AllPaths Podcast

AllPaths Family Building
  • 5.0 (1)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Building a family can be a complicated, messy, lonely, and sometimes heartbreaking process, but you don't have to navigate this challenging journey alone. Join the AllPaths Family Building community as we talk with people who are currently trying to grow their family, those whose family building journey has come to an end, and experts in the fertility and family building space. Together we'll: *Hear family stories, providing real-life perspectives that highlight the many different paths a family building journey can take. *Explore different fertility treatments and family building options with experts in this space. *Get connected to a variety of supportive resources so you feel better equipped to tackle any challenges that may arise in your family building journey. *Learn about ongoing advocacy work that promotes access to fertility care and family building options - and you can get involved. No matter what you encounter on your journey - struggles while TTC, IUI, IVF, donor conception, surrogacy, adoption, pregnancy loss, pregnancy and parenting after, or remaining childless not by choice - the real-life insights from people who have traveled those paths can provide connection, comfort, and hope.

  1. 1D AGO

    "The Mind is a Muscle"

    In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, hosts Emily and Liane sit down with Cynthia, a licensed social worker and seasoned health and wellness coach, who first connected with our organization over twenty years ago as a peer support group attendee. After enduring years of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, Cynthia finally welcomed her daughter through IVF. Following a later, life-threatening pregnancy that necessitated an emergency hysterectomy, she and her husband turned to gestational surrogacy to have their son. Cynthia describes this as an "incredibly powerful experience" that resulted not only in the birth of her child but also in a cherished, lifelong friendship with their carrier. This unique relationship endures and Cynthia shares how the conversations with her children about their origin stories have evolved over the years. She reflects on the evolution of support networks in the family building space, noting that while she once navigated these challenges in relative isolation, she now advocates for openness and community resources. Cynthia’s professional expertise in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and resilience coaching has also changed her perspective on the emotional toll of infertility. She reflects on the intense anxiety of "giving up complete control" during the surrogacy process and how she wishes she had possessed her current toolkit of meditation and self-care strategies two decades ago. Now a group leader for AllPaths, Cynthia now helps create the community she once found so helpful and teaches the coping strategies that she wishes she had possessed during her own journey in our Mindfulness Group. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: family building, infertility support, recurrent pregnancy loss, gestational surrogacy, pregnancy loss, family growth, parenting journeys, mental health and wellness, support groups, mindfulness, emotional support for parents, coping with infertility, IVF, health and wellness coaching, community support, resilience, emotional impact of infertility, personal stories of family building, peer support, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, meditation, coping strategies, self-care, resilience CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    38 min

  2. APR 28

    An Adoptee Choosing Adoption

    In this episode we meet Will, a Boston native living in Texas who offers a unique perspective on adoption as both an adoptee and a new adoptive father. Adopted at birth from a Brazilian birth mother by white parents, Will shares what it was like growing up in a multiracial household where adoption was a normal, open part of the conversation. He recounts his emotional journey to reconnect with his Brazilian heritage and birth family during a study abroad trip in college, a search that has since evolved into a 14-year relationship with his birth mother and siblings. Will also discusses his transition into fatherhood, having recently adopted his daughter with his wife. He explains how his own history led him to view adoption as a way to "pay it forward" and why he and his wife prioritized an open adoption to ensure their daughter has the ties to her birth family that he lacked for the first 22 years of his life. Throughout the conversation, Will challenges the stigmas surrounding adoption, emphasizing the importance of normalizing it as just another way to build a family, advocating for better community resources for families, and challenging that the "identity issues" often attributed to adoptees are, in many ways, simply a universal part of the human experience that many experience, regardless of family structure. Finally, Will provides practical advice for those navigating the often unknowns of family building, urging prospective parents to control what they can, remain flexible, and be their own best advocates. He highlights the power of intentionality over perfection when raising biracial children and encourages everyone to challenge the myth of ‘normal’ in family building. Looking for community as you build your family through adoption? Join AllPaths’ free, virtual peer group at https://allpathsfb.org/support/. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: family building, adoption journey, multiracial adoption, open adoption, adoption support, parenting an adopted child, adoptive parenting, identity in adoption, adoption agency, resources for adoptive families, navigating adoption, family building stories, connections with birth families, adoption stigma, parenting advice for adoptive families, community support for adoption, cultural heritage in adoption, emotional support for adoptive parents, relationships in adoption, family planning through adoption CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    47 min

  3. APR 21

    “I can do hard things.”

    In this episode, Jessica Attime, a life-long New Englander, shares her transition from waiting for the "perfect time" to start a family to navigating the unpredictable reality of infertility. From the all-consuming effort to conceive to experiencing a heartbreaking miscarriage, Jessica and her husband were eventually given a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. The conversation explores the emotional weight of moving to a process that suddenly becomes highly medicalized as Jessica describes her foray into IVF and her frustrations over communication gaps she’s experienced, specifically the overwhelming logistics of fertility pharmacies, the confusing "second language" of medical acronyms, and the physical toll of self-administering complex medication protocols. She also provides a candid look at the drop off numbers of her two retrieval cycles, detailing the "rude awakening" of her first cycle, which yielded only one viable embryo from eight blastocysts and the despair that can come when your results don’t match the expected statistics. Despite the lack of clear medical answers, Jessica has navigated various physical and emotional hurdles, including a recent hysteroscopy to remove a polyp, by relying on her powerful personal mantra: "I can do hard things." As her journey continues, Jessica emphasizes the necessity of throwing out rigid "life planners" and finding a personal source of strength. She concludes with a sobering reminder that IVF is not an "easy button" or a guarantee, but a process that requires intense self-advocacy and a supportive community to survive the solitude and unknowns. Trying to grow your family is hard, but you are not alone. Here are some resources we recommend for anyone navigating fertility challenges: 🔸 Peer Support Groups Find community and understanding in one of our 20+ free, virtual groups each month. 🔸 WTH? Breaking Down Common Fertility Acronyms This post and accompanying webinar with a reproductive endocrinologist breaks down the jargon and provides a comprehensive guide to the complex landscape of fertility acronyms. 🔸 A Beginner’s Guide to IVF This step-by-step guide, written by a reproductive endocrinologist, covers both the IVF process and ways you can do to prepare for a cycle. 🔸 Exploring SART This article shares how you can use tools and resources from the Society for Assisted Reproduction to help answer questions and make decisions throughout the IVF process. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: IVF, unexplained infertility, faith, fertility treatment, PGT testing, geriatric pregnancy, miscarriage, TTC, support, community, patient advocacy, communication, family and friends, support system, AllPaths Family Building, fertility acronyms, beginners guide to IVF, family building, infertility journey, trying to conceive, IVF process, emotional support, fertility treatment, family planning, hormonal health, miscarriage support, reproductive health, fertility resources, pregnancy journey, egg retrieval, IVF success stories, integrative medicine, women's health, stress management during IVF, navigating infertility CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    47 min

  4. APR 14

    "I Did Find My People": A Conversation with Our New ED

    In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, we are excited to introduce the organization's new Executive Director, Lauren Hart Clancy. A longtime volunteer who has led peer support groups and co-chaired our annual Footsteps for Family Building Walk, Lauren brings personal family building experience as well as her professional background in public health, advocacy, and community building to this role. The conversation touches on Lauren’s own family building journey, but for a deeper dive listen to Episode 30 where Lauren shared her family’s story. We also talk about Lauren’s previous volunteer work at AllPaths, including the often-overlooked emotional complexities of "expecting after" and "parenting after" infertility or loss and why “find your people” isn’t just a tagline for our organization, but an integral part of mission. Lauren also outlines her vision for the future of AllPaths, including a major advocacy goal to help Vermont pass a fertility insurance law, which would make New England "six of six" for such legislation and a new community support program that is currently in development. The episode highlights upcoming community milestones like National Infertility Awareness Week and the Footsteps for Family Building walk in October. Finally, the conversation turns to the many ways for individuals and partners to get support and get involved in AllPaths work: 🔸 Find community and understanding in one of our 20+ Free, Virtual Peer Support Groups each month. 🔸 Stay informed and empowered every step of the way with our On-Demand Resource Library. 🔸 Connect with experts in this space through our Directory of Professional Services and Members. 🔸 Hear stories celebrating the many different paths that a family building journey can take families on the AllPaths Podcast each week. 🔸 Join us as we tirelessly Advocate for the Fertility and Family Building Community across New England and beyond. 🔸 Get Involved in our work as a volunteer and partner. 🔸 Donate and shop to help make sure no one walks alone. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: IVF, male factor infertility, family building, IVF journey, infertility, fertility treatment, AllPaths Family Building, parenting after infertility, emotional support for parents, community support for families, infertility awareness, family building advocacy, peer support groups, coping with miscarriage, resources for family building, family building education, support for new parents, challenges of parenting, expecting after loss, fertility treatment options, finding your community, nonprofit leadership, Lauren Hart Clancy, Executive Director CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    29 min

