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S3E7 Who?! Navigating Fertility Challenges with Dr. Jerald Goldstein
75 Plays2 months ago
Summary
In this insightful episode, Dr. Jerald Goldstein discusses his path to becoming a reproductive endocrinologist and the emotional and scientific aspects of fertility treatments. He shares his perspectives on the evolving landscape of reproductive technology, the vital role of egg donation and surrogacy in family building, and addresses common misconceptions about the process. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Goldstein emphasizes the importance of patient education, support, and resilience in facing fertility challenges. He offers practical advice for intended parents and donors, stressing the value of trusted guidance and the strength to persevere. The episode concludes with heartwarming reflections on the joy of witnessing successful pregnancies and the deep fulfillment of helping families come to life.
Takeaways
-Dr. Goldstein's journey into medicine was driven by a fascination with pregnancy.
-Reproductive endocrinology combines various aspects of medicine, including surgery and psychology.
-The emotional landscape of fertility treatments is complex and requires sensitivity.
-Providing information helps alleviate anxiety for patients facing infertility.
-The evolution of reproductive technology has significantly improved success rates.
-Surrogacy and egg donation have become more mainstream and accessible.
-Common misconceptions about third-party reproduction often stem from societal stigma.
-Intended parents should seek multiple opinions and find a supportive clinic.
-The joy of hearing a baby's heartbeat during the first OB scan is unparalleled.
-Fertility Specialists of Texas prioritizes patient care and has a strong support team.
Links
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Speaker Backgrounds
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi everyone and welcome to me, you, and who? Today I'm honored to have Dr. Gerald Goldstein join me, a leading expert in reproductive endocrinology with a passion for helping families grow. In this episode, Dr. Goldstein shares his personal journey into the world of fertility medicine, diving into the emotional and scientific complexities of fertility treatments.
00:00:24
Speaker
We'll explore the advancements in reproductive technology, the impact of egg donation and surrogacy, and how he guides intended parents through the challenging yet hopeful path to parenthood. Dr. Goldstein brings a wealth of experience offering encouragement and clarity for anyone navigating fertility journeys. Let's dive into this enlightening and heartfelt conversation.
00:00:50
Speaker
me, you, and who? Who knew it would take more than two people to have a baby? In a world where infertility is no longer a taboo topic, this podcast will take you through all of the different aspects of surrogacy and egg donation through the lens of many who walk this journey in different ways. My name is Whitney Hall, and I am a two-time Surrogate Now Turned Surrogacy Coordinator for Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions.
00:01:17
Speaker
the very agency I used when I chose to carry for two amazing families. With this podcast, it is our goal to help guide and support you as you learn about what it takes to grow a family in an alternative way, as well as hear inspiring and beautiful stories of how this path has changed lives forever.
Dr. Goldstein's Career Journey
00:01:38
Speaker
We can't wait for you to hear about just one more way happy families are created every day.
00:01:45
Speaker
Well, thank you so much for being here. I am so grateful that we get to chat finally. yeah there this is fun Well, okay, Dr. Goldstein, you are the founder and medical director at the fertility specialist of Texas. But before you even got there, how did what was what led you to your path to medicine and eventually the specialty of reproductive endocrinology?
00:02:16
Speaker
Well, I actually, you know, when I went to medical school, I did not really know what I wanted to do. sure And I, you know, when I, when you look at obstetrics, you know, I've always been fascinated by, um you know, when you think of a pregnancy and sperm, fertilizing egg, and nine months later, it's like a baby. It's crazy.
00:02:41
Speaker
Yeah, right. literally It's like when you see that, see a little baby with 10 fingers and toes, little fingers. It's like, how does all that happen? It's really pretty amazing. And so I was always interested in that.
00:02:56
Speaker
Um, I felt like that, you know, in terms of like done obstetrics, it's kind of like you do a little bit of surgery medicines, you know, psychology, you know what I mean? It's a lot, it's very emotional psychology, ethical issues. Um, patients are, you know, pretty relatively young and healthy. And for the most part, it's a really happy specialty. So, um, I.
00:03:21
Speaker
decided that I wanted to, you know, I mean, obstetrics was really appealing to me until I did that. And then you're like realizing that, you know, you also want to sleep at night. And so babies have their own timeline for
Motivations and Emotional Aspects in Fertility Treatment
00:03:38
Speaker
sure. on the nine Nine to five and job.
