Fertility Cafe: Recent Episodes
Eloise Drane
Who knew making a baby could be so hard?! Luckily, the fertility journey isn’t meant to be traveled alone. So grab a seat and let’s talk fertility and alternative family building with leading industry expert Eloise Drane here at Fertility Café!
Fertility Café is here to support, encourage, and educate, anyone seeking to start or complete their family and the selfless women willing to help . This weekly podcast discusses all aspects of the fertility journey experience, emphasizing alternative family forming methods. Explore modern family building through IVF, surrogacy, and egg donation, sperm donation and embryo donation . Whether you’re a straight couple, LGBTQIA+, single individual or anything in between, considering egg donation, thinking of becoming a surrogate, or dealing with infertility, you'll receive insider information.
Each week, join in-depth conversations that explore these methods from medical, legal, and financial standpoints. Learn how to empower yourselves when dealing with infertility and the unknowns of how to complete your family building. Gain understanding on how to become a surrogate or an egg donor and what you need to consider when you make your decision.
In addition to finding the best third-party providers and appropriate fertility solutions for you, learn about fertility awareness, the questions to ask and what steps you need to take to make the right decisions for you. There is so much information out there. How do you know what is fertility fact versus fiction. You’ll receive advice and tips on how to navigate the world of fertility options.
Listen to fertility experts and medical practitioners as they impart valuable wisdom about all kinds of issues related to your fertility to include unexplained infertility, fertility preservation, PCOS, and fibroids to name a few. Their professional guidance is your best bet in increasing the likelihood of getting pregnant without fearing for your health or breaking the bank.
This show is also for fertility professionals who want to widen their knowledge and expertise. By listening to fellow experts, discover brand-new information to share with your patients and improve your practice.
Host Eloise has helped hundreds of people build (and grow) their families over the last 20 years. She always speaks candidly about the processes involved in making the dream of a baby a reality right now. Eloise helps individuals become surrogates and egg donors through Family Inceptions, an agency she founded in 2008. She highlights the importance of ethical and transparent practices.
Above all, Eloise makes sure that young women who donate eggs or become surrogates are properly educated and empowered. Her reputation makes Eloise a top speaker and guest in many assisted reproduction technology events and shows. Her story and agency were even featured by OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Eloise is not only a guide to surrogates and donors; she has been an egg donor six times and a gestational surrogate three times. She is a happily married mother of five who spends most of her free time with family.
Failing to get pregnant should never lead to a life of regret, self-pity, and hopelessness. With egg donation, surrogacy, and medical advancements focused on fertility, your fight is far from over. You are not a lost cause. What you need is proper information, practical tips, and valuable insights on addressing your reproductive issues. Explore all this and more on the Fertility Café.
Listen to the podcast right now at https://familyinceptions.com/fertility-cafe
Embark on an enthralling exploration of the future of fertility in the landmark 100th episode of Fertility Cafe. This episode delves into the challenges the fertility industry is currently facing and how they are evolving. Discover what lies on the horizon and how changes in fertility on a massive scale will shape society, culture, and perceptions of third-party reproduction. Unravel the science and technology that needs to be advanced for transformative and scalable change. From the progression of IVF to the societal and cultural implications of fertility changes, this episode is a treasure trove of insights and knowledge. Don't miss this deep dive into the future of human reproduction!
Guest Bio
David Sable is the distinguished guest on today’s show, and he's highly respected in the field of reproductive medicine. He holds impressive degrees from the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. David has built a remarkable career as an obstetrician and gynecologist, with a special focus on reproductive endocrinology. He’s also a co-founder of the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science and Reprogenetics, which are quite noteworthy. In addition, he’s an esteemed educator at Columbia University and shares his expertise through lectures on healthcare investing and biotechnology business development. You might have even seen him on TV sharing insights on reproductive medicine. With a plethora of board positions, advisory roles, and publications, David Sable is a true authority and a guiding light in the field.
Resources
● Guest: David Sable
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the podcast: Ep 1 | Building a Modern-Day Family
● On the podcast: Ep 96 | The Baby Business
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this thought-provoking episode of Fertility Cafe, we engage in a crucial discussion titled "Bringing Equality to Reproduction for LGBTQ+ People." We're joined by the remarkable Dr. Mark P. Leondires, the force behind Gay Parents To Be and a respected leader in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Dr. Leondires brings his wealth of expertise and personal passion to this critical conversation, illuminating the unique hurdles faced by the LGBTQ+ community in their quest for parenthood.
From outlining the legal and policy barriers to exploring the emotional ramifications, Dr. Leondires provides an in-depth view of the complexities involved in accessing fertility treatments. We also dive into the current state of insurance coverage for such treatments and the significant advances in reproductive technology that can benefit the LGBTQ+ community.
As we venture into the future of LGBTQ+ fertility care, Dr. Leondires spotlights the important role that allies play in this landscape, advocating for more inclusivity and equality in reproductive healthcare. The episode wraps up with Dr. Leondires offering uplifting advice and encouragement for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples beginning their own path to parenthood.
This episode provides essential takeaways for everyone invested in understanding and advancing equality in fertility care, offering a blend of expert insights, real-world scenarios, and heartening messages of support. Tune in to gain a broader perspective on LGBTQ+ family-building in the evolving world of reproductive healthcare.
Guest Bio
Dr. Mark Leondires is the Founder and Medical Director at Illume Fertility and the Founder of Gay Parents To Be, a family-building resource for the LGBTQ+ community. He is board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Resources ● Gay Parents to Be
● Illume Fertility
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: Helping You Have A Baby: LGBTQ Surrogacy And Egg Donation
● On the blog: LGBT Surrogacy – Learning Your Options In Achieving Parenthood
● On the podcast: Ep 85 | Surrogacy for Same-Sex Couples: Carnell Roberts Tells His Story
● On the podcast: Ep 57 | IP: Single, LGBTQIA+, over 50, HIV+ Parents
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
This episode of Fertility Cafe debunks common fertility and conception myths, focusing on topics like the overlooked role of male fertility, contributing to 20% of all infertility cases, and the clinical definition of infertility. It delves into the average time it takes to conceive and the crucial role of ovulation timing. The significant impact of lifestyle factors on fertility, such as stress, sleep deprivation, weight, and substance use, is explored. The importance of fertility tests and the need to view them in context with a full medical history is discussed, along with the proposal to make fertility testing part of regular medical care for women of reproductive age, promoting early understanding and informed family planning decisions.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
● On the podcast: Ep 79 | Infertility Increase and Media Negative Reputation
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, the focus is on the intersection of environmental factors and fertility, discussing how elements such as pollution, lifestyle choices, and daily products can influence reproductive health. The role of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in the current landscape of reproductive care is examined, highlighting its advancements, challenges, and potential future developments. The conversation extends to the critical importance of patient advocacy and education in fertility care. Emphasizing the necessity of understanding one's options and rights as a patient, this episode provides valuable insights and advice on self-advocacy and the pursuit of comprehensive care in the complex world of fertility treatments.
Guest Bio
Dr. Aimee, also known as the “Egg Whisperer,” is one of America’s most famous fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. Dr. Aimee is a Harvard-educated board-certified OBGYN, specializing in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She has been featured in magazines like People and Marie Claire and has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning, along with a number of local and international newscasts. In her off-time, Dr. Aimee is a Mom to four rambunctious young kids aged 8 and under.
Resources
● Dr. Aimee’s Website
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How To Support Yourself As An Intended Parent
● On the blog: Tips on Family Building through Surrogacy
● On the podcast: Ep 79| Infertility Increase and Media Negative Reputation
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
One of my focus areas in this podcast is destigmatizing surrogacy and setting the record straight. We live in a world with new and evolving family-building choices, yet there is still a veil of mystery, suspicion, and misunderstanding over this topic. It's time we open up the conversation and lift that veil. Join me as I take a deep dive into what surrogacy is, who it’s for, as well as the importance of understanding all aspects of surrogacy for both potential surrogates and Intended Parents.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: What Disqualifies You from Being a Surrogate? Your Questions Answered
● On the blog: Surrogate vs Gestational Carrier
● On the podcast: Ep 73 | Baby Bonding During & After Surrogacy
● On the podcast: Ep 80 | First Hand Stories from an Intended Mother
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, I interview surrogacy insurance champion, Kimberly Surratt. Kimberly talks about her legal background and how she got involved in reproductive insurance reform in the state of Nevada. She talks about the current political climate as well as workplace trends and how these things influence insurance benefits offered to women. We’ll talk about the major impact she and other warriors for the cause have had on a state level, and what the future holds for surrogacy health insurance.
Guest Bio
Kimberly Surratt is the past president of the State Bar of Nevada Family Law Section and the Nevada Justice Association. She sits on the Board of Trustees for the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and is the chair of the domestic lobbying committee. She has lobbied with the Nevada Justice Association since 2004 and is responsible for all assisted reproduction parentage laws in the state of Nevada, including a trailblazing insurance bill.
Resources
● Kimberly’s Website
● Kimberly’s LinkedIn
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How Much Does Surrogacy Cost – We Break the Fees Down for You
● On the blog: 9 Important Questions To Ask A Surrogacy Agency
● On the podcast: Ep 54 | Fertility Care for Minority Populations with Dr. Tia
● On the podcast: Ep 60 | Employee Benefits: Brooke Bartholomay Quinn
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
The multibillion-dollar fertility industry is now booming, and experimenting with business models that are changing the American family in new and unpredictable ways. Those desiring donor eggs and sperm are now able to select from detailed checklists of physical and intellectual characteristics. Meanwhile, fertility clinics are offering volume discounts, package deals, and even 100% guarantees for successful babymaking, raising complex ethical and legal dilemmas. In this episode, I will take a deep dive into the history of embryo creation outside the womb. I’ll cover the barriers that exist for so many people that cannot access this family-building option, what is being done to address it, and shine a light on some of the grey ethical areas that exist in this exploding industry.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: What is an “Ethical” Surrogacy Agency?
● On the blog: How To Tell Your Children They Are A Product Of Donor Eggs?
● On the podcast: Ep 36 | Embryo Donation
● On the podcast: Ep 76 | Embryo Donation: What Are We Doing with All the Leftover Frozen Embryos?
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, we’ll be talking about what it’s like for Intended Parents from abroad to navigate third-party reproduction within the US. I interview new parents, Charlie and Tom Farrant, to talk about what their family-building journey was like, starting out at home in the UK, where paid surrogacy is not allowed. We talk about their experience, first navigating infertility issues, coping with the attitudes surrounding third-party reproduction in the UK, and then investigating how they might pursue having a baby via surrogacy in the States.
Guest Bio
Charlie and Tom are a couple from the UK living with their 6-month-old son, Bertie, born in South Carolina via surrogate. Tom works as a pilot and Charlie is a Registered Dietitian and blogger at therunnerbeans.com.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How Family Inceptions Can Help You Find the Right Surrogate
● On the blog: International Surrogacy UK: Become A Parent Through US Surrogacy
● On the podcast: Ep 01 | You Have the Right to Create Your Dream Family
● On the podcast: Ep 11 | Surrogacy Laws You Should Know Before Starting
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Despite being the most successful assisted reproductive technique, donor egg use involves complex emotions, from relief and hope to loss and grief. In navigating this uncharted territory, potential parents often grapple with feelings of guilt, jealousy, and a struggle with self-esteem and identity. Questions like "Am I less of a mother or a father because we're using a donor's egg?" are common. We explore the importance of addressing these feelings with professional support, remembering that love and nurturing play a larger role in child development than genetic ties alone.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How Long Is The Egg Donation Process
● On the blog: How To Tell Your Children They Are A Product Of Donor Eggs?
● On the podcast: Ep 4 | Egg Donation 101: When It Takes a Village to Start a Family
● On the podcast: Ep 10 | How to Find Your Best Egg Donor
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, I interview relationship expert Andrea Syrtash about the real toll of finding out you have infertility issues. She talks about how infertility is not just a medical journey, it’s also an emotional, relational, financial, physical, and spiritual one as well.
Guest Bio
Andrea is the founder of Pregnantish, the first media platform dedicated to helping people navigate fertility treatments and infertility. A regular on-air personality and the host of the Pregnantish podcast, Andrea’s hosted TV shows for Oprah’s OWN, Discovery, and Fox, and is the author of He's Just Not Your Type (And That's a Good Thing) and Cheat On Your Husband (With Your Husband).
Resources * Andrea’s Website * Andrea’s LinkedIn * Pregnantish Magazine * Andrea on Twitter * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * On the blog: How To Support Yourself As An Intended Parent * On the blog: Tips on Family Building through Surrogacy * On the podcast: Ep 82 | National Infertility Awareness Week 2023
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
This episode is all about discussing surrogacy and sharing the journey with your loved ones. Like any big conversation, talking about becoming a surrogate has some weight, so it’s best to be prepared to educate your family, listen to their concerns, and clear up any misconceptions as you ask them for your support. Whether you’re deciding to become a surrogate, or sharing that you have begun a surrogacy journey, I’ll cover talking this over with your significant other, children, parents, and other family members so you can feel happy and healthy throughout your family-building experience.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: The Pros And Cons Of Surrogacy For Everyone Involved
● On the blog: 9 Surrogacy Myths and Questions – Debunked and Answered
● On the podcast: Ep 37 | Husbands Are You Prepared
● On the podcast: Ep 31 | What I Wish I Knew As A Surrogate
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, I interview two-time surrogate, Jessica Adams. As a mom with small children at home, Jessica talks about not only what the surrogate journey has been like for her, but for her husband and kids as well. She talks about the relationships she developed with the Intended Parents whose children she carried. She discusses her motivation for choosing this path, issues that have come up along the way, and advice for how surrogates can best advocate for themselves throughout this process.
Guest Bio
Jessica is a mom of two little ones who have her completely wrapped around their fingers. She loves all things family building and is very proud of her role as a surrogate.
Resources ● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: What Is Surrogacy? Learn All The Facts
● On the blog: Your Pregnant Belly As A Surrogate: What To Expect
● On the podcast: Ep 78 | First-Hand Stories from a Gestational Surrogate
● On the podcast: Ep 37 | Husbands Are You Prepared
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
This episode is all about doing your due diligence to vet any third-party reproductive agency you are considering working with. Since there is no federal oversight or comprehensive set of standards egg donation and surrogacy agencies must adhere to, it’s up to you to determine what kind of ethics and standards they have.
In addition, you’ll want to find out all you can about the staff, the processes the agency they have in place, the kind of reviews they get, as well as their track record for successful results. When it comes to building your family, thoroughly researching an agency's communication style, matching approach, coordination of fertility clinics and professionals, and ethical treatment of surrogates and egg donors is essential in making an informed choice.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: 9 Important Questions to Ask a Surrogacy Agency
● On the blog: How Family Inceptions Can Help You Find the Right Surrogate
● On the podcast: Ep 39 | Agency Owners Roundtable
● On the podcast: Ep 45 | When Third-Party Goes Wrong
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, I interview Arvis Carmichael-Smith who gets raw and real about the emotional trials and tribulations of struggling with infertility and third-party reproduction for over 20 years. She shares some of the medical struggles she has gone through and how she learned to advocate for her mental and physical health along the way. She also talks about the ups and downs of all she and her husband Martin have experienced in their quest to create the family they have so longed for. It’s a testament to their faith as well as their devotion to each other that they have stayed the course and are still hopeful, even as Arvis turns 50, that their family-building journey is not over yet.
Guest Bio
Arvis is a former veterinary hospital director whose passion for teaching and nurturing kids sparked a career pivot to teaching middle school. She is an advocate for children, animals, and the elderly. She also loves hiking, nature walks, and travel. Arvis lives in Hampton, Georgia with her husband of 23 years, Martin Smith.
Resources * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * On the blog: How to Support Yourself as an Intended Parent * On the blog: Why Many Black Women Are Silent About Their Infertility Struggles * On the podcast: Ep 44 | Mental Health & Family Building with Lori Metz, LCSW * On the podcast: Ep 53 | Aftermath of Infertility (PTSD)
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, I’ll explore the fundamental types of commitment essential for anyone who aspires to become an egg donor or a surrogate, including physical commitment, accountability, communication, and time commitment. I will delve into the benefits of staying dedicated to the process – for everyone involved. I’ll also offer tips to establish and sustain a consistent level of commitment and open communication throughout the entire process in order to be successful in your role in the third-party reproduction journey.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How Long Is The Egg Donation Process
● On the blog: Ten Things That Will Make You an Ideal Surrogate
● On the podcast: Ep 31 | What I Wish I Knew As A Surrogate
● On the podcast: Ep 51 | When It Takes A Village To Start A Family
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, I interview podcast host and Intended Parent Carnell Roberts. Carnell shares what the family-building journey was like for him and his husband, Gavin. He talks about the mindset that enabled them to jump through all of the emotional and financial hoops to finally get their baby girl. He shares about his surrogate and the special bond they formed with her. We also touch on aspects of the IP journey that are different for a same-sex couple.
Guest Bio
Carnell is a medical speech-language pathologist and the host of the podcast Going Through Something with Carnell Roberts. He lives in Atlanta with his husband and their bernedoodle, Swift (Carnell is a huge Taylor Swift fan). He is a new dad to a beautiful baby girl who shares the same birthday with Eloise.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: LGBT Surrogacy – Learning Your Options In Achieving Parenthood
● On the blog: 9 Important Questions To Ask A Surrogacy Agency
● On the podcast: Ep 57 | IP: Single, LGBTQIA+, over 50, HIV+ Parents
● On the podcast: Ep 51 | When It Takes A Village To Start A Family
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
This episode is all about taking the reins by advocating for yourself. Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself and ask for what you need, allowing you to have control over important decisions that affect your life. I’m going to talk about why everyone in the 3PR process – Intended Parents, surrogates, and egg donors – need to advocate for themselves to ensure the entire journey is as successful as possible.
Resources
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How To Support Yourself As An Intended Parent
● On the blog: Own Your Journey as an Intended Parent
● On the podcast: Ep 43 | Body Autonomy For Surrogates and Egg Donors
● On the podcast: Ep 59 | Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations
● On the podcast: Ep 72 | Egg Donor Advocacy Groups
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this episode, we will focus on the lack of access to surrogacy, the prohibitive cost of it, and the need to raise awareness around this issue. I will interview Zach French, co-founder of Gift of Surrogacy. The goal of this non-profit organization is to gift grants that cover the full cost of a surrogate journey to someone with a medical diagnosis that prevents them from having children on their own and would not otherwise be able to afford one.
Guest Bio
Zach French is an entrepreneur, lawyer, podcast host and technologist in Atlanta. Throughout his entire career, he has focused on building better connections for thriving ecosystems with three pillars — education, sales, and strategy. He has been involved in numerous nonprofits. Leveraging this experience, Zach and his wife Alexandra founded Gift of Surrogacy. Zach is on a mission to help build more families and proliferate the entire surrogacy ecosystem.
Resources
● Learn more about Gift of Surrogacy Organization
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● On the blog: How To Support Yourself As An Intended Parent
● On the blog: Fertility and Family Building Grants and Financial Assistance Programs
● On the podcast: Ep 54 | Fertility Care for Minority Populations with Dr. Tia
● On the podcast: Ep 59 | Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations
● On the podcast: Ep 67 | 10 Ways to Cut Surrogacy Costs
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
A lot of people in this don’t give any thought to infertility – it’s simply not on their radar. National Infertility Awareness Week is a movement that was founded in 1989 to change all of that. It’s about empowerment, community, raising awareness, and shining a light on evolving issues surrounding infertility.
Host Bio
I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources ● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
● On the podcast: Ep 57 | IP: Single, LGBTQIA+, over 50, HIV+ Parents
● On the podcast: Ep 59 | Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations
● On the podcast: Ep 60 | Employee Benefits: Brooke Bartholomay Quinn
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In this season 5 kickoff episode, we will focus on empowerment and advocacy for everyone involved in the family-building journey including surrogates, egg donors, and intended parents. Season 5 brings us to an exciting milestone, our 100th episode, which highlights new scientific developments in infertility research.
Host Bio
I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources ● Eloise Drane on LinkedIn
● Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
● Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
● Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
● On the blog: LGBT Surrogacy – Learning Your Options In Achieving Parenthood
● On the podcast: Ep 48 | Kellee Stewart on Fertility Awareness & Egg Advocacy
● On the podcast: Ep 50 | Fertility Insurance with Jason Smith
● On the podcast: Ep 54 | Fertility Care for Minority Populations with Dr. Tia
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
What is it really like for intended parents? What is the experience like? How does one cope with watching another woman carry her child? How can couples come together to share this experience and make it a positive one throughout? We'll talk to one Intended Mother about her take on these questions and more.
Guest/Host Bio Amy Oguntala Amy Oguntala and her husband are intended parents via surrogacy. They are currently on their third pregnancy.
Resources * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Understanding The Basics of IVF and Step-by-step IVF Process * On the blog: How Does Surrogacy Work? The Basics for Anyone Considering Surrogacy * On the podcast: Ep 61: Egg Donors, Surrogates & IP Relationships * On the podcast: Ep 35: Infertility Epidemic
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Infertility is on the rise and it's leading to an increased demand for assisted reproduction technology. Unfortunately, many causes of infertility are insidious and seen as relatively harmless, such as the birth control pill. In this episode, we talked about the shocking increase in infertility and what men and women need to know if they want to have a family.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me, and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Inceptions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So, I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Fertility and Family Building Grants and Financial Assistance Programs * On the podcast: Ep 07: Fertility Grants – Providing Hope & Overcoming Infertility * On the podcast: Ep 35: Infertility Epidemic
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
What is it really like for surrogates? What are their motivations for being gestational carriers? What is their experience like? How do they feel about being close - or not - with their IPs? What is the most important thing that they really need from agencies and IPs? In this episode, we'll talk to Heathyr Suhr about her take on these questions.
Guest Bio Heathyr suhr
Heathyr is a single mom to her 7 year old best friend. She is a 2x surrogate who loves pregnancy, helping create families, and helping educate other women on the ups and downs of surrogacy.
Resources * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Becoming A Surrogate: What’s Carrying Someone Else’s Baby Like? * On the blog: Potential Surrogate? 6 Red Flags When Selecting A Surrogacy Agency * On the podcast: Ep 8: Six-Time Egg Donor & Three-Time Surrogate Eloise Shares Story * On the podcast: Ep 2: Surrogacy 101: When It Takes a Village To Start a Family
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In the egg donor community, it's known that financial compensation is often a strong motivator. But there have been many developments in recent years that impact donor and surrogate compensation. In this episode, we're diving into the nitty-gritty, perhaps uncomfortable side of egg donation and surrogacy compensation. We'll cover changes to tax law, appeals, and how compensation affects the already delicate relationship.
Host Bio Eloise Drane I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Inceptions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So, I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Sherman Anti-Trust Act Law: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sherman_antitrust_act#:~:text=Sherman%20Antitrust%20Act%20of%201890,is%20codified%20in%2015%20U.S.C. * Perez v. Commissioner: https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/casebrief/p/casebrief-perez-v-commissioner * Form 1099: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1099msc.pdf * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Do I Pay Taxes on My Surrogacy Compensation? * On the blog: Tax Deductions for Egg Donor and Surrogate Expenses * On the podcast: Ep 6: Family Building Finance With Sonia Stewart
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
When we teach IPs about their possible pathways to parenthood, we often mention embryo adoption. There are thousands of embryos sitting in cryobanks around the country. But what happens to them if they aren't used in IVF by their creators or adopted by other IPs in need? In this episode we answer this question along with others like, do they have a ticking clock on them in terms of viability? How does the fertility industry handle these delicate scenarios? And are there other avenues that ought to be explored – but haven't as of yet?
