Stork'd

In this Stork'd Munchkin, Jenna Hermans shares her journey to meeting her husband and becoming a step-mom. She describes her concerns and fears of becoming a step-parent from her experience with her own step-parents. She also tells us about her boundaries she makes in the decision making process around her step-kids.   Resources: Stork'd Website Stork'd - Facebook Stork'd - Instagram Stork'd - You...

Jenna Hermans, the author of Chaos to Calm, discusses her experiences dating a man with three young children and becoming an "instant mom". We explore Jenna's relationship to the idea of being a step parent from her own experiences growing up with divorced parents. We also discuss how Jenna transformed her triggers and fears of step parenting to become the best mom she can be.  Jenna delves into b...

In this Stork'd Munchkin, Dr. Gertrude Lyons shares the profound moment she had in Ireland when she experienced a voice speaking to her that reassured her that she and her husband have a family, regardless if they have a child or not. This led her to take the pressure off conceiving a child and open "space." One month later, she conceived her child.   Resources: Stork'd Website Stork'd - Facebook...

In this Stork'd Munchkin, Dr. Gertrude Lyons shares how she's taken the word "mother" and is rewriting what it means on an individual level and on a bigger picture level. Listen to how she defines "motherhood" and "mothering" to become more inclusive and life-giving.   Resources: Stork'd Website Stork'd - Facebook Stork'd - Instagram Stork'd - YouTube  Dr. Gertrude Lyons - Website Dr. Gertrude Lyo...

The concept of the word "mother" has been a life-long journey of exploration for  Dr. Gertrude Lyons.  She is the Founder of Rewrite the Mother Code, where she encourages and inspires women to explore what mothering and motherhood can be to them. Dr. Lyons, challenges the statement that you have to have kids in your life to be a mother, and believes instead that maternal power lives in us all. She...

Jodi Klaristenfeld shares her harrowing experience with preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome which nearly claimed her life and that of her unborn daughter. Jodi shares the signs and symptoms of what to look out for to help prevent preeclampsia.   RESOURCE LINKS: Stork'd - Facebook Stork'd - Instagram Stork'd - YouTube  Flrrish - Instagram Flrrish - Website

Jodi Klaristenfeld shares her harrowing experience with preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome which nearly claimed her life and that of her unborn daughter. Jodi shares her experience healing emotionally from her daughter's premature birth and how hard she fought to get her daughter the resources she needed to grow, thrive and flourish once she was home from the NICU. Jodi quickly realized how hard it i...

Welcome to Season 6! In this Stork'd Munchkin episode, I will preview what to expect in Season 6 of Stork'd. Season 6 explores  evolution -  how do we grow and change as our family lives evolve? You will find the guests of Season 6 to be open hearted, relatable, candid and real about their family building journeys as together we explore  disappointment, change, joy, new identities, and our relatio...

Welcome to a special mini episode of Stork'd! How do you show up for people? This week, I offer you a compilation of podcast episodes about showing up for others, from the voices of Stork'd guests, offering their best nuggets of wisdom. You will hear directly from previous guests about how we show up for the people we love and how we like to be supported during the really murky emotional times -su...

Imagine being so athletically gifted that you can train your body to do almost anything…. Anything except get pregnant when you are hoping to. Meet Barbie Blank, reality star, model and formerly the youngest wrestler in the WWE.  Together we discuss the feelings she had when her athleticism didn't translate to her fertility treatments. Now pregnant with twins, Barbie shares her experiences: rangin...

In today's episode, Julia talks with Dr. Aimee, a renowned fertility specialist recognized as the "egg whisperer."  Together, Julia and Dr. Aimee delve into her complete "obsession to bring more love into this world" by helping more intended parents conceive.  They also discuss the many ways she is changing the patient experience by shifting the mindset around fertility treatment - from one of a b...

Join Julia and Brooke Cates, CEO and founder of The Bloom Method fitness program, for your motherhood journey. The Bloom Method keeps you active during pregnancy and postpartum. Brooke shares how the system was conceived and encourages women to listen to their bodies. In today's world, the culture can guilt women into strenuous exercise programs, and Brooke says that's not OK. Over 60,000 women ha...

