, Emily and her husband began the IVF process. They went through multiple rounds of IVF, a failed fresh transfer, and a failed frozen transfer before getting pregnant with their little boy. Emily beautifully shares her experience of going through infertility. She recounts how difficult each step of the process was. She also touches on a genetic condition her son was diagnosed with right after he was born and what that has been like for her family. Thank you so much Emily for sharing your story! ⁠

Today's guest is the voice behind the Half of Me Podcast (if you haven't listened yet, DO IT!) Ally, a donor-conceived person shares her experience processing the news that she was donor-conceived, while also going through infertility herself. Ally and her husband both experienced challenges with their fertility (she with PCOS and him with a varicocele). Ultimately, getting pregnant after multiple rounds of IUI. Ally is unique in that she has experience with both donor conception and infertility. She presents various points and thoughts about donor conception that are so important to think about, especially if you are going through it. Thank you for sharing your story Ally!!

Jen is a fellow #infertilitywarrior who is in the middle of her journey. Jen had known for a while that getting pregnant may be more challenging for her, due to #DOR (diminished ovarian reserve). With the support of her husband, Jen describes her path up to this point and how infertility has affected their lives Jen reached out and expressed her frustration with the financial piece of fertility treatments and wanted to help spread awareness of the financial aspect of any infertility treatment (IUI, IVF, adoption, etc.). I really appreciate her openness to talk about this piece of infertility. ⁠ ⁠ Thank you so much Jen for sharing! I hope you all enjoy! ⁠ ⁠. ⁠

Dr. Mary Sawdon is a naturopathic doctor living in Ontario, Canada. She and her husband went through multiple rounds of IUI and IVF before having their son. When trying for a second baby, Mary, unfortunately, suffered a miscarriage. Mary opens up about the experience of going through IVF and what strategies and resources she used to help keep herself positive. In our conversation, we also discuss Mary's naturopathic practice and how she helps women with their fertility. She gives various ideas for how to support your fertility at any stage of the process. To connect with her on Instagram follow @fertilityfundamentals. You can also subscribe to her podcast "Fertility Stories"

In this episode, I speak with Taylor of @infertileandimpatient. When Taylor and her husband started TTC she just had this gut feeling that the process of having a baby was not going to be easy for them. (I swear infertiles have a 6th sense about this!). Taylor got pregnant fairly quickly but unfortunately lost the baby. She then went through 2 more miscarriages before her doctors decided to move forward with testing. Testing revealed that Taylor had a balanced translocation, low AMH, and endometritis. In our conversation, we discuss what these diagnoses mean for Taylor and her husband and what the process of expanding their family looks like now. Taylor fiercely jumped into the infertility community and has become an active member. We also discuss how sharing her story has helped her feel empowered and connected during one of the most difficult times in her life. ⁠ Thank you SO much for sharing Taylor!

The past few years have been a whirlwind for Ashley, who has been diagnosed with various autoimmune diseases along with PCOS. In the midst of managing these diagnoses, Ashley and her husband began trying to get pregnant. Ashley was able to advocate for herself and get on a treatment program that seemed to work well for her body. Ashely and her husband were able to get pregnant, unfortunately, the pregnancy ended in an early miscarriage. Ashely and her husband are currently decided where to go from here. Will they continue down their path or try an IUI? In our conversation, Ashely also opens up about dealing with body shaming and stigmas surrounding her weight from medical professionals. She so eloquently voices the changes that need to happen in the health care system for larger-bodied individuals. I admire Ashley's openness and candidness she brings to the community. You can follow her on Instagram @rage_against_infertility.

