Alyssa Schnell has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2009. She works in private practice serving clients both locally and worldwide. She is the author of Breastfeeding Without Birthing: A Breastfeeding Guide for Mothers Through Adoption, Surrogacy, and Other Special Circumstances and a professional supplement to the book, The Breastfeeding Without Birthing Professional Pack online training. She is also the creator of DomHub, an extensive online resource for domperidone. Alyssa has authored articles for The Journal of Human Lactation, La Leche League’s Leader Today and Breastfeeding Today magazines, and Adoptive Families magazine and developer of The Three Step Framework for Inducing Lactation. She is an international speaker on the topics of inducing lactation, relactation, co-lactation, and other related topics. Alyssa is the proud mother of three breastfed children, two by birth and one by adoption. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Alyssa offers a wide variety of free and paid resources for parents, including a free online support group, free mini consultations, and consultation packages to support parents every step of the way. Her evidence-based online resource for domperidone, DomHub, is a much need guide to the safe and effective use of domperidone for lactation and is appropriate for parents or professionals. She works with parents from all over the world who are interested in inducing lactation, relactating, and co-lactating. Her practice is inclusive and accepts some insurance.

Listen as Alyssa shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Birthing and breastfeeding two children and then adopting and wanting to bring the nutritional and bonding experience to her adopted baby.
• Knowing it was possible from her volunteer work with La Leche League and voracious research on inducing lactation.
• Her experience was 20 years ago, but the basics are the same, with some advancements since that time.
• She works to customize the steps with her clients; lifestyles, circumstances, and goals can significantly affect the plan.
• Answering the question, “Can a person assigned male at birth induce lactation?” (Yes!)
• Dealing with tricky timing issues, such as in adoption.
• Vocab review, what is re-lactation versus co-lactation.
• Supporting parents by surrogacy who wish to induce lactation.
• Medication access challenges and side effects (especially when not taken appropriately).

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Follow:

Learn more about Alyssa Schnell and her services: https://www.alyssaschnellibclc.com/

Get Alyssa’s book, Breastfeeding Without Birthing: https://www.alyssaschnellibclc.com/book

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

JOANNA PARGA-BELINKIE, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, is an associate professor of pediatrics and clinical neonatologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). She is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and co-host of their flagship podcast Pediatrics On Call. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children.

Listen as Dr. Parga-Belinkie shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Finding there is a lot of noise and mixed messages for new parents.
• Parents-to-be putting lots of effort into a birth plan but then feeling lost with baby.
• Addressing a common concern of parents not feeling an immediate bond.
• Is a peepee teepee an essential baby item? What about nose snot sucker?
• Reframing sleep expectations for a newborn.
• Identifying different cries for different needs.
• An extra special guest joins the interview!
• Misinformation in the vaccine realm and great resources for reliable information.
• Human interaction is key for brain-boosting activity. The right baby gear, not so important.

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Follow Dr. Parga-Belinkie: https://www.instagram.com/jopargalinkiemd/

Get The Baby Bonding Book: Connecting with your Newborn: https://www.aap.org/The-Baby-Bonding-Book-Connecting-With-Your-Newborn-Paperback

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

Stephanie Jones is the Founder of the Michigan Fertility Alliance and Co-Founder of State Strong.

After experiencing secondary infertility due to life-threatening pregnancy complications, Stephanie Jones and her husband were stunned to learn that Michigan banned surrogacy contracts—their only option to grow their family. Stephanie channeled her business expertise and personal perseverance into founding the Michigan Fertility Alliance and changing Michigan’s surrogacy and parentage laws. Under her leadership, MFA is driving pro-family advocacy and policy reform to support Michiganders who need assisted reproduction or surrogacy to build their families.

In 2024, Stephanie received the RESOLVE Hope Award for Advocacy in recognition of her impactful work. She also shared her personal story of reproductive health and abortion to support the successful election of Senator Slotkin to the U.S. Senate.