00:03:42
Speaker
And so that's when I kind of said I wanted to do a subspecial you know do a subspecialty. So after my um after my residency, then I did a fellowship and you know as you know, and we graduated chronology and a fertility.
00:03:56
Speaker
and um And then, you know, and I, and that to me was, um I feel like that in medicine, that it's like the best part of any specialty, because, you know, while you have always kind of thought about you go into a hospital and you see like on the third floor, they may be doing a cardiac, you know, it could be a heart, like the heart surgery or to doing this. But, you know, you may be doing, I don't know, urologist doing prostate surgery, whatever.
00:04:33
Speaker
on and on. But in terms of what happens in terms of, um you know, of making babies is like better than any of that. And it's more important than any of that, really, because you really have lifelong implications, you know, and it makes it really does change people's life. And so it's like, I feel like there's nothing really, there's nothing better than that that you can do. Yeah, for sure. Well, it's interesting. You said, you know,
00:05:01
Speaker
Obstetrics is a generally happy place and you're working with a lot of, you know, mostly young, healthy individuals and reproductive endocrinology is quite a spectrum of all of that. Was that shocking, surprising? How, how did you navigate kind of the differences?
00:05:25
Speaker
Well, I, um,
00:05:32
Speaker
It's not necessarily, I just felt like that it it's like that I, you know, you want to do something that you really enjoy. And, and you know, I always, yeah I don't know how to necessarily say this, but I've always been fascinated by, um you know, the ability to um get pregnant and have a baby and carry on with other things in your life. In other words, a lot of patients, a lot of women that we see are like, maybe they're trying to have their first baby, but then they have a child. And it's always been interesting to me how motivated people are to have kids, specifically women, right? Not to say that men aren't motivated, but it's in a very different way. And um and it's been,
00:06:28
Speaker
and i And I feel like, and I've always said it's not like that you have to have kids, but I feel like in some respects to come full circle, to come full circle, to give everything that you can give involves being a
Addressing Patient Anxieties and Third-party Collaborations
00:06:42
Speaker
mom. And um so it's and and and so being playing a role in helping that and helping somebody you know that you don't that you see people that just don't feel like that they're gonna be able to get pregnant and just don't feel like it's gonna happen and kind of,
00:06:58
Speaker
knowing, rehearsing what you've seen before in the past that people feel in that way and going through the whole process is, you know, that they're different. You know, you're different after you have kids. And so i just i I just very much enjoyed that. And I kind of like, not that an OB is exciting and everything like that, but it's kind of You know, kind of once you're pregnant, you're kind of like an autopilot in a way. It's very reactive. patrickson And, you know, infertility is more, it's not so reactive. It's more doing, doing things. And it's just, it's just very gratifying. Yeah. i got know It is is, you know, is, um, you know, is one thing. I think the other thing is that I kind of, um,
00:07:42
Speaker
So part of it is just in terms of helping, you know, um of of helping people do that. I think that also, you know, everybody has different experiences in their life that shapes what they what they do, but it's like, you know, when I was young, when I was four, my mom died. And I've always felt like, and I've kind of been, I don't know, fascinated in terms of almost like,
00:08:08
Speaker
making moms in a way, you know what I mean? I don't know necessarily, I don't know, you know, you don't really know why you're driven to do certain things, but it's just, it's always been very interesting to me. And it's always been really fulfilling. And it's kind of like, you know, and I, so and I tell people all the time, I'm like, if it was up to men to have kids, we'd be like an extinct species. We'd be like, we're going to go, we're we're going to Costco, and we're going to buy a kid. You know what I It just wouldn't, it just wouldn't happen.
00:08:37
Speaker
You know, and so I i find it, you know, it's a it's it's it's just, it's just fascinating to me the differences. um That's beautiful. That's really beautiful.
00:08:50
Speaker
When you, you mentioned, you know, when couples are coming to you or individuals are coming to you and you know, they kind of have this resolve of maybe not resolved, but they are, they're, they're, you know, just this path of parenthood is not going the way that they were expecting. And you know, now they're coming to you and there's fear and trepidation.
00:09:14
Speaker
How do you navigate that as their physician? You mentioned that lovely kind of psychology aspect that, you know, just always comes with, you know, just your role. How do you navigate that? And then how do you navigate explaining to them that maybe their path to parenthood is now going to involve a third party, whether it's an egg donor or a surrogate?
