It took Tasha Blasi ten rounds of IVF to welcome her two beautiful children. Fertility treatment – and looking for answers to her many questions – became a ‘second career’, leaving her with a wealth of knowledge around infertility. Today, she and her team at the Fertilitites Unite Project (The FU Project) not only support intended mothers with treatment plans and strategies, but also holistically, helping them be a better version of themselves. We loved getting to know Tasha over the past months, including as guests on The FU Project Podcast (which you can listen to here!). In this latest interview, Tasha shares her story and how it inspired the FU Project. She also shares resources and helpful advice for those navigating the journey and all the emotions that come with it.
It was a long journey to get to your adorable children and you’re so open about the highs and lows you experienced along the way. Can you share your story and how it led you to support other ‘fertilitites’ on their unique journeys?
When my husband and I met, I figured starting a family would be as easy as it seemed for everyone else: we’d go out for a night of fun, have too much to drink, bang it out, and nine months later I’d have my first child. But I guess I was too special for something that easy! Once we figured out my husband and I were not going to ever get pregnant naturally, we started fertility treatments. I did nine egg retrievals, 10 transfers between four clinics and different doctors to finally have my two children. In doing this, I asked my doctors a million questions and researching for answers online became my second career, but I never got clear answers. By the time I had my second child, I had helped so many friends and friends of friends and started seeing a formula for what gets in the way of successful treatments and knew that the fertility journey didn’t need to be as hard and it was…and I had a solution. In 2016, two years after my daughter was born, I began consulting. In 2018 I created the FU Project program that we still do today. It is now an entire team of fertility, health and wellness experts and me.
We love the FU Project – when is the best time for someone to start working with your team, and how do you support couples with their specific fertility issues?
Thank you! I love GoStork! I have already shared it with so many of my clients.
About when to reach out to us, I would say now! Of course I love to have at least 4 weeks before someone is starting treatments to work with them so that we have enough time to create proper changes in their fertility treatment plans, but women come to us at all different times in their fertility journey. The new client I talked to today, for example, is already at her trigger shot. And some come to us with embryos made but needing advice for successful transfers.
But the sooner the better because The FU Project isn’t just help with treatment plans and strategies, it’s a program to help you be a better version of you. When you are happy and healthy, your fertility follows. We focus on three main areas: the right support, getting out of survival mode and into reproductive mode and the science side. You can have a Success Coach that works with you directly on getting through the program, maximizing our resources and gives a ton of inspiration, guidance, and support. We work hard to tailor the program to best fit your needs.
And when it comes to science (the protocols, strategies, etc.), my clients work directly with me for those things. My ultimate goal is to bridge the wide gap between what the fertility doctors know and what the patient knows. The science team and I create the questions for the patient to ask and answers to look for, share suggestions to improve results based on clinical evidence to discuss with the doctor, do protocol reviews, and teach our clients how to track the progress of their treatment plans so that no money, time, or energy is wasted.
We do this through video calls, emails, and text.
You talk about so many important subjects on your podcast (and our Founder Eran loved being a guest!) – what are your most inspiring experiences or memorable moments along your journey as a podcast host?
It can be hard to do something that no one has done before; like what I am doing with the FU Project and what Eran is doing with GoStork. So when I can meet other people with a mission to help humans, it lights a fire in me to keep going and doing. I also love talking with women who have created the success that they wanted in their own health, wellness, and fertility in the Path to Parenthood podcasts that I do. The most inspiring things that they share is not how they got pregnant, but how they changed their lives for the better – for life! Those are the stories I am most proud to be a part of.
Based on your own experience and that of the many couples you support – what do you think are the most important factors that fertility patients should consider when choosing their fertility clinic?
I love to talk about this topic so much that I created a document free to anyone: 15+ Questions You Must Ask Your Fertility Clinic. Not only do I give you the most important questions to ask but I also include the ideal answers you should be looking for! This is a must have when considering clinics.
I also did a podcast on how to collaborate with your doctor. So many patients have a hard time asking questions to doctors so I give advice on how to set yourself up for success.
Lastly, there is not a one size fits all fertility clinic. Just because a fertility clinic has a great reputation and is world renowned, does not mean it’s the best fit for you. I think this is important to understand.
What advice would you give to GoStork users navigating infertility and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it?
First, know what you CAN control and what you CAN’T control. Don’t put any energy towards those things you can’t control.
Second, making a baby is all about energy, starting at the cellular level. So know what gives you energy and what drains your energy (you will know because you can feel it). And do anything possible to create boundaries around the things that drain your energy.
Third, choose to see that your fertility journey is happening FOR you and not to you. I don’t know why it is so difficult for you to create a family – it might not be clear for years – but you can decide that this journey, though heartbreakingly hard, is something here for you to be thankful for. You will grow from it in the best ways possible, become a more loving, compassionate person and mother, and finally make the changes that you always had to make to become a better human if you choose to. So instead of hating your fertility journey and/or body, choose to send it a ton of thanks and love for all that it is doing for you.
And last, you are on an extraordinary fertility journey because you are extraordinary, Mama.
What you’re doing is so admirable, Tasha, thank you for providing support and sharing your knowledge with so many intended mothers navigating this journey! As for us at GoStork, it’s been a pleasure to get to know you and your inspiring work. Learn more about the FU Project here.