Shows
Fertility ForwardEp 170: Inside the Embryology Lab with Rick SlifkinThe embryology lab is often a mystery to patients, but it plays a critical role in every IVF journey. In this episode, we’re joined by Rick Slifkin, Embryology Associate Laboratory Director at RMA of New York, for a rare behind-the-scenes look at what happens after egg retrieval. With nearly two decades of experience, Rick walks us through each step of the process, from fertilization and embryo development to genetic testing and cryopreservation. He explains what makes a lab truly high-performing, how strict protocols minimize stress on eggs and embryos, and why innovations in freezing an...
2025-07-2450 minFertility ForwardEp 166: Support for the Journey to Motherhood with Dr. Catherine BirndorfThe journey from trying to conceive, to pregnancy, to postpartum, can be the most beautiful time of someone’s life, but also the hardest, and that’s where finding the right support is key. Dr. Catherine Birndorf is a reproductive psychiatrist, the co-founder, CEO, and Medical Director of The Motherhood Center of New York, and the Founding Director of the Payne Whitney Women’s Programme at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital. She is also a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology, and the author of multiple books...
2025-05-1542 minFertility 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 163: Mosaic Embryo Transfers and the Future of Fertility with Dr. Phillip RomanskiHow can data enable doctors to best support their patients? Reproductive endocrinologist and associate research director Dr. Phillip Romanski joins us in conversation to discuss the annual Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Conference (PCRS), everything he learned, and what he spoke about. Tune in to hear Dr. Romanski’s perspective on mosaic embryo transfers before we dive into the complex world of segmental mosaic embryos and fully segmental aneuploid embryos. We discuss Preimplantation Genetic Testing, how to personalize care on an ongoing basis, and how in vitro maturation and in vitro gametogenesis will shape the future of...
2025-04-0318 minFertility ForwardEp 162: Navigating Fertility and Cancer Treatment with Alexandria Touris and Dr. Matthew LedermanWhen is the right time to have children? What if you put having a family on the back burner and then something tragic happens that prevents you from conceiving? Today, we are joined by cancer survivor and RMA client Alexandria Touris and her doctor, our very own Matthew Lederman, to discuss navigating fertility with cancer. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how Alexandria’s life was turned upside down when she received her cancer diagnosis, her egg retrieval process, the kind of support system she had, and her personal opinion (and words of wisdom) about freezing your eggs if h...
2025-03-2045 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 155: The Fight for Families: Advocating for Fertility Rights and Accessible Care with Dr. Kimberley ThorntonWhen access to fertility treatments is under threat, advocates like Dr. Kimberley Thornton step up to protect the rights of patients. In this episode of Fertility Forward, Dr. Thornton, a leading reproductive endocrinologist at RMA of New York, discusses her advocacy efforts with RESOLVE, a national infertility organization dedicated to improving access to fertility care. She shares RESOLVE’s work pushing for the Right to IVF Act, which aims to safeguard IVF access and expand treatment coverage for everyone, including veterans. Despite legislative setbacks, Dr. Thornton emphasizes the importance of sharing pe...
2024-12-0522 minFertility ForwardEp 154: ‘Evaluating the Relationship Between Ejaculatory Abstinence and the Incidence of Embryo Mosaicism’ with Atoosa GhofranianDoes ejaculatory abstinence really affect embryo mosaicism? Today on Fertility Forward, Fellow at RMA New York, Dr. Atoosa Ghofranian joins us to discuss her study titled: ‘Evaluating the Relationship Between Ejaculatory Abstinence and the Incidence of Embryo Mosaicism.’ Tuning in, you’ll hear about her inspiration behind the study, what mosaicism is, what her findings of the study were, why she thinks another study is needed, and more! We even discuss what we can learn from the concrete evidence this provided us. Finally, Atoosa tells us what she is grateful for today. Thanks for listening in!