Overcoming Setbacks in Fertility Treatments
00:09:41
Speaker
Well, I think that first thing it's very helpful for people to have, you know, what you don't know is very anxiety provoking. So we need to rely people information. We you can do lab tasks, you can do hormonal testing and things like that to give you an idea of the probability of someone getting pregnant with their own eggs or not, then that information is, you know, when it's when it's provided to someone in a kind of thoughtful way, that it it helps them get their arms around but you know and you And you put that together with their but their prior history that it kind of helps them understand why they've had trouble getting pregnant in the past. and And I think that a lot of times you can't tell someone specifically why they have trouble getting pregnant or let's say they're having recurrent miscarriages or things like that. You can provide some and information that kind of helps them understand why things have happened to them specifically. And so I feel like that being able to
00:10:39
Speaker
you know, take it from the unknown to be making it more and based on actual information that and it it it it does provide people. I mean, it's a process of a comfort in terms of understanding why things have happened a certain way they are and also setting people up for success.
00:10:59
Speaker
And so when you keep doing the same things over and over again and you're not really, you know, someone goes through multiple IVF cycles, obviously you could do things to optimize their IV, their, their protocol stimulation, make more eggs, make more mature eggs, things like that. But, you know, when you, if you've gone through that.
00:11:17
Speaker
And you're and and it's still not working, then you kind of have to, you know, it it then you kind of have to discuss, for example, using an egg donor or, you know, or if the nipple is a surrogate. And I think that while that's not, you know, it's like I talk to patients, it's like that, you know, you didn't wake up.
00:11:35
Speaker
three years ago and say, I want to use an egg doner. Sure. You are where you are because of have circumstances in your life. And the fact is, if you're older, and you're in the quality of your, you know, your and your eggs are, you know, are acting older than in the embryos that you're creating are not chromosomeally normal, it's not going to make a baby. So we need to kind of figure out what we can do to, to make that happen. And when, you know, and for example, if you're talking about using an egg doner, then obviously, you know, that You know, it's pretty rare that you have someone, you're not able to get pregnant and for them not to be able to be parents, it's just a matter of what it's going to take to get them there. And for example, if you're talking about, you know, if you're referring about using an egg donor, then obviously, say you know, they can still carry a pregnancy, right? If you use, you know, they still carry carry a pregnancy, certainly the uterus is normal, but the thing is, it that it's obviously not around egg.
00:12:24
Speaker
But it's like that, you know, I've never met anyone that, for example, literally that has done that used for example, an egg donor and said, wow, I feel like it was a mistake because they're pregnant, pushing, they're still having a baby. They still, you know what I mean? And they, you know, they come in like anyone else and they're like,
00:12:42
Speaker
you know, their life is different.
Advancements and Inclusivity in Reproductive Endocrinology
00:12:43
Speaker
So I don't know if that's, you know, I think that it's just a, it's a, it's a really, it's a process of when you've seen that other people, you know, when you've had other patients and, you know, I've been practicing, I've been practicing for almost 25 years, then you kind of, um, you know, it's just the process of walking someone through the process to make them more comfortable with, you know, proceeding on, because a lot of it's, ah it's it's really difficult. Sure. we You're used to getting a lot of negative,
00:13:10
Speaker
a lot of no's, a lot of failures. You know what I mean? Sure, sure. But ultimately, it is a path to parenthood. And you are, I mean, I think exactly what you said, knowledge is power. And being able to give them, and you know, in parents, the why behind one path not working versus let's go to an alternative, whether it's a different protocol or you know, a different, a donor or a surrogate. um And yeah, there is something so beautiful about being able to give that knowledge even if it wasn't the, you know, quote ideal um plan going forward. How you, you know, you've been in the industry for, you said almost 25 years. How have you seen
00:14:03
Speaker
the industry evolve over the course of time, which I know in medical world, 25 isn't a lot, but I feel like so much has happened in reproductive endocrinology in such a short amount of time.
00:14:17
Speaker
Well, I mean, obviously, you know, when I first started practicing, we did a lot of, almost everything was all basically fresh transfers, for example, with the IVF. Now, rarely do we do a fresh fresh transfer unless you're like 42 or 43 and you only have two embryos on day two. on you know you you you only have You don't make a lot of eggs and you're worried, for example,
00:14:37
Speaker
that the embryos aren't going to even make it to day five. So sometimes ah shit I'm like, you know what, we'll transfer the embryos in your uterus and let your body decide. And for those who don't know, a fresh transfer is when you have created the embryos and immediately transfer them inside the uterus.
