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PODCAST

Stop. Sit. Surrogate.

Kenedi & Ellen Smith

A mother and daughter podcast educating others on surrogacy from a surrogates point of view. And the point of view from the intended parents, children born from surrogacy, the agency, legal professionals and IVF doctors for the science behind it all. Together we have brought 8 beautiful children into this world and it’s been an insane rollercoaster ride! Good and bad, the sweet and the sour, all coming to light about the truths behind the best and worst surrogacy journeys. Stop. Sit. Surrogate. Is a

kids & family relationships

All Episodes

59:01

My Surrogacy Journey: A Safer, Smarter Path

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/03/29

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate My Surrogacy Journey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmysurrogacyjourney?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Mexico City surrogacy gets talked about like it’s a gamble, but the details tell a very different story. We sat down with Michael Johnson Ellis, a dad of three through surrogacy and the co-founder of My Surrogacy Journey, to unpack what’s actually happening on the ground and why so many intended parents are rethinking where and how they buil...

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68:27

When An Embryo Transfer Turns Into A Medical Mystery

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/03/22

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Brittany’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pavinourway?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== A surrogacy journey can look “simple” from the outside, right up until it doesn’t. Brittany joins us to share what it’s like to be a gestational carrier who knows the fertility world firsthand, from years of trying to conceive to building her own family and then stepping back in to help someone else grow theirs. Her story is honest, detailed, and packed with the kin...

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59:22

From Transfer To Postpartum: A Dietitian’s Guide For...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/03/15

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Ginger’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gestational.diabetes.diet?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== What if one small change could tilt a surrogacy journey toward better energy, steadier blood sugar, and a smoother delivery? We sit down with Ginger Cochran—registered dietitian, board‑certified diabetes care and education specialist, and exercise physiologist—to unpack a realistic blueprint from pre‑transfer to postpartum. Ginger shares how targeted nutri...

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60:49

Attachment In Surrogacy

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/03/13

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Amanda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandas.progression?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Amber’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambereshleman?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== People love to ask surrogates one dramatic question: “How could you give up the baby?” We get why it sounds shocking from the outside, but it also skips the most important part of gestational surrogacy: we’re carrying a baby for the intended parents, with a clear purpose and a clear plan for birth, legal

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63:23

She Carried Their Dream And Found Her Calling

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/02/22

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Lyndsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstrickland1026?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== A single decision—stick to your non-negotiables—can reshape an entire surrogacy journey. We sit down with an experienced surrogate from North Carolina who takes us from the first late-night Google search to two very different matches, one declined for an NDA and one embraced for connection and trust. Along the way, she reveals the real timeline of IVF: long stretches of...

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62:24

Where Love Isn’t Ownership: Redefining Attachment In...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/02/13

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Brittany’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pavinourway?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Shelbie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surroshelbie?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Most people ask the same question first: “Don’t you get attached to the baby?” We take that head on with two experienced gestational carriers who explain, with compassion and clarity, how surrogates prepare, set healthy boundaries, and celebrate the handoff without trying to keep what was ...

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86:20

How One Surrogate Turned Setbacks, GD, And A Tough...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/02/08

The story starts with curiosity in a small town and unfolds into a hard-won lesson about what truly makes a surrogacy journey work: fit, trust, and closure. Amber joins us to share how she went from a first match that felt distant and clinical to a second match that clicked immediately—and why a simpler, well-explained protocol helped her achieve a healthy pregnancy after months of waiting. She opens her notebook to compare two clinics’ approaches, spotlighting the difference between piling o...

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93:18

Australian Surrogacy, Explained Through One Journey

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2026/02/01

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Kayla’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayla_rees85?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== A midwife from Adelaide joins us to unpack what Australian surrogacy really looks like when there are no agencies, no compensation, and a culture grounded in trust. Kayla walks us through how “teams” form through communities and friendships, why counseling and non-enforceable contracts still matter, and how parentage transfers after birth. We compare systems with the U.S.,...

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54:09

Inside The Surrogacy Journey With A Clinical Case...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/12/28

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

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74:53

Surrogacy Through a Sister's Eyes: Love, Loss, and PCOS

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/12/21

A daughter remembers the rodeo comment. Amanda was nine when classmates, teachers, and even other parents struggled to understand why her mom was carrying a baby for someone else. That early clash with stigma sent her searching for answers—how embryos work, why genetics matter, and what safety really looks like—while her family navigated emergency deliveries, NICU visits, and a community learning on the fly. Years later, the roles flipped. After a lifetime of “easy” pregnancies around her, A...

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69:27

How Smart Eating Supports Implantation, Growth, And A...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/12/07

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Brie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannatowne?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== What if the calm, practical path to a healthy surrogate pregnancy is simpler than you’ve been told? We sit down with maternal health nutritionist and current surrogate Brie Towne, who pairs evidence with empathy to demystify prenatal nutrition, implantation support, and postpartum recovery. No scare tactics, no perfectionism—just strategies that actually fit a full li...

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58:32

When The Journey Ends, Who Are You Next

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/12/05

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

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68:54

From Two Journeys To Building The Surrogacy Doula...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/11/28

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

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72:49

From Egg To Embryo: Truths, Myths, And Modern Fertility

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/11/16

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

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56:00

Retired But Not Done

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/11/07

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Grace’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graces_surro_journey?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Kiely’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsurrogatelife?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== What happens when the transfers are done, the last delivery is behind you, and the identity you wore with pride suddenly shifts? We sit down with a seasoned pair of voices—Grace, a two‑time carrier, and Kiely, a four‑time carrier—to talk candidly about “retirement” from surrog...

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55:56

From Perinatal Anxiety To Empowered Surrogacy Support

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/11/02

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

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61:16

Service, Sacrifice, And Building Families Beyond Blood

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/10/31

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

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88:34

How A Surrogate’s Instincts Saved Twins And Shaped A...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/10/26

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

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52:56

How Surrogacy Shapes Children’s Hearts And Minds

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/10/24

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

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84:14

The Traumatic Journey: A Mark Surrogacy Surrogate's...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/10/12

A DM match, a parking‑lot handshake, and a transfer day “gift” in cash—then silence. Hallie joins us to share how a seemingly straightforward surrogacy journey morphed into a tangle of red flags: minimal medical clearance, a contract fight over termination language, a hard push to keep escrow with the intended parents’ attorney, and months with the agency acting as the only conduit to the family. When a July email warned that the matching entity was tied to an ongoing investigation and that a...

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162 results

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