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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

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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67:53

What Happens When Science, Hope, and Heartbreak Collide?

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/09/28

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

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67:36

Mark Surrogacy Scandal: New Developments

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/09/16

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

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41:58

(Ashleigh Part 2) This Surrogate Mother Survived a...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/09/15

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Ashleigh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surro_ashleigh?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==://www.instagram.com/surrornsara?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== In this gripping continuation of Ashleigh's surrogate story, we witness a journey that defied medical odds and revealed the profound resilience of human connection. After two successful surrogate pregnancies, Ashleigh' embarks on a third journey with the same intended parents, carrying their final embryo and...

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63:14

(Ashleigh Part 1) Beyond the Womb: When Strangers...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/09/14

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Ashleigh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surro_ashleigh?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==://www.instagram.com/surrornsara?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Ashleigh’s path began with an unexpected source of inspiration – the TV show "Friends" – and quickly evolved into a calling that would change multiple lives forever. With remarkable candor, she shares how her first surrogate pregnancy unfolded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring creativity a...

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49:25

Paying It Forward: When Surrogacy Becomes Your Life's...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/08/31

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

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114:06

The Marks Surrogacy Fraud: A Surrogate's Story

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/08/24

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

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63:31

Beyond Compensation: The Soul of Surrogacy Work

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/08/03

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

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64:47

Building Bonds Before Birth: How Joint Sessions...

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/07/20

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Rachel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelgoldbergtherapy?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Step into the emotional landscape of surrogacy with licensed therapist Rachel Goldberg as she pulls back the curtain on the psychological aspects of gestational carrier journeys. What many surrogates fear as judgment—psychological evaluations—are actually thoughtful assessments designed to ensure everyone's wellbeing throughout this profound experience. Rachel rev...

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91:03

They Don't Know We Know, They Know, We Know

Stop. Sit. Surrogate. ·

2025/07/13

#surrogacy #ivf #surrogate Sara’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surrornsara?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== This week we spoke with Sara, a first time surrogate! Sara is also a registered labor and delivery nurse who first found out about surrogacy when she was 10 years old watching Phoebe Buffay become a surrogate for her brother on the famous 90's show "Friends". She details her beautiful first journey and the long road to to getting it started. Also, how her labor and de...

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153 results

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