00:14:55
Speaker
But most of the time now we do genetic testing in the embryo. So that involves being a frozen transfer. So you let the embryos grow to day five or day six and then you biopsy the embryo and then you get the report back in a couple of weeks. It tells you whether it's genetically normal in the sex if you want to know that information.
00:15:13
Speaker
So um most of our, you know, so that's definitely a difference now before everything was fresh transfers. Now it's really, do you do a fresh, you know, a fresh transfer and the success rates are better using frozen, you know, frozen embryos. It's not so difficult. You're not so, you know, when you think about going through, for example, an IVF cycle and you have like a lot of eggs, and you're really uncomfortable. So when you transfer an embryo five days later, it's a lot.
00:15:38
Speaker
This is the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation. Frozen embryo transfers seem to have babies. When you look at outcomes from the baby subsequently, they seem to be healthier, have less issues later on. And and so, um and obviously you can do, you know, genetic testing. So that's one big, big change in terms of that. I would say the other thing specifically regarding surrogacy is now you know, for two guys going through, it used to be really, really difficult to find a clinic that would do that. And um they, you know, there's a lot of roadblocks. And now it's, you know, so now, you know, when you talk to, you know, with two to, you know, when you talk to, for example, you know, two two guys that are going through whereas before, they felt like that, you know, that by coming out, that that was basically they were giving up their
00:16:29
Speaker
their ability to be parents, you know what I mean? That it's really going to be an option and now it really is an option. And it's, you know, it's just mainstream. It's something we do, you know, that, that it's, um, you know, that you're able to, you know, obviously go through and create embryos and do split insemination with a sperm from both of the guys. If they're, if that's the case and, you know, follow the embryos out and test them and see if they're technically normal. And then, and then find a surrogate and transfer the embryos and and their parents, you know? So it's um that's something that's now very, you know, really, really, you know, very common.
00:17:09
Speaker
For sure. And FST has been huge in that. I know we had Dr. Scora on um our podcast a while back, and I know he has done so much to further y'all's programs, specifically for LGBTQIA+, people seeking out, wanting to be parents. So I think that such a huge advancement just in kind of the culture, if you will, of the, you know, infertility world.
Misconceptions about Egg Donation and Surrogacy
00:17:39
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So, in fact, I'm going to Brussels like tomorrow, actually, to you know, for men, I don't know if, you know, just speak to men haven't been, you know, maybe conference about the, you know, about that, where there's a lot of, you know, gay guys that are
00:17:58
Speaker
that are very well informed and are very motivated and they can have a kid like anyone else. Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. What gets you excited about where the industry is heading? Because it has evolved so much, whether it's a medical advancement or what what's getting you excited?
00:18:20
Speaker
What makes, it's exciting. Well, I think that obviously the success, you know, there's a couple of things. One, success rates have improved, yeah tremendously over the, you know, the past 20 years. I think that fertility is becoming more mainstream. It's becoming not as expensive.
00:18:38
Speaker
In other words, that there's a lot of, when I started practicing, I started this clinic in 2005, right? Fertility's west of Texas. Probably most of the patients it went through, it was there it was, they didn't have coverage for insurance. sure Now, the other way around.
