In this powerful and deeply affirming episode, we’re joined by Regina Townsend, a leading voice in fertility advocacy for Black women and families. She’s also the founder of The Broken Brown Egg, author of Make IF Make Sense, and creator of the ShellShocked support group. 🖤✨

After nearly a decade navigating infertility, Regina and her husband welcomed their son, Judah, through IVF. Her personal journey sparked a movement — one that boldly challenges silence, stigma, and the lack of visible Black stories in fertility spaces. As a librarian and writer, Regina uses storytelling as both resistance and restoration, creating space for honest conversations that many have long felt excluded from. 

Listen to hear: 🧡 Regina’s personal infertility journey and what led her to create The Broken Brown Egg 📣 Why representation in fertility spaces truly matters 🧱 The harmful stereotypes Black women still face in reproductive health 📖 What Regina hopes readers gain from her book Make IF Make Sense ✍🏽 How storytelling helps people reclaim power in their fertility journeys 💬 Encouraging words for anyone feeling alone in their struggle ✨ Regina’s vision for the future of fertility advocacy and community growth

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they were walking the infertility journey alone—and how, together as a community, we should always support one another. 

Please subscribe, rate, and review our Podcast!

In a surrogacy journey, how much say does a surrogate have? Does she have any legal rights during her journey? 

In this episode of our Misconception Series, Sunshine and Casey tackle one of the most emotionally charged myths in surrogacy—and why surrogates should absolutely feel empowered and protected within their journeys.

🎧Listen as we unpack:

 📃What legal protections actually look like and ways to stay informed

 🗣️How autonomy and consent are safeguarded every step of the way

✨Answers to common concerns (like, “Can IPs change their minds?” “What if something happens to them?” “Can they decide if I get an epidural?”).

And more! 

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s heard “but what if you decide you want to keep the baby?” or “don’t you have to do whatever the IPs say?” and wants to set the record straight. 💪✨

Surrogacy requirements are something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. 🙅‍♀️

And in this Surrogacy Diaries episode, we’re talking to the ladies who know the requirements in and out— our incredible Outreach Team (Haleigh, Cherish, and Christine). 💜

Together, we have a casual yet impactful conversation about…

✨Their own personal surrogacy experiences 

✨The different qualifications of being a surrogate, including the ones you may be able to control and the ones you simply can’t

✨The important reasons why BMI, income, and age can be such a factor for a surrogacy journey 

✨Why hearing “no” can be hard, and the things to consider if you find yourself in that spot

✨Why the Surrogacy Is team feels like “Your Big Surro Sister” and why they always have a woman’s best interest at heart (compared to what some agencies do to cut corners)

✨The words in the surrogacy industry that have started to lose their meaning (these might surprise you!) 

✨And lots more!

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering surrogacy or who is part of our surrogacy community 🎧

Please make sure to subscribe, rate, and review our Podcast!

#SurrogacyIs #SurrogacyIsAgency #SurrogacyIsAPodcast #SurrogacyIsLove #SurrogacyIsTeam #SurrogacyOutreach #SurrogacyPodcast #SurrogacyRequirements

Do surrogates do surrogacy just for the money? 💵

No. Not just. But it does help! 🤗

In this misconception episode, Sunshine and Casey break down the common assumption that all surrogates do surrogacy just for the money—and how polarizing it can be to make surrogates feel guilty about their compensation.  

🎧Listen as …

✨Sunshine shares the raw and truthful motivation for why she first looked into surrogacy—and how the compensation absolutely changed her life.

✨How surrogacy helped both Casey and Sunshine feel a greater sense of self-worth, and whether or not the compensation factored into that feeling. 

✨They outline the compensation or agency promises you want to be mindful of—especially around compensation and how they might not have your best interest at heart.

✨The truth about altruistic surrogacy journeys, and the things you might not have even realized about them. 

✨Plus so much more!

This episode might get you thinking about surrogacy compensation in a new light. 💡 We encourage you to find us on social media and let us know your thoughts! 

If you’re a Mark Surrogacy Surrogate, we want to help you on your healing journey. 

