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Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Kenedi & Ellen Smith
152 episodes
3 days ago
What if one case manager guided both the surrogate and the intended parents—from the first profile exchange to baby photos years later? We sit down with Nina Simmons, case manager and clinical support manager at Northwest Surrogacy Center, to explore how a unified model reduces miscommunication, deepens trust, and creates a steadier surrogacy journey. Nina pulls back the curtain on the real work behind the scenes: coordinating clinics and legal timelines, keeping everyone informed, and offeri...
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Kids & Family
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All content for Stop. Sit. Surrogate. is the property of Kenedi & Ellen Smith and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
What if one case manager guided both the surrogate and the intended parents—from the first profile exchange to baby photos years later? We sit down with Nina Simmons, case manager and clinical support manager at Northwest Surrogacy Center, to explore how a unified model reduces miscommunication, deepens trust, and creates a steadier surrogacy journey. Nina pulls back the curtain on the real work behind the scenes: coordinating clinics and legal timelines, keeping everyone informed, and offeri...
Show more...
Kids & Family
Education,
Society & Culture,
Relationships
Episodes (20/152)
Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Surrogacy Through a Sister's Eyes: Love, Loss, and PCOS
A daughter remembers the rodeo comment. Amanda was nine when classmates, teachers, and even other parents struggled to understand why her mom was carrying a baby for someone else. That early clash with stigma sent her searching for answers—how embryos work, why genetics matter, and what safety really looks like—while her family navigated emergency deliveries, NICU visits, and a community learning on the fly. Years later, the roles flipped. After a lifetime of “easy” pregnancies around her, A...
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1 week ago
1 hour 14 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
How Smart Eating Supports Implantation, Growth, And A Calmer Pregnancy
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Brie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannatowne?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== What if the calm, practical path to a healthy surrogate pregnancy is simpler than you’ve been told? We sit down with maternal health nutritionist and current surrogate Brie Towne, who pairs evidence with empathy to demystify prenatal nutrition, implantation support, and postpartum recovery. No scare tactics, no perfectionism—just strategies that actually fit a full li...
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3 weeks ago
1 hour 9 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
When The Journey Ends, Who Are You Next
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Leslie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslie_kay_w?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Sammi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammimichiko?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== The quiet after a delivery can be louder than labor. We sit with two retired, two-time surrogates who open up about the complicated relief of being “done,” the grief of being told no by doctors, and the surprising ways identity shifts when the calendar no longer revolves around monitoring, me...
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3 weeks ago
58 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
From Two Journeys To Building The Surrogacy Doula Program
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Kristen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenbellettmartinez?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Birth can be beautiful, messy, and intensely logistical—especially when you’re carrying for someone else. We sit down with Kristen, a multi-time surrogate and former agency intake coordinator, to trace her path from a pandemic C-section for placenta previa to a confident VBAC with international intended parents racing into the room as the baby crowned. Alo...
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1 month ago
1 hour 8 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
From Egg To Embryo: Truths, Myths, And Modern Fertility
Want a clear, unvarnished guide to IVF that blends science, empathy, and practical advice? Lisa, an embryologist and lab director in Melbourne with over 15 years in the field, joins us to break down what truly shapes outcomes—from age and egg quality to lab standards, embryo grading, and the rise of AI in fertility care. No mystique, no scare tactics, just what works, what’s changing, and what still can’t be predicted. We start with a step‑by‑step tour: stimulation, retrieval, fertilization ...
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1 month ago
1 hour 12 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Retired But Not Done
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Grace’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graces_surro_journey?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Kiely’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsurrogatelife?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== What happens when the transfers are done, the last delivery is behind you, and the identity you wore with pride suddenly shifts? We sit down with a seasoned pair of voices—Grace, a two‑time carrier, and Kiely, a four‑time carrier—to talk candidly about “retirement” from surrog...
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1 month ago
56 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
From Perinatal Anxiety To Empowered Surrogacy Support
Ever wonder how it really feels to carry someone else’s baby—and make tough medical calls when hopes and bodies collide? We sit down with Jana, a Portland-based psychologist and surrogate, to unpack the real emotional load of surrogacy: induction pressure without clear medical cause, a lightning-fast birth in triage, and the quiet, complicated moments after delivery when your body wants to feed a baby who isn’t coming home with you. We dive into perinatal mood and anxiety disorders—how anxie...
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1 month ago
55 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Service, Sacrifice, And Building Families Beyond Blood
What happens when military life meets surrogacy? We welcome back Whitney, a two-time gestational surrogate and Coast Guard spouse, for a candid, practical, and heart-forward conversation about building families while navigating orders, insurance, and constant change. Whitney opens up about the moment a medical retirement notice landed the night before transfer, how she planned around potential moves, and why a supportive command and tight-knit base community made all the difference. We get r...
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1 month ago
1 hour 1 minute

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
How A Surrogate’s Instincts Saved Twins And Shaped A Calling
A calm first journey, a terrifying second, and a life-changing pivot into nursing—Lauren’s story reveals what surrogacy really asks of the body, the mind, and the heart. We welcome Lauren back to share how she chose agencies, navigated a Canada-to-U.S. match during COVID, and moved through a natural-cycle transfer that led to a smooth full-term birth. Then everything changed: a double embryo transfer, surging symptoms, a gut feeling something was wrong, and a hospital visit that exposed early...