Ginanne Brownell is an award-winning writer and journalist. Raised in Michigan and based in London, she has covered stories on six continents and in over forty-five countries. Her work has been published in outlets including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and Scientific American. She has worked on staff for CNN, Newsweek, and UNICEF. Ginanne is the author of two books: "Elusive Mommyhood: An investigative reporter’s personal journey into IVF and surrogacy" and "Ghetto Classics: How a Youth Orchestra Changed a Nairobi Slum." She has a BA in history from Albion College and a MA in history from the London School of Economics.

Listen as Stephanie and Ginanne share with Ellen and Jenn:

• Stephanie’s journey with secondary infertility leading her to surrogacy and the shocking discovery, from her hospital bed, of Michigan’s terrible laws -- check out Episode 74 for more!
• When Stephanie’s ability to carry her own child died, Michigan Fertility Alliance was born.
• Your humble podcast hosts connecting Stephanie and Ginanne, both Flint, Michiganders.
• In parallel, Ginanne struggling with infertility and being advised to turn to surrogacy. She had hoped her kids could be born in her home state of Michigan -- hear more of Ginanne’s story on Episode 108!
• Writing a book on her journey and extensive research.
• A little history, including the fun fact that the first birth of a child through gestational surrogacy was in Michigan!
• Organizing two advocacy days, with over 100 advocates meeting with more than 50 legislators.
• Building a strong coalition of leaders and experts to put together what ultimately was a nine bill package to comprehensively and inclusively change the parentage laws in Michigan for everyone.
• The bills were officially signed April 1, 2024 -- a historic date for multiple reasons.
• Taking their advocacy efforts to the next level with the formation of State Strong.

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about State Strong: https://www.statestrong.org/

Buy Elusive Mommyhood: An investigative reporter’s personal journey into IVF and surrogacy: https://ginannebrownell.com/elusive-mommyhood/

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here!

Ashley Christman is a born and raised Pennsylvania girl. She is the mother to two beautiful children and a decade deep into marriage with her high school sweetheart. They live on a small “farmette” with all kinds of furry creatures! She loves to garden, sew clothing, cook and bake!

Surrogacy is something that was on her heart for years after a close family member battled infertility. In 2021, she completed a successful journey and delivered a healthy baby to a set of Intended Parents that became an extended part of her family. Ashley says that standing witness to a set of parents seeing their child’s face for the first time was an experience she will never forget. Now being a case manager, she has the opportunity to help so many more couples become parents!

In 2023, feeling the pull to give back in another big way - Ashley applied for a Uterus Transplant clinical trial at Penn Medicine. In December of 2023, she became the 3rd living donor at Penn to donate her uterus to another woman in hopes that she would be able to carry her own baby!

Listen as Ashley shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• A comparison with Jenn as to who has more chickens (Ashley wins!)
• Being an only child, but with a large extended family.
• Marrying her high school sweetheart.
• Always wanting to be a mom and pregnancy coming easy for her.
• Watching her like-a-sister cousin struggle and endure a hysterectomy, and her best friend become a surrogate. Being inspiring to become a surrogate herself.
• Loving the intended parents she was matched with.
• After some health drama, delivering a perfect baby girl.
• Starting work for the surrogacy agency.
• Being inspired by a podcast (this podcast!) to look into uterus donation.
• Applying and being accepted into Penn’s uterus donation clinical trial, subject to a whole battery of tests.
• Undergoing the ten-and-a-half-hour surgery
• Not knowing anything about the recipient, but being permitted to write a letter to the recipient a year after surgery. (Get the tissues ready as we read from the letter!)

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Family Makers: https://familymakers.com/

Learn more about Penn’s uterus transplant program: https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/find-a-program-or-service/penn-fertility-care/uterus-transplant

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

Brooke Kimbrough is the founder of Roots Surrogacy, a boutique, relationship-driven surrogacy agency grounded in empathy, transparency, and ethical care. A former surrogate herself and a long-time industry professional, Brooke brings over a decade of firsthand experience to the work of guiding intended parents and surrogates through one of the most meaningful journeys of their lives. At the heart of everything she does is a deep belief in connection, women’s empowerment, and the power of doing things the right way—even when it’s hard. Brooke leads her all-female team with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to the values behind the Roots name.