00:18:56
Speaker
Now most of the patients, 70% of them probably have insurance. And you know and so that that's providing the option of people going through and having kids was not, you know they didn't really, that option wasn't available then. So that is, I think is get is good. I feel like that everybody deserves the opportunity of having kids. And hopefully that should not be financial. you know there It's one thing if you're talking about you want to go and I don't know, buy some, you know, Louis Vuitton clothes. You're talking about having a kid, right? You're talking about coming having children. So that I think should be available to people because it really changes your life. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
00:19:50
Speaker
Going to, speaking to, you know, egg donors, potential egg donors, surrogates, potential surrogates, what are maybe some of the common misconceptions that people have when it comes to third-party surrogacy and egg donation that you feel like you see frequently or have seen over the course of? Well, I would say that that the the the biggest thing in terms of using an egg donor is that Again, you don't, you know, I'm speaking mainly from, you obviously from a female perspective that it's like, you don't wake up and say, I want to use an egg donor to help the family. You know what I mean? But the fact is, is that, you know, for women in particular, you know, that are in school longer, that second marriages, things like that, that is, you know, they're, as you get older, it's harder to get pregnant. Sure. Cause with all the eggs you have a day you're born, men are making sperm every day. You see men and they're like,
00:20:47
Speaker
70 having kids. Right. right fair But I mean, that's, you know, and so the thing is, is just that I think in terms of using an egg donor, that it's really the fact that while if you, if it turns out that you've adjusted the protocols or you've done different things and you're still are not able to make Bible embryos, that using an egg donor is you're still the mom, right? You're more carrying a pregnancy, right? And the thing is, is that when you're,
00:21:17
Speaker
You know, even people that I know that it uses their own egg, a lot of times a baby comes in, they're like, I don't even know where it came from. You know what I mean? And so so the thing is, to stay and and I think that that, so making that transition to the fact that you're willing to use and it, you know, that you're that you're not and you're not giving up and you're not a failure or you're not, you know, because I think that it's really, really oftentimes, you know, things are internalized to make it where like I'm a failure if I can't, you know, have a baby using my own egg.
00:21:47
Speaker
And so making that transition and realizing, and for example, and I really encourage people, for example, when you're talking about that particularly, like people that are considering using an egg donor to talk to other women that have used an egg donor and ask them, does the baby feel like this is their baby? You know what I mean? The thing that's these concerns that you have are not really, you know what I mean? It's what you think about the thing is that it's not, it doesn't turn out to be the case in reality. And they're like saying, you know,
00:22:16
Speaker
transferred embryo and mom about three other embryos frozen on and on on and it's like, I've got too many other things to worry about right now in terms of, you know, we worry about that. And they're, they're like in a different, you know, a different place. Yeah. Well, and you're so right. And even, even if you do end up not only needing an egg donor, but also needing a surrogate, you are still that you're at the end of the day.
Emotional and Psychological Aspects of Surrogacy
00:22:40
Speaker
They're using a surrogate, for example, and we do a lot of surrogacy, but the thing is this dead,
00:22:44
Speaker
you know, whether it's their egg, for example, or using an egg, darn it. But the thing is just that, you know, surrogate is still is, I mean, once the, you know, luckily you find someone that's very motivated to carry a pregnancy for you, it's got to the screen healthy and things like that. But it's like, you know, once the surrogate delivers and it's, that and you know, it's your, it's your baby and you're, and you're, and you still have, um, you know, and so it's like that doesn't, although most of the time I think that,
00:23:13
Speaker
You know what I mean? like that's why That's why it's always interesting to me that like, for example, you know, because women, you know, again, and this is maybe just the way that I think it's like for women, I feel like that, you know, many times if it's, ah you know, husband and wife, that they were very upset, it you know, and disappointed in not of being able to carry a pregnancy. You switch that around and you made it where like it was the male that was carrying the pregnancy. I don't think you'd have that same disappointment.
00:23:41
Speaker
You know, women, they just miss the way their brain is. But the thing is, you don't need it to, I always wonder why, you know what I mean? I'm not, not, not the thing that you can't, I can't necessarily happen, but the thing is that they would be like, man, I was able to figure it out where I don't have to use it. I don't have to carry, I don't carry pregnancy, but it wouldn't be that, you know what I mean? there You know, they wouldn't really miss the fulfillment of carrying a, break you know, of carrying a pregnancy. It's just fascinating to me.
00:24:09
Speaker
It is fascinating. But I think you're so right. There, you know, there has been so much advancement. And there are, you know, third party specifically is becoming a whole lot more mainstream. But I think there is still a stigma. And there is still, you know, like you said, kind of this obstacle of Failure that some people have to overcome and and I think you're so right at the end of the day You know, you're the one picking the name. You're the one making the nursery You're the one planning the future for that little one and you know, you're gonna be a mom or dad No matter how they get your side just a different pathway. Sometimes in your mind you think it's gonna be one way Yeah, it doesn't work out that way.
Advice for Parents, Surrogates, and Donors
00:24:54
Speaker
It may be a different route, but the endpoints the same
00:24:58
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I feel like that that is what infertility or re reproductive endocrinology is, is a lot of pivoting and a lot of exploring different pathways for sure. Yeah. yeah yeah What advice just from your perspective as a physician, what advice would you give to you intended parents, gestational carriers, or egg donors as far as if they are thinking about, you know, just going through this as a way to parenthood or thinking about being an egg donor or surrogate, what advice would you give them?
00:25:41
Speaker
I would say don't give up. That it's so easy to go through the process and being conditioned to have a lot of negatives, a lot of notes. You feel like you start saying, well, maybe we weren't meant to be parents, or maybe it's not meant to be, or, you know, a number of different different reasons. But the thing is just that, in general, you know, again, you have to, every case every case is different that it can happen. And if you, you know what I mean, if you figure out the right, you know, again, every case is different, but it can it can, you know, that it's worth it in the in the very end, because you're, it's again, not that you have to have kids, or, you know, mean
00:26:26
Speaker
But the thing is, but your life is really is is very different. So don't, you know, don't, you know, don't give up. And the other thing is that I'd say the second thing is to seek out a lot of, you know,
00:26:39
Speaker
a lot of opinions, you know what I mean? People that you trust and someone that you resonate with when you talk to them, they feel like that they understand you and that you really, you know what I mean? And you look at, and when you're going with your, for example, at a clinic, for example, that you're looking at success rates and things like that, as you know, there's like two different parts of what we do. There's a physician component and a laboratory component. And even though a physician can be a really, really nice person,
00:27:08
Speaker
the lab is not that good, then it can make a difference. And literally sometimes that can make a difference between whether you're a parent or not, you know what I mean? And so, and not to say that we're like absolutely best, but that, you know what I mean? But I'm saying that it's really, it's just always interesting to me that, you know, that you're, make sure that you're you know, you check the boxes and you're at somebody you're comfortable with, but you're also somewhere that you know, you can look at their outcomes and say, okay, what's the probability of someone like myself getting pregnant and going home with a baby? Yeah, for sure. For sure. How would you navigate
00:27:46
Speaker
kind of educating yourself, specifically if you are wanting to be an egg donor or surrogate, because I feel like, you know, again, over the course of, of time, it went from few clinics, few agencies, it was kind of, you know, a bit of a small world.
00:28:04
Speaker
And now, you know, you have social media, you have the internet, you have so many ways that you can get a hold of information, whether it be correct or not, you can get a hold of information. What would you say is the best way to navigate finding where to start and where to get good information, true information?
Selecting a Reputable Fertility Clinic
00:28:30
Speaker
um
00:28:33
Speaker
Well, I mean, obviously you could talk to your friends that have gone through the process. You could talk to people like you, you know what I that Well, I'm saying the thing is is that I think that people, for example, whether you're with an egg donor agency, a surrogacy agency or things like that, they're able to look at a lot of different places and and see how people do and anywhere, you know, what's going on. I mean, I think that, um you know, obviously online at different reputable fertility clinics of, you know,
00:29:00
Speaker
start on like online. And obviously there are, I mean, I think that that's really the best, you know, the best place to start talking to friends and, um you know, just being very curious. And, and so, um, building that trusted team. Yeah. Yeah. And keyword reputable. For sure. For sure. What would you say sets fertility specialist of Texas apart from other clinics that are out there?
00:29:39
Speaker
Well, I think that we have a, great staff. right yeah Obviously, it starts with the doctors, but it's actually the nurses and the other staff that are much more that are more important than that. Oh, shout out to nurses. think They're really motivated to you know to making sure that people are well taken care of. i mean out you know I think that that's really important. I think that the embryology, we've had a our embryologist, Dr. Guerrero has been with me since I started, you know, it's a great facility. And, you know, that you have it really, again, it's always been interesting to me, you talked to a lot of different fertility clinics, everyone says are the greatest and the success rates are on and on and on, but sure you know, excuse me, that the going to SART Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology and looking at live birth rate for clinics yeah because that matters.
00:30:35
Speaker
It really matters in terms of, you know, the number of people that went through how many of those people went home with a baby live birth rate. So you should know that wherever you're, you know, wherever you're, you know, wherever you're, wherever you're
Dr. Goldstein's Favorite Part of His Work
00:30:47
Speaker
at. So I think that we have a really good, you know, good lab.
00:30:50
Speaker
um And I think that the, I think in general, it's like we say what we do and do what we say. And, you know, again, not necessarily everybody that, you know, that goes through fertility is necessarily pregnant, but you want to be somewhere where you know, people are like really giving it their all, so to speak. And you're going to pull out any stops because for you, it makes a difference of whether you're going to be a mom or a dad. Yeah, for sure. For sure.
