Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART

This week, Ali revisits her conversation with Colorado lifestyle blogger Dani Wade, aka @dwbella, with a wonderful update: Dani is finally pregnant. When they originally spoke, Dani was four years into her infertility journey and still in the thick of it. She opens up about failed IUIs, hormone fluctuations, surgery, and the heartbreak of trying to build a family without knowing what comes next. Dani also shares the tough conversations she and her husband have had, why the responsibility can feel like it falls entirely on the woman, and the importance of giving yourself permission to take a break. Together, Ali and Dani discuss navigating infertility as a woman of color and why more diversity in healthcare matters. An honest conversation about the uncertainty, exhaustion, and emotional weight of infertility, revisited with some very happy news. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Infertility; failed IUIs; hormone fluctuations; surgery; stress and anxiety; marriage; taking a treatment break; navigating fertility care as a woman of color; diversity in healthcare. EPISODE SPONSORS: THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books The latest book in the Work of ART series, “Petri Dish Princess," tells the incredibly cool origin story of Elizabeth Carr, the first IVF baby in the United States. GENERATIONS CRYOVAULT Your Tissues. Your Choice. Whether you're storing embryos, eggs, or sperm, choosing where to keep your precious reproductive materials is a BIG decision. Generations CryoVault understands just how much hope, love, and possibility is behind every single one, and they're committed to providing secure, reliable storage with the care and compassion families deserve. Because your embryos aren't just another number. They're a piece of your story, your future, and potentially your family. https://gencryo.com IG: @generationscryovault Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when two guys meet, talk for eight hours straight on their first night together, fall in love, and decide to build the family they've always dreamed of? Well, it's quite the story. And this week, Ali is getting all of it. Ali is joined by George and Mike, husbands, dads, and the founders of Families Out Loud, a nonprofit family-building community and traveling conference dedicated to making the path to parenthood through assisted reproduction safer, more understood, and a whole lot less lonely. And not just for LGBTQ+ families, but for every family, and every route to parenthood. George and Mike take us all the way back to the beginning: their instant connection, their shared dreams of becoming dads, and the twists, turns, decisions, and emotions that came with making those dreams a reality. We get into ALL of it, including: How they knew they wanted to become parents Navigating the world of egg donation and choosing their donor Finding the right surrogate to help grow their family Their decision to do a double embryo transfer The emotional roller coaster of pregnancy and parenthood through surrogacy Their experience inside the NICU How their personal journey inspired them to create Families Out Loud Why education, advocacy, and community are so critical for ALL intended parents This convo is equal parts funny, emotional, eye-opening, and inspiring. George and Mike are incredibly candid about what it took to become dads, what they learned along the way, and why they're now so passionate about helping other families navigate their own journeys. Because there is no one-size-fits-all way to make a family. And every single one of those stories deserves to be told, celebrated, and supported. Learn more about Families Out Loud: familiesoutloud.org IG: @families_out_loud EPISODE SPONSORS: THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books The latest book in the Work of ART series, “Petri Dish Princess," tells the incredibly cool origin story of Elizabeth Carr, the first IVF baby in the United States. GENERATIONS CRYOVAULT Your Tissues. Your Choice. Whether you're storing embryos, eggs, or sperm, choosing where to keep your precious reproductive materials is a BIG decision. Generations CryoVault understands just how much hope, love, and possibility is behind every single one, and they're committed to providing secure, reliable storage with the care and compassion families deserve. Because your embryos aren't just another number. They're a piece of your story, your future, and potentially your family. https://gencryo.com IG: @generationscryovault PHERDAL IG: @pherdal_science PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com. Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when becoming an egg donor changes the entire trajectory of your life? This week on Infertile AF, Ali is joined by Katy Encalade, President and CEO of Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, who has spent nearly 20 years helping more than 2,000 intended parents grow their families through egg donation and surrogacy. But Katy's connection to this work is deeply personal. Before she ever had children of her own, she became an egg donor, an experience that would ultimately shape her career and her entire life. She later became a mom of three and a surrogate. Katy shares why she would have been a surrogate five more times if she could have, how her personal experiences have influenced her professional mission, and why she's so passionate about raising ethical standards in the fertility industry. She also talks about FAQs when it comes to egg donation and surrogacy, and why asking the hard questions matters now more than ever. For more, go to https://createahappyfamily.com/ IG: @createahappyfamily EPISODE SPONSORS: THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books The latest book in the Work of ART series, “Petri Dish Princess," tells the incredibly cool origin story of Elizabeth Carr, the first IVF baby in the United States. EXTEND FERTILITY Extend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family. For more, go to extendfertility.com PHERDAL IG: @pherdal_science PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com. Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on Infertile AF, Ali sits down with Jarret Zafran, Founder and Executive Director of Brownstone Surrogacy, whose path into the surrogacy world started not as an agency owner, but as an intended parent himself. Jarret shares his personal journey to fatherhood through surrogacy and how experiencing the process firsthand ultimately inspired him to create Brownstone Surrogacy. He talks about meeting his husband, what it feels like to be an intended parent, the highs, the uncertainty and the enormous amount of trust involved, and how those experiences shaped the kind of agency he wanted to build. Ali and Jarret get into what intended parents should know before pursuing surrogacy, how the donor and surrogacy process really works, the importance of the relationship between intended parents and surrogates, and why having been on the other side of the process influences the way Jarret approaches his work today. For more, go to www.brownstonesurrogacy.com EPISODE SPONSORS: THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them. Stay tuned for Petri Dish Princess, book #4, coming this fall! EXTEND FERTILITY Extend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family. For more, go to extendfertility.com PHERDAL IG: @pherdal_science PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com. Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this special Listen Again episode of Infertile AF, Ali revisits her conversation with Savannah Bisby, the voice behind @infertilityfriends, whose journey to motherhood has included endometriosis, five IUIs, pregnancy loss, and years of navigating infertility. When Savannah first joined Ali, she was still very much in the middle of her story, sharing openly about the physical and emotional toll of infertility, loss, treatment, and the uncertainty of not knowing how—or when—her family-building journey would end. Now, there’s an incredible update: Savannah is pregnant. With that joyful news finally out in the world, Ali is bringing back their original conversation as a reminder of everything Savannah endured to get here—and of just how much can happen between one chapter of an infertility story and the next. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt stuck in the middle, wondered how much longer they could keep going, or needed a reminder that while no one can predict how an infertility journey will unfold, there can still be hope ahead. EPISODE SPONSORS: THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them. Stay tuned for Petri Dish Princess, book #4, coming this fall! EXTEND FERTILITY Extend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family. For more, go to extendfertility.com PHERDAL IG: @pherdal_science PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com. Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy