becoming babyREADY with Sam Leeson - All About Queer Family Planning & Creation

What a way to celebrate 150 episodes of becoming babyREADY — with none other than Tom Tracy joining me for this milestone conversation! Today we're diving into Tom's newest creation: a workbook designed specifically for Queer parents and their children. This isn't just an activity book — it's a tool built to give kids the language, voice, and confidence they need when navigating qu...

That first cry you hear from your newborn in the operating theatre — after your surrogate delivers via caesarean on your behalf — is a moment that marks your soul forever. For Nick and Steven, that moment came three years ago, when their baby girl took her first breath. In this episode, we sit down with Nick and Steven to talk about how their relationship began with a simple goal: build a solid fo...

When Megan and her wife first got together in 2012, parenthood wasn't immediately part of the plan. After building a strong foundation and settling into married life, they realized that having children was a dream they wanted to pursue together. With her wife completing graduate school, Megan chose to be the one to carry their child. Following multiple IUI attempts, they welcomed their son, wh...

What happens when you're thrown into parenthood when an unexpected baby arrives 10 weeks early? August didn't wait to find out. When his daughter arrived between 28 and 30 weeks gestation, he hit the ground running. Through a global pandemic, splitting hospital visitation schedules, and 66 days of NICU vigils, he showed up with unwavering love and determination. And his little girl? She&#3...

What happens when a decorated Marine officer — who has faced deployments, cross-country moves, and the fight for the right to marry the woman she loves — discovers she's been quietly battling a stage four cancer diagnosis for years? Ashley Christman's story is one of relentless resilience. She and her wife Melissa first met as active duty Marine Corps officers in 2012, marrying in August 2...

What happens when a world-travelling filmmaker decides the most important story he'll ever tell is the one happening at home? Sheldon Larry has spent decades behind the camera, shooting movies across the globe — but ask him what he's most proud of, and he won't mention a single frame of film. He'll tell you about his two daughters. More than 35 years ago, Sheldon and his partner of...

What happens when you match with someone incredible on Hinge — but they live in a completely different state? For Oscar, the answer was heartbreak... until it wasn't. Oscar and Gavin connected on Hinge and immediately hit it off. The chemistry was undeniable. There was just one problem: Gavin was hundreds of miles away, and Oscar knew himself well enough to know long-distance wasn't for hi...

What started with a swipe became a love story for the ages. Shawn and Tyler met on Tinder during the chaos of Covid — and from the very beginning, they just knew . After a couple of years of dating, a proposal, and three years together total, they said "I do." But building their family? That's where the story gets really extraordinary. From the moment they got serious, Shawn and Tyle...

Talking about money is uncomfortable. Planning for your financial future? Even more so. But here's the truth: for those of us in the queer community, financial empowerment isn't just a nice-to-have — it's the foundation that makes everything else possible, including building the families we dream of. In this episode, I sit down with Parisa Pajooh, financial advisor and founder of Diver...

What does it look like when love becomes legacy? Jamie McGonnigal's story is proof that the most powerful families are built with intention — and a whole lot of heart. Jamie and his husband Sean found each other in 2010, and when marriage equality finally became the law of the land in the US, they wasted no time making it official. But building their family? That was a journey all its own. It...

What happens when a globetrotting teacher finds love between adventures? Pure magic — and a story worth telling. Danny Neville's life reads like the kind of book you simply cannot put down. While back home in Canada, on a break from teaching abroad, he met the man who would become his husband and the co-architect of an incredible life. Together, they dreamed of building a family — and when the...

By the time Nate and Jason knew they wanted to become parents, one thing was already clear — adoption was their path. But choosing how to adopt is its own deeply personal journey, and for them, the emotional weight of the foster-to-adopt public system felt like more than they were ready to carry. So they did their research, trusted their instincts, and found their way to American Adoptions. What d...

