Shira shares her path to motherhood, which includes multiple losses, two medical terminations, and the emotional complexities of parenting after loss. She opens up about the stigma surrounding pregnancy loss and termination, as well as how grief has reshaped both her personal life and professional approach.

The conversation also explores how Shira navigated the blending of different Jewish backgrounds within her marriage and vulnerability of talking about loss with her children.

If you're navigating loss, seeking healing, or trying to find your way through a transition, this episode is for you.

More about Shira Sussi MS RD CDN:

Shira Sussi MS RD CDN is a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian nutritionist and mother of two living children. She supports families during the all-encompassing life-phase of pregnancy and postpartum, and teaches parents simple, practical approaches to creating more intuitive eaters while building a positive feeding relationship with their child.

Connect with Shira:

- Check out Shira's Instagram

- Visit her website Shira Sussi Nutrition

- Connect with Shira via email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

Emily Goldberg, JScreen's Director of Genetic Counseling Services, breaks down what these mutations are, how they're inherited, and what the actual cancer risks look like. Dr. Melissa Frey, a GYN oncologist at Cornell who works closely with high-risk families, walks us through what happens after someone tests positive — from screening to risk-reducing surgeries to the big conversations around fertility and timing.

We also hear from Heather Boussi, who shares her powerful story of living with both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. She talks about diagnosis, surveillance, surgeries, and how this all shaped her family-building decisions.

Lastly, we look at what BRCA means for men, how that journey differs, and why PGT can still be an option.

If you or someone you love is navigating this, we close with places to turn for support: JScreen, Sharsheret, I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, and Stardust (links below). It's a mix of expertise, honesty, and heart — the kind of conversation so many people wish they had heard earlier, especially when faced with such difficult decisions. 

Note: This episode is the 4th of a series of 5 that we are collaborating on with Jscreen in 2025. 

Take a look at our previous three episodes here :

• Episode 157: Introduction to Genetics and Infertility

• Episode 166: Fragile X Syndrome: A Silent Factor in Infertility

• Episode 185: It's Not Just Her: Male Factor Fertility and Genetics Uncovered

Resources:

• Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program

• Facing Our Risk Empowered (FORCE)

• Jewish Fertility Foundation

• Stardust Foundation

• Sharsheret

• JScreen

More about Emily Goldberg:

Emily Goldberg serves as the Director of Genetic Counseling Services at jscreen, where she is dedicated to helping individuals understand and manage their genetic health. With dual bachelor's degrees in biology and psychology from Brandeis University and a master's degree in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College, Ms. Goldberg has been a certified genetic counselor since 2011. Prior to joining jscreen, she worked at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, specializing in prenatal and cancer genetics. In addition to her role at jscreen, Ms. Goldberg is committed to education, serving as an Instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and adjunct faculty at Sarah Lawrence College, where she teaches and mentors future genetic counselors. Her expertise and dedication make her a key member of the jscreen team.

Connect with JScreen:

- visit their website here

- check out their Instagram

More about Melissa Frey, MD:

Dr. Melissa Frey is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Director of the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Frey's clinical care and research focus on the management of individuals with hereditary cancer syndromes (e.g. BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome) and strong family history of breast and gynecologic cancers. She performs gynecologic cancer risk-reducing surgeries and is the principal investigator on several large trials aimed at cancer prevention among high-risk individuals. Dr. Frey has presented her research at national and international meetings and has more than 130 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Connect with Dr. Melissa Frey:

- check out her Instagram 

- view the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program website

More about Heather Boussi : 

Heather grew up in Westchester, NY and now lives in Englewood, NJ with her husband and three children. Her personal experience with hereditary cancer risk and genetic testing has made her a passionate advocate for awareness, education, and empowerment in women's health. Grounded in faith and family, Heather shares her story to help others approach life's challenges with strength, perspective, and gratitude.

Connect with Heather:

- check out Heather's Instagram and connect with her via email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

In this episode, I sit down with Jami Nelson, a mother, grandmother, and lifelong nurturer who has spent more than three decades living with the loss of her son, Dov Ber, who died of SIDS as an infant.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Jami opens up about what she remembers most about that time, how she survived the early days of grief when support was scarce, and how her relationship with loss has evolved over the years. She shares what it was like to raise four children while carrying the memory of one who wasn't there, and how that experience shaped the way she later supported others through their own heartbreak.

Together, we talk about:

• The quiet ways grief lingers through everyday life and motherhood

• The kind of help you keep going when your world has fallen apart

• What parents newly navigating loss need to hear from someone who's lived it

• How others can support someone who has had a loss

This episode speaks about the ache that never fully fades, and the strength of mothers who carry their children's memories in their hearts, always.

More about Jami Nelson:

I live in Boynton Beach Florida for the past 6 years after living in Cedarhurst, New York where I raised 4 children, ages 40, 37, 35 and 31. I was a teacher, labor and postpartum doula, lifeguard/swim teacher and administrative assistant. I love cooking, reading, being in the pool and spending time with my husband, children, grandchildren and good friends. Jami has been married to her husband Jonathan for 42 years.

Connect with Jami Nelson:

- Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

Pam shares her experience adopting her son, David, from Ethiopia, including the emotional weight of the legal process, the heartbreak of separation during visa delays, and the realities of bringing a young child into a new country, culture, and family. She reflects on the importance of ethical adoption practices, thorough preparation, and honest self-assessment before choosing this path.

The conversation also explores raising a child of color in a Jewish family, navigating dual racial and cultural identities, and why love alone isn't enough without intentional representation and open, ongoing dialogue. Pam emphasizes respecting a child's timeline, avoiding secrecy in adoption, and creating space for age-appropriate conversations about identity and origins.

This episode offers an honest look at what adoption truly asks of parents, and how openness, humility, and care help build trust over time.

More about Pam Krooth, LCSW:

Pam Krooth is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who resides in Maryland with her husband, two children and French Bulldog. She is the mother of a biological and adopted child. She is currently on the Board of Directors at The Lab School of Washington, DC, an independent private school for children with language based learning differences. And is on the Board of Directors at Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE), an organization that provides mental health treatment and education to adoptive, foster and kinship individuals and families, as well as training in adoption competency to professionals working with these populations.

Resources:

- Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)

Connect with Pam:

-Check out Pam's Instagram

- Contact Pam via email at pamela.k@therapist.net

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

• Rabbi Motzen's background and how/why he came into this work.

• How so many people feel unseen in Jewish communal life, and how "Kol Echad" aims to fix it

• Simple and practical suggestions that synagogues, hosts, and individuals can make to be more inviting and inclusive

• Impressing upon people that we all need to be involved in this to make a difference

More about Rabbi Yisrael Motzen:

Rabbi Yisrael Motzen is the rabbi of Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. He serves as special assistant to the executive vice presidents of the Orthodox Union and is also the director of Kol Echad, a new OU department dedicated to creating communities where every single person matters.

Connect with Rabbi Yisrael Motzen: 

- Follow him on Instagram

- Connect with Kol Echad on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

Grappling with Loss: The Personal Stories

Two parents will describe how they grappled with the challenges of premature death, dealt with religious obligations, and created a path for spiritual healing.

Rabbi Ilan Glazer is the Co-Founder of the Our Love Continues Facebook group, a space for Jewish parents who have experienced miscarriage, end of a wanted pregnancy, stillbirth, or death of a child to find meaning, resources, and community. Ilan and his wife Sherri helped start the group in response to the stillbirth of their son Shemaryah Zichri in January 2022. Ilan is also the Founder and Director of Our Jewish Recovery, which exists to uplift the hearts and souls of everyone impacted by addiction in the Jewish community. Ilan is working on an album of original melodies Shemaryah helped bring to the world. Ilan and Sherri hope and pray that he is at peace, surrounded by his ancestors, and that his melodies will bring comfort and healing to all who need it.

Cantor Hinda Eisen Labovitz is the co-spiritual leader of Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase, MD. She is the mother of four children, including Ronen (z"l) who died in infancy of a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In Ronen's memory, Cantor Labovitz did a year-long study of the entire Tanakh/Hebrew Bible, and continues to teach about grief and loss, in particular about how bereaved parents are represented (or aren't) in the Bible. Her reflections on study and ongoing living with grief are published here.

-the complex and deeply personal journey of surrogacy—one that comes with unique challenges, especially within the Jewish community

-the realities of surrogacy, the emotional and halachic considerations, and the questions that so many intended parents struggle with

-finding a "kosher" surrogate—how hard is it, and what are the costs? Are grants available?

-the emotional and relational aspects—how involved are partners, and how does that shape the bond with the baby?

-preparing for someone else to carry your child—what if disagreements arise?

-explaining surrogacy to your child—when and how to tell them, and do some parents choose not to?

This conversation is honest, raw, and full of insight for anyone exploring surrogacy or supporting someone on this path. Whether you're considering surrogacy yourself or just curious about the experience, this episode sheds light on the deeply personal and communal aspects of building a family through surrogacy.

More about Aliza: 

Aliza Abrams Konig is the Director of Student Leadership at Yeshiva University. Throughout Aliza's career, she has worked within areas of student life, team building, creating curricula, and enriching the experiences of thousands of students through Experiential Education. Earlier in Aliza's career she served as the YU Director of Alumni Engagement, Assistant Principal at Central, Yeshiva University High School for Girls, Director of Student Life at Stern College, and as the Director of Jewish Service Learning for the University, where she built the service learning curriculum and established chessed missions around the world. Aliza is a member of the inaugural Wexner Field Fellows program through the Wexner Foundation. She has spoken worldwide in synagogues, community centers, and schools about leadership, education, faith, prayer and issues related to the contemporary Jewish family, dating, infertility, surrogacy and family, and is a sought-after consultant on surrogacy. Aliza holds a BA in Judaic Studies from Stern College, and a Master's in Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work and is now a doctoral candidate at Wurzweiler. Aliza, her husband Samuel, and their family live in Riverdale, New York, where they are very involved with their community, synagogue, and other local organizations.

Connect with Aliza:

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

More about Rabbi Danny Stein:

Danny Stein is the rabbi of the Selma and Lawrence Ruben Base UWS, a pluralistic Jewish community for 20s & 30s in New York-based out of his and his wife Tamara's home. He feels passionate about helping folks connect with Judaism in ways meaningful for themselves. After being supported by IWSTHAB amidst his own fertility journey filled with losses and uncertainty, Danny is proud to help change the conversation within Jewish communities. He loves studying Hasidut, eating sushi, and is an overjoyed abbah (father) to their IVF baby.

Connect with Rabbi Danny Stein:

-Contact his personal Instagram and Upper West Side BASE Instagram

More about Tamara Stein (J.D.):

Tamara is originally from Sacramento, CA, but has been living on the East Coast and in the Midwest for well over a decade. She moved to the Upper West Side of New York City in 2023 to create Base UWS, a pluralistic, diverse, vibrant Jewish community for 20s and 30s out of her and her husband Danny's home.

