Best Donor Conception Podcasts (2025)

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Olivia: Two mums, unknown clinic donor, IUI, cultural connection, and pivoting through false starts 56:40

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2d ago56:40

56:40

This week on Proud Conception, we meet Olivia, wife to Karen and mama to four-year-old Rafael. Their path to parenthood took many turns: from working with Oranga Tamariki to potentially care for a relative’s child, to trying at-home inseminations with a personal sperm donor, and finally to conceiving Rafael through IUI with an unknown clinic donor.…

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Queer Parenting and Interracial Family Life: Navigating Donor Conception and LGBTQ Family Challenges 1:09:17

3d ago1:09:17

1:09:17

Jaimie chats with Yanica & Leah, the interracial two-mom family behind @thefaustinfam, about building a queer family with intention. They discuss their donor conception journey, navigating race and colorism, raising multiracial donor-conceived kids, second-parent adoption, coming out stories, and parenting free spirited little humans in the South. …

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S8E16 Building a Life That Supports Solo Motherhood, with Novelist Tory Henwood Hoen 1:00:26

8d ago1:00:26

1:00:26

What would you have to change to make solo motherhood possible? For novelist Tory Henwood Hoen, the answer meant reimagining the structure of her life. She left New York City for Vermont, moved in with her mom during pregnancy, and built a rhythm that allowed her to pursue both her dream of motherhood and her passion for writing. Through it all, sh…

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342: #DISUNOMICS: THE REAL REASON WHY TRUMP WANTS TO INVADE NIGERIA 1:03:41

8d ago1:03:41

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In early November 2025, Donald Trump publicly warned that the U.S. could cut aid to Nigeria — and even deploy military force — if the Nigerian government failed to stop the killing of Christians. The statement exploded across global news feeds. In this episode we trace the story from the viral headlines to the facts behind the numbers, and ask the …

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Kirsty Loehr: From Reciprocal IVF to Blended Family and Writing Our History 38:34

10d ago38:34

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Author and educator Kirsty Loehr joins Jaimie to share her beautifully messy story of queer family building — from reciprocal IVF with her ex-wife to co-parenting their 4-year-old son and now navigating life in a blended family with her new partner and her partner’s two kids. Kirsty talks candidly about the breakup that came just months after welco…

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Expert Dr. Olivia Stuart: Queer family building using a fertility clinic, a primer 46:09

16d ago46:09

46:09

This week, I’m thrilled to share our second expert episode with the incredible Dr. Olivia Stuart of Fertility Associates. Olivia is a gynaecologist, obstetrician, and fertility subspecialist meaning she can walk alongside individuals and couples from their initial fertility consultations through to the birth of their pēpi. Olivia came highly recomm…

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No Accidents Here: Alon Rivel on Intentional Gay Parenting 53:02

17d ago53:02

53:02

Alon Rivel joins Jaimie for a brutally honest, funny, and heartfelt conversation about what it really takes—emotionally, financially, and spiritually—to build a queer family through surrogacy. From his surrogate’s iconic one-liners (“I’m not keeping it”) to his reflection that queer parents are architects of love, Alon reminds us what intentional p…

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S8E15 From Fertility Challenges and Fibroids to Solo Mom of Two with Dr. Shanelle Bolton 49:05

22d ago49:05

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While some motherhood paths unfold easily, others bring unexpected twists and turns. Dr. Shanelle Bolton’s path to solo motherhood included multiple surgeries to remove fibroids, a chemical pregnancy, and even a near-fatal postpartum hemorrhage. But all of this was part of her journey, and today she’s a proud solo mom by choice to two thriving chil…

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Mark & Eoin: Two Irish Dads, Two Daughters, and a Fight for Change 1:12:36

24d ago1:12:36

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Meet Mark and Eoin, two Irish dads proving that queer family building is both an act of love and of advocacy. Their path to fatherhood took them from Ireland to New York and Texas—navigating surrogacy independently, honoring their daughters’ Nigerian-Irish heritage, and pushing the Irish government to finally recognize families like theirs. Togethe…

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Oli: Solo, non-binary birthing parent, clinic and known donor, IUI, IVF and at-home insemination, infertility, & gender transition amidst parenting 54:29

29d ago54:29

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This week on Proud Conception, we sit down with Oli—a non-binary solo parent to a spirited two-and-a-half-year-old, Francis. Oli’s conception journey has a bit of everything: fertility clinics, two different clinic donors, IUI and IVF, and finally, success through a low-tech at-home insemination with a known donor met through a mutual friend. Along…

