Shows
Fertility ForwardEp 164: The Power of Knowledge with Dr. Taraneh Nazem and Carissa SimekHere on the Fertility Forward podcast, we often say that knowledge is power — and that you are your own best advocate! Joining Rena and Dara on the show today are two passionate guests who are dedicated to educating women about infertility, fertility benefits, healthcare coverage, and women’s health. We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Taraneh Nazem, a double board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, Infertility Specialist, and Obstetrician-Gynecologist at RMA of New York’s Westside office, along with Carissa Simek, one of Dr. Nazem’s patients. In today’s episode, Carissa opens up about how her desire f...
2025-04-2439 minFertility ForwardEp 157: Reflecting on 2024 and Leveling Up for 2025 with Rena Gower and Dara GodfreyAs the year comes to an end, we’re reminded of the value of reflecting on the past, looking ahead, and setting meaningful goals. In this episode of the Fertility Forward podcast, join Rena and Dara as they take a moment to ground themselves and reflect on all that 2024 brought. They share their thoughts on words that have taken on new meaning, the transformative power of journaling, and the concept of life as a balance beam. They also discuss books they’ve read, those still on their to-read list, and the trends they’ve observed among patients and in their...
2025-01-0940 minFertility ForwardEp 153: ASRM Abstract: The Effect of Trophectoderm Rebiopsy on Serum B-Human Chronic Gonadotropin Levels in Pregnancies Resulting in Live Births with Dr. Erkan BuyukJoining Rena and Dara on the Fertility Forward podcast today is Dr. Erkan Buyuk, who is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and OB-GYN practicing at RMA of New York’s Eastside office. He currently serves as the Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) Fellowship Program and as an examiner for the REI Division of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Before joining RMA of New York in 2019, Dr. Buyuk was the Director of the Fertility Preservation Program and Reproductive Tissue Bank and the Director of the REI Fellowship Program at Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center. We ar...
2024-11-0720 minFertility ForwardEp 145: What You Didn’t Know About Celiac Disease with Jessica Lebovits, RD, CDNMost people know (or have at least heard) of gluten and understand that some may be affected by an intolerance of it, but many are unaware that this immune reaction to eating gluten is actually called celiac disease. Today on Fertility Forward, Jessica Lebovits, RD, CDN, joins us to discuss her journey with celiac disease and how the diagnosis ultimately affected her fertility. Jessica is now a celiac disease specialist (among others) and she explains how her positive outlook on her diagnosis led her to pursue and embrace it as a specialization in nutrition. We discuss the ins and...
2024-07-2539 minFertility ForwardEp 141: Peripartum and Reproductive Depressions with Dr. Ida A. EdenWe need to be talking more about perinatal, postpartum, and peripartum depression to reduce the stigma around these disorders. Here today, to do just that, is Dr. Ida A. Eden. Dr. Eden is a board-certified psychiatrist with formalized training and expertise in women's reproductive mental health. She has particular interests in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and the psychological burdens of infertility and perinatal loss. She graduated with honors in Neuroscience and Medical Anthropology from the University of Michigan, earned her M.D. with honors from the University of Maryland, and completed her residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill...
2024-05-3037 minFertility ForwardEp 131: A Wrap-Up of 2023 and What to Expect Next Year with Rena and DaraWelcome to our annual year-in-review for Fertility Forward! Today, we are delving into the highs and lows of 2023 and what we are looking forward to for next year. In this episode, you will hear what we love about this podcast, our favorite kinds of discussions, the good and bad of 2023, how things have changed in the world of fertility, and so much more! We discuss our goals for 2024 before talking about our self-care rituals and how we can prioritize them. From adapting to seasons, to reading great books, to what we are grateful for from 2023, to the excitement of 2024...
2024-01-1134 minFertility ForwardEp 107: Goodbye Perfection and Hello Balance, with Katie DewhurstFinding balance and welcoming that balance into your life will help you create a lifestyle that leads to being a healthy person while also having room for the indulgences and other “good” parts of life you don’t want to miss out on. Our guest today is Katie Dewhurst, the founder, and CEO of Hello Balance, a health and wellness company helping millennial women optimize their health through food. She’s a certified functional medicine health coach and nutritionist, a cookbook author, and the founder of the Hello Baby Prenatal Nutrition course. Her health coaching approach is based on the late...