Tamara is a lawyer who received her J.D. from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. On top of helping to run Base UWS, Tamara currently works full-time as the Deputy Director at Mayday Health, a non-profit that educates folks on medication abortion and how to access it in all 50 states. She is passionate about using her love of policy, law, operations, and strategic thinking to contribute to health equity and access, and feels privileged to have been given the opportunity to merge her passions with a career.

Tamara loves (in no particular order): eating sushi, traveling to visit friends and family, trying new workout classes around the city, making challah, arguing about anything and everything, watching The Bachelor, and taking long walks on Shabbat with no destination in mind. Lastly, she is the very proud and grateful mom to her two favorite little kiddos- Ruthie (2) and Avi (almost 1!)

Connect with Tamara Stein:

-Visit her Instagram

-Check out the Upper West Side BASE

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-grief, resilience, and the power of turning personal tragedy into a source of healing for others

-her experience navigating secondary infertility, a devastating stillbirth, and an early loss

-how each heartbreak deepened her grief and after years of heartbreak, pain and healing, she welcomed her rainbow baby, but her story didn't end there

-how she took her pain and transformed it into purpose

-her journey of becoming a grief educator, dedicating herself to helping others navigate the unbearable weight of loss

Chaya will be running our Second/Third Trimester Loss group and the new Recurrent Loss group, which will be starting in May 2025.

More about Chaya: 

Chaya is a Certified Grief Educator, trained by renowned expert David Kessler, and a Certified Trauma Coach through Daniel Schonbuch at the Torah Psychology School for Coaching and Counseling. She founded Jewish Grief Groups to support bereaved women after the loss of a pregnancy, baby, child, parent, spouse, sibling, or loved one.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chaya endured the stillbirth of her baby boy after a decade of infertility due to a medical condition. Months later, a miscarriage compounded her grief, leaving her isolated and lost—until she found IWSTHAB, whose support carried her through her losses and a subsequent pregnancy with her rainbow baby. Inspired by the healing she experienced, Chaya now helps others navigate grief with compassion and understanding.

Chaya lives in Pomona, NY, with her husband, three children, and one forever in her heart. She finds joy in working out, hiking, and cake decorating.

Connect with Chaya:

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

More about Briana Felsen:

Briana Felsen is a development professional who works in the Israel space. First in South Florida and now back home right outside of Washington, DC. She graduated from Indiana University with her undergraduate degree in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and George Washington University for her graduate program in Israel Education.

Briana is passionate about Jewish community building, reading good books, Hoosier basketball, and the perfect wine and cheese pairing. Briana lives in Potomac Maryland with her husband Jerry and their dog Skipper and the newest member of their family, their IVF baby, Sonny.

Connect with Briana Felsen:

- Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

We also hear from Gail Heyman, who shares her deeply personal journey navigating Fragile X in her own family—and how that led her to advocacy. Whether you're building your family or supporting someone who is, this episode is filled with insight, honesty, and heart.

-Click here to watch Part 1: Introduction to Genetics and Infertility

More about Estie: 

Estie Rose is a certified genetic counselor at jscreen. She has a special interest in community education and serves as a resource for individuals who are facing genetic health issues.

Connect with Estie: 

-Follow her on Instagram

More about Heather:

Dr. Heather Hipp is a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) physician and an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She earned her undergraduate degree at Duke University and then her MD degree at Emory University, where she continued her training in residency and fellowship. She is the Program Director for the REI fellowship at Emory and serves as chair for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Education Committee. Her profession memberships include American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society. She is also on the National Fragile X Foundation Scientific and Clinical Advisory Committee. Her research focuses on women who are carriers for the fragile X mutation and their risk of premature ovarian insufficiency, as well as trends and outcomes of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States.

More about Gail:  

Gail Heyman is a passionate advocate and leader in the Fragile X community. After her son was diagnosed in 1989, she co-founded the Fragile X Association of Georgia and has served as its director ever since. Her family's experience—spanning three generations affected by Fragile X conditions—fuels her tireless work to raise awareness, promote research, and support others navigating similar challenges. Gail also serves on JScreen's advisory board and has received national recognition for her leadership in genetic advocacy and inclusion.

-Click here to learn more about Gail's story

-Check out Carly Heyman's book, My eXtra Special Brother

-Learn more about Fragile X here

Connect with JScreen: 

-Visit their website

-Coupon Code: IWSTHAB18 for $18 off initial testing (no expiration date on this offer)

-Follow JScreen on Instagram

Connect with us: 

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-her deeply personal fertility journey

-the stillbirth she experienced four years ago, a recent miscarriage, and the ongoing pain and resilience that define life after loss

-the powerful parallels between her own struggles and the journey of the Jewish people in Egypt

-what it means to seek liberation while still walking through grief

-tangible ways to care for yourself and "fill your cup" this holiday season—especially if your heart feels heavy during a time that celebrates freedom and renewal

More about Shirel: 

Shirel, with a background in colour management and graphic communications, made Aliyah (moved) to Israel in 2020. During her first few months as a new immigrant (olah chadashah), Shirel discovered she was pregnant. After a healthy pregnancy, at 26 weeks, Shirel found out there was no heartbeat and had to deliver her baby. Shirel felt she had no one to turn to for support. Shortly after her loss she moved to a remote city with no English-speaking resources, friends, or family, which created a void for the support she desperately sought. She found IWSTHAB who helped guide her through her loss, a pregnancy after that loss (PAL), and eventually welcoming a healthy rainbow baby. Shirel currently resides in Harish, Israel, and is very involved with developing events and support for the English-speaking community there. She is very grateful to be working with IWSTHAB and looks forward to giving back to the very same community that helped her through her most difficult moments. Shirel understands the challenges new immigrants and members of English-speaking communities face while navigating their fertility journeys in Israel and looks forward to providing support with compassion, empathy, and understanding.

Connect with Shirel:

-Send her an email

-Join one of Shirel's support groups 

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-the most frequently asked questions about donor conception

-who considers using a donor

-how one picks a donor

-the emotions that people typically grapple with

-who needs to know that you are using a donor (the egg salad comment was so great here!)

-how the Jewish community relates to donor-conceived children

Spoiler alert: Dr. Surrey was the doctor that Rabbi Solomon used for her donor-conceived children, and she talks all about that here. If you are thinking about embarking on a donor journey, or you are already on that road, this is the episode for you.

More about Dr. Eric Surrey:

Dr. Eric Surrey is a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at CCRM Colorado. He is past President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, Society of Reproductive Surgeons and the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society and currently serves on the Executive Council of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.

More about Rabbi Idit Solomon: 

Rabbi Idit Solomon is the founder of Hasidah. Rabbi Solomon earned a Master's Degree in Jewish Education and led the Department of Jewish Education in Columbus, OH. She is also an alumnus of the Rabbis Without Borders program and a member of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's Clergy Leadership Program.

More about Lori Metz, LCSW, CCM, BC-THM: 

Lori Metz, LCSW, CCM, BC-THM, is a therapist, author, creator, and host of LIFE, love, insight, fertility, experiences podcast, manages support groups, workshops, and speaks publicly.  She has worked in health care for over twenty years in various settings such as hospitals, home care, health insurance, and patient safety oversight organizations, serving an array of communities. Her expertise on mental health, how to process and cope with infertility psychologically and emotionally, pursuing third-party reproduction to build your family, deciding to redefine your vision of family as well as communication skills, relationship strategies, self-care, nurturing, and more. She encourages curiosity and changing your perspective when going through treatment and using gratitude to cope. Her profound understanding of those providing care, needing care, and paying for care has allowed her to develop successful strategic campaigns and programs across the country.  She is currently organizing an initiative to add donor conception and adoption to the medical intake process by replacing the category "other" with donor and adoption. The change will improve health outcomes while reducing unnecessary costs.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Her fertility journey

-Her misdiagnosis of PCOS

-Her husband's zero sperm count and what they did to find some

-Why she started talking about her story on social media

Connect with Sora: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her pain and struggle with primary infertility

-A window into what her life is like

-Her Instagram account

-Why she shares freely

-Making "one world" of awareness

Connect with Adelle: 

-Follow Adelle on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

More about Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman:

Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman is the Senior Associate Rabbi at Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, New Jersey, the congregation she has served since 2008. She was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2010.

Her writings have been published online and in five CCAR Press publications: The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic (2011), Moral Resistance and Spiritual Authority: Our Jewish Obligation to Social Justice (2019), The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality (2014), and Mishkan Ga'avah: Where Pride Dwells (2020) and The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma (2025). She is the co-founder of Modern Jewess, an emerging publication for Jewish women to write and connect.

Karen has been a proud board member of I Was Supposed To Have a Baby since 2024. She lives in New Jersey with her wife, Liz Glazer, a lawyer-turned-comedian, their teenage cat Jack, and toddler, Eloise.

Connect with Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman:

- Follow her on Instagram

- Visit her website here

- Feel free to reach out via email at: krperolman@gmail.com 

More about Rabbi Danny Stein: 

Connect with Rabbi Danny Stein: 

- Follow his personal Instagram account   

- Check out the Base Upper West Side Instagram

- Visit the Base Upper West Side website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her fertility story of multiple IUIs, failed IVF transfers, reductions, difficult pregnancies

-Her road to having her three children

-Her strength, hope, faith and resilience

Connect with Abbie: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How to think about struggle

-Tests

-What happens when Gd says no

Connect with Kayla:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her book on Amazon

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

- Getting a BRCA+ diagnosis and making hard decisions

- Letting go of the fantasy of more children

- Religious anxiety, fear, and finding balance

- How humor and public storytelling became part of her healing

- Control, or lack thereof—and learning to live with it

Mentions:

Sharsheret and Chai Lifeline

More about Julia Makowsky: 

Connect with Julia: 

- Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-his recent piece about the insensitivity in the orthodox community to people who are struggling to have a child

-his personal story of infertility and the pain he and his wife carried for all those years

-how their infertility challenges made him a passionate voice for those who are still in the trenches

-practical takeaways on what you can say and do to ease some of the pain

More about Rabbi Poupko:

Rabbi Elchanan Poupko is a writer, a teacher, and a rabbi. Rabbi Poupko has written hundreds of articles in three languages on topics ranging from Jewish law, to current events, and infertility in the Jewish community. He is the host of The Jewish World podcast. He lives with his family in New Haven, Connecticut.

Connect with Rabbi Poupko:

-Follow him on Instagram

-Check out his posts on Threads

-Watch his videos on YouTube

-Follow him on X

-Read some of his articles; Infertility Lack of Awareness Month, Jewish holiday guide to friends, family of childless people, Fertility: Children Are Not Shawarma, IVF for agunot: A welcome change, A miscarriage never ends at a miscarriage, Your IVF Child Does Not Need 'Koshering', Lech Lecha: Infertile Nation, Nothing immoral about IDF IVF, The loneliness of Orthodox infertility

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-the raw and remarkable story of how he became a father through surrogacy

-the emotional complexities, logistical challenges, financial hurdles, and moments of deep joy that shaped his path to parenthood

-what led him to pursue fatherhood on his own 

-the decision to use surrogacy and the entire process from choosing an egg donor to the moment his daughter was born

-how Jewish tradition community played a role in his journey

-the hope and strength required along the way

-what he wants other men, queer folks, and Jewish families to know about nontraditional paths to parenthood

More about Chaz:

Chaz Naor is a native New Yorker, an active member of the Jewish LGBTQ+ community, a dedicated higher education professional, a passionate theater producer and avid theatergoer—and, above all, a devoted solo dad to his one-year-old daughter, Lia. 