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From Cult Upbringing to Queer Co-Parenting 55:45

1M ago55:45

55:45

What happens when you grow up in an evangelical cult, spend years closeted, marry to appease your family, and still find your way to queerness, healing, and chosen family? Therapist and author SC Nealy (they/she) joins Jaimie to share their powerful story of resilience and reinvention. From a childhood in religious isolation to co-parenting two dau…

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Episode 6: Inside ESHRE 2025 - Reflections, Research and Real Conversations on Donor Conception 38:30

1M ago38:30

38:30

In this season finale of season 3 of the Paths to Parenthub Podcast, Becky and Hayley are back from an incredible trip to ESHRE Paris 2025 – one of the biggest reproductive medicine conferences in the world – and they’re sharing all about it! During this special episode, Becky and Hayley discuss what it was like to be surrounded by leading experts,…

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S8E14 Postpartum as a Single Mother by Choice with SMBC Mel Anderson 48:39

1M ago48:39

48:39

After a pregnancy marked by hyperemesis and countless challenges, Mel Anderson returns to share the next chapter of her story. This time, it’s a much brighter one. The birth of Mel’s daughter didn’t go exactly as planned, but from the very first moment she heard her daughter’s cry, everything shifted. Instead of bracing herself for postpartum depre…

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Breaking the Binary: Maya Gonzalez and the Gender Wheel 57:11

1M ago57:11

57:11

In this mind-expanding conversation, Jaimie sits down with Maya Gonzalez — genderqueer artist, author, publisher, educator, parent, and creator of The Gender Wheel — an innovative, nature-based framework that reimagines how we understand gender, identity, and self. Maya takes us through their lifelong work of blending art, research, and spirit to h…

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Laura: A gestational surrogate's perspective 1:11:09

1M ago1:11:09

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This week’s episode features Laura, a two-time gestational surrogate with a powerful story and a big heart. Laura has carried a pregnancy before for two gay dads and is now five weeks pregnant again with surrogate pēpi number two for a different set of dads, former MP and broadcaster Tamati Coffey and his partner Tim. Many folks in the LGBTQ+ commu…

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The Bio/Non-Bio Myth: Why Love, Not DNA, Makes a Family 51:14

1M ago51:14

51:14

Episode Summary (Podcast Apps) Kevin and Alim—longtime partners, dads of two, and global citizens—share how they built their family through Canadian surrogacy, what they looked for in an egg donor, and how they talk to their kids about donor conception using a “meet them where they are” approach. We get real about the bio vs. non-bio parent feeling…

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S8E13 Pregnancy Without a Partner: Facing Hyperemesis and Finding Strength With SMBC Mel Anderson 1:12:17

2M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

Pregnancy doesn’t always go the way you imagined it would. For my dear friend and fellow SMBC, Mel Anderson, what began with excitement quickly turned into one of the hardest seasons of her life. Instead of hiking and practicing yoga through her pregnancy as she had envisioned, Mel faced hyperemesis: severe nausea and vomiting that left her unable …

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Screens, Teens, and Privilege: Positive Discipline and Tech Limits with Casey O’Roarty 1:17:32

2M ago1:17:32

1:17:32

Screens are everywhere — but how do we keep them from taking over our kids’ lives? In this special ally episode, Jaimie sits down with Casey O’Roarty, a positive discipline trainer, parent coach, and host of the Joyful Courage podcast, to talk about raising kids in a high-tech world. Casey shares practical strategies for balancing independence with…

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Episode 5: Akua’s story – Surrogacy, Sperm Donation and Finding Strength in Adversity 57:24

2M ago57:24

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Warning: Discussions of birth trauma during parts of this episode In this heartfelt episode of the Paths to Parenthub Podcast, Becvky and Hayley are joined by Akua, who openly shares her family building story as a mum through surrogacy and sperm donation with her husband. Akua talks candidly about the many challenges she and her husband faced along…

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Two Dads, One Mom, Zero Apologies | Therapist Ann Russo on Religious Trauma, Chosen Family & Queer Joy 47:20

2M ago47:20

47:20

Queer therapist and “kid of queer parents” Ann Russo joins Jaimie to show what ordinary, extraordinary queer family looks like. Raised in the ’80s by a mom, dad, and dad’s partner under one roof—publicly “the roommate” for safety—Ann shares how chosen family (yes, Deadhead potlucks) and three parents taught compassion, and why bio vs. non-bio bonds…

