Episodes

  • Episode 201 : The Surrogacy Foundation – Zach French
    Jan 15 2025

    Zach French is an attorney with experience in technology startups and business development, and most recently served as an executive at SeedTrust. Zach’s connection to the ART world began when he and his wife, Alexandra, embarked on their own surrogacy journey after Alexandra’s battle with breast cancer. The tremendous mental and financial toll from their journey led them to establish The Surrogacy Foundation (formerly Gift of Surrogacy). Zach left SeedTrust in February to become full-time Executive Director of the nonprofit. Zach and TSF are on a mission to expand access to surrogacy by propelling it into the mainstream using a collaborative approach to build a sustainable grant program and technology-enabled education and support.

    Listen as Zach shares with Ellen and Jenn:

    • Coming on the podcast for a second time! Check out Episode 177 to hear the first.
    • Zach and his wife’s experience with cancer, and then surrogacy to have their child.
    • Starting The Gift of Surrogacy to help others. Navigating it on the side but then Zach being encouraged to dedicate himself full-time to leading the cause.
    • Raising enough money from the first fundraiser in 2023 to be able to award a $100,000 grant!
    • Focusing on their why and their values.
    • Creating a non-profit for tomorrow’s donors. Not your grandparents’ non-profit.
    • Making their events truly memorable. Including their upcoming event on February 8, 2025. Masquerade theme, with some surprises up their sleeves!

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Learn more about The Surrogacy Foundation: https://www.giftofsurrogacyfoundation.org/

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    56 mins
  • Episode 200 : America’s First IVF Baby – Elizabeth Carr
    Jan 8 2025

    Elizabeth Carr is the first baby born via in vitro fertilization in the United States.

    In the media since 3 cells old, Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for those fighting for fertility rights. From battles over insurance coverage, to educating doctors on how to interact with patients going through infertility treatments, to advice for parents on how to talk to children about assisted reproductive technologies, Elizabeth is proud to share her voice and story in order to fight for those who may not be able to fight for themselves.

    Elizabeth is a fearless Patient Advocate, striving to educate and empower people based on her life experiences and expertise within the fertility world. She has presented to audiences around the globe including at the United Nations, ASRM, ESHRE, and the national infertility association, RESOLVE.

    A dynamic speaker, Elizabeth’s passion lies in education from helping companies craft fertility benefit packages & parental leave policies, to keynote speeches, to sitting one-on-one with people facing fertility questions head on.

    Elizabeth has worked as a journalist, marketing and events, and fundraising making her an expert at distilling complex issues into easy-to-digest stories.

    Elizabeth is also a marathoner, triathlete, coffee connoisseur, wife, mother, and writer.

    Listen as Elizabeth shares with Ellen and Jenn:

    • Living in the media spotlight since she was three cells old.
    • Not understanding the big deal when she was little but growing to understand how historic and important the technology became for so many.
    • Feeling that she was always under a microscope to see if she was “normal”.
    • At 10, to the horror of the school nurse, explaining during a lesson on human reproduction that there is another way!
    • Making herself available publicly to give others hope, but also dealing with hurtful mail that she “shouldn’t exist.”
    • Taking a break from the media in her 20s to focus on her journalism career. A career chosen after dealing with so many journalists from a young age!
    • Being Senator Tim Kaine’s guest at the State of the Union.
    • Jumping into action after the Alabama Supreme Court embryo ruling.
    • Working with so many great organizations to fight for families.

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Learn more about Elizabeth Carr from her website: www.ejordancarr.com

    Read Elizabeth’s book, Under the Microscope: https://ejordancarr.com/under-the-microscope

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    43 mins
  • Episode 199 : Out of Order – Shira Butler
    Dec 11 2024

    This is the story of a beautiful family assembled out of order: dog, daughter, dad. It's the story of planning years ahead to become a mom, and wishing she’d started years earlier. It's the story of the unexpected that arrives in every form from love (like a husband) to terror (like medical issues), and the life-changing decisions that accompany any rocky road through fertility.

    It was after their second date that Shira told her now husband she was probably pregnant. She conceived her daughter as a single mom by choice using donor sperm, most of her savings, and so much time, energy and effort. Just as she finally succeeded in getting pregnant, she met him. It turns out families don't have to be assembled in order.

    Shira is a product, commercial and operations leader with deep experience launching and scaling tech-enabled healthcare. She has worked across various clinical specialties, partnering closely with health plans, employers, health systems and government.