As if he weren't busy enough, Chaz recently joined Ivy Fertility as a consultant, partnering with intended parents to demystify the surrogacy process and support them in building families of their own.

For Chaz, sharing his surrogacy story isn't just personal—it feels essential. He knows there are so many gay men who dream of becoming fathers but feel unsure, overwhelmed, or even scared to take the leap. By being open about his story, Chaz hopes to break down those barriers, show what's possible, and give others the confidence to pursue the family they deserve.

Connect with Chaz: 

-Read an article about Chaz

-Follow him on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

Time Does Not Heal All Wounds: The Wisdom of Grieving Perinatal Loss

The experience of pregnancy loss as a disenfranchised or ambiguous loss can be confusing and isolating to grieving parents and family members. We will explore the language of compassion and connection surrounding the bereaved with support and a pathway forward through grief.

Dvora Entin, LCSW, PMH-C specializes in reproductive and perinatal mental health, is a clinical consultant for Yesh Tikva and Knafayim and a lead trainer for Postpartum Support International, recently launching a two-day advanced training in Perinatal Loss. Dvora is an adjunct professor at Wurzweiler School of Social Work, teaching Maternal Mental Health, and maintains a group practice of specialized licensed therapists serving PA, NJ, NY, & Israel.

Nancy Berlow, LCSW, has been the Clinical Supervisor of the Pregnancy Loss Support Program (PLSP) of the National Council of Jewish Women, New York Section since 2011. She trains and supervises volunteer counselors who provide care for PLSP's bereaved clients, work that includes facilitating support groups and conducting one-on-one telephone counseling sessions. Nancy has been in the field of providing support to bereaved parents and educating medical professionals for 25 years.

Throughout Pam's story, we see how the path to the family she hoped for looked nothing like what she once imagined, and how hard it was when the timing was out of her control. After infertility, postpartum depression, and a miraculous adoption, she found her way to a different kind of motherhood, which reminds us to stay open to the many ways a family can be created, because the unexpected path can sometimes lead somewhere even more beautiful.

This raw, honest conversation reminds us that there isn't one way to become a parent, and that every path, however unexpected, is miraculous.

More about Pam Krooth:

Pam Krooth is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who resides in Maryland with her husband, two children and French Bulldog. She is the mother of a biological and adopted child. She is currently on the Board of Directors at The Lab School of Washington, DC, an independent private school for children with language based learning differences. And is on the Board of Directors at Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE), an organization that provides mental health treatment and education to adoptive, foster and kinship individuals and families, as well as training in adoption competency to professionals working with these populations.

Resources:

- Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)

Connect with Pam:

-Check out Pam's Instagram

- Contact Pam via email at pamela.k@therapist.net

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

We're joined by Paul Kassebaum, a quantum physicist, and his wife Julia Cohen, an economist, who live in Westchester, NY. In 2021, their family-building journey took an unexpected turn with a diagnosis of male factor infertility. They open up about the medical and emotional twists and turns of their path, and why they hope sharing their story will help others feel less alone.

To give us a full picture, we also bring in experts: Dr. Ariel Moradzadeh, a reproductive endocrinologist, and Abbe Golding, a genetic counselor at Jscreen. Together, we explore:

• What male factor infertility actually is, what the causes are, and how it's evaluated

• Who should be doing the testing and why it matters

• The role genetics can play in male infertility

• The emotional and psychosocial impact on men and couples

• How couples like Paul and Julia navigate the unexpected and find resilience

Whether you're directly facing male factor infertility, supporting a partner, or simply learning more about the different paths to parenthood, this conversation is a mix of story, science, and support.

Note: This episode is the 3rd of a series of 5 that we are collaborating on with Jscreen in 2025. 

Take a look at our previous two episodes here :

• Episode 157: Introduction to Genetics and Infertility

• Episode 166: Fragile X Syndrome: A Silent Factor in Infertility

About Paul Kassebaum and Julia Cohen:

Paul Kassebaum (Kass-eh-bomb) and Julia Cohen live in Westchester, NY where Paul is a quantum physicist and Julia is an economist. In 2021 they were forced to reconsider how to start a family when presented with a diagnosis of male factor infertility. They hope that by sharing both the medical and emotional aspects of their journey they can be a resource for other couples navigating the infertility space.

About Dr. Ariel Moradzadeh:

Dr. Ariel Moradzadeh attended medical school at The David Geffen school of medicine at UCLA. Following medical school, he completed his General Surgery internship and Urology residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he developed his passion for men's health and male infertility. Following residency, he completed an andrology, men's health, male and infertility fellowship at UCLA, and he now works as a full-time reproductive Urologist at Cedars-Sinai. When he is not treating patients, he enjoys running, swimming, weight lifting and yoga.

About Abbe Golding:

Abbe Golding is a certified genetic counselor and works as a community education and outreach manager for JScreen. She is passionate about providing genetic knowledge that empowers individuals to make informed healthcare decisions. Abbe believes that accurate and relatable genetic information should be accessible to everyone. Abbe lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and daughter.

Connect with JScreen

-visit their website here

-check out their instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

This powerful conversation moves through so many of the questions we all wrestle with:

• How can faith and pain coexist without canceling each other out?

• How do we grapple with unimaginable pain when there are no easy answers?

• How can people show up for families after miscarriage, stillbirth, or other losses?

• How do we talk to children about death or loss without frightening them?

Rabbi Soniker's honesty, humility, and spiritual insight offer comfort and clarity — reminding us that grief and light can, in fact, exist together.

More about Rabbi Elon Soniker:

Rabbi Elon Soniker is the Rav of Congregation Anshei Shalom in West Hempstead, NY, and Judaic Studies Principal at Ohr Yisroel in New Jersey. Rabbi Soniker recently published a book titled "Uriel's Light: Reflections on Tragedy and Emunah" in honor of his son Uriel z"l. The book contains letters, divrei Torah and reflections written during the brief life and the year following the passing of his baby son. Rabbi Soniker lives in West Hempstead with his wife and children.

Resources Mentioned:

• View Rabbi Elon Soniker's book Our Son Uriel's Light: Reflections on tragedy and Emunah

• Pain is a Reality; Suffering is a Choice, by Rabbi Asher Resnick

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-how she has always known that she wants to be a mother

-how she decided that by the time she was 30, if she didn't meet someone, she would take steps to do this by herself

-her multiple failed relationships including a broken engagement

-insensitive comments like, "you better start trying now because you're running out of time" from her fertility doctors

-multiple fertility treatments and 3 miscarriages

-her continued journey on this path

She shares the unvarnished story about how steadfast one sometimes needs to be in order to fulfill their dreams.

More about Michelle (Malka) Grunstein:

Michelle is a licensed therapist who is multifaceted. Some of her specialties include child and adolescent development, addiction, trauma (EMDR), grief, depression, and anxiety. She is currently the Clinical Director and Executive Director of multiple dual diagnosis treatment centers, catering to those struggling with mental health and addiction. Michelle's difficult childhood lead her to become a therapist as a young adult and she has built her career with the focus of helping others. Despite attempts at dating and building a family throughout adulthood, she has been unable to do so due to a combination of infertility and not finding "the one". Michelle has chosen to fulfill her dream of becoming a mom through the use of a donor and has been on the journey of becoming a solo mom by choice for the last few years.

Connect with Michelle: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Aliza Abrams Konig discusses her journey with surrogacy and how she disseminates information and resources throughout the community

-Esty Perman shares her experiences of going public with her story, and how she walks the line between sharing her joys without causing pain for others

-Chavie Bruk talks about the family she built through adoption and the lessons she continues to learn on a daily basis

-Lizzy Savetsky shares the gut-wrenching story of how her son entered the world and the strength it took to get her through

-Adelle Bryski talks about how she found meaning in helping others going through similar challenges

-Amy Seroussi shares how she finds comfort amidst the disappointment in numerous failed IVF cycles

-Malki Rodal discusses how her pregnancy after multiple losses was excruciating and terrifying, as she was afraid to trust she would take home a living baby

Look Back at Our Top Episodes:

-Episode 2: My Fertility Story with Esty Perman

-Episode 6: Your Pain is Real with Elizabeth Savetsky

-Episode 17: Perspective Taking with Aliza Abrams Konig

-Episode 23: My Primary Infertility Struggle with Adelle Bryski

-Episode 34: My Triplet Pregnancy with Malki Rodal

-Episode 47: Expectations, Pain, and Adoption with Chavie Bruk

-Episode 81: Finding Light and Meaning in an 11-Year Fertility Journey with Amy Seroussi

Connect with us:

• Website

• Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

• TikTok

• Facebook

• YouTube

• Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-how to talk to children about grief and loss

-sharing news in a way that is developmentally appropriate for each child

-normalizing the greiving process for children by explaining that you may be sad one day and not the next

-making sure that each child knows that they are not their feelings by explaining that you can feel sad, but you're not a sad person

More about Talia: 

Talia is trained as an Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and is a Certified Grief Educator. She has a passion for authentic conversations and believes deeply in the power of connection as people share their stories of loss and integration in the context of a caring community. Talia found tremendous comfort in the relationships she built with fellow-grievers in the aftermath of her own loss, and has pivoted professionally to make grief support her primary focus (and love!). She facilitates a grief group for adults under the supervision of grief expert David Kessler, runs an in-person group at a local children's grief center, and educates on grief-informed practice in several arenas. Talia feels it is an honor and privilege to be invited to walk alongside those in grief, and she is humbled to be able to hold space for others at their most vulnerable moments. Talia lives in Cincinnati, and when she is not drinking dark roast coffee or making up silly rhyming songs to amuse her children, she daydreams about curling up on the couch with a good book.

Connect with Talia: 

-Send her an email

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her LinkedIn

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-the story of her 3 beautiful children, some of whom came into this world through donor eggs (you'll have to listen to find out which ones!)

