Episode 7: Progyny Fertility Benefits

Kelsey, a dedicated lactation consultant from Cincinnati, Ohio, joins Kristin to share her remarkable journey as a gestational surrogate Through candid and emotional storytelling, Kelsey brings to life the profound impact surrogacy has had on her and her intended parents' lives. Themes of family, connection, and selflessness shine through as Kelsey narrates her experiences, offering valuable insights into the world of surrogacy. 

The episode explores the powerful process of matching with intended parents, overcoming initial awkwardness during Zoom calls, and the transformation of her relationship with her intended parents into a genuine connection. Kelsey's journey stands as a testament to the power of empathy and compassion in forming unbreakable bonds, highlighting the importance of intuition in surrogacy and the challenges surrogates may face with IVF medications. The discussion also delves into creating birth plans for surrogacy deliveries, sharing surrogacy stories with friends and family, and offering advice to potential surrogates. Overall, today’s episode reveals the emotional and physical aspects of surrogacy with candid conversations that shed light on a journey filled with intuition, challenges, and ultimately, profound fulfillment. Throughout, it showcases the extraordinary impact of surrogacy, where bonds are forged, families are created, and selflessness knows no bounds.

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

In this latest episode, listeners are invited to join in a remarkable journey—the awe-inspiring tale of Stephen and JR, two loving souls who embarked upon the path of surrogacy and egg donation to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. Their story here today makes for a wonderful listen as a very special duo joins them for the discussion: Stephen's parents, Ann Marie and Tom. We hear from the grandparents as they lovingly share their unique perspective, shedding light on the remarkable bond that surrogacy has created within their family and expressing heartfelt gratitude for the extraordinary woman who brought their newest grandchild into the world.

Throughout the episode, Stephen and JR recount their inspiring journey, revealing the origins of their desire for parenthood and the fortuitous involvement of close friends in the realm of surrogacy. Their unwavering determination and the obstacles they encountered while seeking the perfect match, including navigating the creation of embryos and searching for a trusted agency, are discussed. The fruition of their search is also revealed—the discovery of their truly extraordinary surrogate, Kristen—and their story becomes intricately woven with the threads of Kristen's selflessness, resulting in a celebration of love, parenthood....and grandparenthood.

Grandparents' Day was Sunday, September 10th and we are celebrating all month long with this special podcast episode.

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

This episode contains sensitive content about pregnancy loss.

In this episode of The Family Circle podcast, Tara shares her journey to motherhood, which involved IVF, secondary infertility, surrogacy, and multiple miscarriages. Throughout her story, Tara discusses the emotional turmoil she went through, from the joy of getting pregnant to the heartache of losing a baby, and the stress of waiting to start IVF. Despite the challenges, Tara's story highlights the resilience and determination of parents who go through infertility, and her openness and humor provide insight into her journey to motherhood.

In recounting her experience after suffering the loss of her first surrogate baby, Tara also reflects upon what it was like working with an agency overseas and the difference in support she received compared to her first experience with surrogacy. The emotional journey of surrogacy, how it impacted her mental health, and the magical connection that was formed with her surrogate are also discussed. As you will hear, today’s episode provides powerful testimonies to the strength and determination of parents who go through infertility and surrogacy. Through the stories shared, the emotional and logistical challenges of these processes become clear, as well as the resilience and joy that come with finally having the family one has dreamed of. Listen in to today’s conversation for valuable insight and perspectives and witness the insurmountable power of perseverance and hope.