00:31:18
Speaker
What would you say is your favorite part about what you do? And I know that's a tough question because I know you love almost everything that you do, but what would you say is just that thing that gets you up and gets you excited to go into work? The the favorite part, the favorite thing that I like to do is someone's gone through treatment and doing their first OB scan. Yeah. Because when you're doing a first OB scan,
00:31:48
Speaker
You know, you walk in the room, typically it's between six and seven weeks. You know, they've already had blood tests, it shows that they're positive. And, um you know, you're doing it a ultrasound and you, um you know, doing general measurements so that you look at the pregnancy. And usually at that time you can see and you can actually hear, you know, hear the heartbeat. So a lot of times, you know, when I see patients, I always like to say, you know,
00:32:18
Speaker
We know what I'm talking to them as we're going through and doing a scan. And then I'm like, you know, do you remember the very first time we talked like, yeah, I remember this and that on and on and on. And I'm like, well, what, you know, whatever you, um, do you, um, there was one thing that you were thinking about that you probably don't realize you were thinking about and they're like trying to think, well, I don't know really what I was, you know, at the same time, you know, I have like the the ultrasound probe where you put it on in mode. Basically we you could hear the sound.
00:32:48
Speaker
and then you put the sound on and then you can hear the heartbeat. And so I feel like that, you know, maybe it's just in my mind really, but I feel like that when people hear that, when moms and dads, both of them hear that,
00:33:12
Speaker
I almost kind of imagine that their heartbeat kind of comes down a little bit as well. You know what I mean? Because it's like the very first time you're hearing, you know, a heartbeat, I'm like, your you know, your life is going to be really different.
Final Reflections and Conclusion
00:33:23
Speaker
And I love it because, you know what I mean? Because it's like you're, it's like amazing. Yeah, it's magical. Yeah, it's magical. You know what I mean? And so when you, you know, when you look at, you know,
00:33:41
Speaker
Houston, for example, I don't know, there's four or five million people in Houston, but like that probably very few, I don't know how many times, I mean, maybe there are, but in terms of people after going through IVF, we were doing that at that time. It doesn't happen a lot. Maybe it's happened. yeah I don't, you know what I mean? It's just a lot happening in a lot of places. You know what I mean? At least when you're after someone's going through IVF and they're listening to their heart beat. And so that's like, you know, the very first time. And I feel like that when you talk to moms,
00:34:08
Speaker
after that air dads, you know what I mean? And they're like, they remember that. Yeah. chair remember that Like, it's like, that's the you know, it's amazing. That was it. Yeah, you made that dream come true. And yeah, well, that's the best made it not just me with staff and you know, yeah, but system it's it's a magical moment. For sure. Oh, that's beautiful. That's beautiful.
00:34:34
Speaker
Well, okay. My last question for you for anyone who knows me, they know that I have a very codependent relationship with coffee. and Coffee and I get along beautifully. Um, and so I always like to ask the question, what filled your cup today, literally or figuratively, what was the thing that filled your cup?
00:35:03
Speaker
Wow. I mean, I have a cop, I've always had a donut brand, Dunkin' Donut brand of coffee. What's on my cup? I mean, I think that every day, luckily, mostly, um you know, for example, for me, it's like, you know, like even like today, when I had someone that came in and did their first, you know, OB scan, I mean, that to me is what makes it really worth it. It makes everything else worth it in terms of what what you do. Obviously, you get paid for what you're doing or things like that. does it really, it ultimately, I mean, it's like, it's it's a different level. So that that's really what for me is the, you know, is the best part of what we do and really makes it really worthwhile. And where you really know, you really know that you've made a difference. Yeah. Oh, for sure. For sure.
00:35:52
Speaker
Well, thank you so much for all that you do. You are such a difference maker and we are so grateful that we have gotten to work with you for so long um and have been a part of that trusted team um and just continue to appreciate all that you do. So thank you so much for your time. Thank you.
00:36:19
Speaker
Thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Me, You, and Who. We appreciate your time and hope you enjoyed our discussion today. As we wrap, we would like to remind you of some of the ways that you can stay connected with us and be part of the Me, You, and Who podcast community. Firstly, if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
00:36:43
Speaker
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00:36:58
Speaker
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00:37:21
Speaker
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