Guest Bio Maya Grobel and Gina Davis Maya Grobel is a California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and psychotherapist in private practice, where she specializes in supporting individuals and couples struggling to conceive or building their family in alternative ways. Maya and her TV producer husband Noah made a feature length film called One More Shot, documenting their tumultuous journey to parenthood, which ended with the birth of their daughter via embryo donation (available on Vimeo on Demand). Maya a co-founder of EM•POWER with Moxi, an educational company focused on empowering choice in embryo donation.
Gina Davis is the founder of Advocate Genetics, and a multi-state licensed, board-certified genetic counselor, who specializes in the field of reproductive medicine. Gina is also a co-founder of EM•POWER with Moxi, an education company dedicated to empowering choice and community in embryo donation. She is a mother of two via IVF and an embryo donor.
Resources * Maya Grobel and Gina Davis on Facebook * Maya Grobel and Gina Davis on Instagram * Maya Grobel and Gina Davis on LinkedIn, LinkedIn * EMPOWER with Moxi * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: The Journey Of IVF Treatment: Cramping After Embryo Transfer * On the blog: The Truth About Single Embryo Transfer vs. Double Embryo Transfer * On the podcast: Ep 36: Embryo Donation * On the podcast: Ep 51: Egg Donation 101: When It Takes a Village to Start a Family
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Naturally, fertility issues are a sensitive subject. Most couples never imagined that they would need to go the route of third-party reproduction in order to bring their family dreams to fruition. While all IPs are grateful for the role egg donors and surrogates play in building their family, some IPs would prefer not to have a relationship with their donors or surrogates after the process is over and a child is born. Here's what donors and surrogates need to understand about this unique family dynamic and how they can best prepare themselves for the complex relationship ahead.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me, and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Inceptions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So, I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Surrogates & Baby Blues – What You Should Know * On the podcast: Ep 61: Egg Donors, Surrogates & IP Relationships * On the podcast: Ep 65: Postpartum After Surrogacy
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
As an egg donor or a surrogate, your medical history is seen as an open book. IPs and their medical teams want and expect to know everything there is to know about your medical past – often for good reason, but where is the line? Is it reasonable for a donor or surrogate to expect some degree of privacy, particularly for health-related issues that may not seem relevant to the task at hand? Is it OK for donors or surrogates to redact their medical history? Or should IPs only accept full medical records issued from the donor's or surrogate's PCP? In this episode, we discuss medical history and privacy of donors and surrogates during the donation or surrogacy processes.
Guest Bio Nancy Block Nancy Block RN and Mark Silverberg MD founded National Surrogate Record Review in order to provide a service for potential parents, fertility clinics, and agencies to find the most stable, suitable candidates for surrogacy. Nancy is an OB RN with over 26 years in assisted reproductive technology. Her nursing career spanned over 17 years in all aspects of Women's Health. Mark has been an MD in the Anesthesia sector for over 30 years and has worked with patients with varied needs and has reviewed 1000's of charts for procedures he has been involved in. Dr. Silverberg has worked with OB/Gyne Patients for many years in inpatient and outpatient settings.
Resources * Nancy Block on Facebook, Facebook * Nancy Block on Instagram, Instagram * Nancy Block on LinkedIn, LinkedIn * Nancy Block on Twitter, Twitter * Nancy Block on Pinterest * National Surrogate Record Review * Private Label Surrogacy * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Step 5: Criteria Intended Parents Look for in a Surrogate * On the podcast: Ep 43: Body Autonomy For Surrogates and Egg Donors
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Pregnancy is an important transitional time for a mother. Not only are these 9 months when her baby is developing, but also when the mother is coming to terms with the fact that she will be a mother soon... except in the case of IPs and surrogates. In this episode, we looked at how surrogacy affects an IM's ability to bond with her baby as well as things the IM and surrogate can do – either together or separately – to help the IM feel more like a mother to the baby the surrogate is carrying.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Incpesions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Will I Feel Jealous of My Surrogate? * On the blog: Own Your Journey as an Intended Parent * On the podcast: Ep 31: What I Wish I Knew As A Surrogate
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
We are all very "pro family" around here, no matter what your family looks like. But we also feel it's important to advocate for the egg donors and surrogates who are helping families become whole. In this episode, we talked to Liz Scheier, a member of the leadership team at the We Are Egg Donors advocacy group on issues she has seen be most prevalent in the egg donor community and how she hopes the fertility industry will evolve.
Guest Bio Liz Scheier Liz Scheier is a 3x egg donor and sits on the leadership team of We Are Egg Donors, a global support network for current and past donors. Her 2022 memoir NEVER SIMPLE, which was chosen as an editor's pick by the New York Times, People Magazine, Apple, and Amazon, deals in part with the experience of donating eggs.
Resources * Liz Scheier on Facebook * Liz Scheier on Instagram * We Are Egg Donors * Never Simple: A Memoire * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: How to Tell Your Children They are a Product of Donor Eggs * On the podcast: Ep 48: Kellee Stewart on Fertility Awareness & Egg Advocacy * On the podcast: Ep 59: Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
In Surrogacy Roadmap, we don't recommend going the international route. Here's why!
In this episode, we talked about all the reasons why international surrogacy can get IPs into trouble and the few benefits that don't make the hassle worth it.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Incpesions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Your Step-by-Step Guide to the Surrogacy Process * On the podcast: Ep 38: Legal Aspects of Surrogacy
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
What is it really like for egg donors? What are their motivations for donating? What is their experience? How do they feel about known versus anonymous donations? We talked to one egg donor about her take on these questions.
Guest Bio Rai Hyde Rai is a 6-time egg donor. Despite struggling with long-term health complications due to her donations, she is proud to be an egg donor and looks back on the process and the families she contributed to fondly. She is eager to help other donors or potential donors make the right decisions for themselves knowing the health risks.
Resources * Rai Hyde on Facebook * Rai Hyde on Instagram * Rai Hyde on LinkedIn * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Will Being an Egg Donor Impact My Own Fertility? * On the blog: IVF Injections: What To Expect & How To Deal With Them More Proactively * On the podcast: Ep 63: Meeting My Egg Donor Baby * On the podcast: Ep 15: Egg Donor, Do You REALLY Understand the Egg Donation Process?
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
What happens years after a child has been born from an egg donation process? In this episode, we answer this question along with others like what happens if the child has health issues and the IPs opted for an anonymous donation? What do IPs need to consider early in their IVF journey that may affect their child's health 10, 20, and more years down the road?
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Inceptions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So, I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: What’s the Difference Between Anonymous, Semi-Known, and Known Egg Donation * On the podcast: Ep 40: Medical Side of 3rd Party Reproduction * On the podcast: Ep 66: Is There Such Thing as Anonymity Any Longer?
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
We would like to think of the fertility journey as all happiness, love, and bringing beautiful new life into this world. But the fact is that there is a dark side of legal issues, persistent medical effects, and emotional distress that many donors and surrogates don't know about before agreeing to donate or carry for IPs. In this episode, we talked to Diane Tober, Medical Anthropologist and Researcher at UCSF about her research and what issues she has seen as most prevalent within the dark side of the industry.
Guest Bio Dr. Diane Tober Dr. Diane Tober is a medical anthropologist and associate professor at the University of Alabama. She is author of the book, Romancing the Sperm: Shifting Biopolitics and the Making of Modern Families. For the past several years, with funding from the National Science Foundation, she has been conducting research on egg donation in the United States and Spain.
Resources * Diane Tober on Facebook * Diane Tober on Instagram * Diane Tober on LinkedIn * Diane Tober on Twitter * Diane Tober on YouTube * Romancing the Sperm * Egg Donor Research * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: The Pros And Cons Of Surrogacy For Everyone Involved * On the blog: Side Effects Of Egg Donation: Understanding The Risks * On the podcast: Ep 43: Body Autonomy For Surrogates and Egg Donors * On the podcast: Ep 62: The Overturning of Roe v Wade Impact On the Fertility Industry
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
We've done a lot of episodes on financing, insurance, etc., but not so much on the budgeting/cost-cutting side. This episode takes us through the Surrogacy Roadmap and explains the areas where you don't want to skimp (i.e., No DIY GSAs off of the internet!) and where you can realistically cut costs.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Incpesions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: 3 Ways to Lower the Cost of Surrogacy * On the blog: Independent Surrogacy: Pros + Cons of Surrogacy Without an Agency * On the podcast: Ep 06: Family Building Finance: On Escrow + Taxes with Sonia Stewart * On the podcast: Ep 47: Paying for Fertility Care * On the podcast: Ep 50: Fertility Insurance with Jason Smith * On the podcast: Ep 60: Carrot Fertility: Employer Provider Benefits with Brooke Bartholomay Quinn
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
With the emergence of the Donor Sibling Registry, 23&Me, and Ancestry.com, it's nearly impossible to be an "anonymous" donor for long nowadays. Now, federal legislators are considering requiring background checks for both egg and sperm donors, which would completely eliminate any anonymity outside of an agency arrangement. In this episode, we'll talk about whether or not it is still possible to be anonymous and, if not, what damage (if any) that can do to the third-party reproduction industry and participants.
Guest Bio Wendy Kramer Wendy is the Co-Founder and Director of the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR). The DSR was founded in 2000 with her donor-conceived son Ryan to assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg, or embryo donation who are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they share genetic ties. With more than 80,000 members in 105 countries, the DSR has helped to connect more than 25,000 of them with their half-siblings and/or their biological parents. Wendy has listened to, advised/consulted, and researched thousands of these parents, donors, donor-conceived people, and other donor family members.
Resources * Wendy Kramer on Facebook * Wendy Kramer on Instagram * Wendy Kramer on LinkedIn * Donor Sibling Registry * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: How to Tell Your Children They are a Product of Donor Eggs * On the blog: The Top 5 Things You Must Know Before You Agree to Be An Egg Donor * On the podcast: Ep 58: Embryo Donation – From the Donor Perspective with Anna Flores Locke * On the podcast: Ep 56: Donor Conceived Children
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Postpartum depression is, unfortunately, quite common in women. However, the way society, mental health professionals, and medical professionals react to postpartum depression is vastly different for surrogates than mothers who birth their own children. In this episode, we normalize postpartum depression, talk about the unique challenges surrogates face with the condition, and offer ideas and resources to help surrogates through this tough chapter.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Incpesions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Is Postpartum Depression Possible In Gestational Surrogacy? * On the blog: Surrogates & Baby Blues – What You Should Know
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
We often think of terminating a pregnancy as an issue parents have to face. But in the world of third-party reproduction, we also have to consider the impact on the surrogate. In this episode, we answer questions like, what happens if the IPs and surrogate disagree? What factors are most important and should be triaged accordingly? And, how can IPs and surrogates move forward to try again after terminating a pregnancy?
Guest Bio Julie Bindeman Dr. Julie Bindeman graduated from the George Washington University and is the co-owner of Integrative Therapy of Greater Washington in Rockville, Maryland. Her specialty is in the field of Reproductive Psychology, where she actively writes, lectures, and presents. She has served on several committees within the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and was recently elected to its Executive Committee.
Dr. Bindeman is a member of multiple organizations focused on Maternal and Reproductive Mental Health and was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on its Maternal Mental Health Task Force. She was recently awarded the Karl Heiser Award for her legislative efforts on behalf of psychology. Dr. Bindeman has published several chapters and articles pertaining to Reproductive Psychology.
Resources * Julie Bindeman on Facebook * Julie Bindeman on Instagram * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: 9 Surrogacy Myths and Questions – Debunked and Answered with Facts * On the blog: The Pros And Cons Of Surrogacy For Everyone Involved * On the podcast: Ep 62: Overturning of Roe v Wade Impact On Fertility * On the podcast: Ep 55: Surrogacy Psychological Screening with Angela Bethea-Walsh, Ph.D
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
As a six-time donor and three-time surrogate, I've helped many families become whole. But only once have I had the opportunity to meet one of the children born from my multiple egg donation cycles. In this episode, I share what the experience of meeting my egg donation baby was like, what she has shared with me about how she feels about being born of assisted reproduction, and what donors need to think about long-term before making the decision to donate.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Incpesions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: 5 Common Egg Donation Disqualifications For Prospective Egg Donors * On the blog: The Top 5 Things You Must Know Before You Agree to Be An Egg Donor * On the podcast: Ep 08: Six-Time Egg Donor and Three-Time Surrogate Eloise Drane Shares Her Story
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
How does Roe v Wade affect the Fertility industry? How does it impact egg donation and freezing eggs? How does it affect freezing embryos? There is so much more detail that seems to have been missed when making the decision to overturn Roe v Wade. In this episode of Fertility Cafe, we cover these questions and more about how Roe v Wade affects the different situations that people face when choosing to explore their fertility option. Learn about how it affects surrogates who end up with a multiples pregnancy and are asked or desire to reduce their pregnancies, individuals who face health risks during pregnancy, and the legal aspect between the intended parents and surrogates from expert, Chelsea Caldwell.
Guest/Host Bio Chelsea Caldwell Chelsea Caldwell, Esq. is a founding partner of Midwest Fertility Law Group, PLC and exclusively focuses her practice on Assisted Reproduction, helping clients worldwide seeking to build their families through methods such as surrogacy, gamete donation, and embryo donation. Chelsea also serves as the Director of Legal Services for Family Inceptions, and is a proud mother of twins by IVF.
Resources * Chelsea Caldwell on LinkedIn * Chelsea Caldwell on Facebook * Chelsea Caldwell on Instagram * Fertility Within Reach * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: IVF Injections: What To Expect & How To Deal With Them More Proactively * On the blog: Surrogate vs Gestational Carrier * On the podcast: Ep 59: Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
As the first episode of the season, we dive into a high-level discussion of this season's theme, including:
- The issues surrogates face
- The issues egg donors face
- Things IPs need to keep in mind to have a good relationship with their egg donors and surrogates
In the episode, host Eloise Drane discusses the emotional burden, physical ramifications, and an overview of the commonly overlooked issues donors and surrogates need to be aware of.
Host Bio I’m Eloise Drane, Founder of Family Inceptions, the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the state of Georgia and the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency in the United States.
While I started Family Inceptions back in 2008, my love for giving people the gift of life goes back even further. In 1998, I donated a kidney. The experience was life-changing for me and I felt called to help more people in such a meaningful, profound way.
Two years later, I had my first experience with egg donation. Little did I know that the egg donation journey would completely change the trajectory of my life.
To date, I’ve been a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) three times and an egg donor six times. Along the way, I became an expert in the process.
I founded Family Inceptions to help more intended parents start their families, to support other surrogates and egg donors, and to make an impact in the world.
Although I love working with families through Family Inceptions, I also understand that many people are priced out of working with agencies. So I took everything I learned from donating eggs six times, serving as a surrogate three times, earning an MBA, and running the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency of its kind in the US... and put it all into an easy-to-use, comprehensive course to help intended parents successfully navigate their independent surrogacy journey. I call that course Surrogacy Roadmap.
There are so many wonderful people out there who are longing to become parents, but they can’t physically create or carry a child for one reason or another. Likewise, there are many women out there who are either considering helping intended parents achieve their family goals or who are already involved in the fertility industry as egg donors or surrogates.
I created the Fertility Cafe podcast as a free resource to answer the biggest questions intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates are facing as they consider third-party reproduction.
Resources * Eloise Drane on LinkedIn * Eloise Drane on Instagram * Eloise Drane on Facebook * Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe * Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions * Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap * On the blog: Five Considerations To Keep In Mind When Choosing An Egg Donor * On the blog: Your Pregnant Belly As A Surrogate: What To Expect
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be so grateful if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: “Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 60 | Carrot Fertility: Employer Provider Benefits with Brooke Bartholomay Quinn
Episode Summary
In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise gets to talk with Brooke Quinn of Carrot Fertility about the inclusion of employee benefits that offer fertility care and family building support such as adoption and surrogacy. It's important for both employers and employees to understand the advantages and costs of including fertility care and benefits packages. We want to encourage employees to ask about their fertility care eligibility and want to encourage employers to include this needed service into their benefits packages. As fertility care is ever-evolving, this is an important topic that we are going to talk about in depth today.
BIO
Brooke Quinn is Chief Customer Officer at Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility benefits provider for employers and health plans.
Carrot is built to support employees through their lifelong fertility healthcare journey. Companies use Carrot to customize a fertility benefit that provides employees financial, medical, and emotional support as they pursue parenthood, reducing healthcare costs and resulting in better clinical outcomes. Carrot's clinically-managed program includes fertility preservation like egg and sperm freezing, IVF, donor and gestational carrier services, adoption, and pregnancy support. Family Inceptions is newly partnered with Carrot.
In this episode, Eloise and Brooke talk about:
- Why family building benefits have taken so long to be added to some benefits and still aren’t standard in every workplace
- How a lot of the current fertility benefits offered aren’t fully inclusive
- Why it’s so important for employers to offer family-building benefits
- How employees can start the conversation with their employer about adding these benefits
Resources
Brooke on LinkedIn
Brooke on Twitter
Carrot Fertility on Instagram
Carrot Fertility’s Podcast: BabySteps
A History of Employer-Sponsored Healthcare: https://www.griffinbenefits.com/blog/history-of-employer-sponsored-healthcare
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 59 | Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations
There are so many charitable organizations out there, it can be hard to know which ones to turn to in times of need, or in times of abundance when you are looking to share your generosity. On today’s episode, Eloise highlights 12 non-profit organizations that are changing lives in the infertility, reproductive health, and trying-to-conceive community.
From large-scale national organizations to more localized support groups and specialized advocacy groups, Eloise has firsthand knowledge and experience working with founders, members, beneficiaries, and other participants of each highlighted organization.
Learn about the important work being done by:
- Fertility Within Reach, a national advocacy and education organization dedicated to making fertility treatments and care more accessible and affordable
- The Tinina Q. Cade Foundation, a nonprofit that has helped more than 120 families with financial assistance for IVF, fertility care, adoption, and surrogacy expenses
- Support and advocacy groups specifically for Black woman and women of color facing infertility and/or reproductive health challenges. Highlighted organizations include the Broken Brown Egg, Endo Black, and Fertility for Colored Girls
- Groups like the Black Women’s Health Imperative and Black Mamas Matter Alliance who are leading the charge for equity in reproductive healthcare and effecting change at a legislative level
- Organizations for the LGBTQ+ community such as Family Equality
- Condition-specific support groups for women who suffer from uterine fibroids, PCOS, and endometriosis
- Organizations such as Sisters in Loss and Daughters of Hannah that help women, particularly women of color, cope with and heal from pregnancy and infant loss
Resources Links to the organizations highlighted on todays episode:
Fertility Within Reach: https://www.fertilitywithinreach.org/
Tinina Q. Cade Foundation: https://cadefoundation.org/
EM*Power Donation: https://empowerdonation.com
The Broken Brown Egg: https://thebrokenbrownegg.org/
The White Dress Project: https://www.thewhitedressproject.org/
PCOS Challenge: https://www.pcoschallenge.org/
Endo Black: https://www.endoblack.org/
Black Women’s Health Initiative: https://bwhi.org/
Fertility for Colored Girls: https://www.fertilityforcoloredgirls.org/
Black Mamas Matter Alliance: https://blackmamasmatter.org/
Family Equality: https://www.familyequality.org
Sisters in Loss Foundation: https://sistersinloss.com/
Our Miracle Child: https://ourmiraclechild.com/
Daughters of Hannah: https://www.facebook.com/daughtersofhannah/
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Episode Summary
On this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise gets to talk to Anna Flores Locke about her experience with embryo donation and her journey of infertility as a Latina woman. Anna struggled for years with infertility in isolation and heartbreak, not knowing where to turn.
Since her experience, thankfully, many changes have been made to provide women with counseling and support to assist them in the process of fertility treatment and embryo donation in particular.
We hope this conversation provides education, emotional support, and a sense of community for the women who are walking in her shoes and are feeling alone on their fertility journey.
In this episode, Eloise and Anna talk about:
- What it was like to experience infertility as a Latina woman and how her community responded to her story
- The grieving process that can happen during embryo donation
- Why proper education and counseling is so crucial to those going through an infertility journey
- The biggest takeaway Anna wants others who are experiencing infertility to know
Resources
Anna on Facebook
Anna on Instagram
Anna’s book Body Betrayal: Understanding and Living with Infertility is available on her website and on Amazon. https://www.charlandra.com/shop
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 57| Unique Populations of Intended Parents
Families come in all shapes and sizes these days. The notion of a “traditional” family makeup with a mom, dad, and 2.2 children is becoming the exception rather than the rule. In today’s episode, host Eloise Drane takes a look at what it takes to navigate fertility when you don’t quite fit the mold of what society thinks a traditional family should look like.
How can third-party reproduction help single intended parents? LGBTQ+ intended parents? Intended parents who are of an advanced age, 50 or older? HIV+ people who wish to become parents? Viable pathways exist for each of these unique populations, and today we’ll talk about the ins and outs of each.
Eloise covers topics such as:
- Why more and more people are choosing single parenthood, and how donor eggs and sperm + third-party reproduction makes it possible
- Fertility and health insurance coverage discrimination - how the current system is stacked against single and LGTBQ+ people
- What to expect as an LGBTQ+ intended parent - from donor selection to surrogacy and beyond
- What fertility looks like for an intended parent age 50 or older - the biases and challenges they may encounter and how to overcome
- The unique challenges faced by intended parents living with HIV - a look into the incredible medical advances that exist today, allowing safe and healthy fertility journeys to occur
Resources Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
On the blog: Reciprocal IVF: Creating Families For LGBTQ Couples
On the blog: Egg Donors & Surrogates For LGBTQ Couples | Family Inceptions
Financial Resources: Fertility and Family Building Grants and Financial Assistance Programs
Advocacy Resources:
- Men Having Babies
- Family Equality
- Gays With Kids
- Single Mothers by Choice
- Solo Parent Society
- RESOLVE
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 54 | Disparities in Fertility Care for Minority Populations with Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey
Episode Summary
In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise gets to talk with Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey to discuss disparities in fertility care in minority populations.
There are particular barriers to caring for and noticeably poor treatment outcomes for black and brown women. We're highlighting health disparities that prevent family building through fertility, diagnostics, gynecological surgery, fertility preservation, egg, sperm, and embryo freezing, and infertility treatments like Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) for minorities. They'll be discussing the importance of reproductive justice and increasing access to fertility care for all.
Guest Bio
Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist and board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who cares for patients at RMA of New York's Brooklyn office. Her professional interests include physician-patient education, IVF outcome improvement, global public health, and mentoring unrepresented college and medical students on careers in medicine.
Dr. Jackson-Bey is passionate about reproductive justice and increasing access to fertility care for all. She was recently appointed a member of the newly formed ASRM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force which will enhance opportunities and reproductive medicine for underrepresented minority populations and reduce health disparities in access to care. She is a talented surgeon and dedicated fertility expert who was focused on fertility preservation, IVF success, and great outcomes for her patients.
In this episode, Eloise and Tia talk about:
- The biggest barriers that certain communities face in regards to fertility care
- The importance of getting help and asking questions even early in your fertility journey
- How the US deals with health disparities compared to other countries
- Being able to find the right providers who will help you reach your goals
Resources
Follow Tia on Instagram
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
Ep. 53 | Aftermath of Infertility (PTSD)
Episode Summary
In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise focuses on infertility, pregnancy loss, and mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, and postpartum depression. If you feel that any of these topics would contribute to negative feelings or upset, go ahead and skip this one. I know it’s a heavy topic right around the holidays, but I also feel strongly that through education and open discussion about these difficult topics, we can help provide comfort and support to those who need it.
