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    Fertility Cafe

    Who knew making a baby could be so hard?! Luckily, the fertility journey isn’t meant to be traveled alone. So grab a seat and let’s talk fertility and alternative family building with leading industry expert Eloise Drane here at Fertility Café! Fertility Café is here to support, encourage, and educate, anyone seeking to start or complete their family and the selfless women willing to help . This weekly podcast discusses all aspects of the fertility journey experience, emphasizing alternative family forming methods. Explore modern family building through IVF, surrogacy, and egg donation, sperm donation and embryo donation . Whether you’re a straight couple, LGBTQIA+, single individual or anything in between, considering egg donation, thinking of becoming a surrogate, or dealing with infertility, you'll receive insider information. Each week, join in-depth conversations that explore these methods from medical, legal, and financial standpoints. Learn how to empower yourselves when dealing with infertility and the unknowns of how to complete your family building. Gain understanding on how to become a surrogate or an egg donor and what you need to consider when you make your decision. In addition to finding the best third-party providers and appropriate fertility solutions for you, learn about fertility awareness, the questions to ask and what steps you need to take to make the right decisions for you. There is so much information out there. How do you know what is fertility fact versus fiction. You’ll receive advice and tips on how to navigate the world of fertility options. Listen to fertility experts and medical practitioners as they impart valuable wisdom about all kinds of issues related to your fertility to include unexplained infertility, fertility preservation, PCOS, and fibroids to name a few. Their professional guidance is your best bet in increasing the likelihood of getting pregnant without fearing for your health or breaking the bank. This show is also for fertility professionals who want to widen their knowledge and expertise. By listening to fellow experts, discover brand-new information to share with your patients and improve your practice. Host Eloise has helped hundreds of people build (and grow) their families over the last 20 years. She always speaks candidly about the processes involved in making the dream of a baby a reality right now. Eloise helps individuals become surrogates and egg donors through Family Inceptions, an agency she founded in 2008. She highlights the importance of ethical and transparent practices. Above all, Eloise makes sure that young women who donate eggs or become surrogates are properly educated and empowered. Her reputation makes Eloise a top speaker and guest in many assisted reproduction technology events and shows. Her story and agency were even featured by OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Eloise is not only a guide to surrogates and donors; she has been an egg donor six times and a gestational surrogate three times. She is a happily married mother of five who spends most of her free time with family. Failing to get pregnant should never lead to a life of regret, self-pity, and hopelessness. With egg donation, surrogacy, and medical advancements focused on fertility, your fight is far from over. You are not a lost cause. What you need is proper information, practical tips, and valuable insights on addressing your reproductive issues. Explore all this and more on the Fertility Café. Listen to the podcast right now at https://familyinceptions.com/fertility-cafe
    enEloise Drane99 Episodes

    Episodes (99)

    Ep. 80 | First-Hand Stories from an IP

    Ep. 80 | First-Hand Stories from an IP

    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

    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!

    Ep. 79 | Infertility Increase and Media Negative Reputation

    Ep. 79 | Infertility Increase and Media Negative Reputation

    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

    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!

    Ep. 78 | First-Hand Stories from a Surrogate

    Ep. 78 | First-Hand Stories from a Surrogate

    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

    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!

    Ep. 77 | Nitty Gritty of Compensation in 3rd Reproduction

    Ep. 77 | Nitty Gritty of Compensation in 3rd Reproduction

    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

    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!

    Ep. 76 | Embryo Donation

    Ep. 76 | Embryo Donation

    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

    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!

    Ep. 75 | When IPs Don't Want a Relationship

    Ep. 75 | When IPs Don't Want a Relationship

    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

    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!

    Ep. 74 | Medical Records & Privacy

    Ep. 74 | Medical Records & Privacy

    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

    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!

    Ep. 73 | Baby Bonding After Surrogacy

    Ep. 73 | Baby Bonding After Surrogacy

    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

    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!

    Ep. 72 | Egg Donor Advocacy Groups

    Ep. 72 | Egg Donor Advocacy Groups

    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

    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!

    Ep. 71 | International Surrogacy

    Ep. 71 | International Surrogacy

    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

    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!

    Ep. 70 | First-Hand Stories from an Egg Donor

    Ep. 70 | First-Hand Stories from an Egg Donor

    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

    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!

    Ep. 69 | Facing Your Child's Health Issues After Egg Donation

    Ep. 69 | Facing Your Child's Health Issues After Egg Donation

    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

    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!

    Ep. 68 | Dark Side of Surrogacy & Egg Donation

    Ep. 68 | Dark Side of Surrogacy & Egg Donation

    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

    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!

    Ep. 67 | 10 Ways to Cut Surrogacy Costs

    Ep. 67 | 10 Ways to Cut Surrogacy Costs

    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

    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!

    Ep. 66 | Is There Such Thing as Anonymity Any Longer

    Ep. 66 | Is There Such Thing as Anonymity Any Longer

    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

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    Podcast Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:

    Beautiful and heartfelt conversations around family building. Can’t wait to hear more!

    Ep. 65 | Postpartum After Surrogacy

    Ep. 65 | Postpartum After Surrogacy

    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

    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!

    Ep. 64 | Terminating a Pregnancy

    Ep. 64 | Terminating a Pregnancy

    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

    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!

    Ep. 63 | Meeting My Egg Donor Baby

    Ep. 63 | Meeting My Egg Donor Baby

    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

    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!

    Ep. 62 | The Overturning of Roe v Wade Impact On the Fertility Industry

    Ep. 62 | The Overturning of Roe v Wade Impact On the Fertility Industry

    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

    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!

    Ep. 61 | Welcome to Season 4: Egg Donors, Surrogates & IP Relationships

    Ep. 61 | Welcome to Season 4: Egg Donors, Surrogates & IP Relationships

    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

    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!