Episode 14: Infertility: A Conversation with Dr. Meyer from Illume Fertility

03/13/23 • 36 min

Dr. Laura Meyer, a Reproductive Endocrinologist at Illume Fertility, is the featured guest on the podcast today. She begins by sharing her personal journey and passion for reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and proceeds to provide an overview of the complex issues surrounding infertility and the options available to individuals and couples looking to start a family. Dr. Meyer delves into the topic of third-party reproduction, including egg donation and surrogacy, and looks at the relationships between doctors, patients, and agencies involved in the process, highlighting the importance of personalized care and decision-making based on individual circumstances.

She goes on to explore the topic of egg donation and the different types available, and discusses the importance of ensuring that everyone involved in the process has aligned expectations, encouraging a relationship between the parties involved in the donation process. She notes as well that the advancements in genetic testing have changed the egg donation landscape, and how it is no longer realistic to expect eternal anonymity. An undisputed expert in the field, Dr. Meyer provides listeners here today valuable insight into the complexities of infertility, as well as sage advice regarding the many options available to those seeking to start a family.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Meyer’s background and how she became interested in reproductive endocrinology
Causes of infertility
The different treatments available and how they work
The emotional and psychological impact of infertility on individuals and couples
How to cope with the challenges of treatment
The importance of genetic testing in fertility treatment
Risks associated with certain genetic conditions
Different paths to parenthood
Dr. Meyer’s advice and resources for those facing infertility or considering fertility treatment.
Third-party reproduction
The changing landscape of egg donation and eternal anonymity
The robust egg donor database available at Circle
The in the current egg donation landscape

About Dr. Meyer
Dr. Laura Meyer is double board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Obstetrics and Gynecology. After graduating from the NYU School of Medicine, she completed both her residency and fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Prior to joining Illume Fertility in 2020, she was an Assistant Professor at the NYU School of Medicine, practicing in Westchester and Fairfield counties.
If you're considering egg donation or surrogacy, Circle's experienced team would be happy to speak with you, answer questions an

Thank you for listening!
If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

Become a surrogate (email: [email protected])
Become a parent (email: [email protected])
Become an egg donor (email: [email protected])

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Meyer’s background and how she became interested in reproductive endocrinology
Causes of infertility
The different treatments available and how they work
The emotional and psychological impact of infertility on individuals and couples
How to cope with the challenges of treatment
The importance of genetic testing in fertility treatment
Risks associated with certain genetic conditions
Different paths to parenthood
Dr. Meyer’s advice and resources for those facing infertility or considering fertility treatment.
Third-party reproduction
The changing landscape of egg donation and eternal anonymity
The robust egg donor database available at Circle
The in the current egg donation landscape

Thank you for listening!
If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

Become a surrogate (email: [email protected])
Become a parent (email: [email protected])
Become an egg donor (email: [email protected])

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Previous Episode

Episode 13: What a Lawyer Does In a Surrogacy Journey

Today’s special guest on The Family Circle podcast is Dean Hutchison, Vice President of Legal Services at Circle Surrogacy and the Immediate Past Chairman of the American Bar Association's Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology Law. Dean offers his perspective on why one might need a lawyer for surrogacy and the legal aspects of it that are important for both intended parents and surrogates to understand. He also shares his background and experience working in the field of surrogacy law and how it has evolved over the past two decades.

Dean then goes on to review the legal complexities of surrogacy and the importance of working with a lawyer to ensure that the surrogacy process is done legally and ethically. Listeners will learn about the behind-the-scenes work that goes on during a surrogacy journey and how a legal team can support intended parents during the process. The challenges that arose during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the legal team at Circle Surrogacy helped intended parents during that time are also explored.
Today’s episode is a valuable resource for anyone considering surrogacy – or for those who are currently in the process – as it provides a clear understanding of the legal aspect of surrogacy and how it can help ensure a smooth and successful journey for all involved.

Episode Highlights:

Dean’s professional history
How surrogacy law has changed over the years
The Baby M decision
The primary role of a lawyer in surrogacy
Some of the key aspects of the legal process of surrogacy
How the legal contract is used
Working with a good agency
The relationship between a lawyer and intended parents during the surrogacy process
Navigating the legal aspects of surrogacy
How the legal team at Circle Surrogacy helped intended parents during COVID-19

Quotes:

"Pretty much trial by fire, learned very quickly the ins and outs of surrogacy law back in 2003-2004."

"I didn't know anything about surrogacy law other than the kind of famous Baby M decision that every family law professor goes over in school."

"A lot of the expectations for the journey are sort of worked out in that contract phase at the very beginning. So it's not something that's coming up at week 20, at week 24.”

"The relationship between a lawyer and intended parents is one of support and guidance throughout the surrogacy journey."

"A lot of it is negotiating those small things...making sure things are keeping kind of in the norms - that you're not having someone who's taking advantage."

"And then you get kind of the more intense issues like termination or abortion or selective reduction when the parents have certain rights to request such things."

"We were talking to contacts in the Senate and the House and the St

Thank you for listening!
If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

Become a surrogate (email: [email protected])
Become a parent (email: [email protected])
Become an egg donor (email: [email protected])

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Next Episode

Episode 15: Kristyn Hodgdon, IVF Warrior and Co-Creator of Rescripted

Today's episode contains sensitive content about pregnancy loss.

Kristin (your host) speaks with Kristyn Hodgdon, who shares her experience with IVF, becoming a mother to twins, secondary infertility, and how she took her personal experience and co-created Rescripted, the #1 global media platform for fertility and reproductive health topics.
Kristyn, who started her career in book publishing, found herself writing about her experience trying to get pregnant through IVF, eventually starting a blog called the Fertility Tribe. Her blog became a resource and community for others, and a few years later, she met her business partners and together they created Rescripted.
Kristyn openly talks about her Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis, being sent straight to a fertility clinic, and starting IVF. After rounds of IVF Kristyn became pregnant with twins. Kristyn and her husband wished to grow their family again, and Kristyn once again tried IVF to become pregnant. She shares her struggles with secondary infertility, a miscarriage, and the importance of mental health and taking breaks when you need them.
Our guest is Kristyn Hodgdon is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Rescripted — the #1 global media platform for fertility and reproductive health topics. She is also a professional writer, voracious reader, and proud mom of IVF twins. She lives in Long Island, NY with her husband, Dan, their kids, and their dog, Nash.
Your host is Kristin Marsoli, Marketing Director at Circle Surrogacy, mom through surrogacy, lover of all things Target, and aspiring novelist.

Thank you for listening!
If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out: