Building your family

How many times would you try before you gave up?

Kristin Duncan already knew what it took to become a single mother by choice. Her son Blake was conceived with donor sperm. But trying for her second child brought a whole new level of heartbreak, repeated IVF rounds with her own eggs, ovarian PRP, multiple clinic changes, a backup donor who fell through, and a journey that tested everything she had.

In this episode of the Building Your Family podcast, Kristin sits down with Lisa to share the full story of how she finally conceived her daughter Brianna using both donor sperm and donor eggs, including how she found her donor through Instagram, why she preferred a known donor over a bank donor, and what it actually felt like to keep going when everything kept failing.

What you will learn in this episode:

What it is really like to pursue IVF with low ovarian reserve and endometriosis as a single mom

This is one of the most honest and moving conversations about persistence, donor eggs and single motherhood you will hear.

Resources:

Lisa Schuman LCSW is the founder of The Center for Family Building, author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, and host of the Building Your Family podcast.

Your feelings deserve attention. And your decisions deserve clarity.

Guest Resources:

If you or someone you love has been told there is no sperm, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Building Your Family podcast, Lisa talks with Dr. Eric Forman of Columbia University Fertility Center about STAR, Sperm Tracking and Recovery, an AI powered system that can find ultra rare sperm that human embryologists may miss entirely.

What you will learn in this episode:

What STAR is and how it works — scanning millions of images in under two hours to find sperm hidden among debris and other cells

This is one of the most important conversations about male infertility and what is now possible for men who have been told they have no sperm.

Free Resources:

Lisa Schuman LCSW is the founder of The Center for Family Building, author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, and host of the Building Your Family podcast.

Your feelings deserve attention. And your decisions deserve clarity.

Episode Resources:

Time article: https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2025/7318439/columbia-university-star-method/

Website: https://www.columbiadoctors.org/specialties/obstetrics-gynecology/our-services/columbia-university-fertility-center/our-services/sperm-tracking-and-recovery-star

Your donor conceived child almost certainly has donor siblings. That is not a maybe — it is one of the realities of donor conception that every family needs to understand.

In this episode Lisa Schuman, LCSW covers the three realities of donor siblings, what the research actually shows about donor conceived children and sibling relationships, why families connect with sibling pods and what they are looking for, how these relationships evolve over time, and how to use the Zoom Out framework to make this decision with clarity rather than panic.

Whether you are just starting to think about this or you are already navigating a pod — this episode will help you think it through.

Resources mentioned in this episode: Building Your Family Community: familybuilding.net Take the free quiz: https://familybuilding.net/welcome-quiz/ Privacy vs Secrecy episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg1sLYzkvWo&t=239s

When Dana and Ben received a diagnosis of zero sperm count they had no idea what came next. Donor sperm? Adoption? And how do you make that decision together as a couple when everything feels impossible?

In this episode of the Building Your Family podcast, Lisa Schuman LCSW sits down with Dana and Ben to talk about their journey through male infertility. They cover the diagnosis, the emotions, the decision to use donor sperm, the process of choosing a donor, and what it has been like to build their family and share their story with their children and the people around them.

What you will learn in this episode:

What it actually feels like to receive a zero sperm count diagnosis as a couple, how Dana and Ben navigated the decision to use donor sperm, how they chose their donor and what that process was really like. They also talk about how open communication and humor helped them get through the hardest moments, how they prepared to share their story with their children from the very beginning and what they want other couples navigating male infertility to know.

This is one of the most honest and generous conversations about male infertility and donor conception you will hear. It is one that could change everything for someone navigating this right now.

Resources: Building Your Family Community: familybuilding.net

Could you have PMOS and not know it? For many women the answer is yes, and the wait for a proper diagnosis can take up to ten years.

In this episode of the Building Your Family podcast, Lisa Schuman, LCSW talks with Dr. Elizabeth Gardner about PMOS, formerly known as PCOS, a complex hormonal disorder that affects millions of women and goes far beyond fertility.

What you will learn in this episode:

What PMOS actually is, and why it starts as a communication problem in the brain Why diagnosis can take up to ten years and what to do if you suspect you have it The biggest misconceptions about PMOS that are still causing harm The role of genetics and environment in PMOS. Also discussed are serious health risks beyond fertility, including uterine cancer and metabolic issues, current treatment options and what is on the horizon including KIS peptin How to advocate for yourself with your doctor and get the individualized care you deserve.