2023-02-0242 minFertility ForwardEp 106: Immunology in Fertility Care with Dr. Daniel SteinThe health of your immune system can gravely affect your fertility and ability to become pregnant. Joining us today on Fertility Forward is specialist Dr. Daniel Stein, to talk about how immunology affects fertility care. In this episode, you will hear all about immunotolerance, how a functioning immune system is beneficial to pregnancy, when your immune system affects your ability to carry a pregnancy and how to know, as well as how to test for any immune system issues affecting your fertility. We also discuss why blood tests may not be helpful, how to spot treatments that aren’t go...
2023-01-2620 minFertility ForwardEp 105: Reflections and Goal Setting as We Start the New Year“The beauty of being a human is that you’re never done growing.” These are the words of one of our hosts, Rena. In this episode, we take a moment to pause and reflect before looking ahead. We discuss how we’re going to approach the new year as we strive to grow, change, and evolve into better versions of ourselves. Tuning in, you’ll hear what we hope to achieve in 2023, from overcoming negative self-talk and being kinder to ourselves to challenging the labels we often use to define ourselves. You’ll learn about the power of "I am” dec...
2023-01-1924 minFertility ForwardEp 91: Fertility and Family Planning for the LGBTQ+ Community with Finn Brigham and Juliet Widoff, MDEveryone’s fertility journey is different, and this is particularly true for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Joining us today for Pride Month are two very special guests, Finn Brigham and Dr. Juliet Widoff from Callen-Lorde. Dr. Juliet Widoff is an internist with a specialization in HIV care. She has been a primary care provider in a myriad of settings, and, for the bulk of her career, she has been providing services primarily to the LGBTQ+ communities. Finn Brigham is the Director of Project Management at Callen-Lorde and has extensive experience working with the LGBTQ+ community, HIV-positive individuals, people ex...
2022-06-0938 minFertility ForwardEp 90: Infertility 101Struggling with infertility and trying to conceive can often feel lonely and isolating. If only there was a simple and practical guide for those on this journey. Well, now there is! Join us today for an intimate conversation about Rena Gower’s new book, Infertility 101: A Quick & Concise Guide to the Club You Never Wanted to Join, which touches on a diverse range of topics and materials that those struggling with infertility may be grappling with. In this episode, Rena shares how she channeled her personal experience into writing the book, how she hopes to destigmatize the topic of in...
2022-05-2630 minFertility ForwardEp 89: The First IVF Baby in the United States with Elizabeth CarrToday on the Fertility Forward Podcast, we welcome a very special guest, Elizabeth Carr. Elizabeth was the very first baby born, in the United States, via in vitro fertilization! Elizabeth has been in the media since she was 3-cells old and is a passionate advocate for those fighting for fertility rights. From battles over insurance coverage to educating doctors on how to interact with patients going through fertility treatments, to advice for parents on how to talk to children about assisted reproduction technologies. She is proud to share her voice and story in order to fight for those who...
2022-04-2823 minFertility ForwardEp 88: ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) with Dr. Matthew Lederman at RMAWe often hear questions about ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) and its role in fertility. So to answer them, today we are joined by Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist Dr. Matthew Lederman, who operates from the new RMA of New York clinic in Westchester. Dr. Lederman explains what ICSI is and how it can help to improve fertilization rates in male-factor infertility. Tuning in you’ll hear what three parameters they look at when doing a semen analysis and how ICSI differs from traditional IVF. We cover the role of ICSI when there is no sperm in the ejaculate, why th...
2022-04-1423 minFertility ForwardEp 87: Project AIM with Dr. Natan Bar-Chama and Dr. Barrett CowanTraditionally, infertility has been seen as a woman's issue, to the point where even infertility centers focus predominantly on the female evaluation. But we all know that it takes two to tango: not only does this impact women's mental health in an already stressful situation, but it also doesn't acknowledge the impact that sperm quality has on miscarriages or the health of the child. Today we are joined by two experts who are here to talk about a really exciting initiative called Project AIM, which addresses this issue and brings access and inclusion to men. Returning guest Dr. Natan...
