On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Ellie Levi, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her story of becoming a SIM: Single Intentional Mom to her 3 year old daughter, Ayelet HaShachar -her thought process and emotions about each stage of the process -the experience of being one of the first to her freeze eggs in her community -how she tried to stay true to halacha (jewish law) throughout -the many ups (some very funny moments!) and downs (lack of support from some people in her...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Elissa Felder joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her years of primary infertility, coupled with the devastating loss of her infant son  -her book, “From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage After Death,” which has become a lifeline for those navigating the churning waters of grief -her raw, soul-baring journey from paralyzing grief to living a life infused with purpose and passion -words of wisdom gathered from Elissa's personal...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Shirel Korobkin and Shani Weinmann Kay join Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -the realities of the fertility community in Israel, one year after October 7th -what the last 365 days has been for them personally and as individuals who have taken active roles in trying to hold space for others -advice to those of us who live in the diaspora, as to how we can best support our friends and family there, and be a light to them and they manage this...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Aliza Tropper, LMHC, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -the emotions that come up during the quest to build a family -the guilt, shame, sadness, anxiety, inadequacy, etc., and how they manifest -suggestions on how to make these deep feelings more manageable, like self-soothing, mini-breaks, reaching out for support and even medication if things become too overwhelming This line really stuck with me- “if you don’t grieve, you spend the rest...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Tee Simpser joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her diabetes diagnosis which she received when she was 12, which made it natural for her to share when she had trouble getting pregnant -her 6 years of primary infertility -heartbreaking disappointments, life-threatening complications and all kinds of insensitive comments -how she saw herself in the Chana/Penina story from the Book of Shmuel (book of Samuel), as she longed to be a mother, while...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Esther Rollhaus, MD, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -all aspects of reproductive psychiatry -the reasons why someone would reach out -how meds are used as an adjunct to therapy -the many safe and effective treatments that can be used before, during and after pregnancy -many of the myths about meds More about Esther Rollhaus, MD: Dr. Esther Rollhaus is an adult, child, and reproductive psychiatrist in private practice in Riverdale, NY...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Rachel Daar Cohen joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -a powerful, raw, and deeply emotional story of resilience after a tremendous amount of struggle -her struggle with infertility, trauma, grief, addiction, and endometriosis -how kindness is so important as we never know what people are really going through More about Rachel: Rachel Cohen is a firm believer that sharing some of her life experiences and struggles will help other women feel...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Chavie Bruk joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -pain and the way it changes over time -her and her husband's permanent infertility -adopting 5 children at different ages (some as newborns and some later in life) -her grieving the loss of a biological child  -how grief morphs and changes with the passage of time, but how it doesn’t really go away (and that’s okay!) -how sitting and immersing yourself in the sadness can actually make it a...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Peri Lyman joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her two amazing daughters -one of whom has special needs and the other of a free spirit, loving life -her experience getting asked if she’s a grandmother yet and the questions that make her crazy -how it feels to be asked insensitive questions -what are the kinds of things that should always be off limits -the best my way is to approach these kinds of situations More about Peri: Peri Lyman is...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Ricki Steiner joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her primary infertility journey this far -why she decide to start talking openly about her struggles on social media -how she feels when people tell her they’re praying for her (with a whole sidebar on her relationship with G-d right now) -how she deals with insensitive comments -what tools she uses to keep herself afloat More about Ricki: Ricki Steiner lives in Houston, Texas with her...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Talia Mizrahi, Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist Certified Grief Educator, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -how to talk to children about grief and loss -sharing news in a way that is developmentally appropriate for each child -normalizing the greiving process for children by explaining that you may be sad one day and not the next -making sure that each child knows that they are not their feelings by explaining that you can feel...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Rabbi Elchanan Poupko joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -his recent piece about the insensitivity in the orthodox community to people who are struggling to have a child -his personal story of infertility and the pain he and his wife carried for all those years -how their infertility challenges made him a passionate voice for those who are still in the trenches -practical takeaways on what you can say and do to ease some of the pain More...