We talk a lot about the statistic that 1 in 8 struggle with infertility, but the thing is, that number represents the general public and not specific demographics within it. Take physicians, for instance. The people on the front lines, helping others with infertility, COVID, and any other medical issue. Their infertility stat? 1 in 4.
As elucidated in Physician Fertility: A Call to Action and One in Four — The Importance of Comprehensive Fertility Benefits for the Medical Workforce, doctors struggle with infertility at higher rates because their family planning takes a backseat during their extensive schooling and residency programs. Even those who work directly in the fertility space often need ART for family building.
In today’s episode, three doctors in the Progyny Provider Network share their stories with infertility, ART, and parenthood. Their experiences straddle both sides of the examination table, calling on a need for both fertility coverage and education.
Guests: Dr. Dorette Noorhasan, CCRM Dallas – Fort Worth and Dr. Ravi Gada, Dallas-Fort Worth Fertility Associates
Host: Dan Bulger
For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources.
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Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.
Here are some highlights from this episode:
Perspective from Both Sides of the Exam Table
3:10 – 5:21
Dr. Dorette Noorhasan: I spent a lot of time studying to pursue my career and become this doctor that people are happy with today. But it took a lot of time and energy. And so, I didn’t meet my husband until my very late 30s. And at that time, it’s more difficult to conceive. So, in the general public, one in eight couples struggle with infertility. So it’s very, very common. And as in this article that Marshall so nicely wrote, it’s actually one in four female physicians that are impacted. I’m not shocked at this statistic because female physicians spend a lot of time pursuing our career, trying to measure up and trying to get to the next step and the next level. And all of a sudden, we’ve placed our own fertility or own future or personal future, I should say, on the backburner. And then next thing we know, we’re in our 40s and can’t have a baby.
It’s very interesting that you’re interviewing me about this article, because it’s the life that I’ve lived. So I know it’s all too well. I already had been in private practice for several years. When I was going through fertility treatment, I would come to work during the day, and that morning, I got up, I did my shots, I went home, I did my shots at night. And I would have an egg retrieval on one day and the next day go back to seeing patients routinely as if nothing had happened. I did fine throughout the process. But it certainly does make you understand what your patients go through when you’re doing all these injections and you’re going through the hopes that this cycle will work and then find out a few weeks later that it didn’t and you’re starting back at square one. You really understand what patients go through in terms of that rollercoaster ride. So, it does provide a unique perspective to see it from both sides of the exam table.
Some of the Lucky Ones
16:29 – 18:12
Dr. Ravi Gada: Ultimately, we ended up with 42 eggs. And that’s a lot and that has to do with PCOS. She stimulated really well. And the good news is we got 42 eggs, but the downside is she did end up developing a little bit of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, OHSS. But we managed that fine and she got through it, but it was definitely uncomfortable. But that was a little bit uncomfortable time. But in the end, we ended up with six or seven good blastocyst embryos that we were able to freeze them. And we did the first embryo transfer and it took right away. And that resulted in our son, which is our oldest child, then he’s now five years old. And then a couple years later, we did the second embryo transfer, which was still from that same batch of embryos that we got from that first egg retrieval. And it took right away and we were fortunate enough that it actually ended up being a girl. And for us, we were some of the lucky ones where it worked right away on the first try. And then the second pregnancy it worked right away again.