In this episode we welcome Kristin Dillensnyder to discuss her family building journey and her subsequent work in the fertility space. Kristin, a former military spouse now living in South Carolina, navigated the complicated, messy, and lonely process of IVF and infertility while living in a new city (Montgomery, Alabama) where social supports were scarce. She pursued several IUIs without success before moving on to three rounds of IVF, which ultimately resulted in the birth of her daughter, but also included experiencing a miscarriage. A significant challenge during her experience was having to pay 100% out of pocket for care, a realization that shaped her future advocacy efforts.
Feeling a profound desire to stay in the fertility space and be the person she needed during her own struggle, Kristin developed the Two Week Wait Challenge, a free resource designed to help people stay busy, positive, and hopeful until they receive the results of their pregnancy test. Kristin’s business grew from there, becoming a self-proclaimed “Fairy God-Sister” who understands the specific lingo and emotional rollercoaster of IVF. In addition to her work as an IVF mindset coach through her business, Empowered Infertility, Kristin also hosts her own podcast, More Than Your Infertility, which focuses on reminding listeners that their fertility journey is not their only identity.
The conversation culminates in a discussion of Kristin’s passionate advocacy work, which started by fighting against the limited access to care for those without insurance coverage or the ability to pay out of pocket. Her efforts have evolved into actively fighting to keep medical care available for everyone, regardless of where they live or what their family looks like. Currently, she is actively fighting against the dangerous South Carolina Senate Bill S.323, an extreme total abortion ban that threatens to criminally charge women and those who assist them, and if passed, could be used as an example for other states to follow. While acknowledging the need to start small and develop your “advocacy muscles,” Kristin encourages people everywhere to get involved, emphasizing that action is key to regaining a sense of control when everything else, like infertility, feels out of control. Small actions, such as contacting their legislators, sharing social media posts, and spreading awareness, can add up to make a big impact, and importantly reminds us all to keep having joy in our lives, describing joy as a form of resistance.
Connect with Kristin at www.empoweredinfertilitycoaching.com or @kristindillensnyder on Instagram. And to get easy action items to help fight against SB. 323, join the SC Fertility Advocates Facebook Group.
Kristin Dillensnyder is an IVF mindset coach, infertility advocate, and proud mom thanks to the science of IVF. After navigating years of infertility and IVF herself, she now helps women going through IVF stay emotionally strong, hopeful, and grounded—no matter what the journey throws at them. As the founder of Empowered Infertility, host of the More Than Your Infertility Podcast, and a voice in advocacy for reproductive access, Kristin combines professional coaching, lived experience, and patient-centered tools to support others through the hardest chapters of trying to grow their families.
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