This episode marks a powerful full-circle moment on Motherhood Intended.

Three years ago, Alison joined the podcast to share her decision to freeze her eggs in an episode titled “Egg Preservation: A Story of 10 Maybe Babies.” At the time, she was preserving her fertility and creating options for her future — without knowing exactly where the journey would lead.

Today, Alison is back to share what happened next.

In this Season 7 premiere, Jacqueline and Alison reflect on the path from egg freezing to single motherhood by choice, including:

• deciding to pursue motherhood on her own
• choosing a sperm donor
• pursuing IVF
• navigating pregnancy after infertility decisions
• and welcoming her now almost six-month-old son

This honest conversation explores both the emotional and practical sides of fertility preservation — from the uncertainty of freezing eggs to the realities of IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. Alison shares what surprised her most, what she wishes she had known earlier, and how she defines success now, looking back on the journey.

This episode is for anyone who:

• is considering freezing their eggs
• is navigating fertility timelines or delayed parenting
• is exploring single motherhood by choice
• or is wondering how today’s fertility decisions can shape tomorrow’s possibilities

It’s a story about options, agency, patience — and what can unfold when you give yourself time.

Stay Connected

Jacqueline will be hosting both in-person and virtual meet-ups in the coming months and sharing updates about Your Fertility Village!
To stay in the loop, join her email list here: https://motherhoodintended.kit.com/

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

This week on Motherhood Intended, Jacqueline closes out Season 6 with a meaningful re-air of one of the earliest and most impactful episodes from Season 1: “Egg Preservation: A Story of 10 Maybe Babies.”

This episode intentionally follows last week’s solo conversation about freezing your eggs and fertility timelines — and serves as a bridge into what’s coming next.

In this episode, Jacqueline chats with Alison, who shares her personal experience choosing to freeze her eggs. Alison walks through what the egg freezing process actually looked like, what she felt emotionally along the way, and what it meant to preserve her fertility and create options for her future — not guarantees, but possibilities.

This re-air also marks the end of a season that looked different. Jacqueline reflects on balancing motherhood, work, and growth; learning new systems; building Your Fertility Village; and embracing the idea that there is power in the pause.

And this story doesn’t end here.

When Season 7 begins, Alison will return to share where her egg-freezing journey from three years ago ultimately led her — offering listeners a rare, full-circle update.

Whether you’re considering egg freezing, supporting someone who is, or simply trying to understand your fertility options, this episode offers an honest, real-life perspective that continues to resonate.

What’s Coming Up

• Season 7 premieres on January 8, 2026
• Your Fertility Village officially launches in the new year
• Founding members can join now for $7/month, locked in for life
• An in-person gathering is coming in January — follow along to stay updated!

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

As we head into 2026, more women than ever are asking themselves a deeply personal and surprisingly common question: “Should I freeze my eggs?” In today’s solo episode, Jacqueline breaks down everything you need to know about egg freezing right now — including age-related success rates, how many eggs you actually need, what the process looks like, and what the emotional side of delayed motherhood really feels like.

Whether you’re considering freezing your eggs for peace of mind, navigating an uncertain timeline, or simply curious about what egg freezing in 2026 can offer, this episode is your warm, big-sister style guide to understanding your options.

Jacqueline also shares why this topic matters now more than ever and sets up an upcoming two-part story you won’t want to miss. Next week, she’s re-airing a powerful conversation with a woman who froze her eggs a few years ago — and in early January, you’ll hear her updated journey through donor sperm, IVF, and the arrival of her miracle baby boy.

If fertility, family planning, or delaying motherhood is on your mind, this episode will give you clarity, compassion, and truly helpful information as you head into the new year.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

• Why egg freezing is trending as we enter 2026
• The biggest question: “Should I freeze my eggs?”
• How age impacts egg quality, quantity, and success rates
• What egg freezing success looks like in 2026 (by age group)
• How many eggs you actually need for a future pregnancy
• What the egg freezing process involves — step-by-step
• The real costs women should expect in 2026
• Common myths about egg freezing (and what’s actually true)
• The emotional side of delayed motherhood
• How this episode connects to next week’s re-air and the Season 7 premiere

Join Your Fertility Village — A supportive membership community for women navigating infertility, fertility preservation, and motherhood → https://your-fertility-village.mn.co/landing  

Follow along on Instagram → @motherhood_intended

Connect with other listeners → Motherhood Intended Podcast Community

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

This week on Motherhood Intended, Jacqueline opens the episode with an honest reflection on why this season of the podcast has looked different — and why that difference has actually been a gift.

In this heartfelt intro, Jacqueline shares what life has looked like behind the scenes, including:
 • balancing toddlerhood, therapies, and packed family schedules
 • navigating a season of growth in marriage and motherhood
 • learning new systems and outsourcing for the first time
 • building Your Fertility Village from the ground up
• and embracing the idea that there is power in the pause

As the podcast approaches a short season break, Jacqueline also shares an update on the official launch of Your Fertility Village in the new year — and how listeners can join now as founding members for just $7/month, locked in for life.

