Choose Your Hard (If You Can): Family Building Tradeoffs and Intro to Stork'd Season 4
Welcome to Season 4 of Stork’d! This introduction episode kicks off with the concept of “Choose Your Hard”, assuming that you have access to those choices. Throughout this episode, you will hear snippets of Julia and several of her guests from this upcoming season discussing their family building stories.
Delightful Donor Conception: Discovering Donor Conceived Siblings, Raising Donor Conceived Children and Joyfully Navigating Self Identity With Sydney Sharon
I am joined by Sydney Sharon, who discusses the topic of donor-conception. Sydney is one of the rare people who has experienced donor conception from all angles: she has used donor sperm, is raising donor conceived children, has a father who was a donor and is building relationships with her newly expanded “BioFam” of siblings.
A Sneakerhead's Collection Funded IVF After 8 Miscarriages With Lauren Wynn
I’m speaking with Lauren Wynn about her 8 miscarriages, emergency surgery and ultimately building her family through IVF. What’s more, Lauren’s husband EJ sold much of his prized and valuable sneaker collection to cover the cost of their fertility treatments.
From Divorce to the Dating Pool With Jen Worman
I speak with Chicago blogger and social media influencer, Jen Worman about divorce, dating and solo parenting! Jen opens up about her divorce, her experience dating with kids, and how she has learned the important truth that you can only control yourself.
We Didn’t Find Any Sperm: Grappling With Male Factor Infertility and Building a Family Through Adoption With TJ Peyten
Nearly 50% of infertility is a male factor, meaning it’s related to men not women. Even with this shocking percentage, it’s not openly discussed. I speak with TJ Peyten who has become an advocate for male factor infertility after she and her husband experienced it first hand.
The Grief Gal - Watching a Parent Pass Away From ALS, and Mentoring Others Through Grief With Chelsea London Lloyd
Chelsea London Lloyd, a comedian, actress and self proclaimed “grief gal” and I chat about her unique relationship with humor and grief. As a child, she grew up with two sick parents and after a long 15 year journey with ALS, her father passed away.
Controlling Your Own Destiny Through Egg Freezing With Cameron Rogers
Cam has built her career advising high net-worth clients on professional investing and wealth management, and recently made the decision to invest in her future through egg freezing.
Everything You Wish You Could Ask a Fertility Doctor - The Inside Scoop on Egg Freezing and Fertility With Dr. Bendikson and Kindbody
Dr. Bendikson is an OB/GYN and a nationally recognized leader in the fertility field. She has gone through fertility testing herself and now counsels clients about family planning decisions like egg freezing and other fertility treatment options.
I Stand for the Power to Change: Challenging Family Building Inequality for the LGBTQA+ Community With Genavieve Jaffe and Connecting Rainbows
I’m talking with Genevieve Jaffe about her and her wife’s personal experience with creating their family through reciprocal IVF. Gena is a lawyer and founder of Connecting Rainbows and she now advocates for others going through this process and provides legal support for the LGBTQA+ community.
All I Have of My Son Is in This Box: Discussing Life Threatening Preeclampsia and Infant Loss With Yvette Anderson
I am joined by Yvette Anderson, co-founder of Anderson’s Meet The Need, a nonprofit she and her husband felt called to create after the loss of their newborn son.
Transforming the Triggering Family Planning Aisle With Samantha Diamond and Bird & Be
Today we talk with Samantha Diamond, founder of Bird & Be about PCOS, infertility, miscarriage and loss. She shares her journey with secondary infertility, trying to have her third baby and how she would advise her younger self to grieve and heal differently than she did at the time.
Hablamos español en nuestra familia: Blending family and cultures after IVF and international adoption with Michele Katz and Plus One Adoption
We are joined by Michele Katz. Michele is the founder of the Plus One Adoption Foundation and a mother of 4, two adopted, and two biological children. Michele shares her story about the adoption process and how she is blending cultures in their family.
An Honest Talk With a Financial Planner About Budgeting Financially and Emotionally for Your Family With Emily Green
Today’s conversation with Emily Green is all about the importance of women taking control of their financial destiny as it relates to family planning. We I chat about balancing the trade-offs between your career and personal goals. We talk about the pressures of corporate culture on moms, gender salary gaps, and maternity leave.
Weaving the Tapestry - Creating a Family Through Open Sibling Adoptions and Relationships with First Families and Meg St-Esprit
In this week’s episode, we are joined by journalist Meg St. Esprit. Meg is a parent of 4 children: 2 different sets of siblings, all through adoption. She shares her journey through adoption and the dynamic and interwoven way in which her family has integrated loved ones through open adoption.
Where Do Donors Come From? Understanding Sperm and Egg Donation with Genetics Counselor Lauren Isley and California Cryobank
In this week’s episode, we are joined by Lauren Isley, a genetic counselor at California Cryobank. Lauren walks us through what genetics counseling is and how it supports clients in their fertility needs.
The Revelation: Discovering you are donor conceived & finding your bio family with Louise McLoughlin
In this week’s episode, we are joined by Louise McLoughlin. Louise tells us the story of finding out she was donor-conceived, how she found her biological father and sister, and the feelings she experienced throughout the process.
She Had Moxie - Embracing a Childfree Life After Cancer with Tracy Weiss & Chick Mission
In this week's season 4 finale episode of Stork’d, we are joined by Tracy Weiss. Tracy is a cancer survivor who lost her chance of having biological children and in so doing, she gives up on the vision she has of a future daughter to be named Moxie.
Storms Get Tired Too - Season 3 Intro and Celebrating a New Baby
Welcome to season 3! Today, we discuss the upcoming Season 3 and I share an important life update. In many ways, the start of Stork’d and my own family building journey have run parallel to each other.
More People to Love You With Saundra & Susan - Building a Village Family and Finding a Known Sperm Donor
I speak with Saundra and Susan who have built a community which they lovingly call their village family. Filled with friends, family and neighbors, the village family was composed to create a diverse and rich environment for their daughter to grow and thrive in.
A Kaleidoscope of Support With Paige Pieroni - Building a Family Through Surrogacy and Egg Donation Due to Turner’s Syndrome
I talk with Paige Pieroni about Turner Syndrome and the incredible family building journey she and her husband are on. Turner Syndrome is a genetic condition which affects female chromosomes at birth, and one of the main ways it impacts Paige is that she is unable to have children as a result of underdeveloped ovaries.