On today’s episode of Fertility Cafe, we talk about one special group of women who just so happen to make up a large share of surrogate mothers in the United States: military wives. What makes these women so uniquely suited to serve as surrogates? Is there something in particular that motivates or inspires them to answer the call? Surrogacy has long been a hot topic in military circles, and for good reason: military wives happen to make up a significant portion of all surrogates in the United St...
Mar 19, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Erica McAfee is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, a maternal child health company that helps Black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy and infant loss and infertility. She is also a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula, Doula Trainer and Mentor, and Mom to 2 babies in heaven and one rainbow baby Maxwell also known as Super Mighty Max. Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and...
Mar 12, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 26
On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about what happens after an Intended Parent has finally found his or her ideal egg donor. Host Eloise Drane tells it like it is, setting realistic expectations, in hopes of warding off disappointment and frustration during the egg donor process. The decisions, first to work with an egg donor and then who your donor will be, are huge and can be emotionally fraught. It can help to have a complete overview of the process, from start to finish, including all t...
Mar 05, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Black and brown women experience infertility at almost 2x the rate of our counterparts and yet are least likely to seek treatment. In addition, many conditions that directly impact fertility, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and others disproportionately affect black women as well. On today’s episode, Rev. Stacey Edwards-Dunn Founder of Fertility for Colored Girls shares her own infertility journey, her organization, the cultural norm of silence shrouding fertility and family building topi...
Feb 26, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 24
On today’s episode, we’re going to look into some of the most sensationalized surrogacy cases that have hit the headlines. While a lot of these stories have the appeal of a juicy tabloid exposé, they’re worth examining as cautionary tales and as a way to understand why so many are vocally opposed to the practice. Surrogacy gives intended parents hope where they were lacking it before—everyone deserves to experience parenthood if they so desire, and without alternatives to traditional family buil...
Feb 19, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 23
In this episode of Fertility Cafe, host Eloise Drane talks with Candace Wohl about safe independent surrogacy. Candace Wohl, writer, public speaker, and over-sharer of all things infertility is now a mother through surrogacy after over a decade long struggle. Candace and her husband Chris decided that in order to overcome adversity, they must stare it directly in the face with humor and positivity through their award-winning blog, “Our Misconception” which started in 2012. The couple was also fe...
Feb 12, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 22
In the season two opening episode of Fertility Cafe, host Eloise Drane is talking about how COVID-19 affected surrogacy. In this episode, she talks about the struggles that both surrogates and their intended parents faced during the early to middle stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Links for more resources
Feb 05, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In Fertility Cafe episode #20, Host, Eloise Drane and Dr. Bethea-Walsh talk about the psychological evaluations and mental health consultations which kick off a surrogacy journey. Both intended parents and surrogate candidates often feel nervous about the prospect of speaking with a mental health professional but as Eloise and Dr. Bethea-Walsh discuss, there is nothing to be nervous about. Your mental health professional is not looking for perfection. They simply want to make certain that both t...
Oct 09, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 20
The most common questions that a potential intended parent asks often is what’s the difference between: Adoption and Surrogacy? A common misconception is that adoption and surrogacy are the same thing, which I can tell you: they are not! Today, I’d like to share my thoughts about each path, and what you’ll want to consider, plan for, and think through before navigating each one. In no way is this podcast all-inclusive, covering every single aspect of both surrogacy and adoption. Instead it's a s...
Oct 02, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 19
After being in the industry for now 20 years, I’ve become increasingly troubled by the realization that a huge percentage of people can’t fulfill their dreams of parenthood because of the staggering costs. IVF is expensive. Surrogacy is expensive. And these costs keep too many people from pursuing their dreams of becoming parents. So yes, I am an agency owner, but I know that agency costs can be prohibitive. Because of this, I’m on a mission to make it known that you CAN do surrogacy without an ...