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Tayla: Two mums, Facebook donor, at-home insemination & the low maintenance way to have a baby 1:06:47

2M ago1:06:47

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This week’s guest slid into my DMs and boy am I glad she did! Tayla, fiancé to Jess and mummy to 3-year-old Angus, is raw, real and so relatable. In this episode, she takes us through the step-by-step of at-home insemination with hilarious detail and finding their sperm donor through a Facebook donation group; an approach she jokingly calls the “lo…

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S8E12 Managing Expectations & Embracing Flexibility as a SMBC (A SGC Village Podcast Sneak Peek) 38:27

2M ago38:27

38:27

Motherhood—especially solo motherhood—rarely unfolds exactly the way we imagined. Fertility treatments don’t always go as planned, babies don’t follow sleep schedules, and even our best-laid visions of how life “should” look often get disrupted. In this episode, I’m sharing one of our private Village Podcast episodes on the theme of Managing Expect…

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Jesse Callans: Transitioning While Parenting Four Kids + Writing Ollie in Between 55:00

2M ago55:00

55:00

Transmasc author and parent Jesse Callans joins Jaimie to flip the parenting script. Jesse shares how he pressed pause on transition to build a family (surprise—then three more!), what it looked like to transition while his kids were 7, 4, 2, and 1, and how toddlers helped distill a complex change down to “the things that stay the same” (yes, there…

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What the New LGBTQ+ Study Really Says—And Why It Matters for Queer Families With Orion Rummler (The 19th) & Pew’s Rachel Minkin 58:55

2M ago58:55

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We went in-studio (!) with journalist Orion Rummler (The 19th) and Rachel Minkin (Pew Research Center, and a gay mom) to unpack Pew’s major 2025 study of LGBTQ+ Americans—released around the 10-year anniversary of Obergefell. We talk social acceptance gaps (L/G & bi vs. trans/nonbinary), how data actually moves policy, the everyday realities of que…

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Using a Known Donor at a UK HFEA Clinic - What You Need to Know 37:11

2M ago37:11

37:11

In this special episode of the Paths to Parenthub Podcast, Becky and Hayley are joined by not one, but two leading specialists in donor conception. We welcome Anest Mathias, solicitor and legal expert at TV Edwards, and Mr. James Nicolopoulos, consultant gynaecologist at The Lister Clinic, to explore a topic that is often less talked about: using a…

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Marty: Two dads, permanent foster care, managing complex needs & supporting rainbow families at work 58:33

3M ago58:33

58:33

In this episode of Proud Conception, we speak with Marty, who is husband to Mike (for 30 years!), and dad to their son Xavier, who’s now 18. Their family’s journey began before marriage equality, at a time when adoption and surrogacy were limited pathways for queer couples in Aotearoa. Instead, Marty and Mike pursued permanent foster care which led…

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S8E11 Pursuing Solo Motherhood, Part 2: Tara Resnick on Resilience and IVF as a Single Woman 53:28

3M ago53:28

53:28

Even with careful planning, none of us can predict how our path to motherhood will unfold. When we last spoke with Tara Resnick, she was preparing for another egg retrieval and left us with quite the cliffhanger. Today, she’s back to share the next chapter of her journey toward solo motherhood. In this conversation, Tara speaks with honesty and vul…

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José Rolón (NYC Gay Dad) and Luce Remy (Family Equality): Why LGBTQ+ Family Policy Helps Everyone 1:07:31

3M ago1:07:31

1:07:31

In this Season 20 opener, Jaimie sits down in person (for the first time in years!) with two powerhouse voices in the LGBTQIA+ family-building world: José Rolón (aka NYC Gay Dad) and Luce Remey (VP of Public Policy at Family Equality). Together, they dive deep into what it really means to build, protect, and nurture queer families in today’s politi…

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Bonus Episode – Trying to Conceive? You Don’t Want to Miss This! 16:05

3M ago16:05

16:05

In this bonus episode of the Paths to Parenthub Podcast, Becky and Hayley are back to share something very special – the return of their much-loved in-person event: Donor Conception: Connecting Through Conversations. Now in its 4th year running, this sold-out every time event is designed for: Those considering donor conception Anyone currently tryi…

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Bonus Replay: Redefining Parenthood: A Queer Guide to Modern Parenting 1:06:35