2022-03-3133 minFertility ForwardEp 86: Reducing Your Toxin Load to Improve Your Fertility with Jenna from Million MarkerThere is a growing consumer awareness about the negative health impacts of various commonly-used chemicals, but not many people link this to their fertility. When Dr. Jenna Hua was facing her own fertility struggles, this is exactly what she did, and she has not looked back. As a dietician, environmental health scientist, and founder and CEO of Million Marker, Jenna is an expert on the toxins we are exposed to every day. She founded Million Marker to give consumers insights into our own health so that you can start making the changes that policy will take decades to implement...
2022-03-2450 minFertility ForwardEp 85: In Vitro Fertilization and Pregnancy Outcomes After COVID-19 Vaccination with Dr. Devora AharonThe COVID-19 pandemic has not made things any easier for pregnant women, or those who are planning to conceive. Pregnant women are at higher risk for severe infection from COVID-19 as well as an increased likelihood of ICU admission, deaths, preterm labor, stillbirth, and other complications. While the development of COVID-19 vaccines has posed its own questions, due to its novelty, a new study offers robust reassurance that vaccines are not only safe for pregnant women and their fetuses, they are also a beneficial protective measure. Today on the show we speak with Dr. Devora Aharon about her most...
2022-02-2420 minFertility ForwardEp 84: The Black Fertility Myth with Dr. Tia Jackson-BeyThe dialogue around infertility is filled with cultural myths and enduring stereotypes that significantly shape the experiences of Black women. As a result, there are few spaces for marginalized individuals to discuss their fertility struggles and, as today’s guest explains, this could actually be impacting their access to care. For this thought-provoking discussion about Black fertility, we welcome recurring guest, Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey, a dedicated Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist at RMA of New York. Dr. Jackson-Bey recently gave a talk at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai on ‘The Black Fertility Myth’ as part of their...
2022-02-1738 minFertility ForwardEp 83: Embryology and Embryo Grading with Christine Briton-JonesWhen one starts IVF and fertility treatments, it can be a lot to take in. There’s tons of jargon to familiarize yourself with and seemingly endless academic articles on every topic imaginable. This can be especially overwhelming when you are presented with embryo options and you don’t know which one to choose, or whether the single option you’re being presented with is worth pursuing. Here to help us make sense of embryo grading and offer much-needed peace of mind is Christine Briton-Jones, a clinical embryologist and Director of Laboratory Services at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York...
2021-12-1625 minFertility ForwardEp 82: Understanding Mosaicism with Teresa CacchioneOne of the hottest topics in IVF is mosaic embryos, but not many of us understand what this means, or how mosaic embryos happen. Joining us in conversation is genetic counselor at RMA New York, Teresa Cacchione. Teresa’s position at the junction of science and reproductive medicine gives her unique insight into the latest research and clinical outcomes of mosaic embryos in IVF, and she shares this expertise today. We discuss how mosaic embryos are formed, debunk common myths surrounding them (no, age is not a factor!), and dissect how the testing to identify a mosaic embryo works as...
2021-12-0940 minFertility ForwardEp 81: Body Betrayal with Dr. Anna Flores LockeWomen from Latina and African-American communities are the least likely to seek medical advice when struggling with infertility. Today we talk to community leader, businesswoman, advocate, professor, writer, and mother, Dr. Anna Flores Locke about her new book (Body Betrayal: Understanding and Living with Infertility) and how she came to terms with her fertility struggles as a Latina woman. We hear how the COVID-19 lockdown allowed Anna the time to finally put her experience into writing, and how this was cathartic for her. We break down the stereotypes that are responsible for African-American and Latina women seldom seeking fertility...