In this episode, Eloise talks about:
- The phenomenon of “decision fatigue” and how it applies to the fertility journey
- How educating ourselves can help improve empathy towards others
- Why grieving is so common throughout a fertility journey
- The importance of destigmatizing being able to ask for help when you need it
Resources
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast on iTunes! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 52 | Fertility Journeys for Women with Demanding Careers with Dr. Hala Sabry
Episode Summary
In this episode of Fertility Café, we get to talk about a topic with a very special guest: fertility journeys for women with demanding careers. Every fertility journey is a process of getting to know ourselves. A process where new fears, doubts, and unknowns pop up that we didn't know we had until now. The stress of wanting to grow a family while maintaining a career can add to the difficulty. That desire to build our family is there no matter our job, our gender identity, our economic status, or our fertility status. Our guest today has shared her IVF journey with the world in the hopes that others will see it as normal and know that they are not alone in this.
Eloise talks with Hala Sabry who reminds us of that and to help us navigate the process as well as life, career, caring for small children during what is likely the most emotional time in our life.
Guest Bio
Dr. Hala Sabry is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine physician, the founder of Physician Moms Group (PMG), IVF patient and a super mom of five—with two sets of twins!
Being a mother of five has given Hala a unique expertise and skill set to help other parents in the medical field. After years of infertility, she found that balancing motherhood and a career in medicine was challenging.
She frequently fought through fear, negative self-talk, and a recurring desire to quit her job in medicine, and she knew other mothers and physicians must have experienced the same struggles. She attributes having a solid support system (PMG) and life coaching in helping her manage her thoughts and reaffirm her “why.”
In this episode, Eloise and Hala talk about:
- What it was like to secretly go through multiple rounds of IVF while balancing a demanding career
- Bosses, coworkers and patients passing judgement through her pregnancies
- Why we can’t take it personally when certain relationships end while we’re on this journey
- The importance of understanding and building a lasting legacy for yourself
Resources
Learn more about Hala on her site: halasabry.com
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
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Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
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Ep. 50 | Fertility Insurance with Jason Smith
Episode Summary
In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise gets to talk with Jason Smith, the Founder and President of International Fertility Insurance. He and his team now provide hopeful parents, as well as agencies, with the solutions required—with unparalleled service. We dive into what surrogates and intended parents should look out for with insurance plans, and how to ensure adequate coverage throughout the entire pregnancy.
Jason Smith is the Founder and President of International Fertility Insurance (IFI), a leading provider of insurance and services to cover surrogacy and egg donation. Jason is a frequent speaker to the surrogacy industry on the insurance options for a surrogacy journey. Jason’s passion for insurance for third-party reproduction and surrogacy started with his own personal struggle with fertility. Jason experienced firsthand fertility treatment, early labor, medically ordered bed rest, and the NICU. Prior to launching IFI, Jason had been providing insurance and financial solutions since 2008, matching insurance to the surrogacy journey since 2014. Jason’s top focal points are high-touch customer service and providing an abundance of education for Intended Parents, Agencies, Attorneys, and Fertility Clinics.
In this episode, Eloise and Jason talk about:
- Understanding insurance plans and policies for surrogates
- What people should look out for with different plans and policies
- What a lot of international people don’t understand about how insurance policies work in America
- The pros & cons of different insurance plans and how to make sure you’re always protected
Resources
Learn more about Jason Smith on his site International Fertility Insurance
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
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Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 49 | Social Surrogacy
Episode Summary
Today we're going to dive into the nitty-gritty of the topic: what is social surrogacy? Who could this be right for? If anyone. And what are the real ethical concerns about the topic?
On this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise talks about a subject that she’s never really spoken about, social surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy is an amazing opportunity for intended parents who are otherwise unable to have a baby of their own. It's a form of third-party reproduction that has become increasingly accepted in the public eye and more accessible than ever before.
The leaps and bounds made in the field of third-party reproduction these past couple of decades are incredible. IVF and gestational surrogacy have made parenthood possible for people in ways that used to be unthinkable. And so, of course, it makes sense for there to be a lot of ethical questions and dilemmas to pop up. This question of using surrogacy by choice is an important discussion to have. It helps us define the blurry line and science and reproductive technology between doing good and taking it too far.
In this episode, Eloise talks about:
- Why some women might pursue social surrogacy.
- Is social surrogacy ethical?
- How social surrogacy impacts society’s view of third-party reproduction.
- Eloise’s view on social surrogacy as an agency owner and past surrogate.
Resources
Census data for surrogacy, adoption and desire to have a biological child: YouGov
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Café
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
Episode 23: Ep 23 | Sensational Surrogacy | The Fertility Cafe
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Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
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Ep. 48 | Kellee Stewart
Episode Summary
In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise gets to talk with Kellee Stewart about proactive fertility, egg freezing, and the importance of checking your fertility status. Kellee will also be discussing the unknowns and the remaining challenges to a fully claimed proactive family-building experience. With the advent of egg freezing and more widely available modern fertility testing, women may now take a more proactive approach to their fertility.
Kellee Stewart is a writer, producer, and actress last seen in Ava Duvernay’s Cherish the Day and just wrapped her recurring roles in CW’s hit show All American and Netflix’s On My Block. Kellee wrote and sold her screenplay 29 Eggs, based on her personal fertility journey, to a major television network. The project is currently in the last stages of development, and though COVID paused its production, it did not stop Kellée from hitting the podcast and hosting rounds as a self-proclaimed “egg advocate” where she continues to promote proactive fertility health and knowledge.
Kellee is the creator and host of Warrior Wednesdays IG Live fertility talk show along with other fertility projects coming to your tv soon.
In this episode, Eloise and Kellee talk about:
- The importance of proactive fertility and planning ahead.
- What to look out for and the types of questions you should be asking.
- How to be aware of your fertility status regardless of where you are in life.
- Why we have a responsibility to educate ourselves and future generations.
Resources
Learn more about Kellee Stewart on her site: Warrior Wednesdays
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
On the podcast: Ep 35 | Infertility Epidemic
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
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Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 47 | Paying for Fertility Care Episode Summary Join host Eloise Drane for an honest look at the financial side of fertility. It’s not always easy having a baby. Millions of people struggle with their fertility for a variety of reasons, and while technology and medicine have advanced to make parenthood possible for nearly anyone, it still remains inaccessible to a lot of intended parents because of the cost.
Fertility care and third-party reproduction can be very costly, but there are ways to make it more affordable. Eloise will shed some light on important issues including:
- How much fertility care & third-party reproduction really costs, from medication to complex medical procedures
- Factors that can increase or decrease the cost of IVF
- The types of expenses you can expect with surrogacy
- How to find out what, if anything, your health insurance will cover
- How optional fertility insurance works, and why it’s an important benefit more employers should offer
- Tips for lowering the cost of fertility care without using insurance
- Options for financing, including fertility-specific loans and personal lines of credit
- Creative fundraising ideas to boost your fertility savings
Resources Great Fertility Education Resources: FertilityIQ
Resolve.org resources: Making Infertility Affordable - RESOLVE
Find Useful Infertility Treatment Grants and Scholarships
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
On the blog: A CPA's Advice on Taxes, Escrow, and Funding - What Every Intended Parent Needs to Know
On the blog: Fertility and Family Building Grants & Financial Assistance Programs
On the blog: 4 Best Alternatives for IVFR Financing with Bad Credit
On the podcast: Ep. 42 | State Advocacy with Mollie Walker & Chelsea Caldwell - The Fertility Cafe
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Ep. 46 | Military Family Building with Ellen Gustafson & Katy Bell Hendrickson
Episode Summary
Today on the Fertility Café podcast, Eloise gets to talk with Ellen Gustafson & Katy Bell Hendrickson about fertility for military families. They share their journey that led them to be activists for change to help military service members and their spouse receive the fertility services they need.
Ellen Gustafson is a social entrepreneur, author, activist, and, most importantly, Mom and Military Spouse. She is the Co-Founder of FEED and the FEED Foundation, and the Co-Director of the Summit Institute since 2016. She is the Mom of three miracle toddlers and lives with them and her husband in “just seasonal enough” Virginia Beach, VA. Her personal experiences inspired her to find ways to support active-duty service members to build the families they want regardless of deployment schedules, fertility challenges, or financial situation.
Katy Bell Hendrickson is a Military Spouse to a retired career Naval Special Warfare officer and mother of five children. She and her husband have experience with adoption, assisted reproduction and third party reproduction. Katy was the Reserve Flag Spouse Advisor for the Command Spouse Leadership School at NLEC in Naval Station Newport, Flag Spouse Advisor for CORE San Diego, and an Advisor to Naval Services FamilyLine in Washington DC. Katy has been active in the Warrior and Family Support Group at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado as a Senior Peer Mentor and has led multiple workshops on Family Building covering the topics of ART and Adoption. Katy is currently on the Women's Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts and lives in Washington DC with her husband, youngest son, and twin daughters.
Ellen and Katy are the co-Founders of the Military Family Building Coalition—an organization on a mission to help active military members build their families.
This episode, Eloise, Ellen and Katy share:
- That 15 to 20% of surrogate babies nationwide are carried by military wives, even though the military makes up less than 1% of the US population
- TRICARE, US Military Health Care, does not cover many types of reproductive assistance or adoption for military families
- The unique fertility struggles that military families face
- Their personal stories that led them to co-found Military Family Building Coalition
Resources
Learn more about Ellen & Katy’s Military Family Building Coalition: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and on their site
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
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Ep. 45 | When Third Party Reproduction Goes Wrong
In today’s episode, host Eloise Drane tells several tales of third-party reproduction gone wrong. With over two decades of experience in the infertility industry, Eloise often feels like she’s seen it all! And yet, every once in awhile stories come across her news feed that have the power to surprise her.
Eloise looks at a variety of situations, from clinic equipment malfunctions to questionable actions on the part of doctors and surrogates. She examines what went wrong in each situation, and most importantly, what we can learn from it to prevent these mishaps from occurring in the future.
Eloise covers questions and topics such as:
- Why ethical, standardized practices are so important in third-party reproduction, and what can happen when the media and vocal opponents of it get their hands on sensational news stories
- Current regulations (or lack thereof) on fertility clinics in the United States, and how that can lead to terrible equipment malfunctions and loss of embryos
- How to vet a fertility clinic, their staff, their lab, and their safety protocols so you can avoid potential disaster
- The bizarre tale of an IVF mix up over a decade ago, and how two couples became tangled in an unexpected blended family tree
- The strange yet shockingly not uncommon practice of doctors using their own sperm to help patients get pregnant - a look throughout history, from the 1880s to today
- How a surrogate became pregnant with two babies, each with different biological parents - her own, and the intended parents who contracted with her to be their surrogate
- The takeaway - weighing the risk of third party reproduction mishaps vs the outcome for potential parents
Resources Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
On the blog: Understanding the Basics of IVF
On the podcast: Episode 23 - Sensational Surrogacy
Find your unique path to parenthood: https://familyinceptions.com/parents/
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed.
Episode Summary
On this episode of Fertility Cafe, Eloise gets to talk to Lori Metz who is a licensed Clinical Social Work/Therapist and certified case manager. She works with individuals, couples, and families and specializes in relationships and fertility.
She is the creator of I Dreamed of You: The Story of an Egg Donor Baby a children's book about egg donation written for a young audience to introduce the essential conversation of honest and honored origins and has her own podcast, LOVE: 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒, 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡, 𝐹𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒s. Lori is also the originator of the “Ask Initiative” a mission and petition which aims to improve health outcomes and normalize third-party reproduction by including such options on medical intake forms under family history.
This episode, Eloise and Lori talk about:
- How fertility and family planning are associated with mental health
- What an infertility diagnosis can do to the marriage of a couple
- Increasing awareness for medical institutions to become more inclusive
- What shifts and changes we can expect to see in society
Resources
Learn more about our Guest: Lori Metz’s podcast: Life, Lori on Instagram
Please sign the Support Third-Party Family Building petition: change.org/thirdpartyreproduction
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
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Episode Summary
On this episode of Fertility Cafe, Eloise dives into the topic of bodily autonomy in surrogacy and egg donation arrangements. Much of the opposition to surrogacy as a practice stems from a misunderstanding of what it means to be a surrogate today in America. Modern gestational surrogacy involves a mutually agreed-upon relationship with clear boundaries and complete respect and autonomy given to the surrogate mother. Eloise explores the nuances of bodily autonomy and offers her wisdom on how to navigate a potentially complicated but ultimately rewarding experience.
This episode covers a variety of topics including:
- Why the characterization of surrogate as offering up “wombs for rent” is inaccurate and offensive
- The extensive vetting, screening, and setting of expectations that occurs between a surrogate and intended parts prior to any agreement being signed
- What is a reasonable vs. non-reasonable request for IPs to make of a surrogate
- A surrogate’s right to make medical decisions for herself at all times, in any circumstance
- Red flags for potential surrogates to watch out for
- The very complicated question of termination or selective reduction and how bodily autonomy plays a role
- How the COVID-19 vaccination has become the latest point of contention in the surrogate-IP matching process
- What potential egg donors need to know in order to advocate for themselves and make an informed decision
Resources
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
How to apply to be a surrogate: Surrogate application process
On the blog: Side Effects of Egg Donation, Understanding the Risks
On the blog: Ten Things That Will Make You an Ideal Surrogate
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Review quote:
“Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!”
Episode Summary
Fertility care is ever-involving. For many, medical treatments are not covered by their insurance. Coverage for infertility and fertility preservation can currently be disallowed by insurance companies. Many insurance companies have fertility coverage classified as cosmetic or elective.
On this episode of Fertility Cafe, Eloise gets to talk to Mollie Walker and Chelsea Caldwell. Two ladies who took up the fertility-care torch as advocates to help change the fertility landscape.
This episode, Eloise and the guests talk about:
- Taking on legislation and where to start
- Reviewing through the timeline regarding creating Fertility Advocates For Tennessee, writing the Tennessee Pro-Family Building Act, bill and building awareness for the cause.
- Quick overview of what has to happen for a bill to be made into law and go into effect.
- Challenges you may experience when you begin the process to change legislation without a lobbyist
Resources
Learn more about our Guests Mollie Walker: Tennessee Fertility Advocates
Learn more about our Guests Chelsea Caldwell: Chelsea Caldwell
Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Us Surrogacy Map
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Episode Summary On this episode of Fertility Cafe, Eloise dives into the complicated question: what’s happening with supply and demand in the world of third-party reproduction? COVID-19 has certainly had a drastic effect on the availability of surrogates, egg donors, and sperm donors, yet at the same time, the demand for these crucial pieces to the third-party reproduction puzzle has only increased. Can it all be blamed on the pandemic, or is something else going on here?
Eloise explores several angles of this dilemma, including:
- How COVID-19 shutdowns and precautions initially affected the industry, and how those effects are still being felt today
- Why we currently have a serious shortage of surrogate applications — despite the fact that applications were pouring in during the height of pandemic shutdowns in 2020
- The increased availability and acceptance of surrogacy as a viable path to parenthood, particularly for gay men, and how this is increasing demand for qualified surrogates
- Why there is such a shortage of egg donors and sperm donors, and how at-home DNA testing may play a role
- The continued lack of diversity among donors and possible solutions
- How the #donorconceived conversation is playing out on TikTok and other social media outlets, and what kind of role this might play in people’s willingness to donate
- An outlook on the future of third-party reproduction and how the conversation may need to change
Resources Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
How to apply to be a surrogate: the application process
How to apply to be an egg donor: the application process
On the blog: What is Surrogacy?
On the blog: A Beginner’s Guide to Fertility Acronyms
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
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Dr. Lori Marshall is the medical director and a founding partner of Pacific Northwest Fertility in Seattle as well as Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at University of Washington School of Medicine. She serves as the director of the Pacific NW Fertility Center for Collaborative Reproduction, overseeing its donor egg bank, and donor egg, gestational carrier, and donor embryo programs.
Following her own very personal experience as a parent through gestational surrogacy in 1990, Darlene first served as a contract coordinator in a reproductive law firm. She learned about the legal aspects of egg donation and surrogacy while coordinating documentation for intended parents, donors, and surrogates during the legal contract stages. Darlene started to successfully connect high-profile clients with egg donors and surrogates in 1998—and did so with absolute confidentiality. In 2000, Darlene left the law office to become the founder and CEO of A Perfect Match, Inc. (APM.)
Amy Stewart Kaplan, President/Founder of West Coast Surrogacy, began her career in reproductive medicine in 1990, and has since devoted her life to the field. Amy got her start at a Southern California IVF center. It was there she began to realize her passion for reproductive technology as well as a desire to assist others in this worthy pursuit.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about Darlene Pinkerton: A Perfect Match
- Learn more about Amy Kaplan: West Coast Surrogacy
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Richard Vaughn is a parent via surrogacy and egg donation and is the founding principal of International Fertility Law Group, a law practice focused exclusively on assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
Links for more resources
- Learn more about Richard Vaughn: International Fertility Law Group
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
This episode is about surrogate partner involvement. The husband, wife, or committed boyfriend or girlfriend of a would-be surrogate has an important role to play which cannot be overlooked. In this episode, we talk all about how surrogacy is a shared experience and what partners should expect when the lady in their life becomes a gestational surrogate.
We Discuss Topics Such As:
- Why so many partners are initially opposed to the concept of surrogacy.
- We clear up the 7 most common misconceptions which prevent partners from immediate excitement.
- We list the considerations worthy of candid discussion between would-be-surrogates and their partners.
- We list what exactly is expected of partners, and how difficult, on a scale of 1 to 10, each task is.
- We share just why the full support of a partner is required. Why a lady cannot do this without the "buy in" from her person.
- We share real stories of partners going "above and beyond" in support of the journey.
- And how to patiently bring you partner around to the idea of you becoming a surrogate.
Despite this episode being all about partners, you do not need to be married or in a committed relationship to become a surrogate. Many single women become surrogates. You are able to do so if you have a stable, supportive tribe or support person, whether a parent or a close friend.
This episode of Fertility Cafe was guest hosted by Jesse Fiest. Fertility Cafe's Creator and Weekly Host, Eloise Drane, will be back with the next episode.
Today I have the pleasure of speaking with….Maya Grogel, Jennifer Vesbit and Gina Davis of Empower Donation. These are three women united, on a mission to normalize embryo donation as a family building option. Together they have founded Empower Donation, an education company dedicated to increasing awareness, empowering choice and fostering understanding for everyone involved in embryo donation.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our guest: Em*Power Donation
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Documentary: One More Shot
Support and Education
- Embryo Donation Support
- Advocate Genetics
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
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More and more Americans seem to be struggling with infertility these days. Is this a matter of increased awareness? Certainly, more people are talking openly about their struggles than ever before. But can the numbers really be chalked up to less stigma around the conversation of infertility.
On this week’s episode, host Eloise Drane dives into what the science says about the increase in fertility issues in the United States. Studies point to an alarming decline in the average male’s sperm count and quality. More women are struggling with PCOS, fibroids, and undefined infertility. Eloise examines the issue from all angles: are environmental toxins to blame? Are these infertility issues due to people waiting until an older age to try having children? What about the economy and the overall declining birth rate? Join us for a robust discussion about the state of infertility today, and what there is to be done about it.
Topics on today’s episode include:
- Why some scientists believe most couples will need the assistance of reproductive technology by the year 2045
- How everyday items like grocery store receipts and food wrappers could be contributing to declining sperm rates
- How many people actually struggle with infertility in the United States, and how it’s treated
- Why birth rates are significantly lower so far in 2021, despite the predicted “pandemic baby boom”
- A look toward the future of assisted reproductive technology and infertility treatments for families of all shapes and sizes
Resources Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
The Environmental Working Group: Consumer Guides
On the blog: Understanding the Basics of IVF
On the blog: A Comprehensive Guide on the Cost of Raising a Child
Find your unique path to parenthood: https://familyinceptions.com/parents/
Our guest today is Chiquita Lockley, Executive Producer and Director of Eggs Over Easy.
Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility is a documentary film about black women fertility, family building choices, and maternity care.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about: Eggs Over Easy
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Blog: Why Many Black Women are Silent About Their Struggle with Infertility
In today’s episode, host Eloise Drane gives her insight into the ins and outs of choosing an IVF clinic. With over two decades of experience in the infertility industry, Eloise has seen it all! From state-of-the-art clinics to single practitioners who offer highly personalized service, she’ll discuss what to look for, what to avoid, and how to evaluate success rates when shopping for a fertility clinic.
Eloise covers questions and topics such as:
- How do you evaluate a fertility clinic’s success rates? And do those numbers really matter, anyway?
- The advantages and disadvantages of different types of IVF clinics. Should you choose to work with a solo practitioner, a large practice, or something in between? What about a hospital or university-affiliated clinic?
- The who’s who of clinic staff, and how to get all the details on their qualifications.
- Some red flags to watch out for. Pro tip: be skeptical of anyone who guarantees a certain outcome.
- Specific questions to ask about the technical capabilities and procedures in the clinic’s lab.
- The all-important question of cost, and how to evaluate a clinic’s shared risk, refund, or financing programs.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
- On the blog: Understanding the Basics of IVF
- On the blog: Being Thankful for IVF Technology
- Find your unique path to parenthood: https://familyinceptions.com/parents/
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Sasha Ottey is Founder and Executive Director of PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association. Serving 55,000 members, PCOS Challenge is the leading patient support and advocacy organization for people with PCOS.
Sasha started PCOS Challenge after she was diagnosed with PCOS and experienced great dissatisfaction with the availability of support resources for women with the condition.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about the National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association: PCOS Challenge
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Everything you never knew you needed to know about surrogacy! On this week’s episode, we’re spilling the tea on all the strange facts, surprising details, and interesting tidbits about surrogacy. We asked our surrogates, past and present, our staff, and our buddies in the field to share what they wish they knew before beginning a surrogacy journey.
From what not to do during the application process (hint: don’t assume a particular answer will disqualify you!) to the surprisingly common “crying husband” phenomenon on delivery day...it’s all on the table!
We’ll discuss topics including:
- How long the screening process really takes...and how to be choosy about the agency you work with.
- The fact that this is YOUR journey too, and you are choosing your IPs just as much as they are choosing you.
- Why surrogacy isn’t just another side hustle plus what you can expect to receive for compensation.
- Why you might need to dust off that high school biology book (or just have google handy for all the fertility clinic meetings. Hey Siri, what’s an oocyte?)
- The reason why kids seem to “get it” more easily than grownups, plus how to field silly-yet-common questions like “Will the baby have your curly hair?”
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
- How to apply to be a surrogate: The Application Process
- On the blog: Ten Things That Make You an Ideal Surrogate
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Erin is a freelance writer and a donor conceived rights advocate. At age 35, she found out from her parents that she was conceived using donated sperm. It was all a shocking experience and it inspired her to create the community and resource “We Are Donor Conceived”. Erin wanted other donor-conceived people to benefit from the resources she had amassed in her own search.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about Donor Conceived Children: We Are Donor Conceived
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
On today’s episode of Fertility Cafe, we explore everything you need to know about surrogacy for gay parents. With advancements in assisted reproductive technology and expanded access to family-building resources for the LGBTQ community, it’s fully possible for gay men to have their own biological children. More gay men are turning to parenthood via surrogacy than ever before. Host Eloise Drane dives into how surrogacy works for gay men and what they can expect from the process.