2024-11-1409 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 152: Understanding Egg Maturation with Dr. Keri BerginKnowledge is power and understanding the nuances of egg maturation is incredibly helpful in any fertility journey. Based on her abstract on Assessing the Reproductive Potential of Late Mature Oocytes and Egg-Freezing Cycles, Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Keri Bergin shares her knowledge on this episode. We begin with background information on the study: when you do egg freezing, you want to stimulate the ovaries to grow as many eggs as possible; at the time of retrieval, the embryologist will determine which are mature and which are immature. At her lab at RMA, Dr. Bergin keeps the immature eggs in culture...
2024-10-2817 minFertility ForwardEp 151: Revolutionizing Reproductive Medicine: The Future of Genetic Testing and Single Euploid Embryo Transfers with Dr. Rachel DanisImagine a world where parents have the power to protect their future children from inherited genetic disorders before they even take their first breath. In this episode, we dive into the groundbreaking science of single euploid embryo transfers and Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) with returning guest, Dr. Rachel Danis, a reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at RMA of New York. Join us as we discuss Dr. Danis’ research on this topic, how this technology is revolutionizing fertility treatments, and what it means for parents hoping to eliminate the risk of passing on...
2024-10-2425 minFertility ForwardEp 149: Holding Onto Hope, Patient Advocacy, and Choosing the Right Reproductive Endocrinologist with Dr. Rachel Danis and Kristen TomlanSo many women battle with having thin uterine linings when trying to conceive and today’s guest, Kristen Tomlan joins us today with her reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Rachel Danis, to walk us through how she combatted this issue and brought two beautiful children into this world. In this conversation, we discuss what sparked Kristen’s courage to advocate for herself and seek a second opinion during IVF treatment, how she ended up working with Dr. Danis at RMA, why Dr. Danis was happy to work with her, and how she stayed strong through her infertility struggles. We delve into fact...
2024-09-1936 minFertility ForwardEp 148: Navigating Fertility Choices: Understanding SART Rankings and Choosing the Right Clinic with Dr. Eric FlisserChoosing the right fertility clinic can be overwhelming for prospective parents, with so many options and factors to consider. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Eric Flisser, a leading reproductive endocrinologist at RMA of New York, to help you demystify the process of selecting a clinic. He provides clear, actionable guidance for navigating SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology) reports, understanding clinic statistics, and making informed choices that bring you closer to your family-building dreams. Tune in as Dr. Flisser shares his wisdom and expertise on what to look for when choosing a reproductive endocrinologist, why reviews mi...
2024-09-0535 minFertility ForwardEp 146: Optimizing Western and Eastern Medicine to Help with Infertility and IVF, with Dr. Mary SaboWe are excited to welcome Dr. Mary Sabo to the podcast. Dr. Sabo is a licensed and board-certified acupuncturist, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, and the founder of Lily +Horn, an integrative reproductive health clinic in New York City. Today, she joins us to discuss acupuncture and its role in the fertility journey. Dr. Sabo shares how she marries Eastern and Western approaches, the mission behind Lily + Horn, and her views on the importance of an interdisciplinary team and the collaboration of healthcare workers in achieving optimal health. We delve into the specifics of acupuncture and fertility, exploring...
2024-08-0842 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 143: IVF as a Same-Sex Couple with Ashley Quintero and Amy DealNavigating infertility is an incredibly difficult journey as it is, but there are even more hurdles involved for same-sex couples. Today on Fertility Forward, we are joined by wonderful RMA clients, Ashley and Amy Deal to discuss their fertility journey. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about our guests’ fertility journey, the struggles they have faced, particularly as a lesbian couple, how they each got involved in the process, why support and a ‘village’ are invaluable throughout IVF, taking breaks, and more! We delve into how they stayed positive even through bad news before discussing the stress and joys they have...
2024-06-2047 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 134: Mental Health Medication and Pregnancy with Dr. Marlee MedoraOne of the most common topics facing doctors today is the issue of mental health medication and pregnancy. If you are a soon-to-be mother with a mental health condition, getting the right information may be an arduous and complicated task. So today, we’ve asked Dr. Marlee Medora to join us on the show and help us unpack safer ways of finding the right care for pregnant women with a mental illness. Dr. Medora is a Women’s Health Psychiatrist with her own private practice in New York and she begins our conversation by laying out three important tenets that...