Along with Joey Guzman-Kuffel, LMFT, from Counseling with Joey & Associates, Surrogacy Is is sponsoring up to 3 counseling sessions for any incredible women who were affected by this unethical agency and now need a safe space to express and process their feelings so they can move forward towards healing.

In these sessions, you will be met exactly where you’re at, so you can get exactly what you need out of your healing sessions. Whether that’s identifying your complex feelings over the situation, wanting to regain control of your surrogacy story, or rebuilding your sense of trust.  

These confidential sessions are a judgment-free zone offered at no cost to provide comfort and loving community to those who didn’t deserve to have Mark Surrogacy taint their surrogacy experience in this way. 

If you are interested in our sponsored sessions, please fill out an interest form here:​​ https://surrogacyis.typeform.com/surrosupport

***If you know a surrogate who would benefit from these sessions, please share this information with them. 

#SurrogacyIs #SurrogacyIsAgency #SurrogacySupport #MarkSurrogacy #MarkSurrogacyScandal #MarkSurrogacySurrogates #SurrogateCoumseling

The IVF process is incredible, but complex to understand—especially for kids. So how do you share that magic with your kiddos? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️

Today’s podcast guest, Dawn McCahon, couldn’t find anything to help her explain IVF to her kids—so she created it herself—and the children’s book, “Pretty as a Petri” was born. 👶📖

🎧Listen and hear about…

💜Dawn’s IVF story and how isolating she felt it was back then

💜The beautiful, 28-year process it took for her to bring this book to life—including how when she started, people told her there wasn’t a place for it, and how she never gave up on the dream to share this story with others

💜The incredible impact this book has on families today and how it can help celebrate IVF journeys, surrogacy journeys, and donor conception journeys.

👉Hear all about it in this podcast episode—then make sure to get your hands on this wonderful book for yourself. You can find “Pretty as a Petri” at www.prettyasapetribook.com or on Amazon. 

#SurrogacyIs #SurrogacyIsLove #SurrogacyIsAgency #SurrogacyIsAPodcast #SurrogacyPodcast #IVFFamilies #IVFBabies #IVFChildrensBooks #PrettyAsAPetri

Whether or not to share your surrogacy experience online is always a weighted decision. ⚖️ Pro? Being able to spread awareness about how beautiful surrogacy can be. 🫶 Con? You’re basically opening up the floodgates for strangers to have (and share) their wild opinions. 😩

The incredible women in this episode’s podcast know all too well about this predicament, and each has felt called to share their surrogacy experiences online in meaningful ways with our community! (And for that, we’re so thankful to them! 💜)

In our latest Surrogacy Diaries, we sat down with our Surrogacy Is Ambassadors—Sam, Lyndsey, Rylea, and Brooke to casually chat about…

✔️ The emotional rollercoaster that comes during the medical screening 

✔️How being a surrogate can so easily become such a huge part of your identity 

✔️ The reasons they felt compelled to share their surrogacy stories 

✔️ The beautiful ways surrogacy can empower not only you as a surrogate, but also inspire those in your family

✔️Why transparency is so important in the surrogacy world—and why research (like our Surrogacy Is guide) is so, so helpful

Tune in for an hour of good surrogacy sisterhood conversation!

Then make sure you’re following our wonderful ambassadors to see more of their content and updates!

💜Sam: @surrogate.sam 

💜Lyndsey: @ncmommaandsurrogate, @lstrickland1026

💜Rylea: @takentochurchill

💜Brooke: @brookee2116

👉If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a Surrogacy Is Ambassador, fill out a form here: https://eform.pandadoc.com/?eform=693071dc-34d1-4bcc-b2c5-4f6e6fbad6a

**Note: We would like to apologize for some technical issues we experienced during the recording of this episode. You may notice that some guests lost their connection during the recording, and we were unable to salvage some of their footage or edit without it being obvious. 

