Episode #119
Episode 119 Jordana Graifman, MS, LCGC, What Every IVF Patient Deserves to Know About Embryo Screening
In this episode of Dismantling You , I sit down with Jordana Graifman , a genetic counselor at Orchid , to talk about the genetic information most fertility patients are never offered before their next transfer. Jordana walks us through what a genetic counselor actually does, when you might meet one on your reproductive journey, and why so many people leave clinic asking the same painful question: could anyone have told me this sooner? We explore carrier screening , the difference between standard embryo testing and whole genome embryo screening , and why being healthy yourself does not tell the full story about the risks you can pass on to your children. We also dig into the emotional side of this work , the miscarriages, failed transfers, and quiet losses that so many women carry without a place to talk about them. Jordana shares how she counsels patients who are hopeful but terrified , how she responds to fears about designer babies , and what she wishes every hopeful parent understood about family building. Her core message is simple and powerful: see a genetic counselor earlier than you think you should , because the sooner you have the information, the more freedom you have to make decisions that are truly your own. This is a conversation about science, compassion, and deeply personal choices . What a Genetic Counselor Really Does : Jordana explains how genetic counselors assess risk, order and interpret testing, and sit with families at the intersection of science and deeply personal decisions. Why Healthy Parents Can Still Carry Risk : Most of us are silent carriers for something. The real risk appears when both parents carry the same condition, creating a 25 percent chance of passing it on to any pregnancy. Standard Testing Versus Whole Genome Screening : Standard embryo testing looks at less than 1 percent of an embryo's genome, while Orchid analyzes 99 percent, surfacing thousands of conditions traditional testing misses. The Many Ways Conditions Are Inherited : From dominant and recessive inheritance to X linked and sporadic de novo variants, Jordana breaks down why a condition can appear even when it has never run in your family. Who Benefits Most From Embryo Screening : Information seekers, families using donors, fathers 40 and up, and patients with complex screening requests often gain the most from a comprehensive approach. Counseling Through Loss and Uncertainty : Jordana shares how she supports patients navigating miscarriage and failed transfers, validating the grief while grounding the conversation in real data. ️ See a Counselor Earlier Than You Think : Her central message is that early information creates freedom, giving hopeful parents the room to make informed choices before their next step. Resources & Next Steps Orchid whole genome embryo screening (comprehensive genetic testing before transfer) Complimentary Orchid pre test counseling: genetics@orchidhealth.com ✍️ Follow Jordana Graifman on Substack (The Genetic Counselor) Follow Orchid on Instagram @Orchidinc Subscribe to Dismantling You on Apple Podcasts