Listen as Brooke shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Both of her parents working in family law and knowing a lot about adoption. Learning about surrogacy and becoming really interested in being a surrogate.
• Her husband initially saying no, but with time giving in knowing she was going to do what she wanted eventually anyway.
• An adoption attorney family friend introducing her to a surrogacy agency. Doing no other research on agencies.
• Being open to carrying for any type of family; being matched with a single intended father.
• Transferring two embryos, both successful at first. But then losing one of the heartbeats around 9 weeks. Feeling disappointed, but Intended Father being very supportive and encouraging.
• Intended Father throwing a baby shower with all his friends and family loving on her.
• Having a planned C-section, with dad in the room until the birth (him finding out baby’s sex at delivery!), then her husband in there for the post-delivery operation part supporting her.
• Intended Father’s tears sweetly falling on her face during the delivery!
• Experiencing complications with retained tissue and loss of blood.
• Planning to go back to work, but not being excited to return to HR. In a lunch with Intended Father, him suggesting she should start a surrogacy agency.
• Sitting down and coming up with a plan to start slowly, no more than 4 cases the first year. The company instead quickly growing and helping with 12 matches the first year.
• Bringing on a business partner. Focusing on the things they would want and need as intended parents and surrogates. Not taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Advocating for best practices in the industry, including stopping double embryo transfers back in 2017
• This year Roots celebrates its 10th year of building families!
• The story of some of her favorite Intended Parents (check out Episode 175!).

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Roots Surrogacy: www.rootssurrogacy.com

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

Carly Joseph is a surrogacy concierge helping Intended Parents match with the right surrogates quickly. Having navigated her own two surrogacy journeys, Carly knows firsthand how overwhelming the process can be. Her mission is to combine personal experience with established relationships to help make the path to parenthood smoother. Carly works with intended parents who are ready to explore surrogacy.

Listen as Carly shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Through eight rounds of IVF and four failed transfers being welcomed into a club she never wanted to be a member of – that of infertility.
• Being really open about her story in an effort to normalize different family paths.
• Learning how to support others with their infertility through her own journey.
• Being diagnosed with endometriosis and undergoing surgery. Experiencing another failed transfer.
• Moving across the country from New York to Los Angeles while also dealing with her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
• Her doctor recommending surrogacy. Feeling all the conflicting emotions – happy that there’s a path forward, but hard to give up the dream of carrying her babies herself.
• Working with a concierge provider and being matched with a surrogate quickly.
• Getting confirmation of pregnancy and heartbeat, and all the joy, only to discover no heartbeat at 9 weeks.
• Going through another transfer and then surrogate experiencing a second miscarriage.
• Not feeling optimistic about a third transfer and matching with a second surrogate. Then hearing from the first surrogate that she was up for a third transfer attempt.
• Transferring to their second surrogate when the first was five months along.
• The amazing moment of being in the delivery room for their son.
• Receiving a call from her second surrogate and the doctor that she is leaking amniotic fluid at 29 weeks and will not be leaving the hospital before delivery.
• In the thick of it with babies but also feeling moved to start a surrogacy concierge business to help others.
• The concierge advantage – having a personal advocate, more education at the beginning, and faster matching by working across hundreds of agencies.

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Carly Joseph and her services: carlypjoseph.com

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

Julie Eshelman is the Founder, CEO, and President of Building Military Families Network where she took her struggles and lack of support and access to information in family building and created an organization to fill that gap for military and veteran families. Her own family’s experiences with infertility and the frustrations resulting from a lack of insurance coverage and a support network led her to advocate and launch a nonprofit for the change she desperately wants to see for the next generation of military and veteran families. Julie was named the 2022 Armed Forces Insurance Fort Leavenworth Spouse of the Year for her awareness, advocacy, and leadership in infertility and military family building.