 #SurrogacyIs #SurrogacyIsAPodcast #SurrogacyPodcast #SurrogacyIsAgency #SurrogacyIsLove #SurrogacyIsForSurrogates #SurrogacyStories

 If you’re in the surrogacy community, the chances you have seen or even own something from @surrogatesisterdesign are high. (You might not even realize those cute socks from your agency came from her!) 😍

In this episode, we’re chatting with Kristal, the woman behind the popular surrogacy swag brand! 💜

Listen and find out…

✨Why she started Surrogate Sister Design (and how it morphed from a side project to something much more)

✨About her own surrogacy experience

✨What her favorite products are to create 

✨Some of the challenges she faces

✨Plus so much more!

Her unique, one-of-a-kind designs are created to be worn, shared, and loved! Her shop was developed to advocate, encourage, support, and empower surrogates on their journeys.

And we are, personally, super fans. 🤗 

After the episode, make sure to follow her at @surrogatesisterdesign on Instagram. Then make sure to give her shop so love at www.etsy.com/shop/SurroSisterDesign

Dr. Toni, a super rad 2x surrogate and the creator of Wombs of Angels, joins Casey and Sunshine to chat about her surrogacy experiences and how she found herself creating beautiful resources for the surrogacy community. 

🎧Listen in as Dr. Toni tells us about her story and how she went from doctors telling her she would likely never carry a successful pregnancy to later, not only giving birth to her own daughter but also birthing two surrogate babies as well! 😲

Now Dr.Toni stays involved with the surrogacy community by developing useful guides and the one-of-a-kind “Grow Through It Milestone & Affirmation Surrogacy Journal.” This journal helps surrogates organize all their surrogacy information (think med cal, appointments, etc.), while also providing a space for them to journal their feelings, enjoy affirmations + coloring pages, and even find useful tips. 

We were also lucky enough to chat about Dr. Toni’s next big project, “Heal Through It,” a postpartum surrogacy ebook that addresses all the unique and challenging postpartum feelings and recovery obstacles that surrogates face after their surro-baby’s birth. 

✨Hear all about Dr. Toni’s incredible offerings in this podcast episode, and use the exclusive code: SURROIS25 at wombsforangels.com to get a special Surrogacy Is listeners' discount on her surrogacy affirmation journal! ✨

💛Follow @wombs_of_angels on Instagram and visit www.wombsofangels.com for more information and to shop (Don’t forget your code!). 

#SurrogacyIs #SurrogacyIsAgency #SurrogacyIsAPodcast #SurrogacyPodcast #SurrogacyCommunity #WombsOfAngels #SurrogacyIsForSurrogates #SurrogacySupport #SurrogacyJournal #SurrogacyRecovery #SurrogacyPostpartum

Did you know non-birthing parents can still have the opportunity to breastfeed their babies? Alyssa Schnell, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and proud breastfeeding mom of three (two by birth and one by adoption), has done it —and now helps other parents do it too with her practice focused on induced lactation. 

🗣️In this episode, Casey and Sunshine chat with Alyssa on how she helps intended parents, adoptive parents, and same-sex women who want to share in the feeding responsibilities by stimulating milk production for non-birthing parents. 

🎧What You’ll Hear:

✔️What it means to induce lactation 

✔️Why it’s so important to determine what success looks like for you

✔️The optimal time to start the process (hint: it might be sooner than you realize) 

✔️The medication that’s involved and how to set realistic pumping routines

✔️Ways to find emotional support on your induced lactation journey

✔️Baby-led bottle feeding methods that can support your breastfeeding/induced lactation goals

✔️Alternative ways to connect/bond with your baby through comfort or feeding 

And so much more!

If you’re a non-birthing parent interested in induced lactation, you don’t want to miss this incredible and informative time with Alyssa!

💛Follow @alyssa_schnell_ibclc on Instagram or find more information or book a free mini consultation with Alyssa on her website here: www.alyssaschnellibclc.com

📲And as always, please like, share, and subscribe to stay in the know for surrogacy journey resources. 

#SurrogacyIs #SurrogacyIsLove #SurrogacyIsAPodcast #SurrogacyPodcast #SurrogacyIsAgency #IPSupport #InducedLactation