Building a family can be a complicated, messy, lonely, and sometimes heartbreaking process, but you don't have to navigate this challenging journey alone.
Join the AllPaths Family Building community as we talk with people who are currently trying to grow their family, those whose family building journey has come to an end, and experts in the fertility and family building space.
Together we'll:
hear family stories, providing real-life perspectives that highlight the many different paths a family building journey can take.
explore different fertility treatments and family building options with experts in this space.
get connected to a variety of supportive resources so you feel better equipped to tackle any challenges that may arise in your family building journey.
learn about ongoing advocacy work that promotes access to fertility care and family building options - and you can get involved.
No matter what you encounter on your journey - struggles while TTC, IUI, IVF, donor conception, surrogacy, adoption, pregnancy loss, pregnancy and parenting after, or remaining childless not by choice - the real-life insights from people who have traveled those paths can provide connection, comfort, and hope.
In this episode of the podcast, AllPaths Executive Director Lauren sits down with volunteer support group leaders Ashley, Kristen, and Jillian to discuss their personal family building journeys and talk about the power of peer support. Each guest shares the unique path that led them to this community: Kristen details her experience navigating secondary infertility, severe diminished ovarian reserve, and a successful "kitchen sink" IVF protocol; Jillian reflects on enduring back-to-back pregnancy losses and a failed IVF transfer before ultimately being able to successfully carry to term; and Ashley opens up about her struggle with endometriosis, IVF challenges, and her rewarding path to parenthood through foster care adoption. Together, they highlight how community support creates a vital safety net for people navigating complicated, often isolating, fertility and family building journeys .
The conversation explores what makes AllPaths' 20+ free virtual monthly support groups such a compassionate, low-pressure resource for anyone navigating fertility treatments, loss, adoption, or any other family building path. The leaders unpack the dynamics of group sessions, where attendees are free to simply listen or share at their own pace, give advice only when requested, and connect through mutual understanding and levity. They also offer practical wisdom on advocating for oneself in medical settings, prioritizing mental health therapy, and how friends and family can thoughtfully show up for loved ones with simple check-ins rather than unsolicited advice. No matter what twists and turns you encounter on your journey, this episode provides a comforting reminder that no one has to walk alone.
Fertility treatment, IVF, pregnancy loss, recurrent pregnancy loss, adoption, adoption through foster-care, peer support groups, volunteer, nonprofit, peer leaders, fertility support groups, IVF support group, peer support infertility, miscarriage support group, pregnancy loss support, infertility, secondary infertility support, trying for another, diminished ovarian reserve information, IVF success stories, PGT testing, adoption support group, foster care adoption support, postpartum anxiety after infertility, virtual peer support groups fertility, AllPaths Family Building, how to support someone with infertility, fertility therapist resources, coping with infertility and loss, navigating IVF journeys, family building resources nonprofit
"IVF Is the Great Equalizer, But It’s Not Equitable Yet"
Season 1 · Episode 101
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 40:47
In today’s episode, we’re delighted to introduce Boston-based reproductive endocrinologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Mass General Brigham and new member of the Board of Directors for AllPaths Family Building
Dr. Zachary Walker to the AllPaths community. Dr. Walker reflects on his career trajectory, from discovering his passion for reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) during his residency in Birmingham, Alabama, to completing his fellowship and joining the faculty in Boston.
Dr. Walker is particularly passionate about the issue of racial disparities in reproductive healthcare and the significant gaps in access and outcomes between communities. Our discussion covers the discrepancies in standard semen analysis metrics, lower IVF success rates among Black and Hispanic patients, and the underutilization of fertility preservation among minority groups, with Dr. Walker noting that these inequities persist even after controlling for factors like insurance coverage and proximity to care. To help address these clinical uncertainties, Dr. Walker highlights his current research at Brigham, including studying the impact of fibroid surgeries on IVF outcomes and a novel investigation into sperm molecular structures to better diagnose male factor infertility beyond standard semen analysis.
