Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron

Dr. Aimee Baron
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated weekly

Talking Away the Taboo is the podcast for anyone in the Jewish community struggling to have a child and is seeking a place for emotional support and comfort. It is a show that will help you learn while validating your feelings and processing the hardship and to teach everyone else to be more sensitive. Each week, Dr. Aimee Baron and her guests will be talking away the taboo of infertility, pregnancy loss, infant loss, surrogacy, adoption and more. Your best friend just had a stillbirth and you don't know what to say? This is the space for you. We laugh, we cry and we challenge the Jewish community to think differently about a topic that has for so long been shrouded in secrecy and shame. Join us on the wild, unpredictable, and gut-wrenching journey of creating a family. Follow I Was Supposed To Have A Baby on Instagram and TikTok at @iwassupposedtohaveababy. To find out more about I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, visit our website at iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

  1. 19 hr ago

    Rewriting Egg Freezing with Lauren Makler

    In this episode, Dr. Baron sits down with Lauren Makler, CEO and co-founder of Cofertility, to discuss her profound journey navigating a sudden medical diagnosis and how it changed her perspective on family building. This honest conversation explores the intense intersection of medical trauma, the desire to become a parent, and finding agency when life feels out of control. At 29 years old, Lauren's life shifted instantly when she received a diagnosis of a rare disease called multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma. Facing multiple surgeries and the very real possibility of losing her ovaries, her diagnosis led her to look into egg donation. This personal journey opened her eyes to gaps in the fertility industry and ultimately inspired Lauren to co-found Cofertility, reshaping the donor conception landscape to help others safely navigate their own unique paths to parenthood. If you're navigating a medical diagnosis or holding on to hope while facing the road to parenthood, this episode is for you. About Lauren Makler: Lauren Makler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Cofertility, a human-first fertility ecosystem that helps women freeze their eggs for free when donating half, making egg donation less transactional and egg freezing more accessible. Named one of Inc's 2025 Female Founder 500 and Fast Company's 2023 Most Creative People in Business, and featured in top press outlets including Vogue, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Marie Claire, Women's Health, and many more, Lauren is recognized for her innovative approach to increasing accessibility and driving systemic change in healthcare. She's shared her insights on these topics—ranging from healthcare equity to innovation in fertility—at high-profile events including the Hello Sunshine Shine Away summit, HLTH, Harvard Business School, and other leading conferences and institutions. Previously, as an early Uber employee, she founded Uber Health, leveraging Uber's vast driver network to improve healthcare outcomes through patient transportation and healthcare delivery. Under her leadership, the business helped millions of patients access the care they needed. Before that, she played a key role in expanding Uber's core business along the East Coast and led the company's first healthcare initiative—nationwide, on-demand flu shot campaigns. After receiving a rare disease diagnosis, Lauren's personal fertility journey inspired her to create a more accessible, empowering path for those looking to freeze their eggs or find an egg donor. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their miracle babies, Eden and Jonah. Connect with Lauren : Website‍ ‍  Cofertility Instagram ‍ ‍Personal Instagram  Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    1hr 8min