  5. APR 7

    Faith vs. Fertility

    In this episode, we welcome Dr. Harrell Jordan, a nurse educator and author who discusses the often-overlooked perspective of male infertility within the Black community. After being diagnosed with a low sperm count and abnormalities early in his marriage, Dr. Jordan shares his multi-year struggle to conceive, which involved failed IVF cycles, surgeries, and the emotional strain of balancing personal faith with medical reality. The "tug of war" he faced while balancing his Christian faith with the biological realities of infertility led him to author his book, Faith vs. Fertility: A Black Man’s Battle Between Belief and Biology, with the goal of dismantling the cultural taboos surrounding reproductive health and encouraging other men to seek support. Dr. Jordan offers a vital perspective on how infertility impacts Black men, noting a significant lack of support groups and the societal pressure that often places the fertility burden solely on women. He reflects on the strain the process placed on his marriage and explains why he and his wife eventually chose to limit who they told about their journey to protect their own emotional well-being. Through his story, he emphasizes the importance of proactive health testing for both partners and the need for a supportive community that offers practical help and listening ears rather than just standard platitudes. Right before receiving his doctorate, Dr. Jordan and his wife discovered that they had surprisingly conceived on their own. The birth of their son, Elijah, Dr. Jordan credits “to God because many doctors, many test results don't line up to the results that we got.” This episode highlights his mission to destigmatize male infertility and encourage other men to embrace healthcare—including mental health counseling—without feeling it diminishes their masculinity. His message is one of openness and resilience, reminding listeners that "nothing is wasted" and that the strength of your relationship remains the most important factor in any family-building journey. Order your copy of Faith vs. Fertility at https://thehjbrand.com/faith-vs.-fertility. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Fibroids, semen analysis, fertility treatment, male factor infertility, IVF, biopsy, varicocele, varicocelectomy, HCG, genetic testing, infertility and relationships, support, community support, prayer, support groups, Christian counselor, journaling, faith, mental health, couples counseling, family building, infertility support, IVF journey, Black men's health, fertility treatment options, emotional toll of infertility, mental health in fertility, male infertility, couples therapy, faith and fertility, support for infertility, navigating IVF, infertility community, coping with infertility, fostering and adoption, fertility journey stories, resources for fertility, understanding infertility, male perspective on infertility, sharing fertility experiences CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    48 min

  6. MAR 31

    A Financial Transaction and a Gift from God

    In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, we sit down with Ruthie, a Boston-area school counselor and educator, to discuss her incredibly complex and high-stakes journey to motherhood. Ruthie’s story begins at age 34, when she and her husband, Chris, faced immediate fertility challenges including a blocked fallopian tube and IVF, soon followed by their first miscarriage, which tragically occurred just a week after the sudden death of her father-in-law. The journey grew even more harrowing during a subsequent twin pregnancy when one baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephaly, while the other was found to have a potentially fatal chromosomal abnormality. During a procedure intended to manage these complications, both babies were lost and Ruthie suffered a life-threatening hemorrhage, requiring nine blood transfusions. The trauma continued weeks after delivery when Ruthie experienced a near-fatal secondary hemorrhage at work, caused by a rare uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that was narrowly caught by her fertility doctor just before a scheduled hysterectomy. Despite further setbacks with additional miscarriages and failed surrogacy attempts, Ruthie and Chris eventually turned to the "adoption gauntlet.” They first adopted their daughter from Florida during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and later navigated a sudden, complicated legal situation to adopt their daughter’s biological half-brother eighteen months later. Today, Ruthie reflects on the mental health toll of these experiences, including her battle with severe postpartum anxiety and the years of therapy required to process her medical trauma. Her story serves a greater purpose of dismantling the stigma surrounding reproductive grief and serves as a testament to the diverse, often "messy" ways families are built. Throughout the conversation, Ruthie emphasizes the necessity of mental health support and encourages others navigating similar hardships to advocate for themselves and seek community rather than suffering in isolation. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Blocked tube, IVF, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, twin pregnancy, genetic testing, selective reduction, surrogacy, failed cycle, gestational carrier, adoption, private adoption, sibling adoption, family building, infertility journey, adoption stories, IVF experiences, miscarriage support, medical trauma, uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM), emotional support for parents, surrogacy options, parenting challenges, navigating fertility issues, family growth options, coping with loss, adoption process insights, counseling for parents, pregnancy after loss, mental health in parenting, support for infertility, understanding adoption, family planning resources, building a family, sharing fertility stories CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    45 min