3M ago1:06:35

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🎉 Bonus Episode Alert! 🎉 Season 20 officially drops on September 1st, but while you wait, we’ve got one last bonus for you. This heartfelt and thought-provoking conversation redefines what it means to parent in our queer, messy, beautiful, modern world. Writer, activist, and parent S. Bear Bergman sits down with Jaimie to explore love, family, and …

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Expert Dr. George Parker: Inclusive pregnancy care & studying rainbow families nationwide 44:12

3M ago44:12

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In our first expert episode of the season, we sit down with Dr. George Parker, senior lecturer of health service delivery at Victoria University of Wellington. With a clinical background in midwifery and a PhD in sociology, George has dedicated their career to making perinatal spaces safer and more inclusive for rainbow whānau. We talk about the co…

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S8E10 Julie Ferguson on IVF, Solo Motherhood, and Finding Love After Baby 1:04:19

3M ago1:04:19

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Julie thought she was freezing her eggs for a future partner. Instead, she ended up fertilizing all of them on her path to become a mom on her own—then finding love and partnership afterward. That’s the short version of Julie Ferguson’s story, but there’s so much more to it. Julie is a PR firm owner and solo mom by choice who’s been through more th…

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BONUS REPLAY: A Beautifully Complicated Transition with Emme Reynolds 58:55

3M ago58:55

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As we gear up for the launch of Season 20 this September, we're sharing some favorite past episodes that continue to resonate—because queer family-building is never just a one-time story. Originally aired in Season 14, this episode features Emme Reynolds, a transgender parent of two in a newly blended family. Emme brings honesty, vulnerability, and…

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Bonus: Cruising Podcast Swap — Les Pierres, Love, and Queer Family in the Deep South 1:08:37

3M ago1:08:37

1:08:37

While we gear up for Season 20 (September 1st!), I’m sharing something special — an episode swap with the fabulous podcast Cruising. They’re featuring one of my episodes on their feed, and I’m thrilled to bring one of theirs to you. This one’s a beautiful slice of queer history, love, and resilience. Juanita Pierre and Leslie Martinez opened New Or…

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Episode 3: Cerith’s Story – Navigating Donor Conception, Whilst Waiting to be a Dad 41:11

3M ago41:11

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In this powerful and refreshingly honest episode, Becky is joined by actor, celebrant, and motivational speaker Cerith Jones, who shares his and his wife’s ongoing journey to parenthood using donor sperm. After 18 years on stage and screen (with roles in Eastenders, Wolfblood, Hollyoaks and more), Cerith is now telling a different kind of story - h…

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Camila: Two mums, known donor, at-home insemination, & connecting rainbow families across Aotearoa 58:03

3M ago58:03

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In this conversation on Proud Conception, we speak with Camila, a queer parent originally from Argentina and now based in Ōtautahi. We discuss her international love story with wife Hannah, the logistics of building a family with a known donor and using low tech, at-home insemination techniques, having a supportive GP, forming a written agreement w…

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S8E9 Pursuing Solo Motherhood: Tara Resnick on Love, Loss, and Choosing Herself 1:03:36

4M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

Life doesn’t always unfold the way you imagined. For Tara, that meant rethinking everything she thought she knew about love, family, and the “perfect” timing. After years in relationships that weren’t moving toward the future she desired, she found herself at a crossroads: stay stuck waiting for someone else to come around, or start creating the li…

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BONUS REPLAY: Flipping the Script on Foster Adoption 1:02:18

4M ago1:02:18

1:02:18

🎉 BONUS REPLAY: Flipping the Script on Foster Adoption As we gear up for the launch of Season 20 this September (!!!), I’m revisiting some of my favorite episodes from past seasons. These stories continue to resonate, inspire, and remind us why queer family visibility matters—every single day. Originally aired in Season 13, this heartfelt and eye-o…

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Episode 2: Alexa’s Story: Egg Donation, and Uncovering More Than She Expected 55:59

4M ago55:59

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In this powerful episode of Season 3, Becky and Hayley are joined by Alexa, a Canadian based mum whose journey to parenthood through known egg donation is full of unexpected twists, turns and emotional complexity. Alexa shares her experience of navigating fertility treatment with honesty, offering a window into the emotional and practical realities…

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BONUS! Navigating the Fertility Journey as a Queer Couple, with Jaimie Kelton 46:04

4M ago46:04

46:04

🎉 BONUS EPISODE DROP! 🎉 As I get ready to launch Season 20 of The Queer Family Podcast this September(!), I’m sharing a few guest appearances that I think deserve a spot in this feed. This week, I joined Dr. Kelsey Duncan on The Fertility Confidence Podcast to talk candidly about queer fertility, intentional parenthood, donor selection, and the leg…