Episode Highlights:

• Tara’s IVF and surrogacy experiences
• The emotional toll of facing infertility and multiple miscarriages
• The late-term loss that Tara faced
• How she found humor throughout her journey
• Some words of inspiration for others who are going through infertility
• Tara’s experience of working with Circle 
• Her mental health journey
• Finding a surrogate match
• The difference between her first and second surrogacy experience
• The emotional connection that forms with your surrogate 
• Cultural differences between surrogacy in the UK and the US.
• The importance of being respectful throughout the surrogacy process

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Welcome to a very special episode of The Family Circle featuring guest host Dean Hutchison, Circle's Vice President of Legal, and his two exceptional guests: Kate LeBlanc, Executive Director of Resolve New England, and Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). Together, they delve into the Massachusetts Parentage Act, a groundbreaking bill that aims to establish gender-inclusive parentage statutes and champion the rights of diverse families. Their discussion here today stands as a profound exploration of the importance of advocacy, and provides invaluable insights on how individuals can actively engage in this noble cause and drive real change for children and families. 

Two vital themes are interwoven throughout their conversation: the immense significance of advocacy in the realm of family building and the enormous impact of the Massachusetts Parentage Act. Our trio sheds light on the essential role of personal narratives and grassroots movements in effecting lasting transformations and securing equal rights for families from diverse backgrounds. Taking a deep dive into the intricacies of the Massachusetts Parentage Act, they highlight its mission - to establish comprehensive and inclusive parentage statutes while safeguarding the rights of children born through assisted reproduction and surrogacy. They also emphasize the urgent need for this transformative bill, particularly in Massachusetts, which currently stands as the last state in the region to update its parentage laws. Rest assured that you are in for an enlightening and empowering experience as you listen in today as Dean, Kate, and Polly inspire you to take decisive action and lend your voice to the resounding chorus advocating for the rights of LGBTQIA+ families. The time for change is now.

Episode Highlights:

• The importance of advocacy and ways individuals can get involved
• Overview of the Massachusetts Parentage Act and its purpose 
• Addressing gaps in current parentage laws and advocating for clarity and inclusivity
• Impact of the bill on LGBTQIA+ families and children's rights
• Urgency to update parentage laws in Massachusetts
• Significance of Massachusetts as a hub of reproductive healthcare and the need to protect all families
• Calls to action for listeners to engage, contact legislators, and support the Massachusetts Parentage Act

Here are links to websites mentioned in this episode:

Circle Surrogacy

Resolve New England

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders

The Massachusetts Parentage Act

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

This episode contains sensitive content about IUI, IVF and infertility.

In today's episode of The Family Circle podcast, our very special guest, Meghan, shares her inspirational story of becoming a parent through surrogacy following unsuccessful experiences with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Despite the challenges she faced along the way, including the emotional turmoil of infertility, Megan persevered and found hope through surrogacy. Her journey to parenthood –made possible by an incredible surrogate who helped her realize her dreams – comes with a surprising twist when Meghan finds herself pregnant just days after finding out her surrogate had a successful embryo transfer and is pregnant!

The emotional and physical rollercoaster of infertility treatment is explored, revealing the painful process of Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and IVF, and highlighting the isolation that comes with it, as well as the importance of having support from loved ones throughout the journey.  Meghan shares humorous anecdotes and personal stories, covering everything from interactions with different doctors to touching moments of being pregnant alongside her surrogate. Ultimately, Meghan’s tale, as told in today’s episode, reinforces that the journey to parenthood can be filled with challenges, that every journey is different, and sometimes you can get even more than you hoped for.

Episode Highlights:

• Meghan’s story of starting to try for a baby 
• Her infertility journey
• The IUI procedure and IVF process
• The process of surrogacy and how Meghan found her surrogate
• The challenges she faced during the surrogacy process
• The incredible bond Meghan formed with her surrogate 
• Finally becoming a mom through surrogacy
• The surprising twist to her story when Meghan finds herself pregnant
• The impact upon personal relationships during the infertility journey
• Communication and empathy
• Taking care of yourself mentally and physically during the process
• Some humorous anecdotes
• Difficult emotions associated with not being able to carry a child
• How the experience of childbirth can be different for everyone

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Today's episode contains sensitive content about pregnancy loss.

Kristin (your host) speaks with Kristyn Hodgdon, who shares her experience with IVF, becoming a mother to twins, secondary infertility, and how she took her personal experience and co-created Rescripted, the #1 global media platform  for fertility and reproductive health topics.