-longing for a child and having multiple failed cycles

-how Jen and her husband came to considering donor eggs

-Jen's relationship with her donor, unlike an anonymous donor, Jen knew her donor, which made the decision so much easier for her

-building her family with the help of science and a modern-day miracle

-the idea of epigenetics - what comes from your biology, what comes from your environment

-parenting *all* her children and ensuring they get the love and attention they need

More about Jen:

Jen Blumenfeld lives in Oakland, California, with her husband, three daughters, and their energetic 12-year-old doodle puppy. A Bay Area native, Jen has always been deeply engaged in the Jewish community, consistently contributing as a lay leader. From helping establish the Mission Minyan nineteen years ago to serving on membership and outreach committees at her synagogue, and leading parent committees at her children's schools, Jen dedicates her free time to building and nurturing Jewish community. Jen has a background in fashion, retail, and e-commerce. For the past three years, she has been a stay-at-home mom to her three girls. Jen has served on the Hasidah board for the past seven years, where she is passionately committed to normalizing infertility in all its forms and assisting couples in their journey to parenthood. Having experienced the pain of infertility herself, Jen understands the significant financial burdens and socio-emotional challenges it presents. Being a recipient of donor eggs, she deeply believes that helping someone become a parent is the greatest gift one can offer.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Growing up in a secular home and her return to Judaism in college

-Her three miscarriages in the early part of her marriage

-How her cycle shifted over time

-Missing her fertile window because of taharas hamishpacha

-Her emotions as she discovered what's wrong, how she became angry with G-d, and how she's finding her way back

Connect with Jenna: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-being a "normal" frum (religious) woman—living the life she always imagined…until everything changed

-the agonizing journey of facing a devastating diagnosis, weeks of uncertainty, and the unbearable weight of an unthinkable decision

-her story of pain, grief, and resilience

-a glimpse into the realities of TFMR (Termination for Medical Reasons) in the frum community

Disclaimer: The voices in this episode have been altered using AI to ensure anonymity of our guest.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-her upbringing, her passion for her job as a community rabbi, and having a stillbirth

-her baby, Leo, who she lost

-what grief looks like when your job is to hold people in *their* pain

-how she has managed to get through all of it

More about Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman:

Karen Glazer Perolman is the Senior Associate Rabbi at Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, the congregation she has served since 2008. She studied at the University of Maryland at College Park (2004) followed by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York (M.A.H.L., 2009; Ordination, 2010). While in rabbinical school Karen had the privilege to serve as a teaching assistant to theology professor Rabbi Eugene B. Borowitz, z"l. She sits on the board of Project Kesher and was a member of the CCAR Taskforce on Women in the Rabbinate from 2017-2020. She is a grateful alumnus of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's Clergy Leadership Program and CLAL's Rabbis Without Borders, GLEAN, and LEAP fellowships. Karen is a voracious reader which fuels her passion to understand the relationships between food, spirituality, politics, Judaism, feminism and social justice. She is married to Liz Glazer, a lawyer-turned-standup comedian and are parents to baby Eloise, teenage cat Jack, and Leo, of blessed memory.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

More about Bianca Jade: 

Connect with Bianca Jade: 

- Follow her on Instagram

- Check out the Primed for Pregnancy retreat

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-her journey becoming a frum single mother by choice 

-the unexpected path that led her here and how she never imagined this would be her story

-the emotional toll of letting go of "the plan" and the strength it took to move forward anyway

-the moment the decision became real, egg freezing, the heartbreak of multiple pregnancy losses, and the incredible strength she had  to keep trying

-how people judged, supported, misunderstood, and sometimes surprised her—and what she wishes others understood about this path

If you've ever felt like your life looks different than you thought it would—or if you're wondering what it means to choose motherhood on your own terms—this one is for you.

This is a special mother's day episode - for all the mothers out there who fought desperately, year after year, to have a child.

More about Jordana:

Jordana is a single mom living with her yummy daughter Amalia in Israel. She made Aliyah from Queens, NY in 2014, started out in Jerusalem and moved to Tel Aviv seven years ago. After getting her Master's in speech pathology, Jordana hasn't practiced in 10 years and now works in marketing. Jordana enjoys wine nights, reads voraciously and lives for European travel and her Friday brunches- none of these activities have happened since Amalia came on the scene. But she's worth it.

Connect with Jordana:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her blog

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-her years of primary infertility, coupled with the devastating loss of her infant son 

-her book, "From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage After Death," which has become a lifeline for those navigating the churning waters of grief

-her raw, soul-baring journey from paralyzing grief to living a life infused with purpose and passion

-words of wisdom gathered from Elissa's personal life and expertise on living a fuller, more intentional life

More about Elissa:

Elissa started and actively manages the only international community of practice for women engaged with traditional Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society). The community mission is to share experiences, give encouragement, network, learn together and help to develop and support each other. She is responsible for building the community and providing on-going professional development. The knowledge she has acquired motivated her to write a personal memoir of loss and grief weaving in Jewish teachings about life, death and afterlife. Her book, "From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage After Death," was published by Mosaica Press. She is also the head of the women's division of the Rhode Island Chevra Kadisha and is a sought after speaker on topics of life, death, the work of the Chevra Kadisha and grief. In addition, Elissa is the Coordinator for all of Core's Communities of Practice. These communities offer training, resources and support for those who want to strengthen their communities on an intentional and ongoing basis. In her role, Elissa helps each of these many international communities grow and thrive. Locally, Elissa Founder and Director of Core Connects RI, a non-profit organization that aims to deepen women's connections to one another, to Jewish wisdom and Jewish values, to empower each other to find greater meaning, purpose and possibility in life and to cultivate unity without uniformity. As director she is passionate about providing others with opportunities to grow and become. She runs programming both online and in person. Elissa works tirelessly to bring Jews together and celebrates the commonalities rather than the differences. Through all of these experiences Elissa mentors and encourages others on their journeys and even finds time to teach a weekly Parsha class.

Connect with Elissa: 

-Contact her via email

-Check out her website

-Purchase her book

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-eating disorders, body image, and fertility journeys

-how each of them, separately or together, can make Passover challenging

-giving yourself grace to engage with the eating restrictions as little or as much as you want

-setting boundaries on conversation topics or triggers

-leaning into ritual to make the holiday meaningful for you

Connect with Shira:

-Email her at shira@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-the realities of the fertility community in Israel, one year after October 7th

-what the last 365 days has been for them personally and as individuals who have taken active roles in trying to hold space for others

-advice to those of us who live in the diaspora, as to how we can best support our friends and family there, and be a light to them and they manage this difficult time

-Shirel speaks about her grief work @IWSTHAB

-Shani speaks about sharing her miscarriage publicly with @timesofisrael 

More about Shirel: 

Shirel Korobkin moved from Toronto to Israel in 2020 and now lives in Harish. She works as a Grief Educator and Group Support Lead for English speakers at "I Was Supposed To Have A Baby," a Jewish fertility and pregnancy loss organization. Shirel is also actively involved in building the English-speaking community in Harish through events and shiurim.

Connect with Shirel:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Join one of Shirel's support groups

More about Shani: 

Shani Weinmann Kay was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in the Jewish community of Toco Hills. She attended Torah Day School of Atlanta and Yeshiva Atlanta before coming to Midreshet Harova and then joining the IDF, serving as a Combat Medic in the Artillery Brigade. She has a degree in Dance, is studying Psychology, and is a reservist in Search and Rescue.

Connect with Shani:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Learn more about her family's nonprofit The Eli Kay Project

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

The introductory episode of our 5-part IWSTHAB x JSCREEN Podcast series dives into the genetic aspect of fertility and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) workups, setting the stage for an engaging and informative series that blends expert knowledge with deeply personal stories.

Moderated by Dr. Aimee Baron of IWSTHAB, in this epsiode, we speak to Natalie, a reproductive genetic counselor, will explain what a genetic counselor does and how genetics factor into infertility evaluations. Dr. Batsheva Maslow (REI) will provide a medical perspective on infertility evaluations and how certain diagnoses and/or findings can help direct treatment. And finally, 

Rena Fox will share her personal journey as part of a carrier couple who chose IVF for genetic reasons, shedding light on the real-life implications of genetic fertility challenges. 

More about Natalie: 

Natalie Richeimer, MS, CGC, is a board certified genetic counselor at jscreen with clinical experience in adult, pediatric, and reproductive genetic counseling. She holds a master's degree in human genetics and genetic counseling from the Keck Graduate Institute. Natalie is a native Torontonian, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two boys. She has published research in the Journal of Genetic Counseling on the impact of orthodox Jewish clergy's role in prenatal genetic counseling. Prior to her work as a genetic counselor, Natalie worked as a high school STEM teacher for 7 years in Los Angeles. She is passionate about reproductive health education and community engagement. Natalie has a special interest in outreach, with the goal of increasing awareness of and access to genetic counseling. Natalie has partnered with local organizations and high schools to provide community education.

More about Dr. Maslow:

Dr. Bat-Sheva Lerner Maslow is double board-certified in OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility and is the lead physician at the Reproductive Medical Associates of New Jersey - Jersey City office. Dr. Maslow has a special interest in education, research, and the clinical care of single women considering proactive fertility preservation. 

Outside of the office, Dr. Maslow lectures and writes on the intersection of halakha and reproduction. She serves as the Director of Medical Education for the North American Yoatzot Halacha Program and is a board member of several organizations related to Jewish women and health. She maintains an active educational presence on social media discussing issues related to reproduction in the Jewish community. 

Dr. Maslow attended Barnard College and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania and fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at the University of Connecticut, where she also completed a master's degree in clinical and translational research

More about Rena: 

Rena is an experienced nurse with 6 years in labor and delivery and 2 years in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). Having personally gone through IVF, she combines professional expertise with personal insight to provide compassionate care and support to those navigating fertility challenges.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Her surrogacy story filled with laughs, pain, and everything in between

-The guilt that came along with not being able to carry her own child

-Meeting her daughter for the first time and the reactions from the surrogate family during childbirth

-The circle of love surrounding her daughter

To connect with Dr. Smokler, email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

More about Rachel Honeyman: 

Rachel Honeyman has been involved with IWSTHAB since its early days — first as a recipient of support, then as a board member. Rachel and her husband, Tzvi Doron, are childless-not-by-choice after a painful, 5+ year infertility journey, about which they've both written and spoken publicly (including in Instalives and podcasts for IWSTHAB). While motherhood isn't in the cards for Rachel, she gains great comfort in being able to give back to the IWSTHAB community. Rachel has a Master's in English, runs a marketing and web design agency called HoneyBeBold, and is a martial artist and women's self-defense instructor. She lives in Long Island, NY.

Connect with Rachel: 

- Follow her on Instagram

- Visit her website here

More about Tzipora Grodko, LMSW:

Tzipora Grodko is a dynamic public speaker, psychotherapist, and coach who inspires audiences across the Jewish world with powerful messages of confidence, resilience, and personal growth. Her viral talk, Things Shadchanim Should Know, reframed the "shidduch crisis" with a more compassionate lens, making her a leading voice in single advocacy.

Ranked as the #1 Meaningful People episode of 2022, Tzipora has since traveled globally, speaking at schools, organizations, and events on topics like mental health, leadership, and breaking societal stigmas.

She recently launched Stories of Hope, the first Orthodox podcast of its kind, featuring extraordinary stories of unexpected love. Through her work, she continues to inspire deeper understanding, broader possibilities, and a future filled with support and hope.

