All That Triggers: Recent Episodes
Zoe Karlis & Sarah Jane
Welcome to ALL THAT TRIGGERS - we are your hosts Zoe & SJ.
We are two Melbourne mummas who have turned our low-key car therapy conversations into a supportive, informative and at times, cynical podcast!
We are of the mindset: if you don’t laugh, you’ll FKN cry! So while this will be an ‘enlightening’ platform to discuss all things infertility like mature adults, we won’t hold back!
SEASON TWO {EP 9} - TRIGGER WARNING for this episode. In this episode we speak with Fanoula Anasta about the loss of her son, Luke, at 23 weeks. Fanoula so gracefully shares with us her story of experiencing an IC (Incompetent Cervix) during this pregnancy, her time on bed rest and how she has chosen to honour her Lukey. There wasn’t a dry eye in the studio, and we both want to thank Fanoula and her beautiful family for sharing this with us. Your bravery and the outpouring of love you expressed is nothing short of amazing. This episode is for all of our beautiful babies who grew their tiny wings. This episode was filmed, but due to some technical difficulties, we’ve decided to just stick with the audio so our community can hear the entire episode. It’s important this story is told without any interruptions. SJ & Zoe.
We are back in the studio and we couldn’t be more excited! After a little hiatus, we’ve got a lot to get through! In this episode we chat about our own life updates, including: kids, work & relationships, as well as egg freezing, secondary infertility & sibling age gaps, our Netflix recommendations (duh!), life post-lockdown(ssss) & lots more! We have wonderful season ahead planned for our ATT community, so buckle-up! We’ve got you!
In this episode, the girls chatted to Sarah Jefford who not only is a Surrogacy Lawyer but her herself went through IVF, donated her eggs and was a surrogate......we now call her an angel!In a very interesting chat, all topics were covered and Sarah described her time as a surrogate and the choice to donate her eggs. Sarah has written a book 'More Than Just A Baby' which is available to purchase.A really great listen!
The girls continue their Q&A episode. More great questions both personal and infertility related. They also feature a special little guest - Miss Mia, SJ's little girl!
On this episode, Zoe & SJ chat to Number 1 Fertility's - Nurse Caron. They discuss the role of a fertility nurse and their contribution during a patients IVF journey. Also, how Caron gathers the courage to make 'that call'!
We hope you enjoy this really fun Q&A. We've gathered and answered all your submitted questions ranging from sex toys and pregnancy anxiety.....right through to our favourite recipes.We had so many that we turned them into two episodes! All the more fun.Zoe & SJ x
{Possible Trigger}In episode 3 we chat with Whitney Sloan - a dear friend of SJ’s. We hear all about her experience with PCOS, the IVF process for her family, tested embryos, her first transfer resulting in a twin pregnancy and her second pregnancy resulting in an emergency c-section. Whitney opens up about her incredibly traumatic delivery with her son and waking-up in ICU to learn her uterus had ruptured, which meant they had to perform a hysterectomy. We also hear about her remaining embryos and how she has come to some sort of peace knowing this is the end of the road for them. Triggers warning RE birth stories.
In this episode we speak to Tanja Mulcahy who is a Melbourne based Rapid Transformational Therapist and hypnotherapist, specialising in fertility and pregnancy. Tanja shares with us her own IVF story, her experience with male infertility and multiple miscarriages, a change of career and how she believes hypnotherapy helped her conceive after a long battle with secondary infertility.This has been one of our favourite episodes to record and our tiny minds were blown wide open! We hope you enjoy our chat with Tanja as much as we did.
Lockdown's back and so are we!We've taken some time away to re-energise - Zoe's had Donny & SJ's recapping Netflix. The girls chat about going through 'special occasions' like Mother's Day whilst struggling with infertility. Lots of laughs and a lighthearted episode to start the season.
We've done it - a whole season of us talking about our lives! Interesting much?We end season one with more laughs, highlights & lowlights, news for next season and we actually video recorded this episode so you can see us in action very soon on YouTube!Thank you all for your beautiful and endless support. We have loved creating this space in the most wonderful community and look forward to sharing more next season.
In this episode Zoe & SJ discuss topics that need to be addressed or revistived. They chatted about how to address and advise friends or family going through infertility, Chrissy Teigan's miscarriage, Zoe finally explains her recurring UTIs and their plans for next season. Sit back and enjoy the giggles!The end is near and we realised we have exhausted every possible topic we alone can discuss! Get ready for season 2....
Grief can appear in many forms and affect us in different ways.In this episode, the girls discuss the grief they have endured and how they continue to deal with it.Zoe's grief was the loss of embryos, time and basically the life that could have been lived but instead consumed with rounds of IVF, monthly disappointment and uncertainty. SJ suffered the loss of her baby Charlotte at 21 weeks and continues to live her 'new normal'.