Whether you have been diagnosed with PMOS or PCOS, are struggling with irregular cycles, or are navigating fertility treatment, this episode will give you information and tools you can use immediately.

Take the free quiz: familybuilding.net

Lisa Schuman, LCSW is the founder of The Center for Family Building, author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, and host of the Building Your Family podcast.

Your feelings deserve attention. And your decisions deserve clarity.

#PMOS #PCOS #fertility #womenshealth #reproductivehealth #hormonalhealth #reproductivetherapist #ivf #fertilityjourney #endocrinology #donorconception #buildingafamily

What does sperm donation look like from the inside, from someone who is both donor conceived himself and a sperm donor?

In this episode of the Building Your Family podcast, Lisa Schuman, LCSW talks with Daniel Bayen, a sperm donor who grew up as a donor conceived person, about the evolving landscape of sperm donation, the importance of transparency and psychological screening, what it is like to meet donor siblings, and how he thinks about the ethical limits of donation.

What you will learn in this episode:

What modern sperm donation options look like beyond traditional banks What it was like growing up donor conceived, and how that shaped his decision to become a donor himself How he screens recipients and why transparency matters so much to him. He talks about what donor siblings mean to donor conceived people, and how it varies The psychological screening process and why he has completed five screenings His family limit of 50 families and how he thinks about what he wants other donors, and recipients, to understand

This is a rare and genuinely honest conversation about donor conception from a perspective you almost never hear.

Resources: Building Your Family Community: familybuilding.net Take the free quiz: familybuilding.net

Lisa Schuman, LCSW is the founder of The Center for Family Building, author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, and host of the Building Your Family podcast.

Your feelings deserve attention. And your decisions deserve clarity.

#spermdonor #donorconception #donorconceived #familybuilding #donorsiblings #opendonation #modernfamilies #ivf #spermdonation #buildingafamily

Talking to your child about donor conception can feel terrifying. What do you say? When do you say it? And how do you do it without creating shame or confusion?

In this episode, reproductive therapist Lisa Schuman, LCSW, shares her Zoom Out Theory for talking to donor‑conceived children about their story. Instead of getting stuck in today’s anxiety, Lisa helps you think about your child’s long‑term emotional health and sense of self.

You’ll learn how to acknowledge your own feelings, and start (or continue) the conversation in a way that builds connection rather than fear.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why talking to your donor‑conceived child can feel so stressful and lonely

If you’re doing IVF or thinking about it, will more technology in the lab actually be better than a human embryologist handling your eggs and embryos – and what do two new breakthroughs mean for your chances?

In this episode of Building Your Family, I’m joined by Dr Richard Paulson, former president of ASRM and early IVF pioneer, to unpack what’s really happening behind the lab door: automation, AI, robotics, and why the lab may matter more than almost anything else for your IVF success rates and safety.

We cover:

How IVF labs have evolved since the 1980s and why embryology is so sensitive

Chapters:

Subscribe to Building Your Family for more expert‑led conversations that turn IVF science into real‑world guidance you can actually use.

Episode resources

School USC: https://keck.usc.edu/faculty-search/richard-j-paulson/

If you’re considering donor conception and feel like you “can’t see the forest for the trees,” this is your zoom‑out episode. Before you choose a donor, sign with a clinic, or pay an agency, you need the big picture.

In this video, we step back from the overwhelm and walk through the full donor conception landscape:

My goal with this episode is simple: to help you feel calmer, clearer, and better equipped to lead your family through donor conception without feeling lost or alone.

If you found this helpful, you might also like my workshops on

#donorconception #ivf #eggdonor #spermdonor #lgbtqfamily  #familybuilding

Are your tampons quietly exposing you to toxic metals and chemicals that could affect your hormones and fertility?

Dr. Reame explains:

    The history of tampon safety and how Toxic Shock Syndrome changed regulations

We also talk about advocacy: how to push for better testing, transparency in ingredients, and stronger public health guidance for women’s health products.

#tamponsafety #toxicshocksyndrome #periodproducts #womenshealth #menstrualhealth #fertility #toxins #endocrinedisruptors #reproductivehealth #periodtalk  #buildingyourfamilypodcast