Over 40 Fabulous and Pregnant

122. In this deeply personal and emotional final episode, the tables turn as guest host Ellie steps into the interviewer's seat to help podcast host Jamie Massey tell her full journey to motherhood. After four years of sharing the stories of women overcoming fertility struggles, Jamie opens up about the path that brought her own son into the world. From navigating mid-life dating and finding love at 40, to enduring multiple pregnancy losses, an ectopic pregnancy, and a harrowing fertility clinic experience.

Jamie takes listeners through the physical, emotional, and financial decisions that ultimately led her to donor eggs...

BE06. Jamie Massey shares a podcast episode she was a guest on, hosted by Anne-Marie, Fertility and Emotion Healing. This is from her Fertility Journey Video Series: I'm joined by Jamie Massey, host of the Over 40 Fabulous and Pregnant podcast, who has spent years interviewing women on their fertility journey and collecting something medicine rarely offers: real stories, real outcomes and real hope.

Jamie started her podcast while trying to conceive at 40. What she built became something far bigger than she expected. Over 100 conversations later, she shares what she has learned about what women on this journey...

121. Ali Prato, from Infertile AF Podcast shares her raw, personal story of navigating the emotionally taxing space between having her first child naturally in her mid-30s and struggling to expand her family years later. From the emotional toll of four miscarriages to borrowing funds from family to afford a single round of IVF, Ali details the daunting process of self-administered injections, waiting on embryo genetically testing results, and putting all her hopes into a single healthy embryo.

Ali's story moves from the anxiety-ridden early days of pregnancy after loss to the overwhelming joy of hearing her...

120. Can you really get pregnant in your mid to late 40s after years of loss and failed cycles? Lisa joins us to explore her incredible path to motherhood. Lisa shares how she navigated silent endometriosis, seven grueling egg retrievals, and 11 embryo transfers, eventually quitting her full-time job to open a flexible business that could fund and accommodate her intensive IVF schedule. After overcoming multiple early miscarriages, she welcomed her first son at age 45 using donor eggs, proving that "lucky" comes in many different forms. 

Now 6.5 months pregnant with her second son at age 48, Lisa reflects on what i...

119. Rebekah Rhodes turned 40, she looked at her husband and declared, "We must have one more baby." Having already built a full life and family on their North Carolina homestead, stepping back into the journey of trying to conceive brought a brand-new set of triumphs and trials. In this episode, Rebekah opens up about navigating her very first pregnancy loss at 40, managing Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, tracking ovulation to finally conceive with her 5th baby, and overcoming the deep emotional fears that so often accompany loss.

What begins as an inspiring story of deciding to try again after 40 takes an...

On Bonus Episode 5, host Jamie Massey announces the end of Over 40, Fabulous and Pregnant after four years of celebrating pregnancy stories over 40. Jamie opens up with raw honesty about the real-life shifts driving this decision, from navigating family caregiving, an upcoming home renovation, and stepping back from social media burnout, to choosing physical wellness and fully leaning into a new season. Tune in to hear the roadmap for the remaining episodes.

Get the resources and more information about this episode: https://over40fabulousandpregnant.com/bonusepisode5/

Shop the Show 🛍️ To browse every product recommended by ou...

118. We welcome Sarah back to the podcast to share her decade-long journey to motherhood. After years of trying naturally in her 30s, Sarah and her husband faced unexplained infertility, the overwhelming grief of monthly disappointments, and the practical challenges of seeking fertility care from a remote Scottish island. When a massive, undetected fibroid disrupted their plans for NHS-funded IVF, Sarah was forced to navigate private fertility clinics, age-related pushback, and the emotional transition to donor eggs.

Sarah opens up about the raw realities of her path to parenthood, including a chemical pregnancy, the devastating loss of an...

117. When Ana started her journey to motherhood at 36, she expected a straightforward path. Instead, she entered a harrowing seven-year battle marked by ectopic pregnancy, hydrosalpinx, severe adenomyosis, and an AMH level that dropped to 0.1. Navigating misdiagnoses and dozens of protocol failures, she reached a breaking point that ultimately sparked a total transformation in how she approached her fertility.

