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 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.

Episode 13: PCOS and Fertility: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

September is PCOS Awareness Month. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition that impacts 10% of women of childbearing age. Among the list of frustrating symptoms that PCOS can cause, some of which include weight gain, excessive hair growth, irregular periods, stress, anxiety, and depression, the condition is also unfortunately one of the leading causes of infertility.  

In honor of this month, we’re doing a three-part series on PCOS to spread awareness and share patient stories. In the first episode, we hear from Satoya Foster, Co-Founder of the PCOS Awareness Association, who tells us about her journey with the condition and how she became inspired to help others living with PCOS.

Satoya explains the frustrations she felt when she couldn’t make sense of her body, like the unexplained weight gain and absent periods. For her, it felt like her body was, “out of control.” In this episode, we’ll learn about how she was eventually diagnosed, her fertility journey that followed, and how she was able to successfully get pregnant with her daughter Zoey.  

Guest: Satoya Foster, Co-Founder at PCOS Awareness Association  

Expert: Dr. Angie Beltsos, VIOS Fertility 

Host: Julie Hunt, Business Development Associate at Progyny 

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page, PCOS Awareness Association (PCOSAA), and Vios 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. 

Host

Julie Hunt, Business Development Associate at Progyny

Julie has been working in the fertility healthcare field for the last 5 years. She started her career as a Patient Care Advocate (PCA), a fertility specialist that helps a patient navigate through their fertility journey and was able to grow and transition within Progyny. Today she leverages her PCA experience and passion for the fertility industry to help employers understand and cover infertility as part of their healthcare benefit.

Guests

Satoya Foster, Co-Founder of the PCOS Awareness Association (PCOSAA)

As co-founder of the PCOS Awareness Association, Satoya collaborates with the Executive Director to evaluate programming, facilitate meetings within the Leadership Board, and to implement plans for strategic growth and sustainability.

Having been diagnosed with PCOS, she is passionate about advocating for PCOS research, educating women about what is necessary to get tested, and providing support for those affected by this syndrome.

Satoya is also the founder of Practicing Redemption, an online community that empowers women by encouraging redemptive practices as a virtue for personal growth through intentional daily practices and community.

Angeline N. Beltsos, MD, CEO and Medical Director of Vios Fertility Institute

Dr. Beltsos is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI), practicing medicine since 1991. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loyola University in 1995 followed by a fellowship in REI at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, completed in 1997.

She is also the Clinical Research Division Director of Vios and participates in a number of research projects and scientific publications. She has received numerous awards in teaching and has been honored as “Top Doctor” from Castle Connelly for several years. She is a popular speaker, both nationally and internationally, and a frequent media resource on the topic of infertility. Dr. Beltsos is the executive chairperson for the Midwest Reproductive Symposium International, an international conference of fertility experts.

As the REI Division Education Director for the Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs of Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Lutheran General Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital Chicago, Dr. Beltsos helps educate future OB/GYN doctors. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Illinois at Chicago.