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Rachel Goldberg LMFT, PMH joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -binge and restrictive eating habits and how that can affect fertility -the reasons why disordered eating or exercise can cause fertility issues -the guilt and shame that go along with this these diagnoses -the small changes suggestions people can make to try to get them out of a destructive feeding pattern -her thoughts on ozempic and other meds that have been linked to increased...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Reva Schlanger Peyser MS, RD, CDN joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -a myriad of issues surrounding fertility in regard to body image and eating disorders -how people feel like their body is failing them during the struggle to build a family -how people might use eating, nutrition, exercise to try to take back some control -rigid behaviors that can be detrimental to helping people find balance with their body -practical suggestions on how...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Curt Sechrist joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -his fertility journey, with the backdrop of becoming part of the Jewish community -his childhood and when he realized that he was gay -his experience of being exposed to more of Jewish culture and religion, and how that became an even bigger part of his life when he met his future husband, Adam -his decision to convert -why they chose to adopt instead of pursuing surrogacy -their adoption...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her upbringing, her passion for her job as a community rabbi, and having a stillbirth -her baby, Leo, who she lost -what grief looks like when your job is to hold people in *their* pain -how she has managed to get through all of it More about Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman: Karen Glazer Perolman is the Senior Associate Rabbi at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, the...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Shira Collings joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her personal experience with recurrent pregnancy loss (4 heartbreaking losses) -how navigating grief is hard enough after a loss, as most people don’t truly understand what a grieving person needs -the added layers of being part of the queer community, which brings up other ways that people can feel isolated and alone -needing to find supports that are LGBTQ+ affirming and grief knowledgeable...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Rob Reider joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -the stillbirth of his daughter, Lila, in December 2017 -how he dealt with the grief and overwhelming heartache -how he and his his wife, Tehila, got through those early weeks (spoiler alert- they were both a mess) -the power of community and finding other men to talk with, who could validate his feelings and let him know he was not alone More about Rob: Rob Reider is a musician, father,...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, David Melamed joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -his 14-year struggle to have a child -his candid and heartfelt discussion of the most painful and challenging moments -the sources of strength and upliftment on this journey -his courage and emotional depth This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the male psyche and the profound pain of infertility More about David: David Melamed is originally from Denver...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Jen Blumenfeld joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -the story of her 3 beautiful children, some of whom came into this world through donor eggs (you'll have to listen to find out which ones!) -longing for a child and having multiple failed cycles -how Jen and her husband came to considering donor eggs -Jen's relationship with her donor, unlike an anonymous donor, Jen knew her donor, which made the decision so much easier for her -building her...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Elana Frank, CEO of Jewish Fertility Foundation, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her own fertility journey - the tale of a woman who will go to any length to build her family -doing IUIs in a doctor's home in Israel to turning to IVF back in the States and then choosing a donor embryo for her last child -her experience with secondary infertility - the yearning for another child while feeling guilty for not being happy with the two children...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Emily Getz joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -how she and her husband had their first child naturally and never expected that it would be difficult trying to build their family -her stillbirth and multiple miscarriages, 1 ectopic, 4 rounds of IVF and still no baby -the grief, shock, loss and heartbreak that were almost pushed to the side as they pursued every possible step in order to try to have another child -the decision of whether to...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, neonatologist, Michelle Weissman, MD joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -how she became a single mother by choice...to 4 children -how this was never her "plan A" and she didn't even consider becoming a parent until she was in her 30s, with no dating prospects on the horizon -the process of how and why she got comfortable with the idea -how she broke the news to her parents and their reaction and her entire fertility journey -her support...

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo,  Dr. Eric Surrey, Rabbi Idit Solomon, and Lori Metz, LCSW, CCM, BC-THM join Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -the most frequently asked questions about donor conception -who considers using a donor -how one picks a donor -the emotions that people typically grapple with -who needs to know that you are using a donor (the egg salad comment was so great here!) -how the Jewish community relates to donor-conceived children Spoiler alert: Dr. Surrey...