2024-02-2229 minFertility ForwardEp 133: Breaking Down Barriers to the Male Fertility Evaluation in the Reproductive Clinic: Optimizing New TechnologyDr. Natan Bar-Chama is a board-certified reproductive urologist and has been the Director for the Centre for Reproductive Health at RMA of New York for the past 20 years. His practice is exclusively dedicated to the field of male fertility. During this episode, he shares a summary of his recent presentation at the ASRM Conference, titled Breaking Down Barriers to the Male Fertiltity Evaluation in the Reproductive Clinic: Optimizing New Technology. This episode centers on two elements that the male reproductive analysis is based on, and how evolving technological solutions facilitate the process of extracting necessary information for fertility treatment...
2024-02-0836 minFertility ForwardEp 132: Overcoming Fear for the Fertility Journey with Claudia FreedmanClaudia Freedman was recently discharged from RMA of New York, under the care of Dr. Matthew Lederman. She is ten weeks pregnant today! During this conversation, Claudia joins us to share her story of reaching this point despite navigating a very real phobia of needles. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Claudia’s unexpected struggles to get pregnant, her journey to pursuing fertility treatment, and the apprehension she experienced leading up to the process. Claudia shares tips and tricks that she implemented during the IVF process, how she created a sense of control to combat fear, and how aski...
2024-01-2533 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 130: Tips and Tricks for Surviving the Holiday Season with Dr. Georgia WitkinIf you’re dreading the upcoming holidays, with their awkward conversations and cringe-worthy personal questions, this episode is for you! We are joined by returning guest, Dr. Georgia Witkin to discuss some handy tips and tricks for surviving the holiday season ahead. Dr. Witkin is the Director of Psychological Services and Wellness at RMA of New York and an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Tuning in today, you’ll hear Dr. Witkin’s thoughts on why you need to stop “should-ing” and her insights for being discerning about what and w...
2023-12-2128 minFertility ForwardEp 128: Fertility Trends Among Active Duty and Veteran Service Members with Dr. Samantha Estevez & Katrina NietschIn honor of Veteran’s Day, today’s episode explores the under-addressed topic of fertility care for active duty and veteran service members, the challenges they are likely to experience, and how to ensure they are better supported as patients. Joining us to discuss this subject is Dr. Samantha Estevez, a Clinical Fellow at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, and Katrina Nietsch, a medical student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. We discuss their fortuitous collaboration before delving into their recent abstract titled, Supporting Our Troops: 20 Years of Fertility Trends Among Active Duty and Veteran Service Memb...
2023-11-0933 minFertility ForwardEp 127: Spironolactone Use and its Effect on Fertility with Dr. Kimberley Thornton & Dr. Atoosa GhofranianToday on Fertility Forward, we will discuss another research abstract presented at this year’s American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Conference, titled ‘Spironolactone use in oocyte maturation in patients undergoing oocyte cryopreservation.’ Here to join us in conversation about it are two of the authors, who are also endocrinologists at RMA of New York, Dr. Atoosa Ghofranian and Dr. Kimberley Thornton. Tune in now to hear more about Spironolactone and its uses, where their research question stemmed from including the story behind the interest in this project, highlights from the study’s findings, and more.
2023-11-0215 minFertility ForwardEp 126: The Findings of Legislating for Inclusion with Dr. Samantha EstevezWhen it comes to accessibility, we’ve made important strides by enacting legislation that enables more inclusive access to fertility care, but there is still a long way to go. Here today to help unpack this important topic is return guest, Dr. Samantha Estevez, a clinical fellow at Mount Sinai and Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. In our conversation with Samantha, we examine the details of key legislative changes in New York State, their impact on LGBTQIA+ couples, and the contents of her new article ‘Breaking down barriers for same-sex female couples building fami...
2023-10-2623 min