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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 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 questions along with others like, what is the difference between embryo donation and embryo adoption, can anyone pick an embryo and use it to have a child, what is the matching process like, and what will the genetic, social, and psychological ramifications be for a child born from that process? 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 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: 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!”