After the intro, we revisit one of the most downloaded and consistently listened-to episodes in Motherhood Intended history:
“Boy Moms Talk Gender ‘Disappointment.’”

In this candid conversation, Jacqueline sits down with a fellow mom to discuss the rarely talked about — and often misunderstood — emotions surrounding gender disappointment. Together, they explore the complexity of these feelings, especially in the context of infertility, pregnancy after loss, and the pressure many parents feel to “just be grateful.”

This episode continues to resonate because it offers something many women need: permission to feel honestly, without judgment.

Whether you’re hearing this episode for the first time or returning to it years later, this conversation remains just as relevant — and just as validating.

Resources Mentioned

• Join Your Fertility Village as a founding member → https://your-fertility-village.mn.co/landing
• Follow Motherhood Intended on Instagram → @motherhood_intended

Support the show

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

The holidays can be magical — but if you’re trying to conceive, they can also feel incredibly heavy. Between family gatherings, triggering comments, pregnancy announcements, disrupted routines, and the emotional weight of longing for a baby, this season brings unique challenges that often go unspoken.

In today’s solo episode, Jacqueline shares a supportive and practical guide for navigating the holiday season while TTC. You’ll learn how to protect your emotional well-being, set healthy boundaries, handle difficult conversations, and understand the real impact stress and travel can have on your cycle. (Spoiler: it’s less than you think!)

Whether you’re heading into Thanksgiving, preparing for December festivities, or simply trying to stay grounded, this episode offers comfort, clarity, and actionable tools to help you move through the holidays with more compassion for yourself.

In this episode, we cover:
✨ Why the holidays often feel harder when you’re TTC
✨ Emotional triggers and how to prepare for them
✨ Simple scripts for handling intrusive questions
✨ Boundaries that protect your peace during gatherings
✨ What holiday stress actually does to your hormones + cycle
✨ How travel, sleep disruption, and routine changes impact fertility
✨ Small, supportive habits you can use all season long
✨ A grounding message for anyone feeling overwhelmed

You deserve support — especially during the holidays.
 If you need a community that understands the emotional, physical, and mental weight of TTC, join Your Fertility Village as a Founding Member (for only $7/mo thru 2025) here:
https://your-fertility-village.mn.co/landing

Take a deep breath… you’re not alone this season. 💛

Listen now for a mix of validation, science, and big-sister-energy support to carry you through the holidays.

Support the show

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

If you’ve ever stared at your lab results and thought, “Wait… is this good or bad?” — this episode is for you.

Today, Jacqueline breaks down the most common (and most confusing) parts of fertility testing in simple, empowering language. From AMH and egg quality to antral follicle counts, HSGs, thyroid levels, and partner testing, you’ll walk away feeling informed, prepared, and a whole lot less alone.

Inside the episode, we cover:
 • What AMH really does — and doesn’t — tell you
• The truth about egg quality and why age matters
• The key tests to ask for when you’re TTC or seeking clarity
• What to do with confusing or “scary” numbers
• How to advocate for yourself at appointments
• Emotional reassurance for the days when testing feels overwhelming

Whether you're just beginning to explore fertility testing or you’re in the thick of treatment, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and the guidance Jacqueline wishes she had early in her own journey.

✨ Resources Mentioned:
• Join Your Fertility Village  — a nurturing community + expert-backed support now accepting Founding Members (with special perks!)
• Freebie: Fertility Testing Basics & Questions to Ask Your Doctor

🎧 Listen + share with someone who needs this today. You are not behind. You are not broken. You are so supported here.

Support the show

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

In this heartfelt episode, Jacqueline is joined by her husband, Josh, to talk openly about something that’s become a major part of their family’s life lately: ABA therapy. After their oldest son was diagnosed with level 1 autism and ADHD at age six, they spent months sitting with the news, learning, questioning, and honestly…trying to figure out what actually felt right for their family.

Fast forward to today, and he’s been in in-home ABA therapy for four months — about 11 hours a week — and it's been eye-opening in ways they never expected.

In this episode, they share:

✨ How they first learned about ABA and why they waited nearly a year to start
✨ What modern ABA really is (and what it’s NOT)
✨ What those early sessions looked like and why they felt so uncomfortable
✨ The real-life skills their son is learning — from self-regulation to navigating fear
✨ How ABA has helped them as parents, not just him
✨ Why some parents have negative experiences, and how to spot supportive, child-led ABA
✨ How they’ve grown in advocating for their son at home and at school
✨ What they wish they’d known earlier in this journey

Jacqueline and Josh also share real moments: the meltdowns, the breakthroughs, the fear episodes, the “aha” lessons, and even how their son now proudly says, “I used my tools today.” Hearing him learn to advocate for himself — at seven years old — has been one of the biggest gifts.

If you’re a parent exploring autism evaluations, therapy options, or if you’re just curious what ABA looks like day-to-day for a high-functioning child, we hope this conversation gives you clarity, comfort, and the reminder that you’re not alone.