    Shira is currently at Lin Health, which specializes in treating chronic pain. Shira loves leading people, helping patients, and designing technology to solve problems. Shira was previously the General Manager of Behavioral Health and Musculoskeletal care at Eden Health. Before that at Omada Health, she led creation of product lines for diabetes, hypertension and behavioral health, as well as spearheading Omada’s work with national insurance carriers, the American Medical Association, and the federal government’s healthcare innovation team.

    Shira is passionate about writing and speaking on the future of integrating technology into healthcare, as well as insights about culture and life choices from her time working and living around the world. Her greatest passion at work is supporting her team members in growth and development, and fostering the culture and organizational structures that lead to high productivity and work-life balance. Shira’s greatest joy is this family she built out of order: her young daughter, her loving husband, and her ever-hopeful dog. She is a community builder, outdoor enthusiast and world traveler. Shira has lived across the US, Europe and Africa and now loves hiking, biking and paddling near her home near Boulder, Colorado.


    Listen as Shira shares with Ellen and Jenn:


    • Calling her second date romantic interest to tell him she’s pregnant.
    • Rewinding, getting good advice at 35 to get her fertility checked.
    • Finding out she had a very low egg count, choosing to go through the expensive process of egg freezing.
    • Talking to a financial planner about her hopes to be a parent, and ultimately making some major shifts in her life (including a major move).
    • Still wanting a partner, but meeting people became hard with the onset of the COVID pandemic.
    • Grieving the loss of an idea she had for her life, but then being ready to move forward.
    • Researching who decides to become a single mother by choice; finding that these women are bad asses.
    • After telling her second date the news, him still being in. And then being all in.
    • Finding out about a serious medical complication, moving to Florida together for specialized care.
    • Experiencing her happy ending/beginning.

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here!

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    51 mins
  • Episode 198 : Save Money on Surrogacy – Yifat Shaltiel, Esq.
    Dec 3 2024

    Yifat Shaltiel, Esq. is Author of “Save Money on Surrogacy” and has 16+ years of experience practicing surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology law and providing surrogacy coaching. She is CEO and Founder of Surrogate Steps, a surrogacy agency, helping families grow for over ten years. As one of the chairs of the Reproductive Health Law Committee for the Women’s Bar Association of the state of New York, Yifat testified on surrogacy matters in the New York State Legislature and participated as speaker at various venues, including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She has been featured as a surrogacy law specialist at numerous venues including Cornell Law School and news media outlets such as MSNBC. In addition to her book, she published many articles on reproductive law and surrogacy, and taught CLE classes regarding surrogacy to other attorneys and judges.

    Yifat Shaltiel, Esq. was introduced to the world of surrogacy and infertility through her own infertility journey. She has made it her mission to help others grow their families through surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology and hopes that the information in this book, about how to save money in a surrogacy journey, will help more individuals afford surrogacy and successfully become parents.

    Listen as Yifat shares with Ellen and Jenn:

    • Experiencing infertility as a young prosecutor.
    • Feeling very alone, but eventually finding a support group.
    • Experiencing failed treatments until a successful, but very difficult, pregnancy.
    • Wanting to help others in this situation. Digging into the law.
    • Quiting her job to follow her passion and starting a law practice focused on helping others with infertility.
    • Numbers. Just how expensive is surrogacy?
    • Best paths to saving money.
    • Areas where you don’t want to cut corners.

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Buy Yifat’s new book: https://surrogatesteps.com/save-money-on-surrogacy-book/

    Learn more about Yifat’s surrogacy agency: https://surrogatesteps.com

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    56 mins
  • Episode 197 : Carried With Love – Ariel Taylor
    Nov 13 2024

    Ariel is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and Psychotherapist who has been involved in the surrogacy and fertility community since 2015 and has guided countless couples and individuals on their journey to parenthood.

    After her own complicated miscarriage as a surrogate in 2016, Ariel discovered that there was very little specialized counselling for her painful situation and realized a much larger need for mental health professionals that deeply understand the fertility world.

    Ariel returned to school in 2018 and graduated from Western University in 2021. She opened Carried with Love (CWL) to provide 100% virtual support for those struggling with infertility, loss, pregnancy challenges or postpartum mood disorders. Since opening, CWL has continued to grow and now provides a wide range of therapeutic services and most recently has launched Canada’s first Independent Surrogacy Program.

    Ariel has carried 5 babies as a gestational surrogate which resulted in 4 live births – the most recent in the summer of 2023. Although Ariel is now retired as a surrogate, she continues to be an active presence in the fertility community and leverages her strong social media following to normalize all roads to parenthood for women and couples around the world.

    Listen as Ariel shares with Ellen and Jenn:

    Being a lot of things: a fertility therapist, surrogacy educator, social worker, psychotherapist… and social media influencer!