  7. MAR 24

    You May Feel a Bit of Pressure

    In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, hosts Emily and Liane sit down with author Amy Gallo Ryan to discuss her infertility memoir, You May Feel a Bit of Pressure: Observations from Infertility's Heart-Wrenching Ride. Amy shares her struggle with unexplained infertility, recounting the grueling process of multiple IVF rounds, the isolation of quitting her job to focus on treatment, and the heartbreak of an ectopic pregnancy followed by emergency surgeries. Despite these challenges, Amy eventually welcomed her daughter, Hazel, and later twins, through a journey that taught her the profound lesson of being out of control. The conversation delves into the emotional "connective tissue" of the fertility experience, which inspired Amy to organize her book by universal emotions such as hope, courage, and shame rather than just medical diagnoses. She reflects on how infertility became an identity marker for her, leading her to transition from women's journalism to writing as a way to process her trauma and reclaim a sense of control. By sharing her story with profound vulnerability, Amy hopes to make others feel "seen" in a way she never was during her own treatment and offers a message of hope to those in the "darkest depths," reminding them that there is a future where this pain will not be their daily reality regardless of the outcome of their journey. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Unexplained infertility, infertility, clomid, IUI, IVF, support, community, control, fresh transfer, frozen transfer, failed cycle, chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, genetic testing, family building, infertility memoir, emotional support, navigating infertility, women's health, fertility treatment, IVF journey, unexplained infertility, support community, fertility podcast, coping with loss, hopeful stories, family planning, personal experiences, fertility challenges, emotional rollercoaster, sharing stories, women's experiences, building family, connecting through struggles CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    38 min

  8. MAR 17

    Grief Shared Is Grief Divided

    In this episode of the AllPaths Podcast, we are joined by Rachel Spekman, a therapist and career strategist from Massachusetts. Rachel shares her arduous three-year journey to motherhood, which involved multiple fertility treatments, multiple losses, and navigating the healthcare system as a same-sex, mixed-race couple. Eventually she had two successful frozen embryo transfers, leading to the birth of her seven-year-old son and three-year-old daughter. Rachel’s story highlights the emotional and physical toll of family building, the "naive innocence" often felt at the start of fertility treatments, and the importance of maintaining a sense of humor through the many "hoops" and administrative hurdles of the process. Rachel also touches upon the specific nuances of her family’s story, including the challenges of finding diverse donor pools and the unexpected joy of connecting with her children's "diblings" (donor siblings). Beyond her path to parenthood, Rachel discusses how these life-altering experiences served as a catalyst for a complete career transformation, prompted in part by a lack of support from her corporate employer when she experienced complications requiring bedrest during her first pregnancy which unfortunately ended in a loss. Today, Rachel uses her personal experiences with grief and professional pivoting to help others navigate major life transitions. She emphasizes the importance of building a "board of advisors" for emotional support, sharing how a curated support system of medical professionals, therapists, and community members helped her navigate isolation and grief and encouraging anyone going through an identity transformation to embrace the philosophy that "grief shared is grief divided." Connect with Rachel at http://www.rachelspekman.com. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: family building, infertility journey, LGBTQ family planning, donor conception, fertility support, emotional support in infertility, IVF process, miscarriage, loss, pregnancy loss, grief, LGBTQ+, same-sex family building, mixed-race donor conception, mixed-race couple, parenting after loss, fertility therapy, navigating pregnancy loss, community support for families, personal stories of infertility, coping with miscarriage, family building resources, peer support groups, fertility clinics, identity transformation, mental health in family planning, same-sex parenting, family building stories CONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.org Follow us on social media @allpathsfb Want to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at podcast@allpathsfb.org!

    40 min
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About

Building a family can be a complicated, messy, lonely, and sometimes heartbreaking process, but you don't have to navigate this challenging journey alone. Join the AllPaths Family Building community as we talk with people who are currently trying to grow their family, those whose family building journey has come to an end, and experts in the fertility and family building space. Together we'll: *Hear family stories, providing real-life perspectives that highlight the many different paths a family building journey can take. *Explore different fertility treatments and family building options with experts in this space. *Get connected to a variety of supportive resources so you feel better equipped to tackle any challenges that may arise in your family building journey. *Learn about ongoing advocacy work that promotes access to fertility care and family building options - and you can get involved. No matter what you encounter on your journey - struggles while TTC, IUI, IVF, donor conception, surrogacy, adoption, pregnancy loss, pregnancy and parenting after, or remaining childless not by choice - the real-life insights from people who have traveled those paths can provide connection, comfort, and hope.

Information

  • Creator
    AllPaths Family Building
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © AllPaths Family Building
  • Show Website
    AllPaths Podcast