In this episode Zoe & SJ go back to 'basics' and chat about the actual IVF process.No two cycles are ever the same and depending on your situation they can vary considerably! Zoe & SJ take you through step by step what you could expect from your cycle and share their personal experiences. SJ chats about her 2 cycles, with the first devastatingly leaving her with the dangerous OHSS and no embryos!! She was fortunate enough to get her rainbow baby on her second round.Zoe, a somewhat veteran at IVF, endured 9 cycles with various protocols! Her journey was long and filled with lots of tears, disappointments and POAS!
If IVF wasn't enough to wrap your head around, we now have a whole new language that comes with it. In this episode we explain all the complex and somewhat confusing acronyms that have been sprawling your social media!Let's be honest you need a degree to properly understand them all and some don't even make sense. From TTC to ICSI we have you covered.
We thought we would take a quick break and lighten things up with a bonus episode featuring another shared passion of ours - all things beauty! We chat about our favourite skincare brands, what our go-to make-up products are, Zoe shares some of her most loved professional kit products and we have a giggle at SJ’s (the #selfproclaimedbeautybuff) questionable techniques! We hope you love this one as much as we do!
We are currently living in unprecedented times and the effects of Covid can be everlasting. With Victoria currently under Stage 4 restrictions and being in a State of Emergency, both girls are under strict lockdown.Zoe & SJ discuss their experiences during these difficult times and how it has affected individuals struggling with infertility or currently undergoing IVF.They chat about different coping mechanisms and strategies to assist in getting through the long days....and months! As per usual there are a lot of giggles, talks about netflix and holiday dreaming!
PART TWO // we wanted this episode to bring some light relief during these trying COVID times. We reached out to our online community for any questions they may have had. We covered our favourite holiday destinations, where we line to dine out and go out in Melbourne, what we are watching on Netflix and what we miss most while being in lockdown. We also went deep and covered life with a rainbow baby, pregnancy after loss, grappling with the bitterness infertility can bring and how we both coped with all of the above.Annnnnd... we hear from Zoe with an update on her IVF pregnancy and she reveals to us the gender of her bub! Get those tissues handy!
PART ONE // we wanted this episode to bring some light relief during these trying COVID times. We reached out to our online community for any questions they may have had. We covered our favourite holiday destinations, where we line to dine out and go out in Melbourne, what we are watching on Netflix and what we miss most while being in lockdown. We also went deep and covered life with a rainbow baby, pregnancy after loss, grappling with the bitterness infertility can bring and how we both coped with all of the above.Annnnnd... we hear from Zoe with an update on her IVF pregnancy and she reveals to us the gender of her bub! Get those tissues handy!
In this weeks episode Zoe & SJ discuss the ways they looked after themselves and the self care approach they took during their hardest times.SJ touched on how she dealt with the loss of Charlotte and the small things that helped her out of her darkest times. Zoe discussed the ways she approached each failed IVF cycle and how escaping helped her heal and rejuvenate.As per usual their approach was quite different but nevertheless the goal was the same. Whether it's infertility, IVF, loss or any facet of trauma looking after yourself should always take priority.This episode is lighthearted and we hope it's the self care you may need right about now!
{ EPISODE 10: TO REVEAL OR NOT TO REVEAL } in this episode we discuss the how, when and why surrounding what personal information we share. From our own experiences and struggles with infertility, pregnancy announcements and each stage of the IVF process. We cover the pros and cons of both and what did/didn’t work for us. Zoe also updates us on her pregnancy progress, which of course goes hand in hand with the themes of this episode! We hope you enjoy episode 10 - double digits, yay!
In this week's episode, we are joined once again by the insightful Dr Melissa Cameron. In Australia, Endometriosis affects 1 in 9 women. The condition is crippling and as we discovered it is not always easy to diagnose. Dr Melissa explains in detail the condition and how it may affect your fertility.We touch on Adenomyosis, another uterine inflammatory condition, which is when the cells exist or grow into the uterine wall. Women who suffer with Endometriosis often also have Adenomyosis - who knew!!And finally we chat about about Fibroids and discover not all fibroids are dangerous but need to be managed should it compromise you fertility.We hope you enjoy this episode!
{ EPISODE 8: HIGHWAY TO IVF } in this episode we hear from Zoe regarding her cycle update, as well as covering all the stops before IVF. We chat about how we both discovered our own medical issues regarding infertility, what steps we took following this procedure wise and how we chose our specialists. We address the common misconception that IVF is the only option after failing to fall pregnant naturally. Wrong! There are many steps and explorative medicine that is performed first and at a GP level, before specialist intervention is/if it’s required. We hope you find this episode informative and squeeze in a giggle a long the way. I know our entire community are thinking of Zoe and her family this week and we are crossing everything that this next scan brings with it a positive result.
In this episode we talk to Nicky Burnett about her experience with IVF. From growing up with a severely disabled brother, learning of her mother’s heartbreaking losses and in turn deciding that motherhood wasn’t for her.However, this all changed when she met her now husband, but their battles had only just begun. Soon into their relationship she learned that her husband’s family had a rare genetic condition that could potentially be problematic when trying to conceive a healthy baby of their own.After almost 12 months of medical tests, ethics committee submissions to approve gender selection due to their medical conditions, to Belle - their beautiful 5 yr old daughter.A big thank you to Nicky for being so open and honest with us. Her love of a good meme and cheeky sense of humour definitely resonated with us!
