Never Thought We'd Be Here
Never Thought We'd Be Here
Podcast Description
Join Maya Grobel, psychotherapist, parent via embryo donation, and EM•POWER with Moxi/Moxi Matching co-founder, as she talks with guests about all things embryo donation. Hear real stories from embryo donors and recipients, and listen in as Maya and the Moxi Matching team tackle questions about directed embryo donation/donor conception, sharing genetics, and the meaning of family. EM•POWER with Moxi is an organization deeply rooted in education, support, and ethical practices for embryo donation. And Moxi Matching is a directed embryo donation matching platform and journey management service.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into a variety of themes surrounding embryo donation, including the emotional complexities of donation, parenthood pathways, and the values underpinning donor-recipient relationships. Episodes cover topics like the decision-making process in embryo donation, the significance of open communication, and the evolving definitions of family, with featured guests sharing their personal narratives and experiences.
Join Maya Grobel, psychotherapist, parent via embryo donation, and EM•POWER with Moxi/Moxi Matching co-founder, as she talks with guests about all things embryo donation. Hear real stories from embryo donors and recipients, and listen in as Maya and the Moxi Matching team tackle questions about directed embryo donation/donor conception, sharing genetics, and the meaning of family. EM•POWER with Moxi is an organization deeply rooted in education, support, and ethical practices for embryo donation. And Moxi Matching is a directed embryo donation matching platform and journey management service.
In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by embryo recipient, Laura.
Maya talks with Lauren about an eight year fertility journey that moved through four IVF retrievals, embryo donation, adoption paperwork, and ultimately a surprise pregnancy that led to their baby boy. It is a candid conversation about grief, resilience, changing expectations, and how relationships with embryo donors can shape the experience in ways no one can fully predict.
Lauren shares what it was like to navigate multiple losses, build a meaningful connection with her donors, and then carry a pregnancy after deciding to pursue adoption. This episode is especially useful for anyone trying to understand embryo donation as part of a broader family-building path, not always as a final destination.
Chapters
00:00 Lauren’s embryo donation story and why it mattered
01:29 Starting fertility treatment and the first IVF attempts
02:36 Four IVF cycles, six embryos, and repeated losses
04:08 Hearing about embryo donation for the first time
05:23 Finding a donor through online matching
06:33 Choosing a donor based on shared values and family fit
07:44 Planning for four embryos, then receiving five
08:10 Learning the donor was pregnant during the process
10:59 Legal completion and embryo shipping to Maryland
11:49 First donated-embryo transfer and early pregnancy hope
12:56 The miscarriage that changed everything
14:36 How close the families became and why boundaries mattered
18:13 Defining the relationship with the donor family
20:53 Four donor-embryo transfers and no live birth
22:38 Why Lauren did not regret the connection with her donors
24:22 Grieving genetics and processing repeated disappointment
26:55 Turning toward adoption after embryo donation
27:19 Why adoption felt easier after genetic grief
28:05 Surprise pregnancy during the adoption process
29:29 The emotional whiplash of changing paths
30:22 Birth of their baby boy and what genetics mean now
32:13 Making meaning of the journey and possibly writing a book
33:43 What embryo donation ultimately gave her
34:42 Advice for people in the thick of fertility decisions
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