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2 months ago
1 hour 28 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
How Surrogacy Shapes Children’s Hearts And Minds
What happens when kids grow up watching their parent carry a baby for someone else? We open the door to our homes and hearts to explore how surrogacy shapes children’s understanding of empathy, science, and the many ways families are made. With Sarah—a labor and delivery nurse, twin mom, and second-time surrogate—we trade honest stories about timing the conversation, answering tough questions, and turning complex ideas into clear, age-appropriate truths. We share how we explained IVF and emb...
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2 months ago
52 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
What Happens When Science, Hope, and Heartbreak Collide?
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Liz’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzzlooobes?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Dive into the raw, unfiltered journey of Liz, a three-time surrogate who brings a unique perspective as both a surrogate mother and a fertility clinic medical assistant. Her story takes us through the highs of creating families for others and the lows of failed transfers and loss, all while maintaining remarkable positivity and resilience. Liz's path to surrogacy bega...
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3 months ago
1 hour 7 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Mark Surrogacy Scandal: New Developments
The harrowing journey of surrogates caught in the Mark surrogacy scandal continues to unfold with stunning new revelations. One surrogate, now 38 weeks pregnant and days away from delivery, finds herself navigating treacherous legal waters without proper representation after her attorney abruptly switched sides to represent the intended parents instead. What started as a beautiful journey of helping create families has transformed into a nightmare of legal manipulation, with the surrogate no...
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3 months ago
1 hour 7 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
(Ashleigh Part 2) This Surrogate Mother Survived a Medical Nightmare to Deliver Joy
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Ashleigh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surro_ashleigh?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==://www.instagram.com/surrornsara?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== In this gripping continuation of Ashleigh's surrogate story, we witness a journey that defied medical odds and revealed the profound resilience of human connection. After two successful surrogate pregnancies, Ashleigh' embarks on a third journey with the same intended parents, carrying their final embryo and...
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3 months ago
41 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
(Ashleigh Part 1) Beyond the Womb: When Strangers Become Family
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Ashleigh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surro_ashleigh?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==://www.instagram.com/surrornsara?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Ashleigh’s path began with an unexpected source of inspiration – the TV show "Friends" – and quickly evolved into a calling that would change multiple lives forever. With remarkable candor, she shares how her first surrogate pregnancy unfolded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring creativity a...
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3 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Paying It Forward: When Surrogacy Becomes Your Life's Mission
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Paying It Forward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payingitforward_surrogacy?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Beth Moskowicz journey through surrogacy began over a decade ago when she and her husband faced fertility challenges. After failed IVF transfers and a heartbreaking miscarriage, they turned to surrogacy—a path that would not only build their family but eventually shape Beth's career and life purpose. What started as her personal quest for parenthoo...
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4 months ago
49 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
The Marks Surrogacy Fraud: A Surrogate's Story
What happens when the dream of helping create a family through surrogacy turns into a nightmare? In this powerful and deeply troubling episode, we speak with a brave surrogate who finds herself caught in what's become one of the most shocking surrogacy scandals in recent memory. At 34 weeks pregnant, our anonymous guest reveals how she carefully researched surrogacy for a year before matching with what seemed like a legitimate couple. What began as a journey to help create a family has trans...
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4 months ago
1 hour 54 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Beyond Compensation: The Soul of Surrogacy Work
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate US Surrogacy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/us_surrogacy?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== What happens when personal struggle transforms into professional purpose? Dawn Baker, founder and CEO of US Surrogacy LLC, takes us behind the scenes of her remarkable journey from experiencing secondary infertility in her twenties to building an ethical surrogacy agency that has helped create nearly 400 families from 21 different countries. Dawn's perspective is u...
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4 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
Building Bonds Before Birth: How Joint Sessions Transform Surrogacy Journeys
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Rachel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelgoldbergtherapy?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Step into the emotional landscape of surrogacy with licensed therapist Rachel Goldberg as she pulls back the curtain on the psychological aspects of gestational carrier journeys. What many surrogates fear as judgment—psychological evaluations—are actually thoughtful assessments designed to ensure everyone's wellbeing throughout this profound experience. Rachel rev...
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5 months ago
1 hour 4 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
They Don't Know We Know, They Know, We Know
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Sara’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surrornsara?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== This week we spoke with Sara, a first time surrogate! Sara is also a registered labor and delivery nurse who first found out about surrogacy when she was 10 years old watching Phoebe Buffay become a surrogate for her brother on the famous 90's show "Friends". She details her beautiful first journey and the long road to to getting it started. Also, how her labor and de...
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5 months ago
1 hour 31 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
My Bumps, My Bumps, My Lovely Baby Bumps
#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Baby Bumps Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello_babybumps?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== This week we have a lovely returning guest, Victoria, an intended mother on her journey and founder of Baby Bumps. Victoria is giving us an update on where Bump Bumps, originally an app for matching, has now landed. Also, how you can find your perfect match and compensation that you are looking for. Baby Bumps is a unique and new way to meet your perfect match! Vict...
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6 months ago
48 minutes

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.
What if one case manager guided both the surrogate and the intended parents—from the first profile exchange to baby photos years later? We sit down with Nina Simmons, case manager and clinical support manager at Northwest Surrogacy Center, to explore how a unified model reduces miscommunication, deepens trust, and creates a steadier surrogacy journey. Nina pulls back the curtain on the real work behind the scenes: coordinating clinics and legal timelines, keeping everyone informed, and offeri...