Building Military Families Network is a 501c3 organization with a mission to provide an empowering and supportive network to military and veteran families navigating the challenges in the family-building process through support groups, education, and resources. Their Education Center and Resource Library empower military and veteran families with all the information and tools they need on their journey to parenthood. The Support Group Program provides families with peer support and builds community. Their advocacy efforts are focused on increasing insurance coverage and improving access to all family-building options for military and veteran families. Building Military Families Network is a beacon of hope for building military families.

Listen as Julie shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Her journey to becoming an infertility warrior.
• Meeting her husband in college. Knowing nothing about military life but following him into it.
• Trying to conceive for over a year and recognizing they should seek medical care. But the fertility specialist near them had a 12 month wait list and they had orders to move to Arizona.
• Going through all the diagnostic testing while her husband was deployed.
• Experiencing a miscarriage as they were driving across the country.
• Starting from scratch with a new fertility specialist, going through all the diagnostic testing again.
• Enduring the last-minute cancellation of an egg retrieval due to the COVID shutdown. Then, after restarting, suffering from ovarian hyperstimulation.
• Eventually getting to their rainbow baby.
• Finding RESOLVE, signing up last minute for Federal Advocacy Day.
• Finding advocacy to be therapeutic and empowering.
• Starting the Building Military Families Network to do more for military families struggling with building their families.

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Building Military Families Network:

buildingmilitaryfamiliesnetwork.org

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

As members of the LGBTQ+ community, Kristina and Sol always knew they would need fertility treatments to build their family. However, dual infertility diagnoses made their journey even more complex. This experience fueled their passion for advocacy, inspiring them to champion for expanded access to reproductive technology, fair donor-conceived laws, and protections for LGBTQ+ families. Kristina furthers this mission in her role as Chair of Colorado Fertility Advocates.

After more than a decade of fertility treatments—including IVF, RIVF, and Donor Embryo—their family is now complete. They are proud parents of three wonderful children: two boys and a girl, ages 11, 8, and 3.

Beyond their advocacy, Kristina and Sol are deeply committed to advancing health equity for marginalized communities, increasing the visibility of diverse leaders—including Latino, LGBTQ+, and underserved communities—and championing reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ equality. Kristina serves on the boards of the LGBTQ+ Heritage Project for the United Methodist Church and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Sol, who is Latino and bilingual, is a Board Member for Project Worthmore and a former member of Commerce City’s DEI Commission and Cultural Council.

Professionally, Kristina has built a successful 20-year career in Marketing and Strategic Communications, specializing in the healthcare and fintech industries. Sol is also an accomplished leader, with expertise in operations and project management across community health centers, government and educational organizations, and, most recently, a nationwide private equity-backed dental company.

In their free time, Kristina and Sol love attending and coaching their kids’ countless sports and activities, exploring Colorado through hikes and scenic Sunday drives, enjoying live music, cheering on Sol’s hometown teams (the Padres and Chargers), road-tripping, listening to audiobooks, playing board games, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Listen as Sol and Kristina share with Ellen and Jenn:

• Kristina splitting with her partner of 12 years when she was 6 weeks pregnant. Not the best timing!
• 3 months post-delivery, Kristina thinking about dating again.
• Messaging with Sol and connecting right away on their passion for advocacy. Sol not being scared off by Kristina having a three-month-old.
• With Kristina’s first pregnancy, going through IUIs and it just not working. Then finding her egg count was not where it should be.
• Failed embryo transfer, then success.
• After Kristina’s egg quality issues, opting for reciprocal IVF with Sol’s eggs.
• But Sol also experienced egg issues – 5 eggs retrieved, 1 embryo.
• Navigating the cultural issues with Sol’s family.
• Moving from California to Colorado and knowing they wanted another child.
• Extensively looking into adoption but ultimately choosing embryo donation.
• Being really open and honest with their children about their origin stories.
• Loving the family they have built and the many paths they took to get there.

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Follow Kristina and Sol on Instagram: @kristina_on_insta + @allo10

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: