Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART cover art

Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART

Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART

By: Alison Prato
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Unfiltered, honest, and deeply human—Infertile AF is the podcast that tells the real stories behind infertility and modern family building. Hosted by journalist, Fertility Rally co-founder, "Work of ART" books author and mom-of-two Ali Prato, who went through secondary infertility and IVF herself, the show dives into the messy, frustrating, painful, heartbreaking, absurd, and sometimes even funny realities of trying to have a baby—or pivoting in a different direction.

Each episode spotlights a different journey, path or topic, covering everything from miscarriages, egg freezing, sperm and egg donation, IUIs, IVF, endometriosis, and male factor infertility to adoption, surrogacy, genetic testing, termination for medical reasons, single parenting by choice, LGBTQ+ family building, living childless not by choice, depression, relationship struggles, financial stress, jealousy, PTSD, trauma and beyond.

In this safe, non-judgmental space, Ali explores all the outcomes: the joyful, the soul-crushing, and the stories still unfolding. Infertile AF is here to remind you that no matter where you are on your journey, you’re not alone.

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Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • The True Story Behind Ali's Children's Book, Beautiful Bird: Helen, Aaron and Blake on Love, Friendship, Donor Conception, Surviving the NICU and Building a Beautiful Modern Family
    Jun 25 2026

    Today’s episode is a really special one because Ali is sitting down with three of her favorite people in the world: Helen, Aaron, and Blake—the real-life family behind her “Work of ART” children's book, Beautiful Bird.

    If you’ve read the book, then you already know a little bit about Jack Bird, the incredible boy at the center of the story. And today, you’re going to hear the real origin story. This is a conversation about love, friendship, family building, and creating a family that looks different than what many of us grew up seeing—but is every bit as beautiful. Helen always knew she wanted to be a mom, and as a solo mom by choice, she embarked on a journey to build her family with the help of her dear friend Aaron. At the time, Aaron was building a life with his partner, Blake, and together, the three of them created a beautiful, intentional village around Jack from the very beginning.

    Ali, Helen, Blake and Aaron talk about fertility treatments, donor conception, LGBTQ+ family building, and what it means to redefine family in a way that puts love, honesty, and a child's well-being first. They also talk about one of the most difficult chapters of their journey: Jack's unexpected 33-day stay in the NICU after he was born, and how that experience shaped all of them as parents and as a family. Most of all, this is a story about showing up for one another. It's about friendship becoming family, about creating your own blueprint, and about the many different ways people can build a loving home.

    Snag a copy of Beautiful Bird for just $15 here:

    https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

    EPISODE SPONSORS:

    THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES

    Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

    https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

    The 3-book bundle is now just $49 (normally $79)!

    The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.

    PHERDAL

    IG: @pherdal_science

    PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.

    Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.

    CARAWAY

    Caraway cookware is beautiful, first of all — like, actually gorgeous sitting on your stove — but it also makes cooking feel easier and less stressful.

    Visit carawayhome.com to take an additional 10% off your next purchase using code INFERTILEAF at checkout.





    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Are You Overpaying for Reproductive Tissue Storage? Generations CryoVault CEO Charlie Boyer on Hidden Costs, Patient Choice, and How He's Disrupting the Industry to Save You Money
    Jun 19 2026

    On this episode, we're talking about something that affects millions of fertility patients—but that almost nobody talks about until the bill shows up: reproductive tissue storage.If you have embryos, eggs, or sperm in storage, you know the drill. Every year, another invoice arrives. Maybe it's $600. Maybe it's $800. Maybe it's over $1,000. Most people just pay it because they assume that's the cost. But what if it isn't? Ali’s guest today is Charlie Boyer, CEO and Co-Founder of Generations CryoVault, and he's on a mission to shake up an industry that he believes has gotten way too comfortable charging fertility patients more and more for storage. Charlie's background is actually in financial services and cord blood storage, but after taking a closer look at reproductive tissue storage, he started asking some uncomfortable questions: Why are prices so high? Why don't patients know they have options? And why are so many clinics owned by private equity firms without patients even realizing it? In this conversation, Ali and Charlie talk about transparency, private equity, patient choice, and Generation CryoVault’s new Pricing Promise, which aims to dramatically lower the cost of long-term embryo, egg, and sperm storage. They also discuss whoownsyourcare.org, how to find out who actually stores your tissue, and what questions every fertility patient should be asking their clinic. Whether you have embryos in storage right now, you're considering fertility treatment, or you're just curious about where all those fertility dollars are going, this is a fascinating conversation about an often-overlooked part of the family-building journey.

    For more info, go to https://gencryo.com/

    IG: @generationscryovault

    EPISODE SPONSORS:

    THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES

    Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

    https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

    The 3-book bundle is now just $49 (normally $79)!

    The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.

    PHERDAL

    IG: @pherdal_science

    PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.

    Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.

    CARAWAY

    Caraway cookware is beautiful, first of all — like, actually gorgeous sitting on your stove — but it also makes cooking feel easier and less stressful.

    Visit carawayhome.com to take an additional 10% off your next purchase using code INFERTILEAF at checkout.




    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • From Protecting Michelle Obama to Building a Family Through Surrogacy: LGBTQ+ Advocate Cory Allen on Love, Loss and Fatherhood
    Jun 13 2026

    Today’s guest is Cory Allen—a former police officer, longtime U.S. Secret Service Agent who spent years protecting Michelle Obama, author, dad, and advocate for LGBTQ+ family building.

    You may know Cory from his memoir, Breaking Free, where he shared his journey as a gay Secret Service Agent. Now he’s written a children’s book called Dada Takes a Trip, inspired by the very real emotions that come with leaving your child behind for a work trip—and helping kids understand that love doesn't disappear just because a parent is away.

    In this episode, Cory opens up about his path to parenthood through surrogacy, the losses and challenges he and his husband faced along the way, and what it's been like building their family. Cory and Ali also talk about fatherhood, vulnerability, the highs and lows of surrogacy, and why he believes more men should feel comfortable talking about their emotions.

    For more, go to https://www.coryallenbooks.com/

    IG: @authorcoryallen

    EPISODE SPONSORS:

    THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES

    Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

    https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

    The 3-book bundle is now just $49 (normally $79)!

    The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.

    PHERDAL

    IG: @pherdal_science

    PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.

    Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.

    CARAWAY

    Caraway cookware is beautiful, first of all — like, actually gorgeous sitting on your stove — but it also makes cooking feel easier and less stressful.

    Visit carawayhome.com to take an additional 10% off your next purchase using code INFERTILEAF at checkout.




    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
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