Connect with Tzipora:

- Follow her on Instagram

- Visit her website here

More about Peri Lyman: 

 Songwriter, reading specialist, kugel maker extraordinaire 

Connect with Peri: 

-Follow her personal and Loaleinu Instagram accounts   

- Visit her website here

- Feel free to reach out via email at: Perilyman@gmail.com 

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

They talk openly about how infertility impacts a marriage, how they learned to support each other while grieving differently, and the role therapy, creativity, faith, and community played in helping them survive the most challenging moments. Tamar also shares how their Instagram page, Tales of Tamar, became a creative outlet and source of connection during COVID — and how telling their story changed their relationship.

The episode also touches on the added complexities of navigating fertility challenges in Israel, the assumptions people make about adoption and surrogacy, and what it feels like to be "hostage to infertility." Woven throughout is a conversation about emuna, doubt, and finding meaning without tidy answers.

Want to be inspired by a couple who doesn't have all the answers? This episode shows how they navigate hope, loss, and the unknown while staying connected and resilient.

Resources:

• Mercaz Panim (Rachi Hain)
• Bonei Olam
• Tahreinu
• Leeman Hayeled (Adoption in Israel)
• Bar Toov (Male Infertility)

More about Tamar Ben Tzvi:

Tamar Ben Tzvi is the founder of Tales Of, a social media company helping mission-driven businesses and organizations, and @talesoftamar, her Instagram page, which she started 5.5 years ago to break the ice around infertility in the Orthodox Jewish community and create a safe space for open conversation about taboo topics.

Tamar and her husband, Giddy Ben Tzvi, live in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, and have been happily married for over 9 years.

Together, they are navigating a long and challenging fertility journey of 7.5 years.

Through Tales of Tamar, Tamar runs two initiatives: a Tefillah initiative that pairs people up to daven for others going through a similar struggle, and a challah-baking initiative in which people bake as a Tefillah for those struggling with infertility.

Connect with Tamar:

-Check out Tamar's Instagram 

- View her website and connect with her via email at Tamar@tales-of.com

More about Giddy Ben Tzvi:

Giddy Ben Tzvi, originally from Rockville Maryland, he is a proud alum of the Melvin J.Berman Hebrew Academy (Here We go Cougars Here we go!), Yeshivat Torat Shraga, and holds a B.A. in Psychology from Yeshiva University. He works as a recruiter for UrbanRecruits, where he works to help jobseekers find gainful employment in the Israeli job market. He lives in Ramat Bet Shemesh with his incredible wife Tamar, he enjoys learning Torah, especially works of Machshava (Jewish Thought), playing a good game of basketball, going for a good run, chillin with friends, and watching some quality TV with Tamar.

Connect with Giddy:

- Check out his Instagram and Facebook

- Connect with Giddy via email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

More about Danielle Mizrahi (LCSW):

Danielle Mizrahi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and certified perinatal mental health specialist (PMH-C) with a private practice in West Hempstead, NY. She currently specializes in maternal mental health and working with women throughout the reproductive lifespan. Danielle was drawn to IWSTHAB because of her own personal experiences with infertility. She is committed to supporting others through their own journeys to creating a family. Danielle lives in West Hempstead with her husband and 3 miracles, Reuben, Jacob and Sarah.

Connect with Danielle Mizrahi:

-Visit her Instagram: The Mended Motherhood Collective

-Contact Danielle via email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her own experiences with loss

-The stigma surrounding infertility and loss

-Insensitive comments made to those who are grieving 

-Many of the feelings and emotions surrounding losing a loved one

Connect with Sarah: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Reopening post-COVID-19 shutdown

-Getting second opinions

-What unexplained infertility really means

-Day 3 vs day 5 transfers

-Genetics testing

-Recurrent miscarriages

Connect with Dr. Nayot: 

-Follow him on Instagram 

-Check out his website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The hurdles to adopt a baby girl from China

-How her community accepted her daughter, Rachel, and what advice she gives to would-be singles and couples wanting to adopt

-Resources to turn to such as Orphan Doctor and JCCA

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her traumatic personal story of miscarriage

-How her experience spurred her to create a narrative

-The intersection of her clinical work and her pregnancy loss

-How she felt alone, forgotten and isolated by her Jewish community

-Her new book, "I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, A Movement"

Connect with Dr. Jessica Zucker: 

-Buy her book on Amazon 

-Check out her website 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Find her on Twitter 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Niddah in regard to infertility and loss

-The feelings that arise surrounding Niddah

Please note:  This episode presumes a certain baseline of knowledge of the laws of taharas hamishpacha (laws of family purity)

Connect with Shevi: 

-Follow Shevi on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Anxiety during uncertain times

-How to keep ourselves grounded 

-What to do when our partners are not exactly in the same place as we are

Connect with Chiemi: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out Chiemi's resources 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her triplet pregnancy

-The death of her twin daughters 

-The miraculous birth of her son.

-Her experiences and how one can cope with the simultaneous emotions of grief and joy

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Medical options for male infertility patients

-ESSM, sperm mapping, and more  

-Azoospermia and how those with this diagnosis actually do have viable sperm that can be found through various techniques

Connect with Dr. Werner: 

-Follow Maze Men's Sexual Health on Instagram 

-Learn more about Dr. Werner

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her personal fertility journey

-How shidduchim (matchmaking) in the Jewish community played a role in the secrecy

-How she got comfortable talking about taboo topics

-How "helping just one person" drives her every single day

Connect with Rochel: 

-Read more about Rochel 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How to survive Purim

-Going to a smaller megilla reading with fewer kids

-Giving gifts of food to people who have supported you during your journey, rather than giving to everyone you know

-Making your Purim seuda (meal) an intimate, romantic one instead of filled with tons of people and lots of noise

Connect with Dr. Shulman: 

-Check out Chana on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her 25 years of infertility

-Her challenges and adoption process

-The things that made her feel comforted over the years

-The things that were hard

-The difference between jealousy and envy

Connect with Yettie: 

-Follow Yettie on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

More about Aleeza Ben Shalom:

Aleeza Ben Shalom is the renowned globe-trotting Jewish Matchmaker, who captivated audiences worldwide with her highly popular Netflix show, "Jewish Matchmaking," reaching millions of viewers across 130 countries. She continues to wow audiences worldwide with her in-person and virtual appearances and has recently published her third book, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Find Me A Love That Lasts." To date, she has successfully helped thousands of people get married, and has trained over 350 matchmakers and coaches

Connect with Aleeza: 

- Follow her on Instagram

- Check out her website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

More about Sarah Guigue: 

Connect with Sarah Guigue: 

- Follow her on Instagram

- View Sarah's additional content 

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-her new book, "Normalize It"

-how she expands her lens to address a multitude of challenges that women face- that so often make them stay silent

-how to speak about the uncomfortable to help make you feel less alone (even though I hate that phrase- listen to hear why!)

More about Dr. Zucker: 

Dr. Zucker specializes in reproductive and maternal mental health, which means she primarily works with women who are contemplating or struggling with pregnancy, pregnancy and infant loss, pregnancy after loss, pregnancy ambivalence, during transitions in motherhood, prenatal and postpartum adjustments, birth trauma, perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and in the midst of relationship challenges after the birth or loss of a child.

In her critically acclaimed, groundbreaking book I Had a Miscarriage, Jessica Zucker boldly exposed the silence, stigma, and shame that surround pregnancy loss and demonstrated the need to normalize conversations around painful reproductive events that too often go unspoken.

In Normalize It, Zucker expands her lens to address a multitude of challenges women face—from girlhood, body image, motherhood, reproductive choice, sexual trauma, menopause, and more—that so often incite shame and overwhelming cultural pressure to stay silent. Based on patient stories, coupled with cutting-edge psychological research, Zucker fearlessly shares her insights into the shame and stigma that shroud so many women's experiences and explores the liberation that can follow when we get vulnerable and talk about the hard stuff.

Connect with Dr. Zucker:

-Check out her new book, Normalize It

-Take a look at her website

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-the beginning of her journey to becoming a SMBC

-how she is finally pregnant again (after three early losses) and gives us a window into the process

-how she needed to do IVF and use a sperm donor, which were both completely new experiences for her

-dealing with some complications which forced her on bed rest

-the insensitive comments from IRL friends and people on the internet…sigh

More about Michelle (Malka) Grunstein:

Michelle is a licensed therapist who is multifaceted. Some of her specialties include child and adolescent development, addiction, trauma (EMDR), grief, depression, and anxiety. She is currently the Clinical Director and Executive Director of multiple dual diagnosis treatment centers, catering to those struggling with mental health and addiction. Michelle's difficult childhood lead her to become a therapist as a young adult and she has built her career with the focus of helping others. Despite attempts at dating and building a family throughout adulthood, she has been unable to do so due to a combination of infertility and not finding "the one". Michelle has chosen to fulfill her dream of becoming a mom through the use of a donor and has been on the journey of becoming a solo mom by choice for the last few years.

Connect with Michelle: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-her story of becoming a SIM: Single Intentional Mom to her 3 year old daughter, Ayelet HaShachar

-her thought process and emotions about each stage of the process

-the experience of being one of the first to her freeze eggs in her community

-how she tried to stay true to halacha (jewish law) throughout

-the many ups (some very funny moments!) and downs (lack of support from some people in her life, insensitive comments, etc.)

The thing about Ellie is that she's so articulate, meticulous and intelligent - it's clear that she has investigated every area of this journey, and just like Rachel said to Yaakov/Jacob, "I am dead without children," Ellie felt that being a mother was her calling.  This is her remarkable journey. 

More about Ellie:

Elisheva [Ellie] Levi is a licensed architect in the state of New York and has designed schools, hospitals , high rise residential, transportation and infrastructure facilities. She is a self-described life-long student of Tanach and to that end she has given Torah lectures in Jewish communities across the US and in several countries around the world. You can listen to recordings of her shiurim on yutorah.org and OU Women's Initiative. She has been published in the YU Torah to Go, the Times of Israel blog, the New York Times Metropolitan Diary and Architectural Record Magazine. Ellie also serves as the past President of the American Friends of Bat Melech, a domestic violence shelter serving the religious community in Israel, an organization for which she continues to volunteer. She is also the lucky SMBC (Single Mom by Choice) of her daughter Ayelet HaShachar and they reside in Northern New Jersey.

Connect with Ellie: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her own personal experiences with loss

-How she grieved her losses 

-The person that helped her during that time

-Why she started I Was Supposed To Have A Baby

Connect with Aimee:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

This is a messy, complicated truth of what it means to carry both heartbreak and hope.

After the devastating stillbirth of her daughter, Ora, all Taliya could think was—"The only thing that will make me feel okay again is another baby." But the road to pregnancy wasn't simple. And even when she finally conceived, she didn't feel joy. Or hope. Or love.

This episode is for anyone who's been told that a new baby will "fix it"—and then finds themselves drowning in guilt when it doesn't feel that way at all.

