Never Thought We'd Be Here

In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, Maya sits down with Kori - a single parent by choice and embryo donor. In this heartfelt interview, Kori shares her journey as a solo parent, her experience with embryo donation, and her evolving relationship with her donor and recipient family. Their insightful conversation dives into the emotional, logistical, and relational aspects of embryo donati...

In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, Maya sits down with embryo donors Chris and Mitch and their recipients, Tony and Paulo- who were beyond the perfect match for each other!  The interview explores the journey of two gay couples navigating embryo donation, surrogacy, and building their families. They share personal stories, challenges, and the importance of connection, communication, an...

In this two part episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is Ash, a trans man who is also an embryo donor. In part one, Ash shares an honest and insightful look into his journey through IVF, fertility preservation, and the decision to donate his embryos to multiple families. This conversation explores the complexities of gender identity, medical interventions, and the profound impac...

In this two part episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is Ash, a trans man who is also an embryo donor. In part one, Ash shares an honest and insightful look into his journey through IVF, fertility preservation, and the decision to donate his embryos to multiple families. This conversation explores the complexities of gender identity, medical interventions, and the profound impac...

In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by Jen’s 14-year-old twins, Zosha and Theo. In this heartfelt interview, Zosha and Theo share their perspectives on embryo donation, family bonds, and navigating complex relationships. Their insights shed light on the emotional and social aspects of donor families, offering valuable lessons for understanding modern family st...

In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by Lainey, Gina’s 11-year old daughter! In this heartfelt conversation, Lainey shares her unique family story centered around embryo donation. She discusses her understanding of embryo donation, her connection with her sister cousin Grace, and the dynamics of their relationship.  Their conversation explores themes of identit...

In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by two recipients, Loretta and Alexandra. Loretta and Alexandra matched with the same embryo donors and are currently pregnant at the same time. In this conversation they share their stories that highlight the value and importance of the connection that directed embryo donation provides as well as how they have been navigati...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Genieve and Clare, Embryo Donor and Recipient.  This conversation explores the journey of embryo donation through the experiences of Genieve and Clare, who share their expectations, emotional challenges, and the evolving relationship between donor and recipient families.  Together they discuss the importance...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Jen, a three-time embryo donor. In their conversation, Jen shares her unique journey as an embryo donor, discussing her motivations for donating embryos to multiple recipients simultaneously. She reflects on the emotional complexities of the donation process, the relationships formed with recipients, and how...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Jessica, a parent via embryo donation with two very different journeys. In this conversation, Jessica shares her personal journey, discussing her initial experiences with infertility, the decision to pursue embryo donation, and the importance of genetic equity in family building.  Their conversation delves i...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Jay, a parent via embryo donation and a donor conceived person. In this conversation, Maya and Jay explore the multifaceted world of donor conception, focusing on Jay's personal journey as a donor-conceived individual and a parent through embryo donation.  They discuss the evolution of language and ident...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Family Formation Attorney, Amanda Troxler. As a disclaimer, nothing in this episode should be considered legal advice. In this conversation, Maya and Amanda delve into the intricate world of embryo donation, exploring the legal aspects, personal experiences, and the importance of relationships in this unique...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Embryologist, Alease Barnes, better known as Alease the Embryologist on Social Media. In this conversation, Maya and Alease delve into the intricate world of embryology, focusing on embryo donation and the role of embryologists.  Alease shares her journey into the field, the importance of education in reprod...

In the Season 2 premier of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by her husband Noah, and their daughter, Mika. In this heartfelt conversation, they discuss the journey of their family through embryo donation. Mika shares her understanding of her unique story, the importance of genetics, and how she navigates conversations about her origins with friends. As a family,...

Season One of ‘Never Thought We'd Be Here' has officially wrapped! In our final episode, host Maya Grobel revisits some of our favorite moments and highlights from different episodes of Season One.  From real talk about embryo donation and family building to the deeply personal stories that brought us here, each episode this season has shown the different ways directed, or known, embryo do...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by EM•POWER with Moxi co-founder, Jen Vesbitt! Maya and Jen discuss the concept of directed donation, particularly in the context of embryo donation. They explore the importance of connection between donors and recipients, the emotional complexities involved, and the evolving nature of these relationships over...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Claire, mom of two and embryo donor.  In this conversation, Claire shares her journey as an embryo donor, discussing the motivations behind her decision, the emotional connections formed with the recipient family, and the dynamics of navigating family relationships.  She reflects on the significance of her e...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Melissa, embryo recipient and single mom by choice. Maya and Melissa discuss Melissa's journey through embryo donation as, in Melissa’s words, a single mother by default. They explore the challenges and emotional experiences Melissa faced during her fertility journey, including her initial attempts at co...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by EM•POWER with Moxi co-founder, Jen Vesbitt! Maya and Jen answer some of the most commonly asked questions about embryo donation, and discuss the complexities of embryo donation, focusing on the considerations for both donors and recipients. They explore the challenges faced by donors with multiple embryos, the legal and...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by embryo recipients, Scott and Ryan. Scott and Ryan are two dads-to-be navigating their journey to parenthood through embryo donation. They share their initial plans for adoption, the challenges they faced, and how they discovered embryo donation as a viable option.  They highlight the importance of building r...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by embryo recipient, Lindsay. In this conversation, Lindsay shares her personal journey through infertility and her decision to pursue embryo donation. She discusses the emotional challenges she faced, the importance of support, and how she and her husband navigated their options.  Their conversation highlights the signifi...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by EM•POWER with Moxi co-founder Jen Vesbit. In this conversation, Maya and Jen explore the emotional landscape of embryo donation, focusing on the fears and feelings experienced by both donors and recipients. They discuss the importance of community support, the challenges of navigating unknowns, and the evolv...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by embryo donor Suzanne. In this conversation, Maya and Suzanne talk about her journey through IVF and the decision to donate her remaining embryos. Suzanne shares her emotional experiences, the challenges she faced during her pregnancies, and the importance of finding the right recipients for her embryos.  Their discussio...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by embryo recipient Frances. In this episode, Fran shares her deeply personal journey through fertility challenges, IVF experiences, and ultimately, her decision to pursue embryo donation. She discusses the emotional toll of her journey, the importance of support, and the relationships formed with donor familie...

In this episode of 'Never Thought We'd Be Here', host Maya Grobel is joined by Advocate Genetics founder and EM•POWER with Moxi co-founder, Gina Davis. In this conversation, Maya and Gina explore the intricacies of genetic counseling, particularly in the context of embryo donation. They discuss the importance of understanding genetic risks, the role of genetic counseling in decision-ma...