This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 6 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.
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This is Infertility

Episode 17: Miscarriage Awareness: A Real Housewife’s Story of Pregnancy Loss – Emily Simpson

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. It is estimated that almost 1 in 4 pregnancies result in miscarriage. Despite the high prevalence,  the topic remains taboo and is still not talked about enough. In honor of this month, we are dedicating two episodes to spread awareness and shed light on a condition called Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. 

In the first episode of the two-part series, we hear from Emily Simpson, of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Emily had no difficulty getting pregnant, but she did have difficulty staying pregnant. Her and her husband, Shane, suffered 6 devastating losses, before finding their way through Emily’s sister, who generously offered to be their surrogate.  

Emily discusses the immense emotional and physical toll that the losses had on her and her husband, as well as their marriage. She also shares the unique coping strategies that helped her throughout her journey, some of which included horseback riding and studying for the Utah bar exam.  

Guest: Emily Simpson, Real Housewives of Orange County 

Expert: Dr. Lora Shahine, Pacific NW Fertility 

Host: Taylor Burbach, Patient Care Supervisor at Progyny 

In case you missed it, listen to Karin Ajmani’s story on recurrent pregnancy loss: Episode 2: The Toll of Multiple Miscarriages and Learning to Cope with the Physical, Emotional, and Mental Side Effects. 

If you’ve recently had a miscarriage or know someone who has, check out our Expert Interview Series: Emotional Recovery from Loss – How to Move Forward. 

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Pacific NW Fertility. 

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. 

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com. 

Podcast-Headshot-1024-Taylor-Burbach

Host

Taylor Burbach
Patient Care Supervisor at Progyny

Taylor helps to oversee a team of dedicated patient care advocates. She is also recognized as a reproductive health advocate in her community as a Clue Ambassador. Prior to joining Progyny she organized two Darwin Day Colloquiums in 2014 and 2015 and helped organize the inaugural meeting of the Southeastern Evolutionary Perspectives Society.

Podcast-Headshot-1024-Emily-Simpson

Guest

Emily Simpson
Real Housewives of Orange County

A true rags-to-riches story, Emily Simpson is an Ohio transplant who came from nothing and willed herself to great success to become an attorney, a part-time party-planer, a wife and a mom. However, motherhood has been a bumpy road for her after years of fertility and pregnancy issues. Resigned to the fact that she could not successfully carry her own children, Emily’s sister Sara stepped in as a surrogate for all three of Emily and her husband Shane’s children – daughter Annabelle and twin boys Luke and Keller.

With three children under five, and two step-daughters from Shane’s previous marriage, Emily and Shane, are trying to plan out the future of their family and their careers together. Emily planned Tamra’s baby shower for granddaughter Ava a few years back, but had a falling out with her shortly after befriending some of Tamra’s former besties. Now focusing on mending the toxic relationships in her life, Emily hopes that she can find true friendships with the ladies.

Podcast-Headshot-1024-Lora-Shahine

Guest

Dr. Lora Shahine
Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Program at Pacific NW Fertility

Dr. Shahine completed her residency in OBGYN at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Stanford University. She is currently the Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Program at Pacific NW Fertility and clinical faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is an author of both clinical research trials, multiple blogs, and 2 books, Planting the Seeds of Pregnancy: An Integrative Approach to Fertility Care and Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.

Music From This Episode:

Artist: Doctor Turtle
Track: Wherever I Lay My Hat That’s My Wife
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org

Artist: Swelling
Track: Dawn II
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Swelling/Projector_Music_For_Visual_Media/Swelling_-_Projector-_Music_for_Visual_Media_-_07_Dawn_II

Artist: John Bartmann
Track: Tender Moment
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org

Artist: Kai Engel
Track: July
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org

Artist: Jason Shaw
Track: Serenity
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org

Artist: Steve Combs
Track: To Move an Inch
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org

Artist: P C III
Track: The Soft Approach
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org

Artist: Breath Before the Plunge
Track: End of All Things
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Breath_Before_the_Plunge/Breath_Before_the_Plunge/Breath_Before_the_Plunge_-_Breath_Before_the_Plunge_-_03_End_of_All_Things

Artist: Lee Rosevere
Track: Everywhere
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_5/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_5_-_06_Everywhere

Artist: Philipp Weigl
Track: Subdivision of the Masses
URL:  http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Philipp_Weigl/Sound-trax/Subdivision_of_the_Masses