Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Leyla Bilali, Founder of Fertility Together, located in Hoboken, NJ, USA.

CEO and Founder, Maria I. Melendez - @iammariamelendez is breaking down ALL of the various challenges with infertility that both women AND men face. Tune into this podcast to hear the truth about infertility that we don't always hear or talk about with our special guest Leyla Bilali (@fertilitytogether) - a Registered Nurse and Fertility Specialist!

By Leyla Bilali, BSN, RN

Whether it’s your first miscarriage or loss or your second, third, fourth, etc. – yes, sadly, recurrent miscarriage happens too often than I’d like to admit – it makes even the smoothest, healthy pregnancy after feel like a rollercoaster. Once you’ve gone through something that traumatic it’s hard to go back to where you started and have the benefit of ignorance is bliss – the innocence and excitement that brings about the joy of pregnancy with a healthy baby no longer applies. You’re scarred. And nobody can blame you for that.

By Leyla Bilali, BSN, RN

You're finally pregnant, but you can't enjoy it. Being afraid after finding out that you’re pregnant is not uncommon especially if it isn't your first time.

One of the common trending themes I find amongst my mental health clients is that after a long fertility journey, finally being pregnant is actually unbelievable.

By Leyla Bilali, BSN, RN

Whether you are conceiving naturally or via fertility treatment there’s always a risk that an ectopic pregnancy may occur. This is often when two common misconceptions come in:

1. If you’re doing in vitro fertilization (IVF) this shouldn’t happen, because you’re placing the embryo where it should be.

2. There’s a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy with IVF.

By Leyla Bilali, BSN, RN

When your OB/GYN tells you to seek out a fertility specialist you’re faced with the task of finding the right fit for your individual needs prior to even knowing what those needs are or may be. After all, you haven’t even started your fertility journey yet, how do you know which fertility clinic and fertility specialist will be right for you? Some need warm and fuzzy fertility doctors who will hold their hand, while others decide based off of statistics and success or by experience and reputation. Finding the right doctor for you can be challenging, which is why I’m here to share some tips for choosing the right fertility doctor before you start your fertility journey.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

BPA, or bisphenol-A, is a chemical found in some plastics and epoxy resins. If you look for the recycle number 7, you'll know that the plastic you're using contains BPA. BPA can also be found in some dental sealants, canned food linings, pre-2012 baby bottles, and medical devices.

The media frequently reports on concerns over BPA, and you can find BPA-free water bottles for sale in most sporting goods stores. Are these BPA-free products worth it? Is BPA dangerous for your health?

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali

The first priority when it comes to the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is to deal with the underlying infection, even if you don't have any symptoms besides infertility when you're first diagnosed. PID can worsen over time. The sooner it's treated, the less damage you'll sustain to your reproductive organs.

PID can also lead to serious pregnancy complications, which is just one of the many reasons why PID must be treated before you get pregnant. Only after the infection is resolved should treatment of the resulting infertility be addressed.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Unexplained infertility is a frustrating diagnosis to receive. It is also a common one. Approximately one in four fertility challenged couples will be told there is no explanation for why they can’t conceive.1 Unexplained infertility does not, however, mean that you have no options. There is a reason for hope.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

What is the best way to get pregnant if you’re facing unexplained infertility? There’s no straightforward answer. Typically, when you can’t get pregnant, the first step is fertility testing. Then, once a cause (or causes) is found, an appropriate treatment is pursued. If you’re not ovulating, Clomid may be tried. If sperm counts are low, IUI or IVF may be recommended. But what do you treat when your doctor doesn’t know what’s wrong?

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali

Whether you identify as same/similar gender-attracted and/or are transgender, if you want to have a baby or raise children, you have many options—possibly more options that you’ve imagined. Granted, having babies as a same- or similar-gender couple or transgender individual can be complicated. There are logistical issues, legal hurdles, and financial obstacles that cisgender heterosexual couples rarely consider or ever need to deal with.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is an endocrine disorder and a common cause of infertility in women. In PCOS, hormones that affect the reproductive system are abnormal, leading to irregular or absent ovulation. PCOS is a common disorder, affecting roughly 4% to 12% of women.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Adhesions are abnormal bands of scar tissue that join together organs or parts of organs that are not normally joined together. They can be caused by infection, some diseases, or previous surgery. Adhesions may cause infertility by preventing the egg and sperm from meeting, interfering with ovulation or making the uterus inhospitable to a fertilized embryo. Adhesions are one possible cause of blocked fallopian tubes. Endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can cause adhesions that interfere with your ability to get pregnant. Asherman’s syndrome, or uterine synechiae, are when adhesions form inside the uterus. It may cause infertility or recurrent miscarriage.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus. Each month, the endometrium thickens and renews itself, preparing for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the endometrium sheds in a process known as menstruation.

If conception takes place, the embryo implants into the endometrium. Conditions that involve the endometrium and may impact fertility include: Adenomyosis, Asherman’s syndrome (uterine adhesions), Endometrial cancer, Endometrial polyps, Endometriosis, Luteal Phase Defect, Too thin or too thick endometrium and Viral infection.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

A varicocele (pronounced VAR-a-co-cell) is an enlarged vein in the scrotum and testicle, usually found on the left side, but also possibly found on both sides of the scrotum, and very rarely only on the right side. You're likely familiar with varicose veins, which occur in the legs. As with varicose veins, when a varicocele is present, the vein's valve that helps blood flow upward to the heart becomes dysfunctional. This causes blood to pool in the area. This may lead to swelling, testicular shrinking, infertility, and sometimes pain.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Male infertility isn't something you hear much about, so you may be surprised to know that male infertility is almost as likely as female infertility to be involved in a couple's inability to achieve pregnancy. The good news is that most cases of male infertility can be resolved either by treating the problem or using fertility treatments. When this is not the case, a couple facing male infertility may turn to a sperm donor or adoption to help build their family.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a potential cause of female infertility. Also known as premature ovarian failure, women with POI don’t ovulate regularly and are unlikely to conceive with their own eggs. The most successful fertility treatment option is IVF with an egg or embryo donor.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the reproductive organs, occurring when bacteria travels through cervix to the uterus and fallopian tubes. PID can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, tubal or ovarian abscesses, adhesions, peritonitis (infection of a silk-like lining that covers the abdominal organs) and perihepatitis (inflammation of the coating of the liver). In rare, severe cases, untreated PID can lead to death.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Many men worry about having a semen analysis or sperm count test done. A semen analysis entails producing a semen sample via self-stimulation in a private environment. It usually takes place in a room in at a fertility clinic or urologist's office, but it can possibly be done at home if you live close enough to the testing center. While fertility testing often starts with the female partner, the male partner may be surprised to learn he needs testing too. Is it really necessary? The answer is yes, it is necessary. If a couple is having difficulty getting pregnant, both partners should be evaluated.

Medically reviewed by Leyla Bilali, RN

Between 10% and 15% of couples will experience infertility. This means they will not conceive after at least one year of trying. Of these infertile couples, approximately one-third will discover fertility problems on the woman’s side, another third will find the problem on the man’s side, and the rest will find problems on both sides or receive a diagnosis of unexplained infertility.

What causes female infertility? In the simplest of terms, female infertility happens when one or more of the following occurs...