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.

Episode 5: LGBTQ+ Family Building: Two Moms and the Journey to Build Their Family

For Pride month, we’re rolling out four episodes that cover family building for the LGBTQ+ community. The first episode is about what it’s like to build a family as a same-sex couple. There are important decisions to make up front such as, who’s going to carry the baby? How do you choose a sperm donor? And which fertility treatment – IUI, IVF, or reciprocal IVF – do you choose?

But even when you’ve made all of those decisions, sometimes things don’t go as planned. In this episode, Katie Acosta and Hilary Smith explain how their chosen family building path didn’t work, how they embarked on a new fertility journey called reciprocal IVF, and how they navigated the legal logistics with their new family.

Guests: Katie Acosta and Hilary Smith

Expert: Dr. Shahin Ghadir, SCRC

Host: Melissa Maldonado, Implementations Manager at Progyny

For more information visit Progyny’s Podcast Page, Progyny’s Education page for LGBTQ+ family building options, and Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC).

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.

About the Speakers

Host: Melissa Maldonado

Patient Care Supervisor at Progyny

Guest: Katie Acosta and Hilary Smith

Guest: Dr. Shahin Ghadir

board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC)

Host: Melissa Maldonado

Patient Care Supervisor at Progyny

Melissa began her career in the healthcare industry with an outpatient radiology company focused on excellent customer service. During this time, Melissa developed a passion for healthcare and the focus on high quality care, which continued to grow when she began her career at Progyny as a Patient Care Advocate. Today, Melissa actively works with Progyny members to help them achieve their fertility goals and oversees the Patient Care Advocate team. She also enjoys watching Florida State Football and traveling with her husband.

Guest: Katie Acosta and Hilary Smith

Dr. Janet Choi is the Chief Medical Officer at Progyny, where she leads the company’s clinical strategy and ensures Progyny’s solutions deliver the highest quality care across the family building and women’s health continuum. A double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and OB/GYN, Dr. Choi brings over three decades of clinical leadership and hands-on patient care experience to Progyny’s mission of expanding access, improving outcomes, and setting a new standard in reproductive healthcare.

Guest: Dr. Shahin Ghadir

board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC)

As a founding partner of Southern California Reproductive Center, Dr. Ghadir is double board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and also at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.