Thinking about surrogacy or donor conception? 🌈 In this episode of Building Your Family, Dr. Julian Escobar — fertility expert, LGBTQ+ advocate, influencer, and dad — joins Lisa Schuman to explore the real questions hopeful parents face when building a family through assisted reproduction.

💬 What you'll learn in this episode:

The emotional and financial realities of surrogacy

How to think about donor selection from a medical and psychological perspective

Common mistakes hopeful parents make (and how to avoid them)

Advice for LGBTQ+ couples pursuing parenthood

Why openness and long-term thinking matter in donor conception

🎧 Whether you're planning your path to parenthood or supporting someone who is, this warm and informative conversation will help you feel more grounded and confident in your decisions.

🧠 Hosted by Lisa Schuman, LCSW — award-winning reproductive therapist, author, and founder of the Building Your Family platform.

Follow Dr. Julian Escobar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjulianescobar/

As part of our Pride Month celebration, we’re honored to welcome Richard Westoby and Julio Gaggia — better known as the IVF Daddies and hosts of the popular podcast by the same name.

In this episode, they share their personal family-building stories — from Richard's surrogacy journey over a decade ago with his then-partner, to Julio’s experience becoming a parent through step-parenting. Together, they model a beautiful and honest version of gay fatherhood that embraces advocacy, growth, and breaking traditional norms.

🎧 You'll hear:

What the IVF process looked like for gay dads a decade ago

How Julio navigated his step-parenting journey with care and love

Why they use their platform to advocate for women’s rights and broader family equity

Their advice for anyone building a family in a way that defies expectations

These two dads are proof that love and family come in many forms — and that being true to your path matters most.

📺 Watch now or listen on your favorite podcast platform. 🔗 Learn more at: https://familybuilding.net/

Follow the IVFDaddies on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivfdaddies/

Start Pride Month with love, hope, and a heartwarming story. In this episode, Jove Meyer and Kyle Torrence—two dads-to-be and beloved LGBTQ+ influencers—share their family-building journey.

From choosing a donor and surrogate to deciding how much to share online, Jove and Kyle bring humor, heart, and intention to every step. If you're curious about surrogacy, donor conception, or simply love a powerful family story, this episode is for you.

Family Building community Events and webinars: https://familybuilding.net/events-page/

Learn more about Jove Meyer: https://jovemeyer.com/ Follow Jove Meyer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jovemeyer/ Follow Kyle Torrence on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyletorrence/

Considering surrogacy or supporting someone who is? In this expert-led episode of Building Your Family, I sit down with one of the country’s top surrogacy specialists, Dr. Susanna Park, to get answers to the questions intended parents ask most.

Dr. Park sees hundreds of surrogacy cases each year and brings clarity to some of the most important (and often misunderstood) parts of the process. We discuss:

🔹 Why using a surrogacy agency may be safer than going independent 🔹 Key medical issues when screening a surrogate 🔹 What can — and can’t — be medically corrected 🔹 Why BMI matters more than people realize 🔹 Twin pregnancies and what hopeful parents often get wrong

Whether you're just beginning your surrogacy journey or supporting someone else through it, this episode is your go-to expert guide.

🔔 Subscribe for more expert-led content on fertility, donor conception, and surrogacy.

💡 Want more support? Join the Building Your Family Community — an expert-led membership filled with tools, meditations, workshops, and full courses, including our popular Surrogacy Steps program. 👉 https://familybuilding.net/surrogacy-steps/

📚 Learn more about Dr. Susanna Park: https://www.sdfertility.com/

The Hidden Formula Behind Your Family-Building Choices One simple mindset shift that can change how you approach donor conception and life.

Why do we make the choices we do—especially when it comes to something as personal and complex as building a family through donor conception or surrogacy?

In this solo episode of Building Your Family, I share a powerful decision-making concept I’ve developed over nearly 30 years of working with thousands of people navigating third-party reproduction. While attending a recent conference, my conversations with attendees brought this idea back to the forefront—and reminded me how essential it is to share it with you.

Whether you're choosing a donor, thinking about surrogacy, choosing a clinic, or feeling stuck in your decision-making process, this episode offers a new way to reflect on your choices—and can help guide you toward decisions that truly support your values and your future family.

💬 Leave a comment with your questions or challenges—I’m here to help.

What truly drives fertility success? Dr. Eric Widra, Chief Medical Officer at US Fertility, shares what patients need to know about IVF, success rates, and the role of lab quality in getting pregnant.

In this episode of Building Your Family, Dr. Widra offers clear, evidence-based insight into:

How success rates are calculated (and what to watch out for)

Why your clinic’s lab may be the most important factor in your outcome

The biggest shifts in the fertility field over the last two decades

What patients often overlook when choosing a fertility provider

Whether you're just starting treatment or evaluating your options, this conversation will help you make informed, confident decisions on your path to parenthood.

Useful links from this episode: https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/ https://www.asrm.org/ https://www.sart.org/

What is it really like to meet your donor—or your donor siblings—as an adult, after your values and worldview are already in place? In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Freya Lyon shares her journey as a donor-conceived person who felt confident in her identity, only to experience a major shift when she met genetic relatives later in life.

Freya opens up about what surprised her, how these relationships shaped her views on family, and how they influenced her own approach to building a family. If you’ve ever wondered about late-in-life donor connections, identity, or the complexities of modern family-building, this episode offers rare insight and heart.

📌 Subscribe for more real-life stories and expert guidance on donor conception, surrogacy, and modern parenthood.

🔔 New episodes weekly on the Building Your Family podcast.

Follow Freya on Instagram: @thequeermama Follow Freya on TikTok: @thequeermama

Two gay dads share their surrogacy journey and lessons on LGBTQ+ parenting, visibility, and love. Discover how they built their family—and a community—along the way.

In this heartfelt episode of Building Your Family, Mike and George open up about the joys and challenges of becoming parents through surrogacy. From navigating the process to raising two beautiful children, they offer honest insight and hope for others on similar paths.

Now advocates for inclusion and education, they’re helping more LGBTQ+ families feel seen and supported.

📚 Learn more about Families Out Loud: https://www.familiesoutloudevents.com/ Follow Families Out Loud on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/families_out_loud Follow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msnaric/ Follow George on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/porgiemoore/ 🎧 Subscribe for more stories on family and parenthood!