IVF DADDIES

JULIO GAGGIA AND RICHARD WESTOBY
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Sometimes it takes a village to make a daddy. Welcome to IVFDADDIES, where we blow the lid off IVF, surrogacy, same sex step-parent modern family‑making. We're Richard (surrogacy pioneer) and Julio (digital culture maker), and this is the show we wish had existed when we started our own journeys. 14 years ago, Richard set out to become a dad via IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy. Now he’s dragging Julio into the fertility world, and trust us, Julio is asking all the uncomfortable questions, to learn how to be the best partner and step-dad in the LGBTQ+ community. can you relate?

  1. 2D AGO

    90) IVFDADDIES INVESTIGATES: SURROGACY INDUSTRY, TRANSPARENCY AND THE FUTURE OF FAMILY BUILDING

    In this episode IVF Daddies examines how modern family building is evolving beyond clinics and contracts into community infrastructure. We sit down with the founders of Families Out Loud to analyze what has changed in the surrogacy landscape over the past year and what that shift tells us about the future of IVF assisted reproduction and intended parent education. This is not a promotional conversation. It is an industry level discussion about Why safe spaces matter in surrogacyHow same sex and heterosexual journeys begin differently but merge in processWhat actually builds trust between intended parents and providersHow the surrogacy community responds when agencies collapseWhy education reduces risk and shortens consultation cyclesThe rise of AI tools in assisted reproductive technology Surrogacy is process management with human emotion layered on top.And the starting point determines everything. If you are exploring IVF egg donation gestational surrogacy or navigating infertility this episode provides structural clarity not hype. IVF Daddies remains committed to decoding assisted reproduction through lived experience transparency and systems level insight. IVFsurrogacygestational carrierinfertilityintended parentsassisted reproductive technologyLGBTQ parentsheterosexual infertilityfertility educationsurrogacy transparencyfertility AInonprofit fertility support CHAPTERS 00:00 One Year Later What Changed in Surrogacy02:48 From Niche Community to Cross Family Infrastructure05:29 What a Safe Space in Surrogacy Actually Means08:28 Trust Vulnerability and Emotional Risk11:03 Different Starting Points Same IVF Process14:03 Educating Families and Reducing Stigma16:46 The Role of Providers and Ethical Collaboration19:43 When an Agency Fails How the Industry Responds22:29 Nonprofit Structure and Education Strategy24:22 The Rise of AI in Assisted Reproduction28:40 Why Education Protects Intended Parents31:18 Building Sustainable Family Building Infrastructure Surrogacy is not just a medical process.It is infrastructure. The families who start informed are the families who finish protected.

    2 min

  2. JAN 22

    88) SURROGACY, POWER, AND THE NON-PROFIT INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, WHO REALLY BUILDS FAMILY INFRASTRUCTURE?

    What happens when a non-profit succeeds so completely that it stops being charity and becomes infrastructure? In this episode of IVF Daddies, we sit down with Ron Poole-Dayan, founder of Men Having Babies, to examine how gay fatherhood moved from legal impossibility to corporate policy, insurance coverage, and international debate, and what it actually costs to change a system at scale. This is not a feel-good conversation about surrogacy.It is a systems-level discussion about power, ethics, money, advocacy, and the uncomfortable reality that any non-profit operating near medicine, law, and vulnerable populations eventually becomes a gatekeeper. We explore: Why redefining infertility as a social status changed insurance law How workplace benefits quietly replaced litigation Why ethical standards create both protection and exclusion Why the goal of real advocacy is to make itself unnecessary This episode matters now, especially in Europe, as debates around surrogacy, cross-border family building, and regulation intensify ahead of major community and policy conversations in Brussels. If you care about family, ethics, systems, and how change actually happens, this conversation is for you. We’re releasing this episode as we head to Brussels on the 7th to engage directly with families, advocates, and institutions navigating the next phase of family-building infrastructure in Europe. This conversation is not about defending one organization.It is about understanding how social change actually works, and why every mature movement eventually faces scrutiny not for failing, but for succeeding. If you want elite parenting to be boring, protected, and normal, this is the price. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Why Men Having Babies Exists02:48 Financial Assistance and Industry Proximity05:41 Advocacy, Law, and Institutional Power08:22 Redefining Infertility, Medical vs Social Status10:48 Workplace Benefits and Corporate Policy13:35 Cultural Blind Spots Around Male Parenthood16:18 How Surrogacy Evolved and Why It’s Contested19:01 When Advocacy Becomes Infrastructure Men Having Babies, Official Sitehttps://menhavingbabies.org Men Having Babies, GPAP Financial Assistancehttps://menhavingbabies.org/gpap IVF Daddieshttps://ivfdaddies.com Follow IVF DaddiesInstagram, https://instagram.com/ivfdaddiesYouTube, https://www.youtube.com/@IVFDaddies This episode is relevant to: Surrogacy ethics LGBTQ+ parenting Non-profit governance Insurance coverage and infertility law Workplace family benefits European surrogacy regulation Family-building infrastructure Reproductive justice and institutional power