By throwing herself into researching, advocating for proper uterine diagnosis, and completely redesigning her daily protocol, Ana overturned the odds and carried a healthy baby boy at 42. In this episode, she candidly breaks down the emotional toll of medical...

116. Alisa experienced unexplained hot flashes and night sweats in her early thirties, no doctor thought to test her hormone levels because of her young age. It wasn't until she was diagnosed with advanced early menopause at 31 that her long, winding path to parenthood truly began, a journey that would span a divorce, years of self-advocacy, and knowing the love of her life for years.

In this open and inspiring episode, Alisa candidly shares how she navigated choosing donor eggs, traveling to Barbados for IVF, overcoming pregnancy anxiety, and ultimately welcoming her baby girl at age 47. From using...

115. Fertility coach Jen Richards shares her raw, beautiful, and seven-year-long journey to motherhood. From navigating the confusing world of unexplained infertility at age 40 to experiencing the BOGO "dating website" swirl of sperm banks and the heartbreaking silence of a 13-week miscarriage, Jen opens up about what it really takes to survive the emotional trenches of late-30s and 40-plus family building.

Jen shares the incredible, fortuitous turning point in her story: navigating the "new frontier" of private embryo donation after a close friend offered a basket of hope. We talk about the unspoken realities of a 48-hour...

114. Ruth, an oil painter and children’s book author, shares her journey to welcoming her daughter at 43. Ruth opens up about the reality of facing back-to-back miscarriages in her 40s, how receiving genetic testing results brought unexpected healing, and the radical mindset shift that allowed her to view her body not as failing, but as profoundly "badass."

Moving past the fear and labels of a typical clinical setting, Ruth shares her experience working with a practice of supportive midwives to plan a natural home birth. From a sudden, explosive water-breaking moment on the toilet to an efficient, 8-m...

113. When Jeani scheduled a doctor's visit to address hot flashes, night sweats, and an elevated FSH level, she assumed she was simply following in the footsteps of her mother and sisters who had all entered early menopause. Instead, a routine ultrasound revealed a dislodged IUD, and a month later, on September 11th, a positive pregnancy test that quite literally left her weak in the knees. At 43 years old, with her oldest daughter on the cusp of high school graduation, Jeani found herself forced to completely rewrite the blueprint for her upcoming retirement years. In this episode, she dives deep...

112. Dr. Stephanie Gray, a functional medicine practitioner, nurse practitioner, and author of Your Fertility Blueprint. After navigating a complex, 10-year secondary infertility battle that involved eight IUIs, two out-of-state surgeries for endometriosis, and a devastating standstill with multiple failed euploid embryo transfers, Stephanie had to become her own medical detective. She shares how she used PubMed research to advocate for her own health, eventually uncovering a chronic, low-grade uterine infection (endometritis) from a previous birth and a silent blood clotting condition that conventional doctors completely missed.

Stephanie shares the powerful cross-section where conventional reproductive endocrinology and functional...

111. Journalist and mental strength trainer, Bettina Gordon shares the raw truth about being ambivalent about kids for years, dealing with a year of unprotected sex where nothing happened, and the exact tipping point that shifted her mindset from fearing a loss of freedom to embracing motherhood at 44. If you’ve ever felt crushed by the loud outside noise telling you you're running out of time, Bettina’s story is the ultimate proof that your mindset dictates your reality, not a number on a calendar.

Bettina breaks down the fascinating science of biological versus chronological age, proving why fert...

110. Kezia, Mandy, and Carly join us to share their deeply personal experiences with trying to conceive in their 40s. The conversation cuts through the noise of societal "age limits" and the buzzword of perimenopause, replacing clinical statistics with radical authenticity. From overcoming health hurdles like endometriosis and emergency surgeries to navigating the complexities of vasectomy reversals and secondary infertility, these women open up about the "aha moments" that reignited their desire for motherhood and the mental fortitude required to stay the course when the world says it’s too late.

The episode goes beyond the physical journey, di...