Kristyn, who started her career in book publishing, found herself writing about her experience trying to get pregnant through IVF, eventually starting a blog called the Fertility Tribe. Her blog became a resource and community for others, and a few years later, she met her business partners and together they created Rescripted.

Kristyn openly talks about her Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis, being sent straight to a fertility clinic, and starting IVF. After rounds of IVF Kristyn became pregnant with twins. Kristyn and her husband wished to grow their family again, and Kristyn once again tried IVF to become pregnant. She shares her struggles with secondary infertility, a miscarriage, and the importance of mental health and taking breaks when you need them.

Our guest is Kristyn Hodgdon is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Rescripted — the #1 global media platform for fertility and reproductive health topics. She is also a professional writer, voracious reader, and proud mom of IVF twins. She lives in Long Island, NY with her husband, Dan, their kids, and their dog, Nash.

Your host is Kristin Marsoli, Marketing Director at Circle Surrogacy, mom through surrogacy, lover of all things Target, and aspiring novelist. 

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Dr. Laura Meyer, a Reproductive Endocrinologist at Illume Fertility, is the featured guest on the podcast today. She begins by sharing her personal journey and passion for reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and proceeds to provide an overview of the complex issues surrounding infertility and the options available to individuals and couples looking to start a family. Dr. Meyer delves into the topic of third-party reproduction, including egg donation and surrogacy, and looks at the relationships between doctors, patients, and agencies involved in the process, highlighting the importance of personalized care and decision-making based on individual circumstances.

She goes on to explore the topic of egg donation and the different types available, and discusses the importance of ensuring that everyone involved in the process has aligned expectations, encouraging a relationship between the parties involved in the donation process. She notes as well that the advancements in genetic testing have changed the egg donation landscape, and how it is no longer realistic to expect eternal anonymity. An undisputed expert in the field, Dr. Meyer provides listeners here today valuable insight into the complexities of infertility, as well as sage advice regarding the many options available to those seeking to start a family.

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Meyer’s background and how she became interested in reproductive endocrinology
• Causes of infertility
• The different treatments available and how they work 
• The emotional and psychological impact of infertility on individuals and couples
•  How to cope with the challenges of treatment
• The importance of genetic testing in fertility treatment
•  Risks associated with certain genetic conditions
• Different paths to parenthood
• Dr. Meyer’s advice and resources for those facing infertility or considering fertility treatment.
• Third-party reproduction
• The changing landscape of egg donation and eternal anonymity
• The robust egg donor database available at Circle
• The  in the current egg donation landscape

About Dr. Meyer
Dr. Laura Meyer is double board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Obstetrics and Gynecology. After graduating from the NYU School of Medicine, she completed both her residency and fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Prior to joining Illume Fertility in 2020, she was an Assistant Professor at the NYU School of Medicine, practicing in Westchester and Fairfield counties.

If you're considering egg donation or surrogacy, Circle's experienced team would be happy to speak with you, answer questions an

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Today’s special guest on The Family Circle podcast is Dean Hutchison, Vice President of Legal Services at Circle Surrogacy and the Immediate Past Chairman of the American Bar Association's Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology Law. Dean offers his perspective on why one might need a lawyer for surrogacy and the legal aspects of it that are important for both intended parents and surrogates to understand. He also shares his background and experience working in the field of surrogacy law and how it has evolved over the past two decades. 

Dean then goes on to review the legal complexities of surrogacy and the importance of working with a lawyer to ensure that the surrogacy process is done legally and ethically. Listeners will learn about the behind-the-scenes work that goes on during a surrogacy journey and how a legal team can support intended parents during the process. The challenges that arose during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the legal team at Circle Surrogacy helped intended parents during that time are also explored. 

Today’s episode is a valuable resource for anyone considering surrogacy – or for those who are currently in the process – as it provides a clear understanding of the legal aspect of surrogacy and how it can help ensure a smooth and successful journey for all involved.