What happens when you finally live your truth — but your truth comes with a marriage, kids, and a whole family dynamic that now needs to shift? In this deeply honest and refreshing part two conversation, I have a chance to sit down with Dr. Lorri Sulpizio — relationship coach, leadership expert, and one of the most compassionate voices in the room when it gets uncomfortable. And today? We're l...

This is the first of two powerful conversations with the incredible Dr. Lorri Sulpizio — and we are diving in. From blended families to birth certificates, this episode is equal parts heartfelt, eye-opening, and long overdue. Dr. Lorri opens up about her beautifully complex family life — her current spouse, her ex-wife, and the four amazing adults they raised together. But this isn't just a st...

Some couples take years to talk about kids. Michael and Andrew needed exactly two dates. From the moment they knew they had a future together, becoming parents wasn't a question of if — it was a question of how . Their path to parenthood began with conversations about surrogacy, but life had other plans. After watching a close friend navigate foster care in Missouri, they found themselves draw...

Sometimes the road to building a family is anything but straight — and Melissa Torres knows that better than most. In this deeply moving episode, Melissa opens up about the winding, emotional, and at times heartbreaking journey she and her wife Vanessa have traveled to become the family of three they are today. When Melissa and Vanessa first met, they both knew they had inner work ahead of them —...

What do you do when your job takes you away from the little person who needs you most? If you're Cory Allen, you write them a book. Cory has spent 25 years serving the public — in the military, as a police officer, and in the Secret Service, where he worked alongside Michelle Obama on her iconic Becoming book tour. But ask him what he's most proud of, and the answer has nothing to do with...

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes a frank, detailed discussion of childbirth and the postpartum recovery period. If graphic descriptions of the birthing process aren't something you're comfortable with, you may want to skip this one — and that's completely okay. We're back with Emily and Sarah for Part Two of their family-building journey — and this episode is the one we'v...

What does it really look like to build a family through fertility treatments — from the inside? In this deeply personal episode, we sit down with Emily and Sarah, a couple whose path to parenthood began just after their September 2024 wedding. Their story is one of hope, patience, and the kind of love that finds a way. Our host has known Emily since she was a little girl, which makes this conversa...

Let's be real — when you're dreaming of building your family and things aren't going the way you hoped, it doesn't matter how many times someone says "you're not alone in this." It doesn't matter that others have walked this road before you. The pain is yours. It's in your body. It's in your bones. And it is completely valid. You grieve. You feel the loss....

Imagine wanting to give your eight-year-old child a sibling, only to discover that door after door slams in your face. For many prospective parents over a certain age—especially single ones—the path to surrogacy can feel like navigating a maze designed to keep you out. This is the reality Oded faces. As a single parent by choice, he's encountered obstacle after obstacle in his quest to expand...

We are living in a time where headlines feel heavier than ever — rising hate, political division, threats to bodily autonomy, attacks on Queer and marginalized communities, and the quiet but persistent fear that nowhere is truly immune. Even here in Canada, many of us feel the ripple effects of what is happening beyond our borders. The pain is real. The fear is real. And for parents and caregivers...

At first glance, it looked like a postcard moment: two moms cuddled up on the couch, a newborn wrapped in blankets, love absolutely everywhere . And that’s exactly how my conversation with Reme and Jess began. Their five-year-old daughter Jade was off at school, while three-week-old Jude soaked up quiet newborn time with her moms. But behind this picture-perfect scene is a story full of intention,...

Content Note / Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of fertility challenges, medical complications, pregnancy loss, and barriers to family expansion. Please listen in the way that feels safest and most supportive for you. Today, I had the honour of sitting down with Michelle and Lisa Cast , a couple whose love story spans nearly 25 years and whose family-building journey has been anyt...

Sometimes family begins with timing, courage, and a leap into the unknown. Nearly 15 years ago, fate brought Heitor and Wayne together when Heitor relocated to Ireland for work. From early on, they shared a quiet but steady knowing: they both wanted to become parents someday. What they didn’t yet know was how that dream would take shape. With openness, intention, and a deep commitment to understan...