Because love after loss is not always immediate. And healing isn't always linear. And sometimes you need some medicine to help with the anxiety too

More about Taliya Corbett: 

Homeschooling mom of five and one angel always in her heart. Taliya is a stillbirth warrior turned storyteller who shares her wild, sacred, and unfiltered journey through motherhood, faith, grief, and healing. From iced coffee-fueled chaos to deep spiritual reflections, she invites you into a life that's messy, meaningful, and magnetic. 

Connect with Taliya: 

- Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-her two amazing daughters

-one of whom has special needs and the other of a free spirit, loving life

-her experience getting asked if she's a grandmother yet and the questions that make her crazy

-how it feels to be asked insensitive questions

-what are the kinds of things that should always be off limits

-the best my way is to approach these kinds of situations

More about Peri:

Peri Lyman is the founder of Loaleinu.com, Mom of adult children, friend of the friendless, weirdo sympathizer, offbeat chick living in a mainstream Jewish community with NO grandchildren.

Connect with Peri:

-Check out her website

-Follow her on instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her change of heart when debating adoption

-The circumstances surrounding each adoption

-A window into some of the differences in state laws

-The emotional aspects that she went through with her husband 

-What her kids experience and continue to experience

Connect with Yettie: 

-Follow Yettie on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-what brought them to surrogacy

-how they navigated that journey

-how they managed their family and friends during the process

-how Reena and and our anonoymous guest had previous pregnancies, and surrogacy was chosen as a miraculous way they could grow their families

-the time spent raising awareness and sensitivity about surrogacy

-helping others navigate this process

Connect with the guests:

-Email info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Her anger at G-d

-How anger not something negative or forbidden, but a demonstration of a her relationship with Him

-Her views on loss

Connect with Chaya:

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her work funding fertility treatments for those who are struggling to have a child

-The donations they have given thus far

-Quarterly support group to provide more wraparound support for their families

-Priya Fund in Dallas and Kansas City

Connect with Priya: 

-Check out their website 

-Find them on Facebook 

-Follow them on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The history behind the laws regarding infertility

-The general basics of egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy 

-The issues surrounding third party reproduction

-Questions from viewers

Connect with Rabbi Segelman:

-Email him at Esegelman@puahfertility.org

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Dealing with unmet expectations and how to have a mindset shift

-Leaning in and feeling the pain

-The good and hard things about being an adoptive parent

-How to raise a biracial child and dealing with racism

Connect with Chavie: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Making Jewish experiences more meaningful and personal

-Her new book, "Expecting Jewish"

-Her own personal experiences with miscarriage and pregnancy

Connect with Marion: 

-Follow her on Instagram

-Buy her book 

-Check out her website

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-His fertility journey

-Primary infertility due to a male and female factor

-How he coped with diagnosis and treatment

-Tips and suggestions he gives to his patients

-Self-care and support systems for men

Connect with Eli: 

-Follow Eli on Instagram 

-Check out Eli's website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-pain and the way it changes over time

-her and her husband's permanent infertility

-adopting 5 children at different ages (some as newborns and some later in life)

-her grieving the loss of a biological child 

-how grief morphs and changes with the passage of time, but how it doesn't really go away (and that's okay!)

-how sitting and immersing yourself in the sadness can actually make it a easier to hold

-forgiving yourself when there is communal pain on top of personal pain

-and how it's pretty impossible to be able to hold both

Connect with Chavie:

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

• Why neurodivergent women often feel unseen and unsupported

• How communal expectations around motherhood can deepen shame

• The difference between desire and capacity, and why both matter

• Practical, realistic tools for executive functioning and emotional regulation

• The power of community over advice, fixes, or judgment

More about Hadassah Eventsur, MS, OTR/L:

Hadassah Eventsur, MS, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist, Transformational Coach, Mishpacha Magazine contributor on Neurodivergence in adult women and the Founder of MindfullyYou, a Supportive Community for the Frum Neurodiverse Population. 

Connect with Hadassah:

- Check out Hadassah's Instagram

- Visit her website Mindfully You and set up an appointment

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-The story of her marriage

-Her IUIs, IVF cycles, failed transfers, traumatic miscarriage, adenomyosis, selective reduction

Connect with Erin: 

-Follow Erin on Instagram 

-Check out her blog 

-Get in contact with Erin 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her experiences as a surrogate 

-The thoughts and feelings that led to her decision to become a surrogate

-Her decisionmaking in telling her children about her surrogacy journey

-The agency she worked with, the legal process, and the matching that takes place

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

- What is typical in the grieving process

- How to support your friend or loved one

- How to manage triggers and pregnancy announcements

- How to know when you're "grieving too much"

- All things related to grief

CONNECT WITH YONINA: 

- On Instagram @yoninakaufman

CONNECT WITH US:

- Visit our website: https://iwassupposedtohaveababy.org/

- Follow us on Instagram @iwassupposedtohaveababy

- Follow us on TikTok @iwassupposedtohaveababy

- Connect with us on Facebook @iwassupposedtohaveababy

- Subscribe to our YouTube, I Was Supposed to Have a Baby

- Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her fertility journey

-What led her to embark on a writing career

-How she turned to adoption

-How her Jewish background was sometimes comforting and sometimes not, as she was trying to have a baby

Connect with Wendy: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

This episode is a gentle but honest reminder that gatherings can be complicated, especially for those navigating fertility struggles and loss. As we head into a season filled with meals, family time, and community, it's worth listening again with fresh ears—and a little extra sensitivity.

Previous Episodes with Tzipora Grodko: 

- Episode 178: Finding Strength in Unwritten Chapters with Rachel Honeyman, Tzipora Grodko, and Peri Lyman

More about Tzipora Grodko, LMSW:

Tzipora Grodko is a dynamic public speaker, psychotherapist, and coach who inspires audiences across the Jewish world with powerful messages of confidence, resilience, and personal growth. Her viral talk, Things Shadchanim Should Know, reframed the "shidduch crisis" with a more compassionate lens, making her a leading voice in single advocacy.

Ranked as the #1 Meaningful People episode of 2022, Tzipora has since traveled globally, speaking at schools, organizations, and events on topics like mental health, leadership, and breaking societal stigmas.

She recently launched Stories of Hope, the first Orthodox podcast of its kind, featuring extraordinary stories of unexpected love. Through her work, she continues to inspire deeper understanding, broader possibilities, and a future filled with support and hope.

Connect with Tzipora:

- Follow her on Instagram

- Visit her website here

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Their lives and their journey to build their family

-Their IUI process, how they picked their donor sperm, and why they loved that process

-The legality of having two moms and what that might mean for their children

Connect with Sydney and Brit: 

-Follow them on Instagram 

-Check out their blog 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-7 pain points people in the singles and fertility community feel as when they are hosted by family or friends for the holidays

-the heaviness in your heart when you are struggling with infertility

-how people are treated when they are a guest in someone's home

-what people can do to create a safe space for all their guests

Connect with Tzipora:

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-her personal experience with recurrent pregnancy loss (4 heartbreaking losses)

-how navigating grief is hard enough after a loss, as most people don't truly understand what a grieving person needs

-the added layers of being part of the queer community, which brings up other ways that people can feel isolated and alone

-needing to find supports that are LGBTQ+ affirming and grief knowledgeable (almost a unicorn!)

-the guilt and shame they carry (thinking the loss is their fault because of their lifestyle choices)

-the judgement they might face from people about family building

More about Shira:

Shira Collings, MS, NCC, LPC (she/they) is a psychotherapist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She primarily specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, and is especially passionate about providing LGBTQ+-affirming, neurodiversity-affirming, and fat-affirming eating disorder care. Shira's personal experience with pregnancy loss sparked their passion for supporting those who are struggling to build their families as well.

Connect with Shira: 

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-all aspects of reproductive psychiatry

-the reasons why someone would reach out

-how meds are used as an adjunct to therapy

-the many safe and effective treatments that can be used before, during and after pregnancy

-many of the myths about meds

More about Esther Rollhaus, MD:

Dr. Esther Rollhaus is an adult, child, and reproductive psychiatrist in private practice in Riverdale, NY and via telepsychiatry to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Florida. A graduate of Stern College for Women, Icahn School of Medicine, and Montefiore Medical Center, she has a particular interest in reproductive and perinatal psychiatry. She has presented at national and international conferences on women's mental health, infertility, and family therapy.

Connect with Dr. Rollhaus: 

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her website

-Give her a call at (347) 380-5714

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Third party reproduction

-How to come to terms with this possibility

-What kinds of emotions one goes through when faced with this option

-Should you tell your child? And if yes, when should you tell them? 

-How to give yourself grace and love when going through all of this

Connect with Lori: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The process of combing Google to find an IVF clinic, egg donor and surrogate to have his first child

-His realization that there must be a better way

-How he created a way to help other intended parents avoid the complexity and confusion he experienced

-The myriad of services that GoStork provides and what's on the horizon for this incredible company

Connect with GoStork: 

-Follow them on Instagram 

-Check out their website

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her new book, "The Trying Game"

-Her own journey

-How she learned about infertility and brought knowledge to others

Connect with Amy: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

-Buy her book 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her path to motherhood through many twists and turns 

-Trying to find a partner, starting the fertility journey, donor sperm, IUI, IVF, egg donors, multiple miscarriages, a TFMR, preterm delivery, a NICU stay, and finally the birth of her twins

-Her graphic novel which aims to help others feel less alone as they go through the process

Connect with Miriam: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

-Buy her book

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How to communicate more effectively with your partner/spouse during the fertility years

-What to do when you disagree with your partner

-How struggles lead to issues with intimacy 

-Practical suggestions and ideas to make your relationship more meaningful and connected

Connect with Dr. Krug: 

-Follow him on Instagram 

-Check out his website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The behind the scenes of our Pamper Packages 

-Her incredible fertility story (20+ rounds of IVF!)

-Why Lizush is so special as a company

-How they make their products and pack our special pamper packages.

All proceeds of our boxes go to IWSTHAB - buy them for yourself or someone you know who needs a hug in their life! Link to purchase is in our bio.

Connect with Lizush:

-Buy Lizush products

-Shop our pamper packages 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Losing her father at a young age 

-Battling numerous medical challenges

-Her infertility journey

-Why she went public with her diagnosis and how she decided to get healthy before trying to bring a child into this world

Connect with Tamar: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-getting married at 26 years old

-her 14 year marriage to her husband without children

-how she has been able to remain positive and have a zest for life despite her challenges with fertility

-how she chooses to enjoy life each and every day through her "go-getter" attitude

-how she remains hopeful after all this time

Connect with Chanie:

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-our last conversation, around Mother's day, where she shared her fervent belief that she would one day be a mother...even after 14 years of marriage

-how 5 months ago, her daughter was born! (I sobbed when she told me). And I knew, that when she was ready, I wanted her to share the story of her pregnancy

-the years of infertility, this time with the lens of what kinds of things they did to try to have a child

-numerous medical procedures, doctor appointments, looking into adoption, waiting, waiting, and more waiting, and davening (praying)

-the anxiety of finally being pregnant, parenting after infertility and some of the comments that people (still) make to her. Sigh.