We cover the entire process, taking you from the very basics of baby-making in the not-so-traditional way, to the egg donor and surrogate selection process, and beyond. We’ll talk through an overview of what a surrogacy journey entails, from start to finish, with a special emphasis on how gay men experience it.
Episode highlights include:
- A crash course in anatomy and human reproduction: we’ll follow the path of an egg and how IVF is used to create an embryo in the lab.
- The ins and outs of finding an egg donor—should you use an egg bank or ask a friend or family member to be your donor? What characteristics should you look for in an egg donor?
- How do you decide which partner’s sperm to use?
- What’s the difference between working with a surrogacy agency vs. going the independent route?
- What makes someone a good surrogate, and how do you find your perfect match?
- An overview of legal issues faced by gay men in the United States
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Interactive Surrogacy Law Map
On the blog: Same-Sex Couples and Surrogacy
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
On this episode we have two lesbians chatting about non-traditional families. Jaimie Kelton and Robin Hopkins, the creators and hosts of the popular podcast If These Ovaries Could Talk, realized the world needed to know there was more than one way to make an LGBTQ family.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about guest: If These Ovaries Could Talk
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
On today’s episode of Fertility Cafe, we talk about one special group of women who just so happen to make up a large share of surrogate mothers in the United States: military wives. What makes these women so uniquely suited to serve as surrogates? Is there something in particular that motivates or inspires them to answer the call?
Surrogacy has long been a hot topic in military circles, and for good reason: military wives happen to make up a significant portion of all surrogates in the United States. With statistics showing that military wives account for as much as 25% of all surrogates, something’s definitely going on!
Flexibility, resilience, independence, and a strong sense of duty are all factors that military wives and surrogate mothers tend to have in common. That, coupled with the incredibly tight-knit and supportive milspouse community, means that more military wives are answering the call to surrogacy than any other segment of the US population.
Host Eloise Drane dives into the topic of military wives and surrogacy by exploring several topics, including:
- What unique qualities and characteristics do military wives possess that make them particularly suited to be surrogate mothers?
- Why many military families refer to surrogacy as the “mommy deployment,” and what it takes for the entire family to mobilize in support of a surrogate’s pregnancy.
- How the military’s infamous “hurry up and wait” culture makes a nice parallel with a surrogacy journey.
- How online milspouse communities gave birth (pun intended) to the milspouse-as-surrogate phenomenon.
- What role does financial compensation play in a military wife’s motivation to become a surrogate? How much can she make as a surrogate?
- Does TRICARE cover surrogacy?
- What steps does a military spouse need to take to become a surrogate?
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Blog: Milspouse & Surrogacy
How to apply to become a surrogate: Application Process
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Erica McAfee is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, a maternal child health company that helps Black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy and infant loss and infertility. She is also a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula, Doula Trainer and Mentor, and Mom to 2 babies in heaven and one rainbow baby Maxwell also known as Super Mighty Max.
Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss. It's self-titled podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about guest: Sisters in Loss, Erica McAfee
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about what happens after an Intended Parent has finally found his or her ideal egg donor. Host Eloise Drane tells it like it is, setting realistic expectations, in hopes of warding off disappointment and frustration during the egg donor process.
The decisions, first to work with an egg donor and then who your donor will be, are huge and can be emotionally fraught. It can help to have a complete overview of the process, from start to finish, including all the potential delays and obstacles.
We’ll discuss topics including:
- [3:32] The typical timeline for working with an egg donor, starting with selection of a donor all the way through retrieval.
- [9:05] An overview of every possible delay you might experience during a fresh egg donor cycle.
- [20:52] How will your donor be monitored during the medical phase, and what happens if something doesn’t go as expected?
- [28:36] The debate between frozen vs. fresh cycles.
- [30:08] What the live birth statistics tell us and why so many IPs still prefer fresh egg donor cycles despite it not being the fastest.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On the blog: Three Tips to Save Time and Money When Pursuing Egg Donation
On the blog: How Do I Find Specific Types of Egg Donors?
Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!
Black and brown women experience infertility at almost 2x the rate of our counterparts and yet are least likely to seek treatment. In addition, many conditions that directly impact fertility, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and others disproportionately affect black women as well.
On today’s episode, Rev. Stacey Edwards-Dunn Founder of Fertility for Colored Girls shares her own infertility journey, her organization, the cultural norm of silence shrouding fertility and family building topics, and what institutions of faith can do better for those who are struggling to conceive.
Links for more resources:
- Learn more about Fertility For Colored Girls: Fertility for Colored Girls
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
On today’s episode, we’re going to look into some of the most sensationalized surrogacy cases that have hit the headlines. While a lot of these stories have the appeal of a juicy tabloid exposé, they’re worth examining as cautionary tales and as a way to understand why so many are vocally opposed to the practice.
Surrogacy gives intended parents hope where they were lacking it before—everyone deserves to experience parenthood if they so desire, and without alternatives to traditional family building, that wouldn’t be possible. And so, it’s up to people like us, who believe that surrogacy is an empowering and necessary path to parenthood, to do everything we can to protect its status, both legally and in the public’s perception.
The best way to do that? By doing your homework, adhering to best practices, and never, ever cutting corners, especially when it comes to the legal side of your surrogacy journey. If you plan to DIY as much of the process to save on costs, more power to you! I fully support that. However, you do NOT want to end up in the headlines because you skipped some important steps or failed to get a solid contract drafted. This is one of the major reasons why I developed a new course, Surrogacy Roadmap, to guide intended parents along the path of independent surrogacy: wisely, legally, and mindfully. If you’re thinking about going the independent route, check out the link https://surrogacyroadmap.com
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
In this episode of Fertility Cafe, host Eloise Drane talks with Candace Wohl about safe independent surrogacy. Candace Wohl, writer, public speaker, and over-sharer of all things infertility is now a mother through surrogacy after over a decade long struggle. Candace and her husband Chris decided that in order to overcome adversity, they must stare it directly in the face with humor and positivity through their award-winning blog, “Our Misconception” which started in 2012. The couple was also featured on MTV’s True Life, “I’m Desperate to Have a Baby,” a documentary on couples who struggle with infertility, and MTV’s Check-Ups and Check-Ins. Candace is also a contributor for Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Pregnantish, and many other online sites and magazines. Candace and her husband have been featured throughout national TV as well as on GQ, Women’s Health Magazine, Google Blog, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, and a variety of other national outlets. Apart from her professional career as a content writer and digital marketing specialist, she is also a fierce advocate towards pushing for family-building legislation and infertility awareness and is an active volunteer for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. Apart from her advocacy work, in her spare time, she leads a RESOLVE support group, helping couples who are struggling with infertility and miscarriage.
“You have to change your perspective, but you have to be in a place where you can.”
During this 53-minute episode Eloise and Candace discuss:
- Candace’s surrogacy journey started with a blog + MTV series in 2012.
- Being blind to the options from the grief from loss and how Candace moved past this.
- Surrogacy is a relationship-talking and listening on all ends is key.
- Making it a priority to support their gestational carriers every step of the way.
- The differences between both of Candace’s GC’s.
Importance of having a birth plan ahead of time and sticking to it as much as possible with respect to all parties.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about Our Misconception: Our Misconception
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
In the season two opening episode of Fertility Cafe, host Eloise Drane is talking about how COVID-19 affected surrogacy. In this episode, she talks about the struggles that both surrogates and their intended parents faced during the early to middle stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Links for more resources
- Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe
- Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap
In Fertility Cafe episode #20, Host, Eloise Drane and Dr. Bethea-Walsh talk about the psychological evaluations and mental health consultations which kick off a surrogacy journey. Both intended parents and surrogate candidates often feel nervous about the prospect of speaking with a mental health professional but as Eloise and Dr. Bethea-Walsh discuss, there is nothing to be nervous about. Your mental health professional is not looking for perfection. They simply want to make certain that both the surrogate candidate and the intended parents understand the undertaking and are ready for the realities of the journey.
The most common questions that a potential intended parent asks often is what’s the difference between: Adoption and Surrogacy? A common misconception is that adoption and surrogacy are the same thing, which I can tell you: they are not!
Today, I’d like to share my thoughts about each path, and what you’ll want to consider, plan for, and think through before navigating each one. In no way is this podcast all-inclusive, covering every single aspect of both surrogacy and adoption. Instead it's a starting point to help with your decision-making process, and a thought starter to think through the pros and cons of each scenario.
After being in the industry for now 20 years, I’ve become increasingly troubled by the realization that a huge percentage of people can’t fulfill their dreams of parenthood because of the staggering costs. IVF is expensive. Surrogacy is expensive. And these costs keep too many people from pursuing their dreams of becoming parents.
So yes, I am an agency owner, but I know that agency costs can be prohibitive. Because of this, I’m on a mission to make it known that you CAN do surrogacy without an agency. It IS possible to have a successful surrogacy journey without paying thousands upon thousands of dollars in agency fees.
And I’m here today to tell you how it’s done.
Learn more are www.SurrogacyRoadmap.com
Join us for Part 2 of Regina Townsend - founder of The Broken Brown Egg - and Eloise's very honest and important conversation about Black women's reproductive health and fertility.
Black women experience infertility at almost 2x the rate of our counterparts and yet we are least likely to seek treatment. In addition, many conditions that directly impact fertility, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and others disproportionately affect black women as well. The harmful stereotypical belief that black women are somehow more fertile, or that we don’t participate in foster care, adoption, or fertility treatments is yet another factor. Newsflash: We aren’t, and we do.
Black women experience infertility at almost 2x the rate of our counterparts and yet we are least likely to seek treatment. In addition, many conditions that directly impact fertility, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and others disproportionately affect black women as well. The harmful stereotypical belief that black women are somehow more fertile, or that we don’t participate in foster care, adoption, or fertility treatments is yet another factor. Newsflash: We aren’t, and we do.
Together, Regina Townsend - founder of The Broken Brown Egg - and Eloise are partnering to encourage other Black women to begin this very important dialogue of reproductive health and fertility.
There are many costs associated with fertility treatment, pregnancy and eventually, the delivery of one (or more) children in the case of multiples. Whether it’s the in vitro process, your gestational surrogate’s care, or unexpected NICU costs, considering insurance coverage, what you have, what your surrogate has, and what you may need is highly recommended
With only thirteen states requiring insurance companies to cover infertility treatment, securing fertility benefits through your health insurance company is a hot topic. So where do you start in advocating for fertility benefits and coverage for infertility treatments? And how often do insurance companies agree to add the coverage?
In today’s episode, Eloise talks with Davina Fankhauser, a former fertility patient and the co-founder of the national non-profit Fertility Within Reach, which works to increase access to health benefits for fertility treatment and preservation.
- How did Davina become an advocate in the world of infertility?
- Which 13 states mandate IVF and fertility health insurance coverage?
- If someone wants to approach their employer about adding insurance benefits for fertility treatments to the company insurance plan, what are the most important points to make?
- Many people make the assumption that if their insurance plan doesn’t include fertility benefits, there is nothing they can do... but that's not always the case. Learn how often insurance companies agree to cover infertility treatments.
- Are insurance companies becoming more agreeable as the rate of infertility grows and the need for non-traditional family-building methods such as egg donation and surrogacy becomes more commonplace?
- Davina walks us through the process of petitioning an insurance plan to cover fertility treatments.
Are you being called to be an egg donor? Then this episode is for you - the potential egg donor - and we'll be answering all of your lingering questions about the egg donation process. This episode will inspire you and inform you so that you can move through this journey with confidence and make your egg donation journey a fulfilling one. Listen in as Eloise addresses some of the more commonly asked questions potential egg donors have and some of the less obvious ones which are equally as important, such as:
- What is your 'why' for becoming an egg donor?
- Are you ready for the psychological and emotional impact of egg donation?
- What are the potential pitfalls of egg donation?
- Will my future fertility be affected?
- How do you feel about the concept of limited anonymity in the age of rapid DNA testing?
