EPISODE 2
What I Wish I Had Known About Fertility Challenges + Getting Pregnant Despite the Odds
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ometimes the path to pregnancy is harder than people anticipate. Shazi shares what she’s learned from her experience with IVF — and checks in with friend and CNN Entertainment reporter, Chloe Melas, and her husband, Brian Mazza, who share the story of their own fertility struggles, and their realization that infertility is a condition that affects both men and women. We also hear from fertility physician, Dr. Daniel Kort, on what the latest fertility research says, why infertility is on the rise, and how advances in the field may be deployed in the future.

Episode 2 - Key Takaways

• If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, don’t worry, there are a variety of options. Speaking with a doctor at Reproductive Health and Infertility clinic is a great place to start understanding alternative paths. 

• You’re not alone - about 1 in 5 (19%) are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying according to the CDC (heterosexual women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births) 

• Fertility challenges affect both men and women - consider the health of both partners if conception isn’t happening on your timeline. Men - consider getting your sperm tested. 

• Comprehensive prenatal nutrition supports a mother’s optimal health before and during and after pregnancy

• Stress is a major component of the process of getting pregnancy, and additional stress around the difficulty of conceiving may contribute to any challenges. Take it from those that have been through it like Shazi and Chloe - understand your options, advocate for yourself, and believe that everything will be great, because it will! 

• There is support! Resolve is an organization that Chloe found helpful, email us if you need help at connect@healthybaby.com


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Chloe Melas

Chloe Melas is an entertainment reporter for CNN, covering all things entertainment and Hollywood for the network across platforms. Melas is based out of CNN's New York bureau. Melas' reporting ranges from breaking news and exclusive feature interviews to industry analyses and in-depth investigations, reaching every corner of entertainment at the intersection of culture. Most recently she's covered the coronavirus pandemic through an entertainment lens, following its impact on Hollywood, as well as interviewing celebrities who are speaking out and giving back, including Naomi Watts, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Swizz Beatz, Queen Latifah and many more. In an investigation into L'Oreal's workplace culture during the pandemic, Melas revealed exclusive details around the company's growing tensions and fear in the wake of corporate-mandated requirements to bring non-essential workers back into the office. At CNN, Melas has also covered the #MeToo era extensively. Her groundbreaking investigation into Chris D'Elia is the latest addition to her lineup of exclusive reporting on sexual harassment and misconduct allegations surrounding high profile figures, including Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, CBS, and Morgan Freeman. Melas' reporting on Spacey led to his firing from Netflix and from the Sony feature film "All the Money in the World." In 2020, she also covered the Weinstein criminal trial in New York and the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. Melas created and hosted a television series for CNN's HLN "Side Hustle Success," which featured women who turned their hobbies into multi-million dollar businesses. Prior to joining CNN in 2016, Melas spent seven years at HollywoodLife, the entertainment website she launched with Bonnie Fuller in 2009. As the site's senior reporter, during her tenure she led some of the biggest initiatives that propelled the outlet to the forefront of industry coverage online. In 2013, she served as a co-host of VH1's hit morning show, "The Gossip Table." Melas began her career at CNN as a news assistant in 2008. Melas has become outspoken about infertility. Using her platform to share her own family's journey with IVF, her efforts to raise awareness for other families on their own journey's have been covered by People Magazine, Extra, Yahoo! and more. She has also served as a guest lecturer on investigative journalism at Columbia University, and has moderated panels on women's issues for Time's Up, Women in the World Summit, Create & Cultivate and BlogHer. Melas holds a degree in broadcast journalism from Auburn University. She grew up in both Dallas, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, and currently resides in New York with her husband and two sons.

Brian Mazza

Brian Mazza is an entrepreneur based out of New York. With over 15 years of Hospitality and Fashion experience, Brian has co-created some of NYC’s strongest brands. ‍ Brian’s primary passion has always been creating; and over the years he has carved out a space in health and wellness. From a young age Brian has always been a highly competitive athlete, and it was that drive that got him a scholarship to play Division 1 Soccer at The University of Rhode Island. In 2017 and 2019 Brian landed the cover of Men’s Health and has been featured in Men’s Fitness, GQ, Esquire, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox 5, Cheddar, Channel 11, HLN, The Steve Harvey Show, and is a frequent contributor on various Food Network shows. In 2020, by harnessing his audience of 300k Instagram followers, Brian took his love for fitness to a new level with the formation of HPLT: High Performance Lifestyle Training. Most importantly Brian is a proud father to his two boys Leo and Luke, and husband to CNN correspondent Chloe Melas Mazza. With no intention of slowing down, he is destined to become an unstoppable force utilizing his personal brand and beyond.

Dr. Daniel Kort

Daniel Kort, MD, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Practice Director, Neway Fertility. Originally from Kansas City, Dr. Kort earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Columbia University in New York. While at Columbia, his completed research in conjunction with the New York Stem Cell Foundation, studying genetic errors during early embryo development. He is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. When not helping women and couples get pregnant, he is busy windsurfing, skiing, and chasing 3 kids around Central Park with his wife Lesley.