Today’s guest is Yesenia Lemus, a three-time surrogate and the Director of Surrogate Services at Brownstone Surrogacy. Yesenia’s surrogacy story actually started on the sidelines of her kid’s swim team, when she met another mom who was pregnant as a surrogate and thought, Wait—I could do that. Her first journey happened during COVID, when she carried twins for intended parents in California. She talks about the bond she formed with them, how she explained surrogacy to her own kids, and why she sees it as such a powerful act of generosity. She and Ali also get into the highs and lows of her journeys—including an embryo that didn’t survive the thaw—and why the entire experience has been so empowering for her. Yesenia also shares why she found the entire process so empowering—and how she went from surrogate to making this work her career.

For more, go to www.brownstonesurrogacy.com

IG: @brownstonesurrogacy

EPISODE SPONSORS:

THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES

Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.

Stay tuned for Petri Dish Princess, book #4, coming this fall!

EXTEND FERTILITY

Extend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family.

For more, go to extendfertility.com

PHERDAL

IG: @pherdal_science

PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.

Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.

Today's episode is a Listen Again favorite, and we couldn't think of a better one to bring back because Keri Croft is an absolute badass. Keri is an infertility, pregnancy loss, and surrogacy advocate whose path to parenthood spanned an incredible 16 years. Her story includes multiple miscarriages, IVF, a balanced translocation diagnosis, the heartbreaking decision to undergo a termination for medical reasons after learning her daughter Angel was missing part of her cerebellum, and the devastating losses of two more daughters, Hope and Jade. Keri shares how infertility tested every part of her life and marriage, what ultimately led her and her husband to pursue surrogacy, and why she chose to navigate the process independently. That experience inspired her to create Find Your Dream Surrogate, a workshop designed to give intended parents the roadmap she wishes she'd had.

Follow: www.kericroft.com

IG: @thekericroftshow

EPISODE SPONSORS:

THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES

Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.

Stay tuned for Petri Dish Princess, book #4, coming this fall!

EXTEND FERTILITY

Extend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family.

For more, go to extendfertility.com

PHERDAL

IG: @pherdal_science

PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.

Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.

Ali's guest today is Jess Mayhugh, a writer and editor who spent nearly a decade trying to have a baby before the arrival of her son, Cole. Jess's journey includes multiple miscarriages, rounds of IVF, several reproductive surgeries, and the unimaginable heartbreak of losing her newborn daughter, Lucy. On this episode, Jess opens up about navigating it all. It's a story of profound loss, incredible resilience, and massive love.

Jess co-founded a newsletter called Folly, which includes personal essays, expert interviews, and service journalism around family building.

IG: @jessmayhugh @followfolly

EPISODE SPONSORS:

THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIES

Ali's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

The latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.

Stay tuned for Petri Dish Princess, book #4, coming this fall!

EXTEND FERTILITY

Extend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family.

For more, go to extendfertility.com

PHERDAL

IG: @pherdal_science

PherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.

Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.