Episode 41: Documenting Fertility Struggles to Create Awareness
When you are experiencing something as difficult as infertility, it can be comforting knowing you are not alone. But it can be hard to relay what the journey is like for those who have never gone through it. Alaina Bos, a Chicago-based photographer, realized she could use her work and experience to help portray the very personal and emotional frustrations of infertility.
In today’s episode, Alaina shares her story of feeling frustrated and alone after being diagnosed with both endometriosis and PCOS. Fortunately, after months of trying she was finally able to have her baby, and along the way, she decided to use her talents as a photographer to help others who found themselves in a similar position.
So, she started a project called Face of Infertility. We’ll hear how Alaina used photography to both document her own fertility struggles, as well as share the stories of others, in order to create awareness and reduce the larger stigmas surrounding infertility.
Guest: Alaina Bos, Photographer for The Face of Infertility
Host: Carl Martinez, Clinic and Billing Specialist at Progyny
For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Face of Infertility.
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.

Host
Carl has been in the healthcare industry for close to twenty years. He’s part of the Provider Relations department working alongside Progyny’s Patient Care Advocates by addressing clinic and billing inquires. Previous to Progyny, Carl was at 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund and Emblem Health.

Guest
Alaina specializes in photographing phenomenal women and the people they love by providing a luxurious experience where her clients are pampered during their portrait session. Alaina began the Face of Infertility Project as a personal means to process through and bring light to her own fertility issues. It was her hope that creating such a project would help other women feel supported and unafraid to have the conversation about their own fertility struggles. She’s based in Chicago, IL.
Music From This Episode:
Artist: Spectacular
Title: What Was That
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/search/?quicksearch=spectacular&sort=track_date_published&d=1&page=1
Artist: Yakov Golman
Title: Prelude
URL:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Yakov_Golman/Piano__orchestra_1/Yakov_Golman_-_Prelude
Artist: Lee Rosevere
Title: And So Then
URL:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_3/05_And_So_Then
Title: Not My Problem
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_5/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_5_-_12_Not_My_Problem
Artist: Drake Stafford
Title: Weirder
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Drake_Stafford/Turtle_Warnings/Weirder
Artist: Parvus Decree
Title: Lucid Awakening
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/
Artist: Kai Engel
Title: Marée
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/Brume/Kai_Engel_-_Brume_-_03_Mare
Artist: Brylie Christopher Oxley
Title: Heavenly Motion
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Brylie_Christopher_Oxley/Gentle_Hearts_EP/BrylieChristopherOxley-GentleHeartsEP-03-HeavenlyMotion
Artist: Swelling
Title: Dawn II
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Swelling/Projector_Music_For_Visual_Media/Swelling_-_Projector-_Music_for_Visual_Media_-_07_Dawn_II