Can an astrologer predict the best time to do IVF? In the latest episode of Stork'd, Julia and Nicola Smuts Allsop delve into her journey as a fertility astrologer and how she predicts the "lucky time" for conception. Nicola's personal experiences with infertility lend a captivating touch to her narrative. She discusses the influence of diverse planetary alignments on a couple's fertility prospect...

Join Julia and Alona Shaked as they delve into her remarkable story. She was a 28-year-old lawyer who embarked on a challenging journey of fighting breast cancer and also discovered the heartbreaking truth that cancer treatments can significantly impact fertility. Explore the highs and lows of Alona's international path to building a family as she pursues fertility treatment in both Israel and the...

Today, Julia and Dr. Rebekah Diamond, author of Parent Like a Pediatrician, focus on parenting newborns and children. Where do you turn when you have questions? When seeking guidance, do you rely on friends, family, or social media input to glean insights from "expert" influencers? Julia and Rebekah discuss how to filter through the well-intentioned relatives and the mistruths on social media to f...

Julia and Christina Bailey engage in a heartfelt conversation about the challenges and triumphs of healing from divorce, falling in love, fertility and creating a family in a same-sex relationship. We discuss her first fertility journey using reciprocal IVF with her ex wife - she used her eggs and her ex carried. We discuss Christina's heartbreak over her divorce and her experience parenting throu...

Our guest today shares her experience as an egg donor to a family experiencing infertility. We discuss her decision to donate, her experience through multiple donations (for a sibling later on) and her relationship to the recipient family. As time passed, she reached her forties, remarried, and, together with her husband, embarked on a journey to start their own family. Join us as she shares her r...

Journalist Maressa Brown joins Julia to discuss her new book, Raising Baby by the Stars. She explains how astrology can teach you about your child and support your parenting. Maressa also made a few major life pivots that found her restructuring her life as a married woman employed in lifestyle journalism in NYC to a single woman freelance writing for women's magazines in LA.  Now engaged, Maressa...

HeHe Stewart, advocate, educator and founder of Maternity Concierge and The Birth Lounge, joins Julia to discuss pregnancy, informed consent and the education of the birthing process. HeHe is passionate about helping people prepare for a pregnancy and birth experience. She educates women on their rights, the role of the hospital and physician and topics you may have yet to consider. This episode i...

Fiona Kong, an author and a single parent, joins Julia for a conversation about her book titled Home Sweet Homes Journal. Fiona's life underwent significant changes with divorce, a job loss, and the impact of the COVID pandemic. During this transformative period, Fiona took the opportunity to contemplate her upbringing and the kind of co-parent she aspired to become. During this period, the idea f...

Artist and painter Michelle Armas joins Julia on Stork'd to discuss her unbelievable journey to adopt her daughter. Michelle shares a little about her experience with discomfort, pain, and medical gaslighting due to endometriosis. After very uncomfortable fertility treatments, Michelle and her husband follow their hearts (and an original vision Michelle had of herself with a daughter) to begin the...

Majka Burhardt, the author of the book More, joins Julia on Stork'd to explore the joys and challenges of early parenthood. They delve into the transformative effect of having a child on one's sense of self and discuss whether it necessitates letting go of activities you love.   What are some strategies for carving out time in a busy schedule? How do you maintain relationships with your partner? W...

Elizabeth Carr, author and advocate, is the first IVF baby born in the United States and the first medicated IVF Baby in the world. She joins Julia to discuss her journey from conception through her 41 years of an IVF advocate. Elizabeth's parent's story is impressive, particularly regarding the lack of general knowledge about IVF, yet they pioneered this journey of building their family.  She wil...

Julietta Skoog, co-founder of Be Sproutable, joins Julia to discuss positive discipline. You don't get training for how to be a parent. Suddenly you just are one and you then have to develop your identity as a parent even as you are caring for a child. So what does parenting mean for you and how will you parent your child?   This episode is packed with information on the definition of being a posi...

Keegan Prue, the author of The IVF Dad ,  joins Julia to share the story of infertility he and his wife Olivia experienced. Keegan wrote this book from a man's perspective, and he puts pen to paper to help other men as well as couples to deal with this disappointment and to help them work through the feelings and the process.  You will hear the details of this couple's journey through infertility...