    Growing up with a family committed to volunteer work, especially with children.

    Focusing her education on child development.

    Loving pregnancy, but knowing their family was complete.

    Impulsively Googling surrogacy and jumping in headfirst.

    Canadian surrogacy laws v. US law (Ariel is in Canada!).

    Her first surrogacy ending with a devastating miscarriage.

    Feeling immense sadness over the loss and not finding the support she needed.

    Seeing the need to a fill a gap, offering virtual fertility therapy for those experiencing loss with surrogacy and donor conception.


    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.


    Check out Carried with Love’s fertility and surrogacy support services: https://carriedwithlove.com/

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    55 mins
  • Episode 196 : Unstoppable – Ellen Casey
    Nov 6 2024

    Ellen Weir Casey is the mother of one of the world's first IVF babies. Her daughter is known as "Colorado’s First Test Tube Baby." Her award-winning memoir, Unstoppable: Forging The Path To Motherhood in The Early Days Of IVF, is the first person account of a patient in the earliest days of Assisted Reproductive Technology. Ellen is a passionate advocate for unrestricted access to women’s health care. She speaks nationally and internationally bringing attention to the importance of establishing permanent access to IVF.

    Listen as Ellen C. shares with Ellen T. and Jenn:

    • Being one of the first women in the world to have a baby by IVF!
    • Going through seven major surgeries in two countries and three U.S. States before meeting her miracle baby.
    • Wanting just to hold her baby after all she’d been through, but believing it important to share her story and give others hope.
    • Facing the claims of ethical, religious, moral backlash head on. Going on national television repeatedly, talking to anyone who would listen so they could understand.
    • 40 years later, still fighting for people to understand IVF and its importance.

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Check out Ellen Casey’s book Unstoppable: Forging The Path To Motherhood in The Early Days Of IVF: https://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Forging-Path-Motherhood-Early/dp/1632994976

    Follow Ellen Casey on Instagram at: @ellen2956

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    54 mins
  • Episode 195 : Hatchlings - Angela Hartshorn
    Oct 30 2024

    Angela worked in the fertility domain for over 30 years. She has extensive experience working with fertility centers all over the world. She also has clinical experience, having worked directly with more than a dozen Reproductive Endocrinologists at five different fertility centers. Her mix of personal and professional experience has given Angela the skills to be a special advocate for those in the fertility realm. She is known for maintaining exceptional standards when assisting those in need. More importantly, Angela is equipped by experience with the tools to help others complete their families via third party fertility treatments. She smoothly coordinates with a variety of stakeholders, including patients, families, caregivers, and global partner networks. If you are in any of these roles, you’ll find Angela to be a professional, intelligent, and extremely capable partner and advocate.

    Listen as Angela shares with Ellen and Jenn:

    • Doing it all in the family-building space. She’s been a surrogate and an egg donor, worked for multiple fertility clinics, and runs a surrogacy agency, among other roles!
    • Being many kinds of a parent: birth parent, adoptive parent, step-parent, and .., hatchling parent?
    • While working as a medical assistant at a fertility clinic early in her career, a patient asked if she would be her egg donor.
    • Losing touch, only to reconnect shortly before recipient mom’s early death.
    • Many years later, one of the hatchlings visited Angela’s area to check out a college.
    • Spending extended time together when his car broke down.
    • Hatchling thinking Angela was a friend of his mother, not knowing more.
    • Reaching a point where it felt important to tell him the truth.
    • Angela hearing from his siblings. Letting them know that she was there for whatever they needed.
    • Relishing her large, blended family

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Learn more about Angela’s agency, It’s Time Surrogacy: www.itstimesurrogacy.com

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    54 mins
  • Episode 194 : This Kid Is Alright – Tierney Chrusciel
    Oct 16 2024

    Tierney Chrusciel is a 9th grader who lives in Western Massachusetts. They are on the swim team and love to write in their free time.

    Listen as Tierney shares with Ellen and Jenn:

    • Being a 14-year-old freshman and knowing more about conception than most of their peers.
    • Always knowing they were donor-conceived.
    • Knowing and regularly visiting their parents’ egg donor, mom’s second cousin.
    • Donor Marie feeling like an aunt, her kids like cousins.
    • Joking with other IVF kids at school that a petri dish was their first home.
    • Their thoughts on embryo politics.
    • Jenn and Ellen predict big things for Tierney’s future!

    Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

    Listen to Tierney’s mom’s episode: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/blog/2020/2/26/episode-75-a-10-year-journey-to-grow-our-family-erin-chrusciel

    Check out Tierney’s mom’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Reg_xQL4Oc0

    Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

    Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

    Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

    Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

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    27 mins