Fertility Cafe

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...

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...

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 t...

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...

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 tr...

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 surr...

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 a...

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 process...

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 h...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 h...

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 alread...

When we teach IPs about their possible pathways to parenthood, we often mention embryo donation. There are over a million embryos sitting in cryobanks around the country. But what happens to them if they aren’t used in IVF by the patients themselves? What is the embryo disposition process like; and what is the donation experience like, as a donor and recipient? In this episode we answer these ques...

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...

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 O...

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 togeth...

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 t...

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...