    23 min

  3. JAN 15

    87) THE IVF LIE HOLLYWOOD SELLS WOMEN (AND DOCTORS ARE TIRED OF CLEANING UP)

    What if some of the most damaging IVF advice women hear doesn’t come from social media, but from oversimplified medical reassurance and pop-culture fertility narratives? In this episode of IVF Daddies, Richard Westoby sits down with reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Brooke Freeman to unpack one of the most misunderstood and quietly harmful fertility myths:“You have time.” We break down why markers like AMH measure egg quantity, not quality, why age still matters biologically no matter how “good” your numbers look, and why being told you can wait in your 40s often leads to irreversible loss of options. Dr. Freeman explains: Why egg freezing and IVF are tools, not guarantees Why “it only takes one” is true, but dangerously incomplete How false reassurance creates false hope Why celebrities and TV shows distort fertility expectations by leaving out donor eggs and embryo freezing And why context matters more than comfort when people are making life-defining decisions This episode is not medical advice.It’s not about blaming doctors.And it’s not about scaring people. It’s about telling the truth with clarity, before time runs out. If you’ve ever felt confused by fertility advice, pressured by age, or misled by success stories that don’t tell the whole story, this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Egg Freezing and Fertility 02:38 The Reality of IVF and Age Factors 05:51 The Importance of Accurate Medical Advice 08:29 Empowering Women in Fertility Choices The KardashiansKim KardashianJanet Jackson All's Fair CULTURE CONTEXT DISCUSSED

    9 min

  4. JAN 7

    85) HOW WE BECAME PARENTS WITHOUT A RULEBOOK — LOSS, GRIEF, AND FAMILY-BUILDING IN THE NETHERLANDS

    Trying to build a family is hard. Doing it without a clear legal framework makes everything heavier. In this episode of IVF Daddies, we share what it really means to try to become parents in the Netherlands — a system filled with uncertainty, legal grey zones, and no clear roadmap for families like ours. We talk openly about loss, grief, and the emotional toll of repeated setbacks. About failed attempts and unexpected moments of hope. About how grief shows up in ways you don’t always recognise at first — and how you keep going when there are no guarantees, medically, legally, or emotionally. This isn’t a polished success story. It’s a firsthand account of what happens when the system doesn’t reflect your reality, but the desire to become parents doesn’t disappear. If you’ve ever faced barriers created by laws, institutions, or circumstances beyond your control — and still had to find a way forward — this conversation is for you. Real talk for real families. No rulebook. Just honesty. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Why We Wanted a Family 02:20 When the First Plan Didn’t Work 05:22 Trying Different Paths 07:45 Emotional Highs and Lows 10:13 Finding Support 12:49 Moments of Hope 15:17 Facing Setbacks 17:11 Processing Loss 18:59 Choosing to Continue 21:32 Trust and Connection 23:48 Sharing Our Story 25:50 Navigating Complex Rules 27:34 Waiting and Uncertainty 30:48 The Day Everything Changed 34:06 Talking About It as a Family

    35 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    84) IVF, SURROGACY & LGBTQ FAMILY BUILDING ARE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES — MISINFORMATION, ACCESS & TRUST

