Create A Happy Family

Why do our family-building stories matter, even before we know how they'll end?

In this episode of Create A Happy Family, Whitney sits down with award-winning journalist, author, and host of the Infertile AF podcast Alison Prato to talk about the stories we tell about infertility, IVF, loss, and the many different ways families are built.

Ali shares how her own experience with secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss led her to start sharing her story, and why, nearly 400 episodes of Infertile AF later, she continues making space for others to share theirs.

That belief in the importance of seeing our experiences represented extends to the stories we tell children, too. Whitney and Ali talk about her Work of ART book series and Petri Dish Princess, Ali's new book with Elizabeth Carr, the first person born through IVF in the United States, and what it means to bring a piece of IVF history to a new generation.

In this episode, we discuss:

Ali's experience with secondary infertility, pregnancy loss, and IVF
The story behind Infertile AF
Why family-building stories don't all need the same ending
Representation in family-building stories
Petri Dish Princess and Elizabeth Carr's IVF story

#Infertility #infertileaf #ivf #familybuilding #petridishprincess

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https://www.infertileafgroup.com/

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Egg donation may begin with a decision someone makes today but what could that decision mean years from now?

In this episode of Create A Happy Family, psychotherapists Kristin Maljean and Leslee Murphy join Whitney to talk about preparing egg donors for both the process in front of them and the future implications of their decision.

What does it mean to know there may be a person in the world who shares your genetics? What happens if that person wants contact someday? What might you tell a future partner or your own children? And in a world of consumer DNA testing, what does "anonymous" donation even mean anymore?

Kristin also shares her perspective as an intended parent who built her family through egg donation and why the donor's story can become a meaningful part of a child's own story.

In this episode, we discuss:

What happens during an egg donor psychological evaluation
Informed consent and donor readiness
Genetic and mental health history
Future contact and donor-conceived people
The changing meaning of anonymous egg donation
Talking with partners, family, and future children about donating
What intended parents should know about donor screening

Subscribe for more conversations about egg donation, donor conception, IVF, surrogacy, and family building.

#EggDonation #EggDonor #DonorConceived #DonorConception #FamilyBuilding

CONNECT WITH MEMORIAL WELLNESS & COUNSELING
https://memorialwell.com/

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

How do you find an LGBTQ-friendly fertility clinic?

Over three decades in reproductive medicine, fertility specialist Dr. Michael Guarnaccia has watched both fertility science and society's definition of family evolve. In this episode, he shares what LGBTQ individuals and couples should look for in a fertility clinic, and why personalized, relationship-centered care can make all the difference when building your family.

Whether you're just beginning to explore IVF, egg donation, surrogacy, or other family-building options, this conversation offers practical guidance on choosing a fertility team that understands the needs of LGBTQ families and supports you every step of the way.

In this episode, we discuss:

How to choose an LGBTQ-friendly fertility clinic
Why personalized fertility care matters
Building a fertility team you can trust
Egg donation and surrogacy for LGBTQ families
Finding support throughout your family-building journey

Subscribe for more conversations about IVF, egg donation, surrogacy, fertility, and family building.

#LGBTQfamilybuilding #fertility #IVF #surrogacy #eggdonation

CONNECT WITH NEW ENGLAND FERTILITY INSTITUTE
https://www.nefertility.com/
@nefertility

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://www.createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

What does ethical surrogacy actually look like, especially when something goes wrong?

Recent conversations surrounding the Baby Rumi case have raised difficult questions about surrogacy: Who protects the surrogate? Who protects the intended parents? And what happens when people disagree after a pregnancy has already begun?

In this episode of Create A Happy Family, Whitney is joined by Katy Encalade, President & CEO of Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, and Crystal Chaing, Vice President of Surrogacy Program & Client Content Development. But before leading and supporting families through surrogacy professionally, Katy was a surrogate herself, and Crystal built her own family as an intended parent through surrogacy.

Together, they move beyond one headline to explore what ethical surrogacy looks like in practice, and the safeguards that should be in place before a journey ever begins.

Because ethical surrogacy isn't defined by what happens when everything goes according to plan. It's revealed in what happens when it doesn't.

In this episode, we discuss:
- What ethical surrogacy actually means
- Thoughtful matching and hard conversations before pregnancy
- Surrogate autonomy and intended parent rights
- Independent legal counsel, screening, and professional support
- What happens when surrogates and intended parents disagree
- The role of an agency when a journey becomes complicated
- Red flags to look for when choosing a surrogacy agency

Subscribe for more conversations about surrogacy, IVF, egg donation, intended parenthood, and family building.

#EthicalSurrogacy #Surrogacy #GestationalSurrogacy #IntendedParents #FamilyBuilding

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

Birth rarely goes exactly as planned.

When Jessica's surrogacy journey unexpectedly ended in an emergency C-section, the moment she had been envisioning all along didn't happen the way she expected, but it became even more beautiful.

In this episode of Create A Happy Family, Jessica shares how trust, communication, and a genuine relationship with her intended parents transformed an unexpected birth into one of the most meaningful moments of her life. From matching and pregnancy to delivery and life after surrogacy, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the best journeys are built on connection, not perfection.

