The First
By Elizabeth Carr
The First Aug 03, 2020
Chat with Dr. Donna Session!
Home testing is helping transform reproductive care. I speak with Dr. Donna Session who has researched just that! We also share a personal connection, which always reminds me just how small this industry is, and just how far we've come.
I hope you enjoy our conversation!
Looking back on 40 years
To leave a comment or suggest a topic for the next podcast, please visit www.ejordancarr.com and use the contact form there to drop me a note!
e 12: Resource Alert: Mental health for your fertility journey
Today I'm chatting with my friend Marc Sherman from Organic Conceptions.
Organic Conceptions provides the latest in cognitive-based therapy, cortisol testing, and emotional health support to help you reduce stress and restore joy as you try to get pregnant.
The mental health part of your fertility journey is one that I know you have heard me talk about before (listen to the episode I did on Toxic Positivity), and as Marc and I discuss, it's not just patients who can benefit from emotional health support -- it's also helpful for providers.
e 11: Dr. Sharara on how far technology has come
Check out www.ejordancarr.com for the show notes!
All about PGT-P
I had the pleasure of speaking recently with Dr. Serena Chen and Steve Hsu about PGT-P.
I wanted to chat about PGT-P specifically because it has recently been the focus of quite a bit of media attention. PGT-P is a genetic test specifically designed to screen polygenic, or “many gene” disorders.
This episode covers what PGT-P is and why there has been so much media attention surrounding it. As always, my goal is for the listener to come away with a baseline understanding of the technology so that they can make informed decisions throughout their fertility journey.
Meet the guests:
Dr. Serena Chen: IVF DIRECTOR AT IRMS
Dr. Chen serves as Director for the Division of Reproductive Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, and the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science. Dr. Chen is widely recognized as a public advocate for education, reproductive rights, and access to reproductive care for all. SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER, GENOMIC PREDICTION.
Prof. Stephen Hsu: FOUNDER, GENOMIC PREDICTION
Dr. Stephen Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Michigan State University. Educated at Caltech and Berkeley, he was a Harvard Junior Fellow and held faculty positions at Yale and the University of Oregon. Hsu was founder and CEO of SafeWeb, a Silicon Valley technology startup acquired by Symantec for $26 million. He is a scientific advisor to BGI and a member of its Cognitive Genomics lab.
e9: There is no guidebook
This one is straight from my heart to yours.
I see you.
e8: "My fertility journey sucked"
SHOW NOTES:
Go listen to or watch Deepa's TedX Talk. I'll wait. Warning: You might need tissues (I did!). What I love about this conversation is how deeply honest and truthful Deepa is about her path to creating a family. After 12 years of trying nearly everything, Deepa opens up about the overwhelm and desperation she felt, and how, with a photo delivered to her email it all melted away.
e7: Toxic positivity
SHOW NOTES:
- Check out http://www.ejordancarr.com to get in touch with Elizabeth or leave a suggestion for an upcoming episode.
- Join the new, free community resource surrounding The 1st pod, called The First Collective.
- Support the podcast over on Patreon
- Grab infertility awareness gear to show your support of the community and help break the stigma around reproductive issues
e6: Laura Ortner, Fertility Coach
SHOW NOTES: In her own words...
"At 36 I received the news no woman ever wants to hear. 'Sorry, but you can't have your own children.' I just sat there and couldn't say a thing. I knew there had to be other options, but they were making it clear that my chances sat around 1%. After reeling from the news, I decided to make my own plan B. Through a natural approach with included non-toxic products, eastern medicine and supplements I made that plan B work.
My story started when I was 35. I met the love of my life a little later than some. We knew from day one that we wanted children. I was married at 36 and had already started trying at the time. We were pregnant naturally the next summer, but miscarried at 7 weeks. Six months later my OB/GYN suggested we go to a fertility doctor. After trying Clomid and a few options, they finally ran some tests. They sat me down and told me that due to my hormone levels I would never have a child of my own. They gave me a 1% chance with very little optimism. They finished by mentioning adoption or donor eggs as our only options, then sent us on our way. I refused to believe that there was nothing I could do. From there I started researching every single site and book I could get my hands on. I was determined to prove them wrong.
I feel like I have been through it all. Four rounds of IVF, 4 miscarriages, ovarian cysts, donor eggs. I knew I was meant to be a Mom, and in June 2019 that came to be. Madison Grace was born via our own biological embryo through IVF. I am so grateful for everything I have learned through this process, but also know how hard it is, and how much misleading information is out there.
I have taken my struggles and turned them into my passion project. I now help women in similar situations either get pregnant naturally, or naturally prime their body to ensure the best success during assisted reproductive treatments like IVF."
Find out more about Laura at www.naturallylb.com
e5: The Questions I am Asked
SHOW NOTES: Questions are my favorite way to learn information. Here are a few I get often!
e4: An Embryo Donation Story
SHOW NOTES: Sam went through many doctors and many tries before she found a solution that worked to create the family she wanted. It wasn't a straight line, but it's a journey she now wouldn't change.
- Contact Elizabeth and leave her a question here: https://www.ejordancarr.com/contact
- Support this podcast via Patreon & get exclusive bonus content
Be sure to subscribe and leave Elizabeth a message or suggest a guest by using the contact form above!
e3: The Masked Man and His Letter
Contact Elizabeth and leave her a question here: https://www.ejordancarr.com/contact
- Primer on IVF: What is IVF?
- Check out a clip from when Elizabeth & Louise Brown met for the first time
- Read more about about Elizabeth's birth from "American Experience"
- Elizabeth & Dr. Wirth meet for the first time
- Read Dr. Wirth's obituary
e2: Valerie Landis on Egg Freezing
Valerie Landis has been working in the women’s healthcare field and fertility industry for the last decade. Valerie froze her eggs three times between the ages of 33-36 years old for fertility preservation and family planning reasons. She merged her medical career and fertility passion by creating the website eggsperience.com and Eggology Club podcast. The fertility-focused website and podcast feature many leading fertility experts, knowledgable egg freezing resources, along with highlighting a collection of first-hand accounts of other women’s fertility journeys. Valerie hopes that by starting the conversation about protecting our future-selves with non-bias and fact-based information, women will feel inspired, brave, and act progressively today. She speaks openly about her own multiple egg freezing cycles, her family planning decisions, and is showcasing her experience with the video docu-series THIS IS EGG FREEZING coming soon.
Follow Valerie on social media via link: https://shor.by/valeriedlandis.
e1: The First Part of the Story
Show notes:
- Contact Elizabeth and leave her a question here: https://www.ejordancarr.com/contact
- Primer on IVF: What is IVF?
- Check out a clip from when Elizabeth & Louise Brown met for the first time
- Read more about about Elizabeth's birth from "American Experience"
Welcome to The First
What is The First? Don't miss this sneak peek from Elizabeth Carr, the first IVF baby in the U.S.