109. Jaclyn shares her incredible 12-year gap between children. Jaclyn opens up about the grueling process of IUI and IVF, the emotional toll of a negative pregnancy tests and secondary infertility. She shares how leaving a high-stress 60-hour work week and moving to a new city created the space for a surprise pregnancy just weeks after her 40th birthday.

We also dive into the practical realities of being a "geriatric" pregnant woman, from managing extreme nausea and low iron to the logistics of a scheduled C-section during COVID. Jaclyn shares why she chose to embrace a more relaxed...

108. After five boys and two devastating miscarriage in her 40's, Anne-Marie believed her journey to motherhood was over. She decided to reclaim her body through a health and wellness routine—incorporating a GLP-1 (semaglutide) and a major abdominal surgery—only to discover she was pregnant with her first daughter soon into her tummy tuck recovery.

In this raw and authentic conversation, we dive into the reality of "Ozempic babies," navigating a high-risk pregnancy in your mid-40s, and the shock of facing gestational diabetes and post-birth eclampsia. Whether you are looking for hope after loss or curious abou...

107. Britt Fohrman, a birth doula of 24 years found herself navigating the very journey she had supported hundreds of others through—but with a tragic twist. After years of fertility struggles and the sudden loss of her husband, Britt shares how she honored his final wish by continuing their path to parenthood as a solo mother. From winning a legal battle for her husband's sperm to finding a "miracle" egg donor within her own community, Britt’s story is a masterclass in resilience, spiritual alchemy, and the power of choosing life.

We dive into the unconventional and the sacr...

106. Jamie welcomes Jessianna, a military veteran who shares her incredible 20-year path to becoming a mother at age 48. After nearly two decades of marriage, multiple deployments, and a history of heart-wrenching losses—including several miscarriages and a life-threatening double ectopic pregnancy—Jessianna opens up about the resilience required to keep going. She discusses the medical hurdles she faced, from a pituitary gland microadenoma to the physical toll of multiple failed IVF and IUI rounds, and how she navigated the complex decision to eventually move forward with donor eggs.

The conversation dives into the realities of a "geriatric" preg...

105. After anchoring the news for nearly 30 years, Emmy-award winner Marla Tellez found herself reporting on her own miracle: a successful pregnancy at 48 using her own frozen eggs. In this episode, Marla shares the incredible 12-year timeline from freezing her eggs at age 37 to welcoming her daughter, Sloan, just days before her 49th birthday. She pulls back the curtain on the technical and emotional hurdles of later-in-life parenting, including navigating a partner’s prior vasectomy through sperm extraction and the decision to pause treatments during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marla’s story is a testament to the...

104. Rosey is on to share her IVF pregnancy with donor eggs. Rosey shares the intimate details of her decade-long path to motherhood. After a relatively straightforward journey with her first daughter at age 36, Rosey was met with years of "unexplained" infertility while trying for a second child. She takes us through the clinical maze of IUIs and mini-IVF, the heartbreak of a mid-trimester loss, and her eventual decision to pursue donor eggs. Rosey speaks candidly about the importance of being your own advocate—specifically how she pushed for endometriosis testing when she was told "it’s just your age"—and ho...

103. For years, Karen was dedicated to her career and travel, waiting for the right moment and the right person. When she finally met Jason in her early 40s, they assumed their path to parenthood would require clinical intervention or adoption. But just as they were planning their future, a "Crohn’s flare-up" turned out to be a life-changing surprise: a spontaneous pregnancy at age 46.

In this episode, Karen shares the shock of her "die stealer" pregnancy test and why she was firm about not being a pregnant bride, choosing to separate her wedding from her journey to mo...

102. For years, Jude grappled with a single, heavy question: Do I actually want to be a mother? Feeling stuck in ambivalence, her quest for an answer took her from the high-stakes environment of the ER to the depths of the Amazon jungle. After a profound experience with a Shaman in Peru, the "indecision" finally cleared.

In this episode, Jude shares her journey of meeting her partner at 39 and navigating the delicate balance of relationship-building with a "ticking clock." We dive into her spontaneous pregnancy at 41, the heartbreak of "twin demise," and her incredibly easeful pregnancy. Jude also...