You've been thinking about becoming a gestational surrogate for a while now. For months, maybe even years, you've thought about what it would be like to give someone the precious gift of motherhood or fatherhood. It's been weighing on your heart. So what's stopping you from pursing your calling? In this week's episode, Eloise talks with 5-time surrogate Rebekah Hills about the highs and not-so-highs of surrogacy. Learn why the Dr.'s have dubbed her uterus "golden" and what she looks for in the IPs she matches with. This episode is a must-listen for any woman thinking about being a surrogate, or any IP who wonders what goes through the GCs mind throughout the journey.
In this episode of Fertility Cafe, we're going to focus on the more complicated and emotionally charged surrogacy topics specifically relevant to your journey to become a surrogate: why your BMI is so important; the psychological evaluation and the role of mood stabilizing drugs; receipt of government assistance as a disqualifier; and even the topic of termination and selective reduction. Buckle up ladies - Eloise doesn't sugar coat the truth, and this is going to be a bumpy ride!
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
You want to become a surrogate, but you're wondering how to make sure your partner or spouse is on board with your decision? One of the most important aspects of a successful surrogacy journey is a strong support system. Your partner or spouse is obviously a HUGE part of that support. Eloise's husband Anthony joins her in The Fertility Cafe to have an open, honest, and REAL discussion about a spouse's reaction to his wife becoming a surrogate. Grab your partner and listen together - you may be surprised at what you learn!
In this episode:
- What's a normal reaction for a partner or spouse to have?
- Tips for talking to your partner or spouse about your desire to become a surrogate
- How does race play into a surrogacy journey?
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
If you’re thinking about being a surrogate or becoming a parent via surrogacy, this episode is a must-listen! When it comes to the legalities of parenthood using a surrogate, you do NOT want to cut any corners. Surrogacy law is at once complex, fascinating and often inconsistent depending on what country, state, or even county you live in. Here’s the good news, though: gestational surrogacy has become a common practice in many countries, and there ARE legal regulations in many places that make sense and protect all parties involved. There are also many people who have gone before you, paving the way with case law, ethics committees and legal precedents.
In this episode, Eloise tackles the tough questions including:
- What is a Gestational Surrogacy Agreement, and is it enforceable?
- What makes Ukraine such an attractive destination for surrogacy?
- Why is surrogacy illegal in some states and countries?
- Why do some people consider surrogacy unethical or exploitative of women?
- Where in the world can LGBTQ couples safely and legally become parents via surrogacy?
- Do I really need an attorney to handle my surrogacy?
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
Egg donation is not a new technique. The success rate for pregnancies from donor eggs has increased dramatically over the years, with 55% of all embryo transfers using donor eggs results in a successful pregnancy. But how do you go about choosing an egg donor? In this episode, we'll cover the qualities you should look for when searching for a donor, pros and cons to the various methods of finding a donor, and even the most common fears we hear from intended parents as they weigh their decisions.
In this episode:
- Eloise reviews the basics of egg donation – who needs to utilize donor eggs and a high-level overview of the process
- Is egg donation the right option for you? Eloise talks through the emotional parts of utilizing donor eggs to start your family
- Anonymity is a thing of the past thanks to online genetic testing and DNA websites… so how should this effect your decision in choosing a donor?
- Eloise reviews the available options for locating an egg donor
- Nurture vs. nature: what qualities really matter in your egg donor?
- What type of legal contracts must be in place to secure your parental rights?
- The cost of egg donation in the year 2020
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
How do you find the right woman to be your surrogate? This is one of the most important decisions you will make, and there are many factors to consider when finding the right match for your journey to parenthood. When it comes to finding your surrogate, you’re looking for someone you’ll be spending a decent amount of time with. You have to be aligned in your expectations. You'll want to find a woman who is stable, healthy, trustworthy, and open-minded. In this episode of Fertility Cafe, Eloise will go into the detail of finding your match, the questions you MUST ask, and sensitive topics to take into consideration.
Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
What inspires a woman to donate her eggs six times and serve as a gestational surrogate three times? In this episode of Fertility Café, host Eloise Drane shares her own donation and surrogacy story. Listen as she details every step of the journey, from her first donation (though not her eggs!) to actualizing her dream of starting the first surrogacy and egg donation agency in the South. Honest, real, and raw – it’s the inside story you’ve been wanting to hear.
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
It’s 2020, and there are still stigmas about infertility. Seriously?! In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise talks with Dr. Camille Hammond – a physician, author, keynote speaker, CEO of the Tinina Q. Cade Foundation, and infertile woman turned infertility advocate. In 2004, Dr. Hammond’s own mother, who was 55 years old at the time, served as a gestational carrier for Camille and her husband, Jason, carrying and giving birth to three healthy babies. Listen as Camille discussed her own journey with infertility, and how the strength and perseverance she developed to overcome the diagnosis turned her into a powerful advocate and voice for the growing number of people diagnosed with infertility, and how she used that drive to create the Tinina Q Cade Foundation which, to date, has awarded over 100 families with fertility grants of up to $10,000 each.
In this episode:
- Listen to Dr. Hammond’s story of infertility – from diagnosis to the delivery of triplets by her own mother – and why she continues to be a voice for infertile couples
- “Start with what’s most important… Are you going to pursue pregnancy or parenthood?” Dr. Camille Hammond’s advice for listeners who may have just received news that their only option for having a baby is via surrogate.
- The role of faith in fertility - “Infertility is not a moral issue – it’s a medical issue.”
- What is the Tinina Q. Cade Foundation and who does it serve?
- “We want to be ambassadors of hope and encouragement… We want to help people realize the gift of parenthood.” Learn how the Cade Foundation funds ANY pathway to parenthood.
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
We can all admit that modern family building isn’t cheap. But the good news is you don’t need to navigate the financial aspect of your journey alone. In this episode of Fertility Café, Eloise talks with CPA Sonia Stewart, owner of Ally Escrow Management and third-party reproduction financial expert. Sonia will answer the biggest money questions that come up: How can I pay for my journey? Are surrogacy and egg or embryo donation expenses tax deductible? How do I manage the payment schedules and reimbursements that are due to the egg donor or gestational carrier? Is the GC's or egg donor's compensation taxed? Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
In this episode:
- Why an escrow account is critical to any successful surrogacy or egg donation journey
- What to be on the lookout for when choosing an escrow company
- TAXES! Find out which surrogacy and egg or embryo donation expenses are tax deductible
- Keep these tips in mind when fundraising through GoFundMe, receiving grants, and accepting financial gifts
- Do surrogates and egg donors need to pay taxes on their compensation?
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
- Learn more about Ally Escrow Management: https://allyescrowmgmt.com/
It’s time to talk about embryo donation - one of the many paths to modern family building. Eloise will cover the basics of how it works and where the embryos come from, and even address the tough legal and ethical considerations behind the practice, and the reasons why someone may choose to donate their surplus embryos as opposed to choosing another disposition for them. We’ll also look at the recipient side of things - how do you find and qualify to receive donor embryos? Where do you even start looking, and what kind of cost can you expect? Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
In this episode:
- Eloise reviews the basics of embryo donation – what it is and where these embryos come from
- What are the options for parents with remaining frozen embryos?
- Embryo donation vs. embryo adoption – are they the same thing?
- How does a directed embryo donation work?
- The best options and resources for finding your perfect embryo
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
Egg donation may seem like a straightforward process, but whether you are an egg donor or a donor egg recipient, there are a lot of decisions to be made along the way. How do you know where to find an egg donor or where you want to donate? Do you want to work with an egg bank, a fertility clinic with an in-house donor program, or an egg donation agency? Should you choose a fresh or frozen cycle? Six-time egg donor Eloise Drane breaks down all your options when it comes to egg donation and empowers you to make informed decisions about your fertility journey. Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
In this episode:
- Egg Donation Defined – a quick trip back to biology class to talk gametes, oocytes, fertilization, and embryo cryopreservation
- What is the difference between anonymous, semi-anonymous, known, and identifiable egg donor arrangements? How do the new DNA and genetic testing sites come into play?
- Eloise details her own egg donation journeys, and how they shaped her life
- What every egg donor needs to consider before donating, including the risks involved
- How the egg donation process has evolved and the end of the frozen vs. fresh debate
- The pros and cons of each egg donation program for both donors and recipients – egg bank, fertility clinic’s in-house donor program, or an egg donation agency
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
Top reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist Dr. Monica Best of Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta, GA joins Eloise in the Fertility Café to discuss black women and infertility, and why so many women are suffering in silence. Black women are twice as likely to experience infertility but are half as likely to seek treatment. Listen in for an honest discussion about the fertility issues most common to black women, the types of treatments available, and the steps for diagnosing infertility. Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
In this episode:
- We tackle why black women are suffering from infertility in silence – why are there still stigmas in the African American community? And where do they stem from?
- What is the one reproductive issue that effects approximately 80% of black women?
- Learn the signs that you many have fertility issues and when it’s time to visit a fertility specialist
- Dr. Best walks through the stages of diagnosing infertility and the testing you can expect
- Infertility isn’t just about the woman – how does male infertility play into the equation?
- Trimester Zero - When is the best time to consider freezing your eggs?
- The uterus doesn’t age in the same way that eggs do – pregnancy rates and risks of miscarriage are tied to the age of the eggs in an embryo, not the age of the uterus carrying the embryo
Let’s Stay in Touch
- Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
- Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
- Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
- Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
What is surrogacy and how does the process work? Surrogacy truly takes a village. Whether you are an intended parent curious about parenthood-via-surrogacy or you are a woman considering becoming a surrogate, this episode lays the foundation of the surrogacy journey from the perspective of both the gestational surrogate and the intended parents. Eloise Drane reviews the cost of surrogacy, the professionals you need in your village, and the top qualities of successful surrogates. Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
In this episode:
- Surrogacy Defined – learn the correct terms to describe your unique surrogacy journey
- What is the difference between traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy?
- Compassionate vs. compensated surrogacy
- The cost of surrogacy in the US
- Who needs to be part of your surrogacy village – from attorneys to doctors, and more
Let’s Stay in Touch
Want to share your story or ask Eloise a question? Email us at fertilitycafe@gmail.com
Learn more about our podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com
Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://familyinceptions.com
Learn more about independent surrogacy: https://surrogacyroadmap.com
What is modern family building? It’s creating your family in an unconventional way - through adoption, egg or sperm donation, embryo donation, surrogacy, or a combination of these. We live in a time where if we can’t have a child the traditional way, we have the option to decide how we want to complete our family. Let’s talk through the ins and outs of modern family building, what it is and how it works, and debunk some of the myths along the way. Show notes: thefertilitycafe.com/episodes
In this episode:
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What is “normal” and who gets to decide your normal?
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Explore family building alternatives including egg or sperm donation, embryo donation, and surrogacy, and who would need to consider these methods of starting a family.
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Modern family building is going to become the norm, between infertility rates rising at a substantial rate, the legalization of same-sex marriage, and the increase in single-parenthood-by-choice.
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Debunk the stigmas and myths surrounding modern family building, including whether or not surrogacy is ethical.
- It’s up to you how you decide to build your family. You are in charge of your life and your journey to parenthood. Own it and make the decisions that best fit YOU!
Who ever thought making a baby could be so hard? Luckily, the fertility journey isn’t meant to be traveled alone. So grab a seat and let’s talk fertility and alternative family building with leading industry expert, Eloise Drane.
FERTILITY CAFÉ is a weekly podcast focusing on all aspects of the fertility journey – from finding the right clinic and best reproductive endocrinologists, to navigating the egg and embryo donation process, to the ins-and-out of surrogacy including medical, legal, and financial aspects. Eloise has helped hundreds of people build (and grow) their families over the last 15 years, and speaks candidly on the processes involved in making the dream of a baby a reality NOW. Whether you’re an intended parent, a woman considering egg donation, thinking of becoming a surrogate yourself, or a friend or family member of someone dealing with infertility, this podcast will give you the insider information you’ve been seeking.