Episode 11 — Holding The Journey Together: The Emotional Foundation Of A Surrogacy Journey

Kicking off a new series, Kayla and Gabby sit down with Rachel Goldberg, a licensed therapist specializing in infertility and third-party reproduction, for a candid look at the mental health side of surrogacy — a conversation timed to a major shift at RO: every surrogate and intended parent now works with one dedicated therapist from psych evaluation through the entire journey, rather than a one-time screening.

Rachel walks through what a psychological evaluation actually involves and why it exists for both sides, not just to protect intended parents, but to make sure the gestational carrier truly understands what she's taking on, has a stable support system, and is entering the process for the right reasons. She's candid about gray areas that surrogates often worry will disqualify them, like a past prescription for anxiety or depression, explaining that seeking help is a green flag, not a red one, and that transparency lets her team work through most things rather than treat them as automatic dealbreakers.

The conversation moves into territory rarely discussed openly: the emotional whiplash of postpartum after a surrogacy delivery, when a surrogate who has been the center of everyone's attention suddenly goes home without a baby and without the check-ins; how unprocessed grief can surface as guilt or confusion; and the particular heartbreak of surrogates who want to carry again but no longer qualify, medically or otherwise. Rachel offers real guidance for naming and moving through that grief rather than pushing it aside.

In this episode:

• Why RO now assigns every surrogate and intended parent one dedicated therapist for the full journey, not just an intake screening
• What actually happens in a psych evaluation, and why it exists to protect the surrogate as much as the intended parents
• Why a past mental health diagnosis or medication isn't an automatic disqualifier, and how transparency changes the outcome
• Navigating conflict and misunderstanding between surrogates and intended parents through a neutral, professional lens
• The postpartum emotional drop after delivery, and why "closing the chapter" on repeat surrogacy is its own kind of grief

It's a warm, reassuring window into the support system now built into every RO match — a fitting way to open a series about holding the journey together.