Connect with Chani:

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-The unfairness of modern society placing undue emphasis on a women's fertility (while not talking about a man's fertile potential)

-Egg freezing and why it's not all it's cracked up to be (see what I did there?)

-The perils of single parenthood, and the false assumptions people make about singles

-Practical suggestions on what we as individuals and society can do to make this a little easier for anyone in this position

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her journey with IVF, stillbirth, suicidal thoughts, miscarriage and being on the brink of a divorce

-Her time as a Mindset and Holistic Fertility Coach

-Her remarkable story about her fertility and personal struggles

-How her Rabbi, family and community helped through those dark moments

-How she was finally able to heal from all her pain 

Connect with Monica: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-the story of her daughter, Ora, who was stillborn, after having 4 healthy boys

-how she was raised as a Muslim, and fell in love with Judaism (and her husband, Ari) and converted at 26

-dealing with secondary infertility after she had her first

-how she always wanted to have a girl and the difficult pregnancy with her daughter (she had preeclampsia and Ora was also on the small side)

-the huge shock that Ora was stillborn

-the delivery, her grief process and how she tries her best to be the best mother she can to all her children

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Being angry at G-d

-What does it mean?

-Is it allowed?

-How can you be angry and still have a relationship with G-d?

-Is your anger something that G-d understands and/or forgives?

Connect with Rachel:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her Website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How she met her husband

-How she advocated for herself to her doctors

-Her recurrent pregnancy loss

-Her traumatic experience

Connect with Linny: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The thoughts and feelings that come up during pesach

-Tips on managing the stress of the holiday

-Focusing on self-care 

-Handling insensitive questions

Connect with Bonei Olam Florida:

-Follow them on Instagram

-Check out their website

Connect with us: 

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her oldest child that was born with a rare genetic disorder for which both she and her husband are carriers

-Raising awareness for genetic testing

-The shame that still exists in pockets of the Jewish community

-How information and testing can help combat some of the fear that people won't be able to have children if they are carriers of a disorder

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her heartbreaking fertility journey 

-Her role in one of the most successful campaigns to change government policy around these issues

-The four books she has written for those who are grieving

Connect with Zoe: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

-Take a look at her books 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How she gets comfort from the fertility stories of the matriarchs and how they suffered

-Her multiple miscarriages, rounds of IVF cycles and transfers

-How she doesn't have a happy ending and may never have one

-Who she leaned on when she needed support and how she also asked for what she needed

Connect with us:

• Website

• Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

• TikTok

• Facebook

• YouTube

• Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her fertility journey as a Rebbetzin in the YU (Yeshiva University) world -Sharing responsibilities with her husband

-Living in the public eye

-The genetic pre-mutation of Fragile X, secondary infertility due to ovarian insufficiency and the eventual birth of two of her children using an Egg Donor

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-A clot diagnosed in her teens

-Dealing with osteoporosis in her twenties

-Being mismanaged by multiple medical providers

-Her story of heartbreak with her stillbirth

-How she dealt with the pain and the grief

-What kind of support she sought and what was helpful

-How she dealt with her faith in Gd during those hardships

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Hadassah Shemtov, the cofounder of the "Batsheva Learning Center" joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-a number of the sources that discuss infertility and pregnancy loss

-her hope that having this knowledge could help shape the way people process and relate to some of the difficult experiences that they are having on their journey

-the concept of being "busy with" Pe'ru U'revu (being fruitful and multiply) versus "fulfilling" the mitzvah (commandment) of Pe'ru U'revu

-how adoption or raising someone else's child is considered the same as being a biological parent

-the essential value of a jewish soul, from the time of conception, even if that soul doesn't become a live child

More about Hadassah:

Hadassah co-founded Batsheva Learning Center in 2015 and continues to shape the organization's vision and direct its ongoing activities. She is passionate about education and excited about creating innovative learning opportunities for women. She lives in Los Angeles where she directs the Beis Midrash track at Ohel Chana High School. 

Connect with Hadassah: 

-Follow Batsheva Learning Center on Instagram

-Check out their courses

-Subscribe to her Substack 

-Listen to their podcast

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

Amanda shares her first miscarriage and the shock of learning there was no heartbeat at an early ultrasound, navigating that moment without her husband Darren present due to residency, and the emotional weight of making decisions no one prepares you for. As her losses continued, Amanda opens up about how anxiety followed her into subsequent pregnancies and how grief doesn't disappear just because you go on to have living children.

Together, Aimee and Amanda talk about balancing careers, relocations, and family planning, the absence of miscarriage leave in the workplace, and the pressure to share deeply personal information just to get through the day. Amanda reflects on circumstantial infertility, social media support after loss, invasive questions that often come from ignorance, and the unexpected comfort of finding others who truly understand. This conversation also explores partnership. Amanda shares how she and Darren navigated different expectations around family size, guilt, responsibility, and how they kept showing up for one another through uncertainty, COVID, moves, and traumatic pregnancies.

If you've experienced miscarriage, pregnancy loss, fertility anxiety, or the emotional whiplash of holding gratitude and grief at the same time, this episode is for you. You're not alone, and you're not doing it wrong.

More about Amanda Bryk, JD:

Amanda Bryk is a non-practicing attorney who worked in the financial markets practice of an AM100 law firm for 5 years. Amanda struggled with multiple pregnancy losses and secondary infertility and turned to social media when she felt alone within her community. She is excited to be a part of IWSTHAB and give back to a cause deeply personal to her family. Amanda now devotes her time to her husband (a urologist specializing in male infertility) and 3 children, volunteering at their school and volunteering within the Hollywood, Florida Jewish community.

Connect with Amanda:

-Check out Amanda on Instagram and connect with her via email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her own journey to adopt two children (one as an infant and another at the age of 8) 

-How she immersed them into her own family which includes two biological children

-Some of the common questions one has about the adoption process

-Myths surrounding adoption and exposes the truth 

-Her thoughts about integrating children into a new country, religion and culture

Connect with Michele: 

-Follow Michele on Instagram

-Check out her website

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Becoming a single mother to her "delicious son" 

-Her entire story, from the years of being single, to freezing her eggs and beyond

-Deciding to become a single parent without her parents' support

-All of the hoops and hurdles in order to bring a child into this world

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-how she and her husband had their first child naturally and never expected that it would be difficult trying to build their family

-her stillbirth and multiple miscarriages, 1 ectopic, 4 rounds of IVF and still no baby

-the grief, shock, loss and heartbreak that were almost pushed to the side as they pursued every possible step in order to try to have another child

-the decision of whether to walk away and be done with this part of their lives, try adoption, do IVF one more time or use donor eggs

-how they came to the realization that using an egg donor was the best chance for a good outcome

-how Emily wanted to connect with her donor, even beyond her looks an decided using a Jewish donor was the thing that helped her transmit some piece of her to a future baby, even if it wasn't her genetics

Connect with Emily:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her Website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Tokophobia (the fear of getting pregnant) 

-How tokophobia affected her journey

-Her story about overcoming her fears

Connect with Yehudit: 

-Follow Yehudit on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The isolation of infertility and loss

-How to be helpful when someone is suffering

-The unique pain of secondary infertility

Connect with Dvora: 

-Check out her website 

-Send Dvora an email dentinlcsw@gmail.com 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-mindfulness and how this technique can ground people during times of stress or anxiety (hello fertility journey)

-what mindfulness is and isn't, some misconceptions, how she personally found it helpful after her loss stillbirth, and some practical suggestions on how to incorporate pieces of it into your own life

-learning new ways to cope with the ups and downs

*For practical solutions, jump to the end of the episode (36:21)

More about Aliza: 

Dr. Aliza Ancier PT, DPT, PCES specializes in helping women navigate their motherhood journey. She has a doctorate in physical therapy with a special interest in maternal health and is a trained mindfulness teacher and educator. Aliza is a mother to three wonderfully rambunctious children at home and one of her twins, in her heart.

Connect with Aliza:

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Her journey with PCOS

-How she "took back" her life

-Her outlook about her diagnosis

Connect with Dana: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-The reasons why it's hard for men to share their emotions

-How men often act when they have gotten a fertility diagnosis

-The do's and don'ts on what to say to the men in your life when they're struggling

-Helpful communication strategies between the genders

Connect with Dr. Petok:

-Check out his website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her experience with infertility over 11 years

-How to take care of yourself during the holiday

-How to deal with others who are not as sensitive

-Gd and how she relates to Him during this holiday and through her years of struggle

Connect with Chani: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-her primary infertility journey this far

-why she decide to start talking openly about her struggles on social media

-how she feels when people tell her they're praying for her (with a whole sidebar on her relationship with G-d right now)

-how she deals with insensitive comments

-what tools she uses to keep herself afloat

More about Ricki:

Ricki Steiner lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and dog Crimson. She currently works in marketing for a fragrance company. Her goal on social media has always been (and will alway be) to make people feel seen and heard, not matter the struggle.

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Relationship challenges that can come up when a couple is dealing with any kind of fertility challenge

-How you can support each other through it

-Practical examples on how to gently get someone talking when they are shut down

-How to make space for the person who needs to vent

-How can we let people know we are worried about them without seeming overbearing

Connect with Michael:

-Follow him on Instagram

-Check out his profile on Psychology Today

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-her miscarriage, a harrowing experience of losing a very wanted pregnancy

-how she wanted to take her skills and talent and use it to help people all over the world fell less alone

-how she decided to tell her story via cartoons

-why she wanted to tell her story via the Jewish lens and gives her suggestions on how to get through this kind of a loss.

-her series of cartoons, "Miscarried: An Unspoken Cartoonmentary"

Connect with Chari:

-Follow her on Instagram

-View her portfolio

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-her journey to becoming an adoptive parent, something she never envisioned herself doing

-the heartbreaking conversation as a single woman in her 30s when her doctors said that she may never have biological children

-getting married, but then struggled through the ups and downs of umpteen failed cycles to try to get pregnant, first with her eggs and then with donor eggs (and a devastating miscarriage)

-her three adopted children and her journey to bring them into her life

This is a story of persistence, hope and resilience that you are not going to want to miss.

More about Rachel:

Rachel Shanken, a devoted mother, embraced adoption after a challenging journey through IVF with her husband. Their unwavering desire for a family led them to choose adoption as their path to parenthood. With 15+ years of experience as a NYC-based somatic therapist (www.MindBodyWise.com), Rachel blends her deep understanding of infertility and assisted reproduction with her therapeutic knowledge to assist people with the complex emotional terrain of fertility, offering compassionate and non-judgmental support along their unique paths to parenthood.