Looking toward the future of fertility care, Dr. Walker shares about his recent launch of a dedicated transgender fertility preservation clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in collaboration with Fenway Health and Boston Children's Hospital. After learning from the community the significant hurdles transgender individuals can face during their family building experiences, Dr. Walker is determined to streamline this process so patients wouldn't have to "run a marathon" just to find accessible care and specialized support.
Other projects that Dr. Walker is working on include the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in IVF workflows and advocacy for underutilized integrative resources like pelvic floor physical therapy for conditions such as endometriosis. Ultimately, Dr. Walker encourages anyone embarking on a family-building journey to build a reliable support network and find a care team that will listen and empower them to navigate complex fertility decisions with clarity and trust.
“We’re just two people who wanted to have a baby”: A Conversation with America’s First IVF Mom
Season 1 · Episode 100
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 53:21
In this milestone 100th episode of the AllPaths podcast, hosts Emily and Lauren welcome Judy Carr, the first mother through IVF in the United States. Judy shares the story of her pioneering path to parenthood in the 1980s, which began with three ectopic pregnancies resulting in the loss of her fallopian tubes. After receiving a pamphlet about a new clinic attempting to help people with fertility problems from her OB-GYN, Judy and her husband traveled to Virginia to consult with Dr. Howard Jones and Dr. Georgiana Jones. What followed that initial consult was a pioneering, highly personalized treatment plan that included the first hormonal stimulation protocol for fertility patients. And while some injections and blood draws could be done in Judy’s home state of Massachusetts, the bulk of her treatment had to be done at Drs. Jones’s clinic in Virginia because IVF was banned in MA at the time as "fetal experimentation." Judy’s first cycle resulted in two eggs, but only one was viable. That single egg was fertilized and transferred, coincidentally on Judy's birthday. After remaining at the clinic for a few days of monitoring, she was sent home with Dr. Georgiana Jones's memorable advice: "go home and don't you get your period." Thankfully she didn’t and that egg became America’s first IVF baby.
Judy reflects on the intense historical interest surrounding her daughter's birth, from the secretive hospital plans dubbed "Operation Santa Claus" to the press conference held when Elizabeth was just three days old. She discusses the life-long bond she had with Drs. Jones, a follow-up study that debunked myths about IVF children's intelligence, and how a libel lawsuit against a newspaper resulted in funds to build a new clinic. Comparing early IVF practices to modern reproductive medicine, Judy highlights game-changing developments like embryo freezing, while cautioning against the loss of personalized care and doctor-patient relationships that can sometimes occur in today's protocol-driven clinics.
Offering advice for individuals currently navigating fertility journeys, Judy highlights the emotional resilience required for family building, the importance of community support, and the ongoing need for insurance reform and public advocacy, emphasizing that accessible, compassionate care is essential for anyone who is trying to build the family of their dreams.
Challenge Accepted: Building a Global PCOS/PMOS Movement
Season 1 · Episode 99
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 48:11
When Sasha Ottey was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (recently renamed PMOS, or Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) in 2008, her doctor handed her a brief pamphlet and told her not to worry about her irregular cycles, just to “come back when she wanted to get pregnant.” Feeling that her concerns weren’t being taken seriously, Sasha began researching and soon discovered that she was one of millions around the world with PCOS/PMOS, a diagnosis that wasn’t even listed on the National Institute of Health's list of diseases and conditions. Refusing to accept the status quo, Sasha went on to found PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association, building a powerhouse of global support and legislative advocacy for the community.
Despite dedicating her life to supporting others through their diagnoses and the lifelong impacts of the condition, Sasha found her own family building journey to be a lonely one when she decided to try to grow her family in her late 30s. She opens up about the vulnerability of undergoing a major myomectomy to remove 10 fibroids in 2020, followed by an aggressive IVF protocol. Given just a 20% chance of success, Sasha beat the odds on her first attempt and is now the mother of a thriving four-year-old girl.