Sep 25, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Join us for Part 2 of Regina Townsend - founder of The Broken Brown Egg - and Eloise's very honest and important conversation about Black women's reproductive health and fertility. Black women experience infertility at almost 2x the rate of our counterparts and yet we are least likely to seek treatment. In addition, many conditions that directly impact fertility, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and others disproportionately affect black women as well. The harmful stereotypical belief that...
Sep 18, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Black women experience infertility at almost 2x the rate of our counterparts and yet we are least likely to seek treatment. In addition, many conditions that directly impact fertility, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and others disproportionately affect black women as well. The harmful stereotypical belief that black women are somehow more fertile, or that we don’t participate in foster care, adoption, or fertility treatments is yet another factor. Newsflash: We aren’t, and we do. Togethe...
Sep 12, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 17
There are many costs associated with fertility treatment, pregnancy and eventually, the delivery of one (or more) children in the case of multiples. Whether it’s the in vitro process, your gestational surrogate’s care, or unexpected NICU costs, considering insurance coverage, what you have, what your surrogate has, and what you may need is highly recommended With only thirteen states requiring insurance companies to cover infertility treatment, securing fertility benefits through your health ins...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 16
Are you being called to be an egg donor? Then this episode is for you - the potential egg donor - and we'll be answering all of your lingering questions about the egg donation process. This episode will inspire you and inform you so that you can move through this journey with confidence and make your egg donation journey a fulfilling one. Listen in as Eloise addresses some of the more commonly asked questions potential egg donors have and some of the less obvious ones which are equally as import...
Aug 28, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 15
You've been thinking about becoming a gestational surrogate for a while now. For months, maybe even years, you've thought about what it would be like to give someone the precious gift of motherhood or fatherhood. It's been weighing on your heart. So what's stopping you from pursing your calling? In this week's episode, Eloise talks with 5-time surrogate Rebekah Hills about the highs and not-so-highs of surrogacy. Learn why the Dr.'s have dubbed her uterus "golden" and what she looks for in the I...
Aug 21, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In this episode of Fertility Cafe, we're going to focus on the more complicated and emotionally charged surrogacy topics specifically relevant to your journey to become a surrogate: why your BMI is so important; the psychological evaluation and the role of mood stabilizing drugs; receipt of government assistance as a disqualifier; and even the topic of termination and selective reduction. Buckle up ladies - Eloise doesn't sugar coat the truth, and this is going to be a bumpy ride! Let’s Stay in ...
Aug 14, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 13
You want to become a surrogate, but you're wondering how to make sure your partner or spouse is on board with your decision? One of the most important aspects of a successful surrogacy journey is a strong support system. Your partner or spouse is obviously a HUGE part of that support. Eloise's husband Anthony joins her in The Fertility Cafe to have an open, honest, and REAL discussion about a spouse's reaction to his wife becoming a surrogate. Grab your partner and listen together - you may be s...
Aug 07, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 12
If you’re thinking about being a surrogate or becoming a parent via surrogacy, this episode is a must-listen! When it comes to the legalities of parenthood using a surrogate, you do NOT want to cut any corners. Surrogacy law is at once complex, fascinating and often inconsistent depending on what country, state, or even county you live in. Here’s the good news, though: gestational surrogacy has become a common practice in many countries, and there ARE legal regulations in many places that make s...
Jul 31, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Egg donation is not a new technique. The success rate for pregnancies from donor eggs has increased dramatically over the years, with 55% of all embryo transfers using donor eggs results in a successful pregnancy. But how do you go about choosing an egg donor? In this episode, we'll cover the qualities you should look for when searching for a donor, pros and cons to the various methods of finding a donor, and even the most common fears we hear from intended parents as they weigh their decisions....
Jul 25, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
How do you find the right woman to be your surrogate? This is one of the most important decisions you will make, and there are many factors to consider when finding the right match for your journey to parenthood. When it comes to finding your surrogate, you’re looking for someone you’ll be spending a decent amount of time with. You have to be aligned in your expectations. You'll want to find a woman who is stable, healthy, trustworthy, and open-minded. In this episode of Fertility Cafe, Eloise w...
Jul 16, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 9