2021-12-0238 minFertility ForwardEp 80: Food and Fertility with Chloe LafosseFrom a career in finance before her foray into food, facing her fertility battles and more, join us as we talk to the inspirational Chloe Lafosse. Chloe launched her flagship zero-waste café, Ancolie, and her plastic-free vending machines, Fresh Bowl, in 2016… And then embarked on her pregnancy journey in 2017! After suffering two miscarriages and subsequently throwing herself into her work, Chloe realized that this was not a sustainable route to motherhood. By taking a step back, opening up to friends and family, and starting a blog, Chloe reached a healthy space, and she talks to us today about what thi...
2021-11-1138 minFertility ForwardEp 79: Positive Focus with Leo SkepiWhen you are consumed with negative thoughts or going through a difficult time, it can be really hard to pull yourself out of these thought patterns. Although there are so many affirmations and self-help apps out there, when Leo Skepi was going through a challenging period in his own life, none of these platforms resonated with him, and so to solve this, he created his own. Positive Focus helps interrupt and replace thought patterns. The app helps sends messages that stimulate and prompt you to think help you gain self-awareness, and improve your overall mental state. In this episode...
2021-11-0420 minFertility ForwardEp 78: Post Trauma Growth with Joelle Rabow MaletisTrauma affects people in different ways. Just because something is not traumatic for some else, doesn’t mean it won’t be traumatic for you. Talking to us today about acknowledging trauma, and Post Trauma Growth is psychotherapist Joelle Rabow Maletis. Joelle’s focus in this episode is on learning to shift from being a victim to a warrior, by choosing to take ownership of your trauma and honoring the impact a traumatic event has had on you. By asking, “So what?”, Joelle teaches us to give space to the trauma, but to also move forward. We cover the biochemica...
2021-10-2838 minFertility ForwardEp 77: Mental Health and Conception and Pregnancy with Dr. Emily WattsMental health struggles are stigmatized and when women are pregnant or become mothers, these issues are almost completely overlooked. Dr. Emily Watts specializes in women's mental health and perinatal psychiatry and applies a holistic approach to the care of her patients. She sees the interplay between the physical, mental and social wellbeing of her patients as vital to their overall health. In today's episode, Emily explains how those on medication for their mental health can navigate conception and pregnancy. There is a not a universal answer and it depends on individual factors and circumstances. We talk about the prevalence...
2021-10-2133 minFertility ForwardEp 76: Single Parenthood by Choice with Dr. Rachel GerberA growing awareness that you don't need to have a partner in order to become a parent is changing the narrative about parenthood. Today’s guest to discuss this topic is Dr. Rachel Gerber, a reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who cares for patients at RMA of New York’s Eastside and Westchester offices. In this episode, we discuss all aspects of single parenthood by choice or single motherhood by choice (SMC), from selecting a sperm donor to considerations regarding disclosure, artificial insemination, and fertility preservation, as well as the importance of prioritizing your mental heal...
2021-10-1438 minFertility ForwardEp 75: PCOS and Fertility with Dr. Lucky SekhonThe month of September is PCOS Awareness Month and, in today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Lucky Sekhon, OBGYN and fertility specialist based in New York City, to discuss polycystic ovarian syndrome and her unconventional approach to the disorder. We also dive a little deeper into the emotional impact of PCOS and the loss of control that patients often feel when diagnosed during their fertility journey, with Dr. Sekhon emphasizing the importance of reframing it as an ‘alternate state of being’ rather than a disease. We also share our expertise in nutrition, mental health, and physical health, weighi...
2021-10-0725 minFertility ForwardEp 74: Vaccination and Pregnancy with Dr. Lucky SekhonThe COVID-19 vaccine is raising a lot of questions and anxiety, but it is particularly pertinent to those with a special interest in fertility. On today’s episode, we talk to Dr. Lucky Sekhon, OBGYN and fertility specialist based in New York City. We kick off our discussion by acknowledging that pregnant women are a vulnerable population when it comes to COVID before discussing the misinformation crisis that has emerged and some of the myths surrounding pregnancy and fertility. Dr. Sekhon gives us an overview of the three vaccine options available and shares what studies have shown about vaccination du...
2021-09-2342 min