101. We have Fallon on to share her spontaneous pregnancy at 40. Fallon was never the girl who dreamed of being a mother. A full-time yoga teacher with a life she loved, she was content being a “dog mom” until the loss of her dog and a new marriage changed her perspective. On the night of her 40th birthday, she and her husband decided to go for it. One month later, she was staring at a positive pregnancy test.

In this episode, Fallon talks about the shock of conceiving so quickly, the challenge of navigating a pregnancy with hardware in h...

100. To celebrate our milestone 100th episode, we are doing something different: hearing from women who are in the thick of it right now. Join host Jamie Massey as she sits down with four incredible women—Sarah (44), Johanne (44), Bidi (43), and Katie (46)—for a global roundtable discussion on the raw, real-time experience of being pregnant in your 40s. From Scotland to the U.S., these women pull back the curtain on what it actually feels like to navigate "advanced maternal age" before the baby arrives.

This episode explores the vast spectrum of the "Over 40" experience, including Johanne’s 15-y...

099. Stephanie is on share her spontaneous pregnancy at 43. Stephanie has been with her husband since she was 27 and married him at 39. She always wanted kids, at least one or two, but no more than three. Her husband is eleven years older than her with kids from a previous relationship and was open to having more. Once they decided to try to have a baby, she wasn't pregnant and thought something was wrong. Her husband had kids, so she went to the doctor a year and a half into trying to conceive to get herself checked out. All tests were...

098. What happens when you spend your 20s and 30s building a life, a marriage, and a career, only to wonder if you’ve missed the window for a second child? In this episode, we meet Amanda, who shares her deeply relatable journey from questioning if she wanted children at all to navigating a successful IVF pregnancy at 45 years old. Amanda opens up about the "epiphany" she had at 44 that led her to pursue fertility treatments in North Texas, overcoming the fear that she had waited too long to complete her family.

This conversation follows Amanda’s path thro...

097. When Jessica received a call six months before her wedding informing her that her AMH levels were low, the news felt like a daunting hurdle in her plan to start a family. Having spent her 30s focused on her education to become an occupational therapist, she was finally ready to prioritize motherhood at 41, only to be told that while pregnancy was possible, it would be significantly challenging. This episode follows Jessica’s journey from the initial shock of her diagnosis to her proactive efforts to prepare her body, including weaning off birth control and experimenting with targeted supplements like B...

096. Allison spent her life surrounded by children as a babysitter and camp counselor, yet the decision to become a mother wasn't always a clear-cut choice for her. Content in her 15-year relationship with her husband and close with her two stepchildren, she initially prioritized her love for travel and professional life over starting a family of her own. However, reaching the milestone age of 40 and getting married that same year sparked a profound shift in her perspective, leading her to seriously consider motherhood for the first time.

In this episode, Allison shares the unique and deliberate steps...

095. When Melissa turned 40, she felt a deep calling to motherhood but hadn't yet met the right partner to start a family. Despite well-meaning friends suggesting she should simply "get a dog" rather than face the uphill battle of late-age fertility, Melissa chose to trust her intuition and embark on the journey as a Single Mother by Choice. What followed was a grueling three-year marathon involving eight egg retrievals and five embryo transfers—a testament to her incredible resilience and unwavering commitment to her dream.

In this episode, Melissa shares the raw, behind-the-scenes reality of navigating the "fertility in...

BE04: We are discussing 10 ways to prepare for a transfer. I created this list based off of research, my experience of two transfers and ways that guests have shared from their stories.  If you are like me, you are searching the internet on how to make this transfer successful. You might feel like the more you do, the higher the chances are of it being successful. I suggest doing what feels good to you from this list. Because you can do all of them and it work, and you can do none of them and it work.

D...

094. At 40 years old, Rosanne Austin was a high-stakes prosecutor facing a grim clinical diagnosis: she was told her age made a successful pregnancy nearly impossible. After a grueling and unsuccessful IVF journey that left her physically and emotionally depleted, Rosanne realized that the "mind virus" of fear and statistical doom was her biggest hurdle. In this episode, she details her radical shift from a logic-driven legal mindset to a deep trust in the mind-body connection, explaining how she navigated the transition from "checking boxes" to reclaiming her power and autonomy over her own fertility.