Connect with Rachel: 

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her two children and the very different fertility journey that she had to take to have each of them

-The first one that was "relatively" easy, and the other, which was much more difficult

-The years of treatments she went through and a miscarriage

-How she navigates through that pain and what kinds of support she used to get her through it

Connect with Shaina:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Check out her website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Practical tools and suggestions to use when dealing with fertility challenges

-Thinking about each dip with a different focus (past, present, future)

-Bringing a comforting friend with you, get your husband involved

- The Birkat Emunah, specifically designed to aid those with fertility challenges, as they think about mikvah and its practices

Connect with Eden Center: 

-Find them on Instagram 

-Check out their website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

Jewish Ritual Struggles with Perinatal Loss

Although we have a rich and supportive set of rituals for the death of an adult, those that deal with the loss of a pregnancy or an infant are lacking. How do we honor the memory of such a short life? Do we need new rituals to grapple with this type of grief and suffering? What can we do to build ritual tools such as taharah, shmirah, burial, and periods of mourning?

Rabbi Janet Madden, Ph.D, has served as a hospice, hospital, and congregational rabbi. She is a widely-published poet, ritualist, liturgist, and essayist, and finds joy in teaching Torah and creating and officiating soulful lifecycle events. She is the author of a forthcoming book on creative Jewish ritual.

Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin is the founder of the National Council of Jewish Women, Pregnancy Loss Support Program and the author of Tears of Sorrow, Seeds of Hope: A Jewish Spiritual Companion for Infertility and Pregnancy Loss.

Reva Judas created NechamaComfort to help families dealing with perinatal loss after the tragic loss of Reva's firstborn baby, Pesach. Reva's mission is that no one should ever feel alone when experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.

-His approach to life and struggle

-Knowing one's needs and acknowledging the struggle

-How G-d can be with us during our pain, rather than viewed as causing our pain

-How we can emulate being with someone during their pain

Connect with Rabbi Johnny:

-Follow him on Instagram

-Check out his website

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-a myriad of issues surrounding fertility in regard to body image and eating disorders

-how people feel like their body is failing them during the struggle to build a family

-how people might use eating, nutrition, exercise to try to take back some control

-rigid behaviors that can be detrimental to helping people find balance with their body

-practical suggestions on how people can ground themselves, even when things feel so out of control

More about Reva:

Reva Schlanger Peyser MS, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian specializing in counseling those who struggle with eating disorders and/or disordered eating. She has experience working in many different eating disorder treatment facilities and is not practicing in the private practice space. Reva's mission is to help clients heal their relationship with food and body. In her free time, Reva loves to cook and spend quality time with her family including her golden retriever, Daisy. For Reva, life's all about relishing the flavors, both on the plate and in the heart.

Connect with Reva:

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her egg freezing story and all the emotions she experienced during the process 

-How she started considering freezing her eggs in her early thirties 

-Her feelings of shame as she started grappling with the idea

-What kinds of supports she had in place before, during and after the process

-Suggestions for people going through egg freezing and for everyone else on how to be supportive

Connect with Nasya Miller:

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How to handle the holidays when you're struggling

-How to deal with pregnant family members that you're spending the holiday with

-What to do about those insensitive friends and family members

-How to support someone that is struggling 

Connect with Breindy and Tamar: 

-Follow Breindy on Instagram 

-Follow Tamar on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-her own fertility journey - the tale of a woman who will go to any length to build her family

-doing IUIs in a doctor's home in Israel to turning to IVF back in the States and then choosing a donor embryo for her last child

-her experience with secondary infertility - the yearning for another child while feeling guilty for not being happy with the two children she already had

-how she started and grew her organization, Jewish Fertility Foundation, in the midst of her journey

More about Elana:

Elana Frank has 20+ years of experience working with nonprofits (Jewish Community Relations Council of NY, Kfar Hassidim Youth Village in Israel, Jewish Fertility Foundation) through fundraising, marketing, community outreach, volunteer recruitment, board development, and program development. After personally experiencing the pain and loneliness of infertility, yet noticing how lucky she was to have had her journey begin in Israel, where it's free, Elana was inspired to help others. Cost, education, and access were tremendous obstacles for this "unspoken" issue in the Jewish community, so she rallied countless like-minded people and created the Jewish Fertility Foundation. She has since received national attention through awards and public speaking engagements for the work that the Jewish Fertility Foundation has accomplished. Elana lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband, three boys, and their fish "Devil."

Connect with Elana: 

-Visit JFF's Website

-Check out JFF's Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn

-Her own personal story, riddled with pain and disappointment

-How her marriage failed in the middle of her own IVF journey

-Her four miscarriages

-The ups and downs, how she managed her sadness, and worked to change the lives of so many struggling to have a baby

-Her life as a childless single woman, what things trigger her and how she copes

Connect with Risa: 

-Follow Risa on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Different aspects of stillbirth support, in relation to Jewish law

-Decisions and choices that a couple grapples with from the moment they receive the bad news

-What they might be facing in the weeks and months ahead

-What the family, friends and community can do (and NOT do) to support the grieving couple

-How to help them cope with this horrific loss

Connect with Chumi:

-Find Chumi on LinkedIn

-Follow A Time on Instagram 

-Check out A Time's website 

-Connect with A Time on Facebook

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her first second trimester miscarriage, while away from home on a Passover Program

-The anxiety that overcomes you after a loss

-The way her feelings around Pesach time changed moving forward

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How she decided to accept this diagnosis and move forward in the adoption process

-The adoptions stories of her 5 children

Connect with Chavie: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out blog 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Why one would need a MFM even before getting pregnant

-A pre-viable pregnancy and how a patient and her doctors can tell that "story" to make sure it's one that the mother is comfortable with in the moment and in the months and years ahead

-When it's hard for a care team to change their narratives about a patient

-Her book "High Risk: Stories of Pregnancy, Birth, and the Unexpected" 

Connect with Dr. Karkowsky: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

- Being a teacher during the pandemic

- How she uses comedy to help her through difficult times

- Her books and her journey to become the well known and loved Instagram personality

- Her personal experiences with infertility

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

- On Instagram @hilariously_infertile

- Grab a copy of Karen's book, Hilariously Infertile 

CONNECT WITH US:

- Visit our website: https://iwassupposedtohaveababy.org/

- Follow us on Instagram @iwassupposedtohaveababy

- Follow us on TikTok @iwassupposedtohaveababy

- Connect with us on Facebook @iwassupposedtohaveababy

- Subscribe to our YouTube, I Was Supposed to Have a Baby

- Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her diagnosis of PCOS in her late teens

-How and when she told her future husband about her diagnosis

-The long-winded journey to have each of her children

-The real and raw pain of secondary infertility

Connect with Keshet: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Tips and suggestions as to how to make and keep meaningful friendships in our lives

-Her book "We Should Get Together"

-How to maintain your friendships with those who knew you "before."

-How to approach someone in your life that is struggling

Connect with Kat: 

-Follow her on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

-Buy her book 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her experience as the director of Nishmat's Miriam Glaubach Center and the U.S. Yoetzet Halacha Fellow Program

-What individuals and communities can do to make things easier

-Reframing the idea that all Mikva experiences should be beautiful

-Creating space for a woman to feel all her feelings

-Working with attendants and Rabbis to put policies and procedures in place for sensitivity

Connect with Nishmat: 

-Check out their website 

-Follow them on Facebook

-View their videos on YouTube 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-how she became a single mother by choice...to 4 children

-how this was never her "plan A" and she didn't even consider becoming a parent until she was in her 30s, with no dating prospects on the horizon

-the process of how and why she got comfortable with the idea

-how she broke the news to her parents and their reaction and her entire fertility journey

-her support system, her community's reaction to her children, and what her kids think about being raised by a single mother

More about Michelle Weissman, MD: 

Michelle Weissman, MD is a neonatologist in Bergen County, NJ and the proud mother by choice to 4 amazing boys, ages 14, 12 (twins) and 10. Growing up in the modern orthodox community, this path was never "Plan A" for her, but she has been surrounded by a warm and supportive family and community.  She shares her story to give hope and strength to those still waiting to build the family of their dreams.

Connect with Michelle Weissman, MD: 

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Infertility

-Egg freezing

-The right time to freeze eggs

-What medical science knows about who might become infertile

-How women and families feel going through the process

Connect with Dr. Bat-Sheva Lerner Maslow: 

-Follow her on Instagram

-Connect with her on LinkedIn

-Read more about Dr. Bat-Sheva Lerner Maslow

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How to manage Passover during infertility

-Dealing with holiday stresses 

-Suggestions on what everyone else can do to help when they know someone is struggling

Connect with Breindy and Tamar: 

-Follow Breindy on Instagram 

-Follow Tamar on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-His journey through infertility 

-What led him to write the book "In It Together" 

-Why he wants to aid other struggling families

Connect with Rabbi Shapiro: 

-Check out his book In It Together

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her own story of infertility and loss, which ignited her passion to help others going through similar struggles

-How she founded Hasidah while still in her fertility years, with the mission of helping people financially with their treatments

-Her organization, which provides awareness and advocacy, emotional and spiritual care, in addition to the funding

Connect with Rabbi Solomon: 

-Check out Hasidah's website

-Follow them on Facebook 

-Follow them on Twitter

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her  journey through the world of grief

-The universality of grief

-How religion affected her thoughts and choices post-loss and everything in between

Connect with Rachel: 

-Find Rachel on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-All the crazy things people ask you and what you can say back to them

-Her marriage and three year old son, and the comments that just keep coming and coming

-Practical suggestions about how to respond, while keeping your dignity, but definitely putting *them* in their place

Connect with Chani: 

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How to handle a baby shower if you're dealing with primary infertility

-How to be a supportive mother/mother-in-law

-How to suggest to people that they might want to check out this page/nonprofit

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Chari's creative process

-How she picks and chooses what will be most relevant for her audience

-The emotions and turmoil with Dani, as she shares the moment she found out there was a 99% change her son would have Down Syndrome

 -The rest of her pregnancy as she grieved and eventually came to terms with his diagnosis

-How she responds when people are mean or inconsiderate of his needs/looks 

-What advice she would give to someone who finds out about this diagnosis in their child

Connect with Daniela: 

-Follow Daniela on Instagram 

-Check out her website 

Connect with Chari: 

-Follow Chari on Instagram 

-Check out Chari's website 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her fertility journey

-The process of trying for two years to get pregnant naturally

-Early morning appointments, needle-phobia, fruitless IUIs, two miscarriages, estrace-induced emotional breakdowns before finally having her two IVF children

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How she and her husband have navigated 11 years of highs and lows in the quest to have a child

-Her miscarriage, several chemical pregnancies, ovarian hyperstimulation, and ovarian torsion

-The experiences that have been the most challenging, the things that have given her strength, and how she and her husband cope differently

-Her intentionality of wanting to share what has helped her get through all these years and how difficult life challenges, specifically regarding fertility, don't define her

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-Her fertility journey

-How and why she started the organization

-Programs and services they offer

-How she answers the question, "How many children do you have?"

Connect with NechamaComfort: 

-Check out their website 

-Find them on Facebook 

-Follow them on Instagram 

Connect with us:

-Check out our website 

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message 

-Check out our Facebook page 

-Watch our videos on YouTube 

-Follow us on TikTok 

-Email us at info@iwassupposedtohaveababy.org

-How A Time was founded