Self Worth, Exercise Extractions, Body Image: Reflecting on How Infertility Changes You with Jesse and Doug from the Infertility Feelings Podcast

Written By Lora Shahine, MD

Infertility changes a person, physically, mentally, and emotionally — it affects our identity, our relationships, our hopes and expectations for the future. How we manage these changes will be different for each person. 

In this unique and personal episode, Dr. Lora Shahine is a guest on the Infertility Feelings podcast with hosts Doug and Jesse. Listeners will hear her share her own fertility journey and all the emotions she experienced being simultaneously doctor and patient. 

Jesse and Doug also explain their process groups — safe spaces where members can talk about the issues and feelings that come with infertility. A great tool for managing the emotional toll that infertility takes, this form of group therapy could help members come out the other side understanding what their bodies and minds have gone through. 

In this episode you’ll hear:

[:46] Meet the hosts of the Infertility Feelings Podcast

[2:35] Dr. Lora Shahine shares her fertility journey through 2 pregnancies

[7:04] Being a Fertility Doctor and Fertility patient at the same time

[10:28] The impact of fertility on other parts of your life

[13:51] Acceptance of a new reality

[16:24] Infertility as a first “real” struggle

[18:47] How infertility changes you

[23:27] The changes your body goes through during infertility

[28:24] Dealing with feelings of failure

[30:19] Doug & Jesse’s Process Groups

[36:06] Balancing patient’s dreams with best course of action

Resources mentioned: 

Uniquely Knitted www.uniquelyknitted.org

Process Groups: www.uniquelyknitted.org/programs/process-groups

Infertility Feelings Podcast: www.uniquelyknitted.org/podcast/infertility-feelings-podcast

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Lora Shahine, MD

Dr. Lora Shahine, reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, completed her residency in OBGYN at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Stanford University. She is dedicated to educating and advocating for increased awareness of infertility, miscarriage, and the impact on environmental toxins on health through an active social media presence, teaching, clinical research, and authoring multiple blogs and books including best selling, ‘Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.’

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