Through it all, PCOS Challenge has made enormous strides over the years, from successfully lobbying the NIH to list the condition to getting September unanimously designated as PCOS Awareness Month, which helped increase federal research funding by nearly 50%. Sasha also provides a candid look at the controversial renaming of the condition to PMOS and previews the upcoming PCOS/PMOS Awareness Symposium, taking place in Boston on September 19th. This full-day program, co-hosted by Mass General Brigham, brings together patients, supporters, healthcare professionals, researchers, leading PCOS/PMOS experts, and patient advocates for education and dialogue focused on improving care, treatment, research, and access. This year’s Symposium features specialized patient tracks including Spanish-language sessions and an adolescent-led policy lab designed to empower the next generation to use their voices and drive real change.
To connect with PCOS Challenge, visit and register for the upcoming Symposium at .
The “Funky Chromosome” Bedtime Story
Season 1 · Episode 98
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 • Duration 37:24
In this episode, we sit down with Kelsey Reynolds, a Board-Certified Reproductive Genetic Counselor with a unique entry into the field. Inspired by her own parents' decade-long journey with infertility and her mother’s bedtime stories explaining their family's inherited chromosomal translocation as simply a "funky chromosome," Kelsey’s career path led her to helping families navigate the complexities of genetic testing during conception, pregnancy, and parenting.
The conversation unpacks the clinical realities of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) during IVF, detailing the differences between available screenings and addressing one of the most painful and frequent questions faced by the fertility community: how pregnancy loss can still occur even after embryos have been genetically tested. She gently explains that while PGT is an incredibly powerful screening tool, it is not a 100% guarantee, highlighting the vital need for both patients and providers to balance hope with realistic expectations.
Looking ahead, Kelsey highlights exciting, rapid advancements in prenatal screening, such as non-invasive blood tests for single-gene conditions and personalized therapies that can treat genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis during pregnancy. She offers practical advice on how patients can prepare for a genetic counseling appointment to make the most of their time, and shares valuable community resources like the Undiagnosed Disease Network that can guide and support families who are navigating rare diseases while trying to conceive and beyond.
Finally, the hosts and Kelsey invite listeners to join them at the upcoming Footsteps for Family Building Walk in October. Driven by her passion for equity in healthcare, Kelsey is walking to support AllPaths' vital work in making family building options more accessible and to help raise the awareness and funding needed to continue to support the fertility and family building community.
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Fertility treatment, IVF, family building, genetic counseling, reproductive health, infertility support, IVF process, preconception genetic testing, embryo genetic testing, Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT), PGT testing, carrier screening, genetic testing options, pregnancy loss, PGT-A, PGT-SR, emotional support for families, navigating infertility, reproductive genetic counselor, family planning resources, pregnancy journey, genetic conditions, genetic testing for embryos, support for parents, community support, rare disease support, Footsteps for Family Building Walk
Building a Bigger Table
Season 1 · Episode 97
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 • Duration 46:20
Content Warning: Please note that this conversation includes discussions of domestic violence and child abuse. Take care of yourself while listening and see below for helpful support resources.
Every child deserves a foundation of unconditional love, a truth that Comfort Cases founder Rob Scheer learned firsthand after surviving a broken foster care system to build a beautiful family of his own. In this episode, Rob shares his deeply moving personal journey of entering the foster care system at age 12 and aging out at 18 with little more than a trash bag of belongings. He opens up about his childhood trauma, confronting severe parental and foster abuse, and how his path toward mental-health healing through therapy became the foundation for the compassionate, purpose-driven life he leads today.
Rob recounts how he and his husband, Reece, built their family by adopting five children through the same system. He details the sudden, overwhelming transition of bringing four young children under the age of four into their home within three months, navigating discrimination during the application process, and fighting an intense legal battle to finalize their adoptions. Rob also shares the story of welcoming their fifth son, Alex, who joined the family as an 18-year-old facing homelessness, embodying Rob’s drive to ensure there’s room for everyone at his table.
The discussion also explores the origin of Comfort Cases and how a simple family discussion about empathy led to a massive volunteer-led effort that replaces trash bags with dignified, essential-filled backpacks. Today, the 96% volunteer-run organization has delivered more than 360,000 backpacks and duffels filled with pajamas, toiletries, and comforting items to youth in care across all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. This episode is a powerful testament to resilience, the necessity of communal investment in the future of foster youth, and the truth that it is never too late to give a young person the unconditional support and love they deserve.
Learn more about Comfort Cases and get involved atcomfortcases.org.
Don't Be An Athena
Season 1 · Episode 96
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 • Duration 45:10
In this episode of the AllPaths Podcast, we welcome Kayla Branstetter, an educator and author, to share her personal journey through unexplained infertility and miscarriage. Currently pursuing a doctorate in healthcare with a focus on narrative medicine, Kayla shares how her experiences and the subsequent "masking" of her grief led her to go public with her story to combat the societal judgment that often surrounds family building, from when and how someone has children to the size of their family and the parenting choices they make. Drawing on her research in narrative medicine, she explores how storytelling can dissolve shame and create vital connections.
The discussion turns to Kayla’s new book, Don't Be an Athena, which examines the historical and systemic issues of medical gaslighting and misogyny. Throughout the book, Kayla highlights the critical need for self-advocacy, exposing the historical and systemic minimization of women's health with a range of personal and interviewed stories from the 1950s to today. She explains the book's central metaphor, the myth of Athena and Medusa, to illustrate how society often demonizes victims instead of empowering survivors through visibility, resources, and validation.
Finally, Kayla offers practical wisdom for navigating the "noise" of family building, emphasizing that partners should protect their family unit and make decisions based on their own physical and mental health rather than external expectations. For those supporting friends or family, she stresses the importance of providing a safe, "listening ear" free from unsolicited advice. This episode serves as a powerful resource for anyone feeling invisible in their struggle, offering a message of empowerment, survival, and advocacy.
Get your copy of Don’t Be an Athena through the AllPaths Bookshop here and a portion of your purchase supports our mission at no extra cost to you!
A special thank you to CCRM Fertility of Boston for sponsoring this episode and for their support and commitment to the AllPaths community.
“Love makes a family, but DNA makes a person.”
Season 1 · Episode 95
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 • Duration 54:08
In this episode, licensed social worker and founder of Beyond the Cradle Consulting Max Tang shares their experience as a donor-conceived person and their advocacy work to improve outcomes for donor-conceived people, donors, & parents. Max, a biracial, egg donor-conceived person from a monoracial Chinese American family, first discovered their origins during middle school when their parents revealed that they and their twin brother were conceived using a white egg donor. This revelation sparked years of identity confusion and grief, as Max struggled to reconcile their internal identity as a Chinese American with the world’s perception of their appearance and the medical system’s lack of transparency.
The conversation continues through Max’s later journey of self-discovery, which was influenced by the rise of anti-Asian hate during the pandemic and led to a decision to take a DNA test that unexpectedly resulted in a connection with their biological mother. This meeting debunked long-held myths about the donor and helped Max see the family resemblance that they’d always struggled to find with their parents. This personal evolution "radicalized" Max in a positive way, leading them to facilitate peer support groups for BIPOC and multiracial donor-conceived adults and to advocate for a more human-centered, transparent approach within the fertility industry.
Through Beyond the Cradle Consulting, Max is now dedicated to ensuring that donor conception is treated as a lifelong journey rather than a one-time medical event.Creating resources and providing opportunities for connection that prioritize the long-term well-being of all parties involved in the donor conception process, Max offers invaluable advice about the importance of early disclosure, maintaining openness and curiosity when it comes to preferred terms and relationships with genetic relatives, and emphasizing the dual truths that "love makes a family, but DNA makes a person" and "love may not see color, but the world does."
This episode of the AllPaths podcast features Kallie Chausse, a baker and photographer, to discuss her journey to parenthood. After marrying the boy next door in her early 20s and trying to conceive without success, Kallie discovered at the age of 24 that she had the egg count of a woman in her 50s. This diagnosis launched her into the world of IUI treatments and strict hormonal monitoring. After a devastating first failure, Kallie successfully conceived her daughter Violet, though she candidly discusses the traumatic birth and postpartum depression that followed, which she believes were tied to "lingering infertility emotions" she hadn't yet processed.
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic added a layer of complexity to Kallie's attempt for a second child, forcing her to navigate fertility treatments in isolation and manage stressful insurance delays that nearly canceled the cycle that ultimately led to her daughter Ivy. Kallie reflects on the "tunnel vision" of treatment and the intense pressure she felt to be the "perfect employee" while juggling medical appointments and the mental load of early motherhood. Through these challenges, she found strength in a supportive nurse and a growing online community of others who understood her "silent struggles," eventually leading her to let go of the shame she once felt.
Now an AllPaths Walk Ambassador, Kallie uses her experience to advocate for others, encouraging those in the trenches of fertility treatment and parenting after infertility to honor their feelings and seek validation and community support.
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Fertility testing, infertility, fertility treatment, Clomid, IUI, irregular periods, reproductive health, diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), postpartum depression, parenting after infertility, community support, validation, fertility insurance, parental leave, AllPaths Family Building, Footsteps for Family Building Walk, family building support, emotional support for parents, infertility journey, coping with infertility, IUI process, family building community, navigating fertility challenges, fertility specialist consultation, egg count concerns, seeking emotional support, mental health during pregnancy, balancing work and family, fertility treatment experiences, support for new parents, listening and validating emotions, supportive friends during infertility
"If I just get up and take a shower, I've done something today."
Season 1 · Episode 93
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 • Duration 43:16
In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, we sit down with Jen Rogalski, Assistant Director of Empty Arms Bereavement Support, to discuss her journey through late-term pregnancy loss and her subsequent path to healing. Jen shares the heartbreaking story of losing her first son, Baby R, at 37 weeks after noticing decreased fetal movement. She describes the "robotic" days following the diagnosis, the challenges of navigating a loss after the initial swell of support passed, and the vital role that peer support from Empty Arms played in helping her and her husband, Eric, through the depths of grief. Now parenting a living son, two-year-old Drew, Jen shares how she used the Count the Kicks app during that pregnancy to monitor fetal movement, which provided her with a sense of empowerment and security by giving her tangible data and how the Empty Arms community continued to provide support as she navigated pregnancy and parenting after loss.
Jen’s personal experience also prompted a major career shift. After Drew’s birth, she began working for the organization that had provided such a lifeline for her, helping expand Empty Arms’ support services by creating regional "hubs" and developing bereavement resource bags for local hospitals, with items designed to provide immediate practical and emotional comfort as well as connection to the community so that other parents aren't left to find help on their own as she once was. Beyond local support, Jen is also a passionate advocate for stillbirth prevention. She has traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with legislators about prevention measures and frequently shares her story to encourage others to find a voice for their own experiences. Her work aims to bridge the gap between medical trauma and community healing, ensuring no parent feels they are "floating on a pool raft" alone.
Throughout the conversation, Jen offers poignant advice for those starting their family-building journeys and for friends looking to support someone through loss. She emphasizes the power of consistent check-ins, sharing how a simple daily text message from a family member for an entire year provided a necessary lifeline during her darkest days. By speaking openly about her experience and transition from a grieving parent to a leader at Empty Arms, Jen’s story underscores the vital link between community support and healing, showing how peer connections can transform the isolation of loss into a shared journey of recovery.
Dr. Zachary Walker, fertility care, reproductive endocrinologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mass General Brigham, AllPaths Family Building Board of Directors, nonprofit Board of Directors, healthcare disparities, IVF racial disparities, infertility racial disparities, male factor infertility, semen analysis DNA fragmentation, sperm centriole testing, fibroids and fertility myomectomy, intramural fibroid fertility treatment, egg freezing fertility preservation, transgender fertility preservation, LGBTQ fertility care, LGBTQ+ fertility care, transgender fertility preservation, transgender fertility preservation clinic, Fenway Health, Boston Children’s Hospital, pelvic floor physical therapy for fertility, AI embryo selection IVF, PGT embryo genetic testing, endometriosis diagnosis and treatment, how to support someone with infertility, IVF success rates and access to care,
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