Hi friends, we’re really glad you’re here 🤍
One of the hardest parts of the fertility journey isn't the treatment itself. It's the gap between what you're told and what you actually need to know. This week, we're looking at two sides of that gap. First, PGT-A, the embryo screening test that nearly half of IVF patients now use, and why the science behind it is more complicated than most clinics let on. Second, the grief that so many fertility patients carry but rarely hear named, what psychology calls it, why it matters, and what actually helps. Both stories come back to the same thing: you deserve the full picture, not just the protocol.
Let’s dive in.
In this Issue We'll Cover...
To Test or Not to Test: What the Evidence Actually Says About PGT
You're mid-cycle, your doctor mentions PGT-A, and suddenly there's a new decision on your plate with a big price tag and not a lot of clarity. We went deep on the research so you don't have to sort through it alone: what the test actually does, who it helps most, where the science gets murky, and what to ask before you say yes or no.
Your Voice in the Process: Patient Advocacy & Mental Health in Fertility Care
The fertility world is getting better at something it hasn't always prioritized: treating patients as whole people, not just medical cases. From clinics embedding mental health professionals into their care teams to patients finding new ways to advocate for themselves, there's a growing recognition that good fertility care means more than good medicine. Here are some recent reads on what that shift looks like.
"Infertility Is a Mental Health Bombshell" This thoughtful Undark Magazine essay makes the case that emotional support shouldn't be an afterthought in fertility treatment, and highlights how some clinics are beginning to build it into the process from day one. READ ARTICLE HERE
How Embedding Mental Health Professionals in Fertility Clinics Changes Outcomes A 2024 study found that patients reported significantly better treatment experiences when their clinic offered onsite mental health counseling. The research explores several models for how clinics can make this work in practice. READ ARTICLE HERE
10 Tips for Advocating for Yourself During Your Infertility Journey A practical, encouraging guide from Boston IVF on how to ask better questions, seek second opinions, and stay in the driver's seat of your own treatment plan. READ ARTICLE HERE
What Patients Really Want to Know About IVF Add-Ons A 2023 study in Sociology of Health and Illness found that fertility patients actively seek out evidence but often struggle to find clear, unbiased information about treatment extras. The takeaway: better transparency helps patients feel more confident, not less. READ ARTICLE HERE
Working Through the Four Stages of Fertility Grief
Nobody tells you that infertility comes with grief. Not your doctor, not your friends, not the clinic's welcome packet. But if you've ever cried in your car after a phone call from the nurse, or faked a smile through someone else's pregnancy announcement, you already know it does. This one's for you: what the grief actually is, why it feels the way it does, and what to do with it.
If you enjoyed this issue of Path to Parenthood, be sure to share with anyone you know who is currently on a TTC journey ❤