    IVF, surrogacy, and family building are not niche medical topics, they are public health issues. When access breaks down, misinformation spreads, and trust in medicine erodes, the impact reaches far beyond individual patients. In this episode of the IVF Daddies Podcast, Julio Gaggia speaks with Demetre C. Daskalakis, physician and public health leader with deep experience in community-based care and health equity. Drawing from frontline work in LGBTQ healthcare and public health systems, this conversation examines how political pressure, structural failures, and medical misinformation are reshaping reproductive healthcare. This episode explores: Why IVF and surrogacy access should be treated as public health infrastructure How misinformation damages clinician–patient trust The ethical burden placed on healthcare providers Why LGBTQ families are disproportionately affected by system failures How community-based public health models restore care and accountability Rather than framing fertility as a personal or consumer problem, this discussion positions family creation as a population-level health issue — shaped by policy, ethics, access, and trust. This episode is essential listening for: Intended parents navigating IVF or surrogacy Clinicians and healthcare professionals Policymakers and public health leaders Anyone concerned with reproductive rights, health equity, and ethical care Key takeaway:When reproductive healthcare fails, families don’t just struggle individually — public health fails collectively. 00:00 — The Current State of Public Health03:02 — Science, Misinformation, and Public Trust05:30 — Ethical Courage in Medicine08:23 — The Growing Burden on Clinicians11:20 — Family Creation as a Public Health Concern13:54 — How Public Health Systems Regressed16:47 — Community-Based Care as a Solution19:35 — Lessons from Recent Public Health Crises22:21 — Building a More Resilient Healthcare Future IVF costs & access: https://ivfdaddies.com/costsListen to more episodes: https://ivfdaddies.com/episodesShare lived experience anonymously: https://ivfdaddies.com/confessionsSubscribe to the newsletter: https://ivfdaddies.com/#newsletter IVF Daddies connects reproductive medicine, public health, and real family experiences — with clarity, accountability, and zero spin. ChaptersResources & Links

    25 min

  6. 12/02/2025

    83) WHAT “ALL’S FAIR” DIDN’T TELL YOU ABOUT IVF AND REPRODUCTIVE CONSENT

    All's Fair: What happens when reality TV finally touches the part of IVF nobody wants to talk about — the embryos, the consent, and what happens in a divorce? Kim Kardashian opened a door. Ryan Murphy kicked it wider.But ALL’S FAIR just did something rare: they made mainstream America confront the emotional and legal reality of IVF and surrogacy. And today, we’re going deeper. This episode breaks down what actually happens when you create embryos… Chapters 00:00 Introduction to IVF and Reality TV 02:39 Understanding Consent in Embryo Transfer 05:31 The Reality of Embryo Transfer Procedures 08:19 Personal Experiences with Embryo Custody 11:22 Fertility Preservation and Its Complexities what happens when you separate…and why consent isn’t “drama” — it’s the entire foundation of reproductive autonomy. Dr. Brooke Freeman and Richard Westoby unpack the real stakes behind the headlines:frozen embryos, custody battles, fertility preservation, and the part reality TV never explains — the emotional weight of “The finality of that is hard.” If you care about reproductive freedom, family building, or the future of IVF… this conversation will change the way you watch reality TV forever. HUGE THANKS to Ryan Murphy (a dad via surrogacy himself!) for producing content that opens up the essential global conversation about Reproductive Health and family building.

    14 min

  7. 11/25/2025

    82) THE MOMENT EVERYONE REALIZED THE CULTURE WAS SHIFTING

    A conversation about visibility, community, and the stories shaping today’s media landscape. This episode unpacks a cultural moment that’s been building across Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas. From Bravocon energy to the storylines dominating reality TV and celebrity culture, people are beginning to see through the noise — and understand why visibility matters more than ever. We explore how today’s media voices are shaping public understanding, why familiarity changes hearts, and how advocacy becomes stronger when people can finally see themselves in the story. It’s a grounded, honest look at community, culture, and the momentum that’s reshaping the conversation everywhere. In this episode:• How visibility in media influences culture• Why community stories shift public perception• The impact of major media events like Bravocon• What LA, NYC, and Vegas teach us about momentum• Why support grows when people understand the narrative Perfect for listeners who care about connection, representation, and the deeper meaning behind what’s happening in entertainment and community culture. https://www.instagram.com/anthonyramosah/https://www.instagram.com/ivfdaddieshttps://www.instagram.com/juliogaggiahttps://glaad.org/BravoCon is a significant event for LGBTQ representation.Reality TV offers a unique platform for authentic storytelling.The portrayal of queer families in media is evolving.Allyship is crucial in supporting the LGBTQ community.Visibility in media can shape societal acceptance.Authenticity in reality TV resonates with audiences.There is a need for more LGBTQ family narratives.Challenges for the LGBTQ community persist, but progress is being made.Celebrity culture influences public perception of LGBTQ issues.The future of LGBTQ representation in media looks promising.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Queer Representation in Media02:43 The Impact of BravoCon on LGBTQ+ Visibility05:29 Reality TV vs. Traditional Media: A New Era of Representation08:21 The Role of Reality TV in Shaping Family Narratives11:14 Allyship and Authenticity in the LGBTQ+ Community14:01 Challenges and Triumphs in LGBTQ+ Representation16:45 Looking Ahead: Future of LGBTQ+ Families in Media19:24 Reflections on Allyship and Community Support22:17 Celebrity Influence and Personal Connections25:08 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