In today's episode, Laura and I discuss her still evolving infertility journey. When Laura and her husband started trying to conceive, they quickly became pregnant and went on to have two daughters. Wanting to expand their family more, Laura quickly got pregnant but at her 14 week appt. she found out that she had lost the baby. Laura describes navigating that grief while continue to parent her two kids. Laura suffered another miscarriage, this time at 16 weeks. More recently, she and her husband went to their doctors to investigate what could be causing her 2nd-trimester losses. Results showed male factor infertility. This conversation includes talk of postpartum depression, multiple pregnancy loss, and male factor infertility. Laura is open about the grief she continues to feel losing two of her babies and how she and her husband have honored their memory. Laura, thank you so much for being vulnerable and open

This is a long one but I promise it will be worth it!!! Kristen and her husband went down a long road of trying to conceive. She received various diagnoses (bicornuate uterus, endometriosis, and PCOS) and went through multiple rounds of IVF without success. After years of "no's', she and her husband decided to choose their marriage and move forward without children. In this episode, we delve into the depths of her despair, pain, and anger that so often accompany infertility. Kristen bravely explains her choice to live child free and how that impacted her marriage and life. It is so important to remember that you have a choice in infertility and it is OKAY to stop. Spring of 2019 Kristen started a local support group to help other women in the community. Kristen definitely has a way with words. She speaks so beautifully about the women she has met and what the group has taught her. Thank you Kristen for sharing your story! You can find Kristen at @kso_inreallife, @theround_infertiity on Instagram, and The Round on Facebook.

It's been a while since I shared about our journey and I wanted to give you all an update! Enjoy :) 

In this episode, we hear the second part of Ashley's story. After the birth of their first child, they were able to get pregnant again, however, this pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage. Ashley opens up about feeling like she took her pregnancy for granted and dealing with feelings of guilt. She describes going through a D&C and trying to process all the emotions that come along with it. We talk about her and her husband's relationship and how her friends and family have supported her during this past year. Ashley, thank you for your openness and bravery in sharing your story.

In this episode, I speak with Ashely about her journey with infertility. Ashely was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) after experiencing unexplained rapid weight gain. Throughout the process to get pregnant Ashely was met with obstacle after obstacle. She and her husband ultimately went through multiple rounds of IUIs to get pregnant with their now 3-year-old son. In this part 1 episode, Ashley goes into detail about her experience with PCOS and includes lots of great information about what is going on in the body of someone struggling with this diagnosis. She explains how her challenges did not end when she saw the positive pregnancy test, and reminds us that infertility doesn't just go away. Thank you Ashley!!!

In this episode, Sarah, describes her and her husband's journey to have their little girl. Their journey took a few turns as they considered going down the adoption road until ultimately deciding to go through IVF. In the midst of her journey, Sarah decided to change careers and become a fertility coach. Sarah describes her "inner voice" that kept her calm and grounded while going through IVF. Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your story!! To connect with Sarah visit: @sarahmertzlufftcoaching - Instagram SarahMertzlufftFertilityCoach- Facebook www.sarahmertzlufft.com She is also hosting an online group program called, "The Reclaim Your Journey program". It is a 16 session group coaching program where you can build community and strengthen your relationship with yourself along your fertility journey.

In this episode, I talk with Crystal about her and her husband's struggle with infertility. After her husband was diagnosed with a stage III varicocele and underwent surgery, Crystal and her husband began the IVF process. She beautifully describes what it was like to go through two failed transfers before needing a break. Listen in as Crystal so perfectly describes the emotional rollercoaster of going through this journey. As this episode was recorded, she was preparing for her 3rd transfer. Crystal, I wish you all the baby dust on transfer #3!! Thank you for sharing your infertility story

My husband has known Amy and her husband for many years, so I had always known she went through IVF. I did not know however why they needed assistance and what that experience was like for her and her husband. In this episode, Amy describes the frustration that many going through infertility feel, and asks that all too common question of "Why me?". Despite the challenging road, Amy and her husband persevered through every negative test, and ultimately got to their happy ending. Thank you, Amy, for being a part of The Pineapple Podcast!

Welcome to The Pineapple Podcast! I am the host, Jessica Thornton. In today's episode, I share my husband and my story of our fertility journey so far. Resources mentioned: infertileaf podcast, fabfertility podcast, ivf Facebook support group