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S8E8 Solo Parenting Older Children and Thriving in Business With SMBC Beile Grünbaum 1:06:24

4M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

What does life look like a decade into solo motherhood? If you've ever wondered what’s on the other side of the baby and toddler years, this conversation with Beile Grünbaum will give you an exciting glimpse. Beile is a solo mom by choice of two sons, now 10 and 12, and her story is anything but ordinary. A former financial journalist in Denmark, B…

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Upstanders vs. Bystanders: Embracing Allyship for LGBTQ Families Everywhere with Jaimie Kelton 39:14

4M ago39:14

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🎉 Bonus Episode Drop! 🎉 While we gear up for Season 20 of The Queer Family Podcast, we're sharing this powerful conversation Jaimie had as a guest on the No Guilt Mom podcast! We talked all things queer family building, parenting with purpose, standing up (loudly) for what’s right—and yes, even voiceover work and musical theater. Enjoy this bonus e…

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Celebrating Queer Families & Normalizing Representation with Jaimie from the Queer Family Podcast 39:23

4M ago39:23

39:23

🎉 Bonus Episode Drop! 🎉 While Jaimie gears up for Season 20 of The Queer Family Podcast—launching this August!—she's sharing this bonus episode from her recent guest appearance on the No One Told Us podcast. It’s a beautiful conversation about queer parenting, representation, and the honest, hilarious chaos of raising kids while gay. Enjoy this sne…

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Episode 1: Cristina’s Story - One Mum’s Truth in Choosing Egg Donation 49:59

4M ago49:59

49:59

Welcome to Season 3 of The Paths to Parenthub Podcast, where we’re diving deeper into the world of donor conception, blending powerful lived experiences with vital legal insight. In this first episode, Becky and Hayley speak with Cristina, a mum who shares her moving journey to parenthood through egg donation as part of a mum-dad family. Cristina o…

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Lou: Two mums, IUI, clinic donor sperm, male role models & remembering the bigger picture 54:02

4M ago54:02

54:02

In this episode of Proud Conception, we speak with Lou about life in Christchurch with her wife Libby, their two boys, and Libby’s niece. Lou shares their journey using a local fertility clinic, navigating multiple rounds of donor selection, and making tough decisions after several unsuccessful IUI attempts. She openly discusses some challenges dur…

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Steph: Two mums, donor sperm, IUI, reciprocal IVF, infertility, miscarriage and being financially prepared 52:11

4M ago52:11

52:11

In this episode of Proud Conception we speak with Steph, a queer parent from Germany now living in New Zealand, about her journey to parenthood with her wife Kat. Steph discusses the challenges faced in Germany's legal landscape for LGBTQ+ families, the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatments, the complexities of using donor sperm and the p…

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Jess: Two mums, gender transition, infertility & building a rainbow community 33:12

4M ago33:12

33:12

Welcome to Proud Conception! In this inaugural episode, we hear from Jess — a cis woman from Australia now living in Aotearoa with her wife Lauren, a trans woman, and their two boys. Jess shares their journey through infertility, IVF, and cross-border conception. She shares about navigating Lauren’s gender transition alongside their family-building…

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S8E7 Finding a Known Donor and Choosing Solo Motherhood with Viveka Mandhyan 59:38

4M ago59:38

59:38

What if the desire to become a parent is strong, but the partner hasn't shown up? In this episode, I’m talking with Viveka, a school psychologist who has spent her career supporting kids and families—and who’s now navigating her own path to solo motherhood. Viveka started out as a preschool special education teacher, is certified as a yoga instruct…

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Trailer | Welcome to Proud Conception 3:57

4M ago3:57

3:57

Welcome to Proud Conception, a podcast that explores the diverse parenthood journeys of LGBTQ+ families. Hosted by Rachael Gresson, each episode dives into real stories of parenthood, focusing on the lived experiences of queer parents as they navigate the path to building their families. Keep listening for the expert interviews as well where we hea…

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Episode 51: FBI and Seattle Sperm Bank 1:12:58

5M ago1:12:58

1:12:58

In 2022 at a Fertility Industry Stakeholder meeting representatives from Seattle Sperm bank admitted that they give leftover vials of sperm to the FBI. This story was covered by LGBTQ Nation in May 2025. Join us as we interview Eve Wiley who was present for this meeting as we dissect what this means and what the could be the terrifying result of th…