In episode 6 of All That Triggers we speak to Melbourne fertility specialist, Dr Melissa Cameron. We cover the juggernaut that is donor conception, as well as touching on podcast host, Sarah Jane’s own personal story with Melissa as her IVF doctor. This one pulls at the heartstrings! Dr Cameron, who works with Melbourne IVF, is trained in obstetrics and gynaecology, obtaining her Fellowship in 2006. This included fellowships in paediatric and adolescent gynaecology and in advanced laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. She also has a special interest in helping same sex couples, people who are transgender and gender diverse and single women create a family through the Melbourne IVF donor programme.A big thank you to Dr Cameron for taking the time to speak with us and we are looking forward to welcoming her back later in season one to cover endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids. If you have any Qs for Dr Cameron please head over to our Instagram page and get in touch.
This episode is a special one and we know you will all shed a tear and share a giggle with us, as Tanya opens up so candidly about her struggles over the last 10 years.At just 25 years of age Tanya and her husband were told they would never conceive naturally. As they embarked on the IVF pathway, what followed was a roller coaster of events: male infertility, PCOS, fibroids, miscarriage, dangerous health scares during her pregnancies, a hysterectomy and the question of what to do with their remaining embryos. What a wild ride she takes us on, but all with her uniquely warm, bubbly and positive outlook on life.Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Tanya. What an honour it was to sit with you during this cathartic unraveling. We hope this episode is both informative and inspiring to our listeners. If you any questions about Tanya’s story, please head over to our Instagram page and get in touch.If you like what you hear, we would love for you to rate/review us on the Apple podcast app.
In episode 4 we discuss all the things you shouldn’t say and some of the things you could say, to someone struggling with infertility. We also discuss ALL of our own personal triggers. All the things people say with good intentions, but in reality can make us feel really crappy! This episode is pretty open and could benefit even the greater community - whether it’s to do with grief, trauma, loss of any kind and COMMON SENSE!We hope you enjoy this episode and join in for a giggle. Head over to our social media and tell us your own stories! Because as we always say, if we don’t laugh, we’ll absolutely F$N cry!Please don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review our podcast on Apple Podcast. We really feel this episode is a goodie that needs to be shared around!
So, what can you expect from IVF? UGH. Where do we begin?! In many ways, you can’t possibly prepare for the process. It’s emotionally, physically and mentally draining and at times, soul destroying. But we both feel if we had known what we do now or even just a little insight into the road ahead, we may have not struggled so much in those early days. This episode covers some of the things we wish we had known and of course, it’s paired back with some comedic banter to deflect the pain! Duh! We hope this is an informative episode for those of you who are new to this and brings a comforting smile to your face knowing you are not alone.
Zoe Karlis here aka help!I’m quite the private person, majority know very little about me and the remaining know EVERYTHING, down to the number of bowel movements I have a day !Articulating the last 9 years of my life in detail, let alone broadcasting it to the world, is very new to me and I must say I find it very cathartic.Looking back at it now, our first baby was conceived relatively easily. Pretty much once my endometriosis was discovered by my specialist @fertility_queen_dr_burmeister (who remains my specialist to this day ❤️) I was pregnant within weeks of surgery. THAT’S IT! EASY PEASY RIGHT!Now, this is when shit hit the fan.....trying for baby no 2. We commenced trying when I was 35 years old, when statistically our eggs take their first major decline 🤦🏼♀️ . We’ve since done every test known to mankind and there has been no explanation. Legs have been spread, I have had enough injections to compete with the local addict, my husband's jizzed enough times in a cup to pregnate a small town, been put under aesthetic countless times (not complaining!), enough blood has been drawn to save many lives and my insides have been investigated so many times that they now throw a welcome back party every time that probe enters.This episode has lots of laughs and many tears because that’s how I roll. For anyone silently battling infertility, I get it and it’s ok to keep it private but remember you’re not alone xx
Hey! I'm Sarah Jane and I am the potty-mouthed and gassy co-host of this awesome podcast!Here's a small grab of a total clusterf%&k of events, sorry... I mean my life! From growing up with an abusive father and the #daddyissues that followed. To marriage in my early 20's and then learning I was reproductively challenged, to motherhood, loss, IVF and picking up the pieces.What has followed though can only be described as a beautiful chaos and I wouldn't change for the world. It's a story filled with heartbreak, anger, hope and finally finding happiness - my new normal.Thanks for listening and don't try ANY of this at home!
Welcome to All That Triggers - we are your hosts, Zoe & Sarah Jane.We are two Melbourne mummas who have turned our low-key car therapy conversations into a supportive, informative and at times, cynical podcast!We are of the mindset: if you don’t laugh, you’ll FKN cry! So while this will be an ‘enlightening’ platform to discuss all things infertility like mature adults, we won’t hold back!