Infertility Crossroads Meta Getman

When we were considering using donor eggs to build our family, one of the things that crossed my mind was how my kids, who wouldn't be genetically connected to me, would fit in our family.   This may have crossed your mind too.  Will they be accepting of our choice? Will they treat my child the same way they treat their family members who are genetically connected?

These are common concerns that many couples face, and that's why I invited my brother, Kenny Anderson, to share his experience as a non-genetic uncle to his donor-conceived nieces (my girls!) on my latest podcast episode.

This episode is the first time Kenny and I have talked about this topic together so you get the raw, real and vulnerable conversation as it is taking place.  And, walking away from this conversation I found that for him, being an uncle to my girls is an amazing gift, one that is not defined by the genetics that created them.  It is defined by the relationship he has built with them as people.



Did you just learn that donor conception might be your path to parenthood? Or maybe you think it might be but are not sure yet? Or, maybe you already know but need some more help. Get my free PDF download, The Donor Decision Guide

Connect with me on Instagram 

Lemons? The Mind? The Body? Infertility? What does it all mean?

On the episode today, Naomi Woolfson from Embrace Fertility joins me as we explore the surprising connections between our minds, our bodies, and our thoughts when it comes to making fertility decisions.  Spoiler alert - she uses an example with a lemon that will make you go "whoah! I totally get it!"

Our minds and bodies are deeply interconnected, and our thoughts and beliefs can have a huge impact on our fertility journey.  Naomi is a hypnotherapist and she breaks down what is the mind body connection and challenges you to examine the stories you tell yourself about your fertility and consider how they may be limiting your options and holding you back from reaching your goals.

Remember, you are not alone on this journey, and there is always hope. Let's take a step forward together and explore the power of our minds, bodies, and thoughts when it comes to making fertility decisions.



About Naomi Woolfson:

Naomi Woolfson, of Embrace Fertility, is a therapist specializing in supporting women through trying to conceive, fertility treatments and then pregnancy and birth following infertility. She and her partner went through almost 4 years of infertility, IUI’s, IVF, anxiety, surgery and a miscarriage before they went on to conceive both of their ginger children naturally.

On her podcast she offers emotional support and shares mind-body techniques to help you feel calm and confident and ultimately find yourself again while waiting for your baby. Search for Embrace Fertility on your favorite podcast player to listen.

Alongside supporting clients globally in one to one therapy and coaching sessions she offers hypnosis and meditation MP3s and runs a 12 week mind-body program guiding women through the 5 steps of her unique Embrace Fertility Method; Comfort, Coping, Connection, Clearing and finally Creating.

Visit www.embracefertility.co.uk for more details and to set up a free video call to answer any questions you have about working with Naomi.



Resources Mentioned:

How to Decide When To Start or Continue Fertility Treatment

EFT Tapping for Coping with Infertility and Enhancing Fertility

Follow Naomi on Instagram

www.embracefertility.co.uk

In today's podcast episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Makler from Cofertility. As someone who has personally experienced a unique road to her fertility, Lauren understands the emotional rollercoaster that we can go through to build our family. That's why she's on a mission to revolutionize the egg donor and egg freezing process. 

During our chat, Lauren shares her own medical journey to having her daughter and how that experience, combined with her passion for healthcare start-ups, led her to co-found Cofertility, a platform that connects families with high-quality egg donors. But what sets Cofertility apart is that while helping families who need egg donors find diverse and high quality donors, they are also educating and supporting women in preserving their fertility through egg freezing.  They take a personalized approach, provide education to intended parents and egg donors and are advocates for making the egg freezing and egg donation process simple, easy, and accessible.

Lauren's story is inspiring, and Cofertility's approach is truly revolutionary.



About Lauren Makler

Lauren Makler is the Co-founder and CEO of Cofertility. She previously founded Uber Health, a product that enables healthcare organizations to leverage Uber’s massive driver network in improving healthcare outcomes through patient transportation and healthcare delivery.  Lauren’s winding road of a fertility journey led her to believe that everyone should have the opportunity to freeze their eggs –and that there should be better access to egg donors. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their miracle baby girl.



Resources:

Infertility Crossroads Episode 7. We Used an Anonymous Donor. I'd Do it Differently If I Could

Anonymous Egg Donation, What Does The Research Say 

How Do Individuals Who Were Conceived Through the Use of Donor Technologies Feel About The Nature of their Conception? 

cofertility.com/family

Cofertility, Family by Co on Instagram 

Lauren Makler on Instagram 

I didn't grow up dreaming of using a donor to have my children.

After our second failed IVF cycle, my doctor brought up the idea of using a donor and I was a hard no. I would NEVER use someone else’s genetics to create a child.

My whole world came crashing down when the doctor told me donor might be my only chance at being a parent and experiencing pregnancy.  On the episode today, I am diving deep into the beginning of my story and sharing with you three things I wish I had known and had access to right after that conversation with my doctor.  

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Download my free PDF, My Doctor Said Donor, Now What? Your Next 3 Steps Forward.  

Connect with me on Instagram 

Emily Derrick is a licensed marriage and family therapist who is also a six time egg donor and gestational carrier.  She has had personal experience with many aspects of third party reproduction, both personally and professionally.

During the episode, we talk about Emily’s experience becoming an egg donor, why she chose to be an egg donor, what the egg donor process was like for her, the outcomes of her donor cycles and her thoughts on connecting with the children that she is the biological mother of.

We dive into the importance of having accessibility to your donor going forward in the future for medical history, giving the kids the ability to get from their donor information, to know who they are and where they came from.

Emily and I also talk about her work as a therapist working with recipient parents and what you can expect during your psycho-social evaluation and we get into the meat of why it is SO important to unpack the feelings surrounding being a recipient parent and the personal emotional work it takes to get comfortable and excited about going down this path.

Emily Derrick is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in infertility and 3rd party reproduction, raising two children with her husband, a 6x egg donor and 1x gestational carrier. She works with clients who are seeking emotional support, skill building and education on their journey to family, whether through 1:1 therapy or clinic required psychoeducational consultations. Visit her website at www.emilyderricktherapy.com to learn more.



Resources from the Show:

Inheritance by Dani Shapiro

Brave new Humans by Sarah Dingle 

Children’s book resource on Emily’s website 

Emily's Instagram @emily.derrick.therapy

Today's episode is part 2 of a series I'm doing on fertility coaching.  If you haven't listened to Episode 22 - What is a Fertility Coach and Why Should I Invest in One I highly recommend checking out that episode first.  In that episode I talk all about what a fertility coach is, why it is good to have one, the difference between a coach and a therapist and what how to decide if having one is right for you.

Today we are diving into how to find a fertility coach that is right for you.  There are so many amazing coaches out there specializing in all kinds of support: from miscarriage to endometriosis to mind/body connections you can really find help for anything you are looking for.  But before you jump into a program, it’s important to know what you are struggling with the most right now so you can focus and to know how you best learn.  This will help you get the most out of your time and investment.

Below you will find some coaches who I personally recommend to get you started.

Mind Body Fertility Reset / Robyn Birkin - Mind Body Connection during Fertility 

Jen Robertson - IVF, Pregnancy after Loss / Infertility 

Studio Fertility / Bella Hilton - Unexplained Infertility

Ebony Hibbert - Solo Motherhood 

Embrace Fertility / Naomi Woolfson  - Fertility Hypnotherapy 

Feel Fully / Simone  - Endometriosis and Mindfulness 

Meta Getman  - Donor Conception (that's me!) 



Did you just learn that donor conception might be your path to parenthood? Or maybe you think it might be but are not sure yet? Or, maybe you already know but need some more help.  Get my free PDF download, The Donor Decision Guide