Baby Steps

Welcome to season 2 of Baby Steps. Where we work has the power to make the pursuit of parenthood smoother, more challenging, or in some cases, possible at all. This season, we talk to HR leaders, fertility advocates, and individuals who have pursued parenthood about the myriad ways the workplace shapes employees' family-forming experiences — and how to create a better environment for everyone.

If you wondered why we said “gestational carrier” rather than “surrogate” on this podcast, this episode is for you. While this show typically features personal stories from people who have gone through their own fertility journeys, today we have an interview with Carrot’s Riley Steinmetz and Dr. Sheryl Vanderpoel. Carrot has a global perspective on the language of fertility, and why finding the right words to talk about fertility care is so important. 

Show notes

Carrot’s fertility language guide is a robust resource for learning how to communicate about fertility in an inclusive and accurate way.

The International Glossary on Infertility and Fertility Care is an additional resource Dr. Vanderpoel recommends for learning about fertility language. 

Everyone’s fertility journey is different. Dionne’s began when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctor told her that cancer treatment would drastically impact her fertility, so if she thought she might want biological children in the future, she’d need to undergo oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing) immediately. In preparing for chemotherapy and the brutal battle with cancer, Dionne also now had to consider her fertility. In this episode, she shares how she managed it all.

Show notes

Dionne’s YouTube channel chronicles her fertility preservation journey during cancer treatment.  Dionne’s oocyte cryopreservation process happened in tandem with the first steps of her battle with breast cancer.

Having a child via gestational carrier, a process commonly referred to as surrogacy, can be complex for one pregnancy. But George and his husband were hoping to have two babies at the same time—“twiblings.” Between finding an egg donor, a reputable clinic, two gestational carriers, and managing everything there is to do when preparing for two new additions to a family, George and his husband had a lot on their hands. Here’s how they did it.

Omair and his wife had known that they’d want to adopt a child from the time they were in high school. The adoption of their son, therefore, was essentially 17 years in the making. But how long did the adoption process actually take from start to finish? What was it like when a social worker visited their home to see if they’d be “fit to parent”? And how much did everything cost? Omair answers all of these questions and more as he talks through the story of how he and his wife adopted their son.

This podcast is about the pursuit of parenthood, but pursuing something does not mean a promise of any particular result. When it comes to fertility, there are no guarantees. That’s something Lauren knows all too well. She has PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), one of the symptoms of which is that ovaries fail to regularly release eggs. Her struggle with infertility has changed her perspective on the world and the way she thinks about motherhood. Today, she’s sharing her story. 

Show notes

Lauren chronicles her infertility journey on her Instagram @mamas.waiting.season.

For a long time, Trystan had been led to believe that he could never have biological children. He is transgender, and doctors had told him that when he transitioned, he would not be able to get pregnant. But fast forward a few years, and Trystan and his partner, Biff, have three children—two they adopted, and one biological son. Today, Trystan shares the story of how he built his family and talks about what his pregnancy was like. 

Show notes

Trystan Reese is the Director of Family Formation at Family Equality, the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ families and those who wish to form them.  

Trystan’s blog chronicles his family-forming journey and other aspects of his and Biff’s life together.

For two partners who both have ovaries, there are a number of different options for having a child. One is RIVF, or reciprocal IVF, a method that allows both partners to participate biologically in a pregnancy. It means that an egg from one partner is fertilized in a lab and then transferred to the other partner who carries the pregnancy to term. Madison and her wife Krystal went through RIVF to have their daughter, and on today’s episode, Madison walks through each step of the experience.

Oocyte cryopreservation, or egg freezing, is a viable option for people with ovaries who want to extend their fertility or begin IVF. While it’s becoming more commonplace, the experience is not as simple as it’s sometimes made out to be: hormonal self-injections, frequent appointments, and going under anesthesia are all part of the process. So what’s really involved, and what can you do to make the procedure as smooth as possible? Sophie shares her tips on today’s episode.

Why do you want to have kids? What kind of life do you want? What are your values? These questions may not have easy answers, but they’re an important part of trimester zero. This is the period before the start of any fertility journey (pregnancy, adoption, gestational carriers, IVF, or egg freezing). Trimester zero covers how to prepare for starting a family—financially, physically, and emotionally. Leslie Schrock, author of Bumpin, shares her experience. CW: miscarriage, pregnancy loss. 

Show notes

Leslie Schrock is an author and entrepreneur with a health and tech background.  

Bumpin is the book Leslie wrote about her pregnancy experience, and the first chapter covers trimester zero in depth. 

Shame Proof Parenting is a parenting coach Leslie referenced.