In this episode, we discuss:

Finding the right intended parents
Building trust throughout a surrogacy journey
When birth doesn't go as planned
Creating meaningful relationships through surrogacy
Supporting intended parents during delivery
Life after a successful surrogacy journey

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

#surrogacy #gestationalcarrier #birthstory #intendedparents #familybuilding

When should you tell your donor-conceived child their story?

Not "if," but "when." In today's world, donor conception is no longer something families can, or should, keep secret. More importantly, experts and donor-conceived adults agree that children benefit from growing up knowing their story.

In this episode of Create A Happy Family, reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Danny Shapiro and donor-conceived adult Josh McLaurin share why early disclosure matters, how it shapes identity, and why DNA isn't destiny. Together, they offer practical guidance and reassurance for parents navigating donor conception with honesty, love, and confidence.

In this episode, we discuss:

When to tell your donor-conceived child
Why early disclosure matters
Identity and donor conception
Meeting your biological donor as an adult
Common concerns intended parents have
Why DNA doesn't define a family

Subscribe for more conversations about donor conception, IVF, egg donation, surrogacy, and family building.

#donorconception #ivf #eggdonation #familybuilding #intendedparents

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

What happens when a surrogacy journey doesn’t go the way you hoped?

In this episode, our host Whitney Hall gets vulnerable and shares the part of her story she rarely talks about: her third surrogacy journey ending after two failed transfers and the emotions that followed.

After two successful journeys, Whitney never expected how much her identity had become tied to being a “successful surrogate” until that role suddenly changed. What followed was a complicated mix of grief, anger, loss, and questioning where she still fit within a space that had once felt so deeply connected to her purpose.

This conversation explores:

* the emotional impact of failed transfers in surrogacy
* how identity can become tied to outcomes
* unnamed grief and loss after a journey ends
* what happens when hope no longer feels certain
* learning to hold both heartbreak and meaning at the same time
* why support matters even when a journey doesn’t move forward

This episode is an honest reflection on surrogacy, loss, identity, and the quieter parts of this work that often go unseen.

And for anyone navigating disappointment, grief, or an unexpected ending in this space, this conversation is a reminder that your story, your effort, and the hope you carried still matter.

Many people know they want to build a family, but they don’t fully understand the options available to them, or even where to start.

In this episode of Create a Happy Family, Justine Witzke, PhD, MPH, Founder & CEO of Aligneage Fertility, shares how understanding your fertility can bring greater clarity to the family-building process.

From semen analysis and male fertility preservation, to donor sperm, and coordinated care, Justine explains how better information can help intended parents make more informed decisions about their next steps, and why fertility care is about more than test results. It’s about understanding the whole person, their goals, and the path their path to parenthood.

In this episode, we discuss:
• What a semen analysis can tell you
• Common misconceptions about fertility
• Fertility preservation and future planning
• Donor sperm and care options

Whether you’re exploring IVF, egg donation, surrogacy, or sperm donation, this conversation offers practical insight to help you better understand your options and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

CONNECT WITH ALIGNEAGE FERTILITY
https://www.aligneagefertility.com

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://www.createahappyfamily.com
@createahappyfamily

In this episode of Create A Happy Family, psychotherapists Leslee Murphy and Kristin Malejan explain how surrogacy psych evaluations really work, why clinics require them, and what they're actually looking for. Rather than searching for perfection, they're looking at the whole person to help set surrogates and intended parents up for a healthy, successful journey.

In this episode, we discuss:

What happens during a surrogacy psych evaluation
Common misconceptions about psychological clearances
How ASRM guidelines are used in real life
Why psychologists look beyond a checklist
Why communication, support, and expectations matter

CONNECT WITH MEMORIAL WELLNESS & COUNSELING
https://memorialwell.com/

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

#surrogacy #psychologicalevaluation #gestationalcarrier #intendedparents #familybuilding

Jordan dreamed of becoming a surrogate for more than a decade before finally taking the leap. In this episode, she shares what it's really like to be a surrogate, from matching with intended parents and navigating a surrogacy journey to delivery and life after birth.

She opens up about the fears many women have before becoming a surrogate, the incredible relationship she built with her intended parents, and why she says surrogacy was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. When baby faced unexpected medical challenges after birth, Jordan found herself asking a question many surrogates fear: "Was this somehow my fault?" She shares how she worked through those emotions and what the experience taught her about trust, communication, and support.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Becoming a surrogate
• Matching with intended parents
• Pregnancy, delivery, and life after birth
• Common fears and misconceptions about surrogacy
• Navigating unexpected challenges after delivery
• The power of communication, trust, and support

Whether you're considering becoming a surrogate, exploring surrogacy as part of your family-building journey, or simply curious about the process, this conversation offers an honest look at what surrogacy is really like, and why Jordan says she'd do it again.

CONNECT WITH EGG DONOR & SURROGATE SOLUTIONS
https://createahappyfamily.com/
@createahappyfamily

#surrogacy #surrogate #intendedparents #familybuilding