Episode Highlights:

• Dean’s professional history
• How surrogacy law has changed over the years
• The Baby M decision
• The primary role of a lawyer in surrogacy 
• Some of the key aspects of the legal process of surrogacy
• How the legal contract is used
• Working with a good agency
• The relationship between a lawyer and intended parents during the surrogacy process
• Navigating the legal aspects of surrogacy
• How the legal team at Circle Surrogacy helped intended parents during COVID-19

Quotes:

"Pretty much trial by fire, learned very quickly the ins and outs of surrogacy law back in 2003-2004."

"I didn't know anything about surrogacy law other than the kind of famous Baby M decision that every family law professor goes over in school."

"A lot of the expectations for the journey are sort of worked out in that contract phase at the very beginning. So it's not something that's coming up at week 20, at week 24.”

"The relationship between a lawyer and intended parents is one of support and guidance throughout the surrogacy journey."

"A lot of it is negotiating those small things...making sure things are keeping kind of in the norms -  that you're not having someone who's taking advantage."

"And then you get kind of the more intense issues like termination or abortion or selective reduction when the parents have certain rights to request such things."

"We were talking to contacts in the Senate and the House and the St

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Today’s episode of The Family Circle is a special one, with guest host Jen Rachman, who’s a Parent Outreach Associate at Circle, a social worker, and a parent through surrogacy. She’s here to host a discussion of the types of support that can be helpful during a surrogacy journey, whether you’re an intended parent or a surrogate. Jen opens the episode by talking about the importance of having a support network when going into a surrogacy and how Circle can become part of that as a professional agency. She also emphasizes Circle’s role in connecting intended parents with a community of others going through the same process and introduces Carlos Dolan, another surrogate parent, who shares his experience of Circle’s communities.

Next, Jen welcomes her colleague Alana Gorden, Manager of Surrogate Screening and Support at Circle, who’s here to discuss the surrogate’s side of the journey. Alana explains the support Circle provides for surrogates, emphasizing that their focus is understanding what the surrogate wants from the process in order to provide the best level of support. She talks through the team assigned to each surrogate and the hands-on support they provide, as well as other support channels, including Circle’s Facebook page and mentorship program. Alana then introduces Jessi, an experienced Circle surrogate, who shares her experiences of surrogacy and how Circle has supported her through them, especially the staff and the members of the Facebook community.

Episode Highlights:

• The types of support Circle provides
   
• Parent networking and community
   
• How Circle supports surrogates
   
• The journey from the surrogate’s point of view
   
• The Circle Facebook community and surrogate ambassador program

Quotes:

“Regardless of where you are in your research, or your steps, or your planning, utilizing the supports that are there and being able to connect with others that get it, I think, is an important aspect of this experience because a sense of community on both sides of this equation is, I think, incredibly substantial and important.”

“Everyone knows people who are going through pregnancy but going through surrogacy is different. And the fact that Circle gave us an opportunity to connect with other parents that knew or were feeling the same things as us was great.”

“How Jessie might have utilized her support could be really different than how another surrogate utilizes her support. And that’s okay. We are here to really give our surrogates the experience that she is needing and that she is looking for to make all this happen. Because at the end of the day, we want her to have the best experience possible.”

“I’ve been in other surrogacy Facebook groups before, but the communication and openness in the Circle Facebook group is unlike anything I have ever seen. So,

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

This month’s episode of The Family Circle is hosted by Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation Marketing Director, Kristin Marsoli! Kristin hosts Kate, a mother through egg donation, and they discuss everything from IVF, deciding to use an egg donor, building a relationship with a donor, and advice for anyone going through infertility struggles. 

Interested in learning more about becoming a parent through egg donation? Check out the parents page on our website for more info: https://www.circlesurrogacy.com/egg-donation-process-for-intended-parents

Don’t forget to Like/Subscribe/Follow wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Thank you for listening!

If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: applications@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become a parent (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)
• Become an egg donor (email: eggdonation@circlesurrogacy.com)

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.