    34 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    74) THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED, THE EMOTIONAL REALITY OF SURROGACY

    Becoming parents through surrogacy changes you — emotionally, psychologically, and forever. In this episode, IVF Daddies and DADS.KIDS.MIRACLES share the moment everything shifted, and the emotional reality of surrogacy that no one prepares you for. This is not a polished success story. It’s the waiting, the fear, the updates that stop your heart, and the love that rewires how you see parenthood. This conversation explores: The moment intended parents realize everything has changed The emotional rollercoaster of surrogacy and medical uncertainty Navigating fear, hope, and premature birth Letting go of control and learning to trust the process How surrogacy reshapes identity, not just family structure Surrogacy isn’t just about IVF, medicine, or logistics — it’s about connection, resilience, and showing up when outcomes are unclear. It’s about the bond between intended parents and surrogates, and the quiet strength required to keep going. If you’re considering surrogacy, already in a journey, supporting someone who is, or reflecting on a complicated path to parenthood, this episode will feel deeply familiar. “You can decide what you do — but parenthood decides who you become.” Here, you’ll hear how connection, trust, and communication become the foundation of everything. When you’re an intended parent, every call from the surrogate can change the course of your day — and every milestone, no matter how small, feels monumental. The journey is unpredictable, but it’s also deeply human. We discuss what it means to stay grounded through unexpected news, how to navigate medical uncertainty, and how to hold space for hope even when outcomes are unclear. The story includes moments of premature birth, gratitude, and a love so profound it reshapes what parenthood means. This isn’t just about IVF or fertility treatments — it’s about identity, partnership, and how family expands beyond biology. It’s about the quiet strength of those who carry life for others, and the deep emotional bond that forms between intended parents and surrogates. It’s about learning that parenthood isn’t only about genetics or timing — it’s about showing up, over and over, no matter what happens. In this episode, we look at the conversations that matter most:– How do couples decide that surrogacy is the right path?– How do they manage the rollercoaster of updates, appointments, and emotions?– What happens when things don’t go as planned — and what keeps them going?– How can family, friends, and community be a source of stability?– And most importantly, how do you stay connected to joy when fear feels closer? Through honesty and compassion, this episode celebrates the real faces behind modern parenthood — couples, surrogates, and families redefining what love looks like in the 21st century. It’s a reminder that no matter how advanced the science becomes, the heart of surrogacy is still deeply human. If you’re considering surrogacy, in the middle of a journey, or supporting someone who is, this story offers perspective, comfort, and hope. Because the path to parenthood can be messy, emotional, and imperfect — but it’s also full of meaning, connection, and miracles that change you forever. “You can decide what you do, but parenthood decides who you become.” and discover the courage, vulnerability, and beauty behind creating life in a new way. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Family Life and Surrogacy 00:12 The Journey of Premature Birth 01:00 Navigating the Emotional Rollercoaster surrogacy, parenthood, family, fertility, emotional journey, surrogacy stories, intended parents, family building, ivf daddies, dads kids miracles, modern families, parenthood stories, fertility awareness, family life, love, connection, emotional health, surrogacy podcast, ivf podcast, fertility podcast #surrogacy #ivf #parenthood #family #fertility #ivfdaddies #dadskidsmiracles #surrogacystory #fertilityjourney #familybuilding #intendedparents #love #hope #miracles #modernfamilies

    12 min
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About

Sometimes it takes a village to make a daddy. Welcome to IVFDADDIES, where we blow the lid off IVF, surrogacy, same sex step-parent modern family‑making. We're Richard (surrogacy pioneer) and Julio (digital culture maker), and this is the show we wish had existed when we started our own journeys. 14 years ago, Richard set out to become a dad via IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy. Now he’s dragging Julio into the fertility world, and trust us, Julio is asking all the uncomfortable questions, to learn how to be the best partner and step-dad in the LGBTQ+ community. can you relate?

Information

  • Creator
    JULIO GAGGIA AND RICHARD WESTOBY
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © JULIO GAGGIA AND RICHARD WESTOBY
  • Show Website
    IVF DADDIES