The conversation culminates...

093. After years of being told that her body wasn't ovulating and that natural conception was a statistical long shot, Kayla found herself navigating the overwhelming world of fertility specialists and clinical timelines. In this episode, she opens up about the emotional weight of a diagnosis that felt like a closed door and the resilience it took to keep searching for answers when the standard protocols didn't seem to fit. Kayla shares the specific shifts she made in her lifestyle and mindset, moving away from the stress of "trying" and toward a deeper understanding of her own hormonal health.

092.  We have Selah on to share her spontaneous pregnancy at 41. You might know her for her older mom and boy mom skits on IG or as the voice of Chloe Bourgeois. She started trying to conceive in her early thirties. After three years of trying, she started to be more intentional by tracking her ovulation and temperature, but nothing happened. She went to a fertility clinic for help. They cleaned out her fallopian tubes, scraped her uterus and removed a garden of polyps on her uterus. She was never officially diagnosed, but she had an endometrioma on her uterus. H...

This is a special request: I'm looking for a few pregnant women over 40 to be a guest on episode 100 - the next roundtable show called pregnancy over 40. We will answer questions and gab about being pregnant over 40 (well not me this time any way). If you are pregnant over 40 and want to be a guest on the show, please DM on IG or email at [email protected]. Tell me how old you, how far along you are in your pregnancy, where you are from and anything important with your pregnancy (like IVF, donors, etc).

091. Neesha shares her incredible transformation from receiving a "cold" post-menopausal diagnosis to becoming a mother at 44. After being told she had a 10% chance of conceiving naturally due to stage 4 endometriosis—and later experiencing a full year without a cycle—Neesha refused to let a clinical diagnosis be the end of her story. She walks us through the emotional and physical hurdles of navigating complex medical news and the pivotal decision to pursue motherhood through donor eggs, proving that the path to a family is rarely a straight line but always worth the journey.

Neesha’s story is a powe...

BE03. This is episode 3 of a 3-part series sharing my story. I'm talking about my recovery. During this recording, I'm six months postpartum. I am so lucky to be sharing my story! We left off the last episode with THE BIRTH STORY as us leaving the hospital as family of three. The first bonus episode we talked about being Over Due. Those two bonus episodes were in chronological order. However, in this show, there are over 25 topics I will to discuss and not be in any particular order.

If this is your first time here, I’m Ja...

BE02. This is episode 2 of a 3-part (maybe 4) series sharing my story. I'm talking about my birth story with my good friend, Chantel. During this recording, I'm 4.5 months postpartum. I am so lucky to be sharing my story! We left off OVER DUE BONUS EPISODE 1 with my midwife appointment on Friday where I was scheduled to be induced on Sunday. This episode I share how we went our Saturday, how labor started on Sunday, and then the birth of my baby boy.

If this is your first time here, I’m Jamie Massey, 43 and the host of th...

BE01. This is episode 1 of a 3-party series sharing my story. We are talking about the ECV, when the doctor turned the baby from breech to head down, my expectations of starting labor, my birth plan, ways we tried to turn the baby head down, and how we tried to induce labor. The next episode is the BIRTH STORY, and the last one is postpartum RECOVERY. 

If this is your first time here, I’m Jamie Massey, 43 and the host of the podcast. It took us 3 years, 5 pregnancies, failed IVF, and a failed embryo transfer to have our...

090. The conversation focuses on the deeply personal and often difficult topic of navigating pregnancy after loss in your 40s. The episode features returning guests Jamey and Jenna, who join the round table to share their vulnerable stories of resilience and hope. Jamey opens up about her ten-year IVF journey, which included multiple miscarriages before she successfully conceived via embryo adoption at age 41. Jenna discusses her own path to motherhood, which involved four losses before she welcomed her fifth daughter at the age of 43.

The goal of this round table is to normalize the reality of pregnancy loss...