  2. 18 Jun

    A Father's Story Years Later with Rabbi Daniel Fellman

    In this episode, Dr. Baron sits down with Rabbi Daniel Fellman, Senior Rabbi of Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh, to discuss his deeply personal experience with loss and fertility challenges. Recorded live in Pittsburgh, this raw and honest conversation explores the unique intersection of communal religious leadership and private grief. Rabbi Fellman shares the story of his and his wife Melissa's fertility journey, navigating a polycystic ovarian syndrome diagnosis, and the heartbreaking loss of one of their fraternal twins at 22 weeks. He describes the painful medical and halakhic choices they faced, the profound "black hole" in Jewish law regarding early infant loss, and how they ultimately managed to save their surviving son, Zach, through an emergency cervical cerclage. The conversation explores the heavy burden of compartmentalizing personal trauma while serving a congregation through their own seasons of grief and joy. Rabbi Fellman opens up about his private moments of wrestling and "rebelling" against God, his family's subsequent experiences with a second trimester miscarriage and raising a child with special needs, and how these collective scars have shaped his life. If you are trying to understand how to hold faith alongside profound loss, or navigating the complicated emotions of pregnancy after loss, this episode is for you.   About Rabbi Fellman: Rabbi Daniel J. Fellman, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, serves as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Sinai. Before joining Temple Sinai in 2021, Rabbi Fellman served as Rabbi at Temple Concord in Syracuse, New York, for 12 years and as Assistant and Associate Rabbi at Ashe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for four years. Rabbi Fellman earned his Master's Degree in Hebrew Letters in 2004 and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in 2005. His thesis, "An American Friendship: Harry Truman, Eddie Jacobson and the Establishment of the State of Israel," explored the extraordinary friendship of two Americans and the role that relationship played in America's early support for Israel. Rabbi Fellman is a 1996 graduate of Colorado College, where he earned his BA in Political Science and earned the Abel Greg and Lucy Finney Award for religious leadership on campus. In addition to his congregational duties, Rabbi Fellman was named one of the "40 under 40" in Syracuse, served as the chair of the Roundtable of Faith Leaders, and received the Interfaith Leadership Award for his work building civil society. Rabbi Fellman was a Clal Rabbis Without Borders Fellow and is currently a fellow with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Rabbi Fellman served as the Jewish Chaplain at Syracuse University for two years, and spent three years as an adjunct instructor at the State University of New York at Cortland where he taught Jewish studies. He resuscitated the Syracuse Board of Rabbis and was an active presence in Jewish community building. He is an Eagle Scout, and was a founder of the Hillel at Colorado College. Rabbi Fellman and his wife Melissa are the parents of three children—Zachary, Jacob, and Elizabeth Connect with Rabbi Daniel Fellman : Email  ‍ Website  Instagram Connect with us: Website‍  ‍ Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍ Facebook‍ ‍  TikTok‍   ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    50 min

  3. 11 Jun

    205. Intimacy, Halacha, and Privacy with Dr. Lauren Hofstatter, LMHC, PhD

    In this episode, Dr. Baron sits down with Dr. Lauren Hofstatter, a clinical therapist often known as "the orthodox therapist," to unpack the complex realities of how Jewish couples navigate intimacy, marriage, and fertility through a traditional lens while protecting the privacy of their relationships. Dr. Hofstatter shares her insights from her popular, anonymous social media platform where community members submit questions from marital discord to sexual health concerns that they feel unable to ask anywhere else. She discusses the unique intersection between clinical training and strict Torah values. She emphasizes the necessity of bridging patients to trusted rabbis for Halachic queries, and the emotional weight that comes with being a support to others . The conversation explores the heavy emotional toll of fertility struggles on partnerships. From the hazards of over-sharing your marriage with casual friends to the pain of public pregnancy announcements, this episode offers an honest look at how to protect your relationship when community expectations become overwhelming. About Dr. Lauren Hofstatter, LMHC, PhD : Dr Lauren Hofstatter, LMHC, PhD, is a licensed mental health counselor based in Boca Raton, Florida, specializing in work with adult women and couples within the Orthodox Jewish community. She integrates clinical expertise in sex therapy with a deep understanding of Torah values, offering culturally sensitive support around intimacy, relationships, anxiety, trauma, and sexual health. Lauren is the founder of The Orthodox Therapist and is passionate about providing clear, modest, and shame-reducing education that promotes emotional connection and marital well-being. Connect with Dr. Lauren Hofstatter, LMHC, PhD : Instagram‍ Email‍ ‍Website Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    1hr 18min

  4. 4 Jun

    204. Family Reimagined with with Rabbi Megan and Paige GoldMarche

    In this episode, Dr. Baron sits down with Rabbi Megan and Paige GoldMarche, a dedicated couple working within the Jewish communal space, to discuss the deeply personal and complex realities of their family-building journey. Together, they share the emotional, physical, and financial hurdles of facing infertility as a queer couple while holding a profound desire to build their future family. Megan and Paige reflect on the early days of their relationship, tracing the path from their initial meeting at a Shabbat dinner to a shared realization that they wanted to build a life together. Driven by a poignant sense of urgency tied to family health history and a deep desire for their future children to know their grandparents, they set out with a clear timeline. However, their plans were quickly challenged by the clinical realities of donor selection, expensive medical protocols, and the physical toll of consecutive unsuccessful intrauterine inseminations (IUIs). The conversation also explores the complex logistics unique to family building in LGBTQ+, including navigating insurance gaps, utilizing the open healthcare marketplace for secondary coverage, and shifting from local sperm banks to larger cryobanks in search of matching backgrounds. As the journey progressed from IUIs into the world of IVF, the physical and emotional burdens mounted for both partners. This episode captures the heart-wrenching moment of finally receiving a positive pregnancy test, only to immediately face the agonizing anxiety of non-doubling beta numbers and the impending grief of early loss. If you are navigating the heavy intersecting roads of LGBTQ+ family building, medical fertility treatments, or the quiet grief of early pregnancy loss, this episode is for you. About Rabbi Megan GoldMarche: Rabbi Megan grew up in the Chicago suburbs where she found her voice as a Jewish leader at her Conservative youth group and Reform summer camp. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a B.A. in Psychology and Women's Studies. Megan then went to work for the Hillel at Yale University where she discovered her passion for working with young people, and realized that rather than pursuing a PhD in Clinical psychology she wanted to use the Jewish tradition as a source of meaning to empower young adults to create their own rich Jewish identities and communities. Megan was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2014 and also received an MA in Jewish Gender and Women's Studies and a certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Megan is an alumna of the Wexner graduate fellowship. Megan served as Senior Base Rabbi at Metro Chicago Hillel where she spent six years leading and building the thriving Base network for Jews in their 20s and 30s. She also has a passion for travel and outdoor adventure- which has currently led her to forty-eight of the fifty states in the US. Megan and her wife Paige, and their daughters Bri and Rori, live in Mt. Airy and loves hosting folks in their home for Shabbat and Holidays! Connect with Rabbi Megan GoldMarche: Instagram‍ About Paige GoldMarche: Paige (she/her) is the mom of two kiddos, a Jewish professional and a challah baker. She is the Director of the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship at Moving Traditions, working with teens all over the US to building feminist community and learn about activism through a Jewish and feminist lens. Paige is also the Mt Airy Challah Fairy, baking and selling challah for local Philly non-profits. She has a BA in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, an MA in Jewish Communal Service from Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University, and a certificate in Non-Profit Studies from Johns Hopkins University. Paige is an active member of Germantown Jewish Center. Connect with Paige GoldMarche: Instagram‍ Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    1hr 4min

  5. 28 May

    203. How The Pain of Pregnancy Loss Helped Me Find My Purpose with Marla Rottenstreich

    In this episode, Aimee sits down with Marla Rottenstreich, a fitness professional, doula, and COO of One Israel Fund. She opens up for the first time about her fertility journey, navigating a congenital uterine anomaly, pregnancy complications, and grief. This conversation is a vulnerable exploration of how deep medical trauma reshapes the path to parenthood. Marla opens up about being diagnosed at age 17 with a bicornuate uterus and told she would likely never have children. She describes overcoming that prognosis only to face the isolating grief of secondary infertility, three miscarriages, and the trauma of a third-trimester stillbirth. Through her powerful story, she highlights the importance of somatic movement, faith, and radical self-compassion to process trapped trauma and reclaim her agency. If you are navigating the difficult intersection of medical trauma, pregnancy loss, and family building, this episode offers a compassionate and grounded perspective filled with resilience and perseverance. Want To Sponsor an Episode? Donate Here More about Marla Rottenstreich:  Marla Rottenstreich is an AFAA-certified Group Fitness Instructor, ACE-certified personal trainer, Kripalu Yoga teacher, IIN licensed Health coach and lecturer, licensed Zumba (5 formats) instructor, ACSM Teen/Adolescent Fitness Instructor as well as ACSM Senior Fitness provider, DONA-certified birth doula and prenatal fitness provider, a Mad Dog trainer indoor spin instructor and licensed Beachbody PIYO & Insanity instructor. She currently owns Mekor Fitness LLC, a Central NJ Women's Fitness & Wellness company and the virtual program at MindBody20.com. Marla offers programming at many camps, travel programs, and schools for specialty events across the country as well as Manager of a Pesach program with Leisure Time Tours. She is a trained vegan chef with a cooking show on Kosher.com. Her full time role is COO of One Israel Fund. Connect with Marla Rottenstreich: Instagram‍ ‍MindBody20.com‍ ‍Kosher.com Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    1hr 15min

  6. 18 May

    202. Reclaiming Joy: Building a Life That's Childless Not by Choice with Susan Kirshner-Sheldon

    In this episode, Aimee sits down with Susan Kirshner-Sheldon to discuss her journey through later-in-life dating, making Aliyah, and navigating the challenges of infertility and pregnancy loss. Susan candidly shares her experience of dating, the joy of finding her husband Jeremy, and the subsequent roadblocks they faced while trying to build a family.  Susan walks us through the physical and emotional weight of multiple losses, including a natural miscarriage on Sukkot and the devastating words Ein dofek (no heartbeat) during IVF. She also touches on the unique experience of undergoing fertility treatments in Israel.   Now living a full life in Jerusalem, Susan offers a powerful perspective on finding peace when life doesn't go according to plan. Her story is a testament to resilience, the importance of a supportive partner, and the realization that there are many ways to live a meaningful life. More about Susan Kirshner-Sheldon: Susan Kirshner-Sheldon made aliyah from Chicago to Jerusalem in 2014, where she now lives with her husband, Jeremy. With a master's degree in human resource management and development from National Louis University and a bachelor's degree in communications from Stern College, Susan began her career in the high-tech healthcare industry before transitioning into the nonprofit world in Israel. She is the founder and owner of Gold Star Concierge, a boutique concierge service that helps locals and visitors navigate life in Israel — from logistics and bureaucracy to events and day-to-day needs — with ease, efficiency, and a personal touch. Susan recently went back to school to earn a certificate in animal assisted therapy where she is learning how to train dogs to be guide dogs. When not working, Susan can be found dog sitting, reading or planning her next travel adventure. Connect with Susan Kirshner-Sheldon: Instagram‍ ‍Website‍ ‍Email‍ Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    1hr 8min

  7. 11 May

    Aimee's Reflection on 200 Episodes, and Special Guest, Jonah Platt, on Circumstantial Infertility

    In this episode, Aimee sits down with Jonah Platt, actor, musician, and host of The Being Jewish Podcast. Aimee first reflects on the milestone of 200 episodes and  impact of IWSTHAB on the Jewish community, before pivoting to Jonah's personal story. Jonah Platt discusses the complexities of navigating health, faith, and the public eye while trying to grow a family. This conversation is a vulnerable exploration of how chronic health challenges reshape the path to parenthood. Jonah Platt opens up about his upbringing in a musical household and his transition into fatherhood alongside his wife, Courtney, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He describes the reality of MS—the extreme fatigue and the medical necessity for Courtney to stop life-altering medications in order to conceive and breastfeed. In discussing the lack of awareness around these specific hurdles, Jonah notes, "I think we don't talk about this story that much because her issue isn't fertility." This challenge led the couple through three distinct reproductive journeys: a natural pregnancy, IVF, and surrogacy. Jonah shares the emotional weight of supporting his partner through a taxing fertility journey and the gift of surrogacy, which allowed Courtney to be fully present for their daughter's birth. Through his story, Jonah highlights the importance of choosing a path that preserves the health of the mother while expanding options for building families. If you are navigating the difficult intersection of chronic illness and family building, this episode offers a compassionate and grounded perspective. You're not alone. More about Jonah Platt: Jonah Platt is one of America's most trusted voices on modern Jewish identity, culture, and current events. He hosts Being Jewish with Jonah Platt—the world's #1 Jewish podcast—exploring Jewish life through conversations with prominent Jews and allies like Jason Alexander, Congressman Ritchie Torres, Bernard-Henry Lèvy, Cindy Crawford, and Sheryl Sandberg. An accomplished entertainer, Jonah has starred in acclaimed projects from Broadway (Wicked) to Hollywood (Being the Ricardos), is co-writing the musical adaptation of The Giver, and producing his first feature film, The Mensch. He was honored with California's inaugural Community Excellence Award for Combating Antisemitism, Holocaust Museum LA's inaugural Roz & Abner Goldstine Advocacy Award, the 2025 American Friends of ELEM LifeSaver Award, and is currently pursuing his Master's in Antisemitism Studies at Gratz College. Connect with Jonah Platt: Website ‍ ‍Email‍  Instagram‍ ‍ Facebook‍ ‍ Threads‍ ‍ TikTok‍ ‍ X ‍ LinkedIn‍ ‍  Listen to the Being Jewish with Jonah Platt: Beingjewishpodcast.com‍  ‍Instagram‍  Facebook‍  TikTok‍ ‍ YouTube‍  ‍LinkedIn   Aimee's Favorite Episodes: 1-Seen and Remembered: Making Space for Everyone This High Holiday Season with Rabbi Yisrael Motzen I kept nodding through this episode with Rabbi Motzen because I agreed with everything he said.  As a rabbi at a large synagogue with many different kinds of family units, he has developed many unique ways to make sure everyone fits in... I loved all of its suggestions and thought they were so applicable to people in the fertility community too.  2- Finding Calm in the Chaos with Dr. Aliza Ancier  Mindfulness is something anyone can use to get through stressful situations, but I had never really given it much thought until this conversation with Aliza. It's amazing how something so simple can really help. 3- Making Mikvah Meaningful with Dr. Naomi Grumet  Mikvah is one of the hardest mitzvos to keep when you're struggling to have a baby.  I hated every single time I went. The suggestions here were personally life-changing and helped me reframe mikvah. 4-  A Decision I Never Imagined: An Anonymous TFMR Story  This was the first episode we did on TFMR, and I remember being so nervous before it came out.  Not because I was worried that we were doing anything wrong by sharing this incredible story, but more because I was concerned about backlash.  And the amazing thing is - TFMR stories are some of the most listened to in our 200 episodes.  Because people don't walk these stories openly, it's a huge gift to offer those dealing with this personally the knowledge that they are not alone.   5- Tokophobia with Yehudit Kosowsky Even as a doctor, I had never heard of tokophobia before, but I have had dozens of people/year message me that they are so grateful this episode exists.   Connect with us: Website‍ ‍ Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍ Facebook‍ ‍ TikTok‍  ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

    59 min

  8. 4 May

    From Loss to Advocacy: A TFMR Journey with Clare Molnar

    In this episode, Aimee sits down with Clare, a mother of three and reproductive rights advocate to discuss her experience with termination for medical reasons (TFMR). Clare shares how a complex twin pregnancy led to a heartbreaking decision and explains why she feels it is vital to share her story openly. She discusses the complex reality of a reproductive journey that spans over a decade, beginning with a deeply personal choice at seventeen and leading to a heartbreaking diagnosis during a wanted pregnancy years later. After a routine scan revealed severe medical anomalies in the surviving fetus of a twin pregnancy, Clare was thrust into a period of uncertainty. By sharing her journey, Clare challenges the binary view of abortion, placing all reproductive choices on a single spectrum of loss and love. Her story is a powerful reminder that putting a name to these experiences turns abstract ideas into human realities. More about Clare Molnar: Clare Molnar is an advocate for abortion access and destigmatization based in Ferndale, MI. She is a mom to three girls and one Labrador retriever.  Connect with Clare: - Connect on Instagram   Connect with us: -Check out our Website -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message -Watch our TikToks -Follow us on Facebook -Watch us on YouTube -Connect with us on LinkedIn

    1hr 13min
See All (212)

Trailer

About

Talking Away the Taboo is the podcast for anyone in the Jewish community struggling to have a child and is seeking a place for emotional support and comfort. It is a show that will help you learn while validating your feelings and processing the hardship and to teach everyone else to be more sensitive. Each week, Dr. Aimee Baron and her guests will be talking away the taboo of infertility, pregnancy loss, infant loss, surrogacy, adoption and more. Your best friend just had a stillbirth and you don't know what to say? This is the space for you. We laugh, we cry and we challenge the Jewish community to think differently about a topic that has for so long been shrouded in secrecy and shame. Join us on the wild, unpredictable, and gut-wrenching journey of creating a family. Follow I Was Supposed To Have A Baby on Instagram and TikTok at @iwassupposedtohaveababy. To find out more about I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, visit our website at iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

Information

You Might Also Like