• Learn more about ABA (Autism Speaks):
 https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis

• Find a BCBA (Behavior Analyst Certification Board):
 https://www.bacb.com/services/o.php?page=100155

• The Whole-Brain Child (book):
https://drdansiegel.com/book/the-whole-brain-child/

Have questions or want to share your experience?
Email Jacqueline at [email protected]
or send her a message on Instagram. She'd love to hear your story and keep this conversation going.

Thanks for listening — and if this episode helped you, please share it with another parent who might be wondering if ABA therapy is right for their family. 💛

Support the show

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

When motherhood takes an unexpected turn, where do you find the strength to keep going?

In this emotional and powerful episode, host Jacqueline Baird sits down with Kath Hansen—a Brisbane mom of four, founder of the baby brand Bubba Cloud, and host of The Modern Mother Podcast. Kath opens up about her youngest son Odin’s rare congenital heart condition, months spent in the NICU, and the raw reality of parenting through trauma.

Together, Jacqueline and Kath explore what it means to mother through uncertainty, navigate grief, balance family life after medical challenges, and rediscover yourself amid the chaos. Their shared experiences of NICU life and loss offer comfort, courage, and community to any mom who’s ever felt alone in her journey.

💛 In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Kath learned her son had a rare heart condition during pregnancy
• The emotional toll of months spent in the hospital and multiple surgeries
• The impact of trauma on motherhood and identity
• Why “holding the mother” is as vital as caring for the baby
• How Kath channels her experience into purpose through Bubba Cloud and The Modern Mother Podcast

✨ Connect with Kath:

• @bubbacloud
• @_kathhansen
• @themodernmother.pod

🌻 Join Your Fertility Village:
A safe, supportive community for women navigating infertility, pregnancy, and motherhood after loss. Become a Founding Member for just $7/month and lock in that price for life: Join here!

🎧 Follow Motherhood Intended:
@motherhood_intended

Support the show

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

What if your anger toward your body isn’t something to hide — but a sign that it’s finally time to start healing?

If you’ve ever felt angry at your body — for not doing what you hoped it would, for betraying your trust, or for making something as natural as motherhood feel impossibly hard — this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, Jacqueline opens up about the unspoken emotion so many women carry after infertility, loss, or complicated pregnancies: anger. She shares why that anger is valid, what it’s really trying to tell you, and how to start rebuilding trust with your body again. You’ll walk away feeling seen, understood, and reminded that healing doesn’t mean ignoring your pain — it means allowing yourself to feel it with compassion.

Key Takeaways:

💔 You’re not wrong for feeling angry. Anger toward your body isn’t shameful — it’s a natural response to loss, grief, and unmet expectations.

🌿 Anger can be a messenger. Beneath it often lies pain, fear, or sadness that needs acknowledgment and care.

🕊️ Healing starts with honesty. Rebuilding trust with your body begins when you allow yourself to feel everything — not just gratitude or positivity.

💪 You can hold both. It’s possible to love your body and be angry with it. You can be grateful and still wish things were easier.

🌻 You’re not alone. Inside Your Fertility Village, women are having these real, healing conversations every day — because no one should walk this journey alone.

Resources & Links:

💛 Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive space for women navigating infertility, loss, and motherhood after trauma. Become a founding member: your-fertility-village.mn.co

👉 Follow @motherhood_intended on Instagram for daily encouragement, connection, and all podcast and village updates.

Support the show

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________

Insurance and infertility are two words that rarely bring comfort, but understanding how to navigate your coverage can change everything about your experience.

In this episode of Motherhood Intended, Jacqueline shares her best guidance for reading your policy, asking smart questions, and knowing your rights when it comes to fertility care. She explains what “infertility coverage” really means, how to check if your clinic is in-network, and why employer fertility benefit programs could be a game changer. You’ll also learn how to have honest money talks with your partner so financial stress doesn’t take over your journey.

This episode is equal parts practical and heartfelt. Jacqueline reminds listeners that while fertility insurance can feel overwhelming, you are more capable than you think. With preparation, persistence, and a little advocacy, you can find clarity, save money, and feel more in control of your path to motherhood.

What you will learn:

• How to review your insurance plan for fertility coverage and common exclusions
• How to advocate for coverage and explore employer fertility benefit programs
• Ways to approach financial planning and set realistic expectations with your partner
• How to save money on medications and self-pay packages while reducing stress

Links mentioned: 

• National Infertility Association: Resolve.org
• Women’s health & family building benefits: Progyny & Maven
• Support for Metabolic-Fertility care: Carrot Fertility 

✨ Free Resource for You ✨
Want to feel more confident and prepared at your next doctor’s appointment? I created a simple, one-page tool just for you 👉 Grab your free copy here!

 Connect beyond the podcast:

• Your Village
• Instagram
• Facebook group

Help give the absolute greatest gift to deserving intended parents and learn more about becoming a surrogate (plus earn up to $650 for taking the first few simple steps)!

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💛 You don’t have to do this alone. Join Your Fertility Village — a safe, supportive community for women on their fertility journey. 🌻__________________________________________________________________________________