Building your family

Two queer couples unite to have a baby

To kick off Pride, we are airing a special episode. Lauren Brown made her debut on our podcastsome time ago when she talked about her family-building journey with her wife Amanda. Sincethen, she has become a gestational carrier for a lovely couple, Matt and Stephen. Together, theyare a winning team!
The couples have become very close and consider each other extended family. For those of youwho have doubts about surrogacy, watch this episode and you will quickly see how wonderful asurrogacy journey can be.
In a world where fear and anxiety often take center stage, I encourage you to remain open tostories like these. Sometimes the scary voices are louder, so it may take a bit of time or effort tofind another point of view, but I encourage you to do so.
We can easily see what is in front of us. This is true for politics, reproduction, and even ouremotions. Looking a bit further can help you open your eyes and your heart.I think this episode will do just that. Enjoy, and happy Pride!
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
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Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Essentials for the at-home insemination success

In this fascinating episode, we sit down with Maureen Brown, the co-founder and CEO of Moisie Baby. Maureen shares her fertility journey and the path to developing the first FDA-cleared intravaginal insemination kit for over-the-counter use. She also delves into why her innovative tools are more effective and better suited for a woman's body, shedding light on the common challenges faced during home insemination.
 
This episode is interesting and inspiring.  Enjoy!
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Surrogacy and more with Dr. Gago

People are often confused about why surrogates need certain tests that aren't required for women carrying their own pregnancies. They wonder why surrogates are held to a higher medical standard. Today, Dr. Gago, a fertility expert based in Michigan, will explain everything you need to know about surrogacy and the screening process. Dr. Gago is the ideal person to educate us, especially since Michigan recently became the last state to decriminalize compensated surrogacy. As Dr. Gago will discuss, Michigan's new law incorporates the best surrogacy requirements from across the country.
If you've ever wondered about surrogacy screening and why certain criteria are important, you'll find this episode very helpful.
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

How to manage the fertility roller-coaster as a team

It's widely recognized that undergoing fertility treatment can be a source of significant stress, impacting not only individuals but also their relationships. Couples often find themselves surprised by the divergent feelings and opinions they encounter during their journey to build a family. This divergence can lead to tension, arguments, and feelings of anger, especially when faced with decisions like sharing information with others, financial considerations, the choice to pause treatment, donor selection, or the decision to continue treatment altogether.
In this upcoming episode, I'll delve into this common challenge, exploring why fertility treatment can strain relationships and offering a path to reframe the experience. By addressing these issues, couples can begin to mend their relationship and confront the challenges of fertility treatment, family dynamics, and the road ahead with unity and resilience.
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

IVF doctor shares strategies to help patients

The TUSHY, BALLS, and ANGEL methods are just a few of the acronyms that Dr. Aime Eyvazzadeh has created to help patients understand the procedures important for them to complete to enable them to understand their diagnosis.
In this week's episode, she talks about these procedures, discusses how she counsels patients about various treatments from egg freezing to ovarian aging, and explains why she recommends certain supplements and not others.  
Dr. Aimee is witty, clever and so compassionate. You will see in this week's episode how much she truly cares for her patients and does her best to provide them with the best treatment possible.
 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Choosing Single Motherhood

This week's guest, Kristin Duncan, shares her thoughts about being a single mom by choice, the difficulties for single women in fertility treatment, and much more.  
Here are a few of the topics Kristin discusses in this week’s episode:
• how important it is to advocate for yourself at your fertility clinic• why being a single mom is not as "difficult" as people think• how remembering that "things change" can be so helpful• not to limit your dreams, even when they do seem insurmountable• disclosure issues• connecting with donor-conceived siblings and other people who used the same donor
Whether you are a fertility patient looking for community or insights, or a member of the industry curious about single motherhood, you will gain a lot from Kristin's insight in this episode.
Sending warmth and good wishes your way! 
Lisa
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Protect your family building freedom with RESOLVE

If you have been wondering about what's happening in the political and social landscape in the fertility field, you will appreciate this week's episode.  Barb Collura, the CEO of RESOLVE, discusses how our modern society has arrived at a time when science and so many social issues have progressed, except that our reproductive rights may erode further if we do not take action now.
At RESOLVE.org, there are many ways to get involved, and Barb has led the charge in making it easy to advocate from your home computer.  We need every voice, so listen to this episode to become informed.
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Open Egg Donor Pioneer

The benefits of disclosing to children about their origins, early and often, is no longer up for debate.  We know that children, and their parents, are often curious about their donor, and for medical or emotional reasons, may have an interest in connecting with them at some point in their lives. Typically, people search for their donor on 23 and Me and hope that they will be able to connect with the donor when their child becomes 18. Some donor agreements, however, stipulate that the donor never be contacted.
Everie has changed all of that. They have created the first open donor egg donation program in the U.S. 
In this episode, you will meet two of Everie’s Directors, Aisha Lewis and Mark Trolice, MD.  They have created a program where you choose to be matched with a donor for a fresh cycle or receive frozen eggs.  You can choose someone who also chooses you and you have the option to choose someone with similar values or background.  Their program allows for individual matches so that you can decide what is right for you, get ongoing medical information for your children, and have a warm connection with someone who you or your child may reach out to down the line. 
An added benefit is that open relationships will likely cut down on the number of donor siblings created from each donor.  While no contract about family limits with a donor is enforceable, I do believe we are all more likely to maintain a commitment to someone we know rather than someone we don't know.
So, take a look at their website and learn more. I think you will be as impressed as I am.  Everiedonation.com. 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

How Colton Underwood turned his life around and couldn't be happier

You may know Colton Underwood as a football player or the reality TV star from The Bachelor, or from his Netflix special when he told the world that he could no longer hide and came out as a gay man.  The Colton Underwood you will meet on this week's episode is a warm, gentle man who has finally found himself, real love, and cannot wait to be a father.  
If these hurdles weren't enough, he also struggled with male factor infertility.  Colton has become more accustomed to talking about the struggle of coming out and how happy he is being his true self, as a gay man, but infertility is still a struggle to discuss.  He shares how embarrassed he felt when he received the diagnosis and how he and his husband embarked on a path to rejuvenate his sperm.
This process led him to create a podcast called Daddyhood, where he shares the long path to fatherhood.  His openness and sensitivity will warm your heart and the information he shares may help you or someone you love who is struggling with infertility.  The information in this podcast, like Colton himself, will intrigue you, for so many reasons.
 
Resources mentioned:
Daddyhood on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/daddyhoodpodcast/
Subscribe to Colton's podcast, "Daddyhood": https://open.spotify.com/show/2wcc9oVtUr3q4hrFTn1TEw?si=f91dd3ddb5be4a6f
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Getting pregnant over 40 is what these doctors specialize in

In this podcast, we frequently delve into the realm of third-party reproduction. However, today we're taking a fresh perspective on the pregnancy journey. Donor conception isn't the perfect fit for everyone, and for some, it simply isn't an option. So, let's explore an alternative approach.
Meet Dr. Gleicher and Dr. Barad, partners at the Center for Human Reproduction in New York. Their focus over the years has gravitated towards women categorized as having an "advanced maternal age". In this episode, they generously share insights into the strategies that have brought success to their patients.
What's reassuring is their commitment to ensuring informed consent. They steer clear of empty promises and quick fixes. Instead, they lay out the reality, often modest success rates for women in their 40s, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their treatment paths. Despite embracing some unconventional methods, their research garners respect within the medical community.
If you, or a loved one, want to attempt pregnancy at an advanced maternal age, you will find this episode very helpful.
 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM