I Want to Put a Baby in You!

Deb is the Founder and CEO of Embryo Connections. She personally manages matching families looking for a future for their remaining embryos, with those turning to embryo donation to conceive. Tune in as Deb talks about: -Why she left her high-powered position managing brands and launching new products for companies such as Quaker Oats and Coca Cola to pursue her passion of helping to create families. -The moment she realized that life doesn’t have to go in order—meet person of dreams, get married, have baby—and decided to become a single-mom-by-choice. -The heartbreaking story of how an egg retrieval with 60(!) eggs still didn’t result in a child. -Her difficult experience with a miscarriage and a chemical twin pregnancy. -Her diagnosis of Asherman’s Syndrome and how it affected her ability to carry a baby. -How her amazing infertility journey led her into starting Embryo Connections and then helping so many other people have families! -How she is addressing embryo donation with her son. To hear another great podcast episode about embryo donation, tune into Episode 16: One More Shot - Noah and Maya (https://soundcloud.com/iwtpabiy/episode-16-one-more-shot-maya-and-noah). Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Embryo Connections: embryoconnections.org/

Gestational surrogacy is a journey not just for the gestational carrier but for her family too! Jade and Jahmaya share their story, including the often over-looked perspective of the partner of a gestational carrier. Listen to Jade and Jahmaya as they discuss: -How Jade became interested in becoming a gestational surrogate. -What Jahmaya’s fears and hesitations were when Jade told him she wanted to become a GC. -What changed his mind a year later. -The surrogacy screening process — from the GC side and the partner side. -The shots, the hormones, the psych exam — what it was like for both of them. -Dealing with the side effects to their sex life (or rather, lack thereof!). -The reaction of their families. -How the matching process went and what their relationship with the intended parents was like. -The labor and the heartwarming birth experience. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com

Dawn Baker is the founder and Director of US Surrogacy LLC. She enjoys her family of three amazing young adult children and traveling with her husband. Dawn brings significant work experience from the legal field, having worked as a legal assistant for 20 years. Prior to her legal career, she served as a Personnel Specialist in the US Army and as Assistant to the Personnel Director on Yokota Air Base, Japan. Listen to Dawn as she discusses with Ellen and Jennifer: -How her 5 years of struggling with secondary infertility led her from being an investor of a surrogacy agency to eventually running a surrogacy agency. -The shocking and tragic case of international Intended Parents being denied travel visas to get to their baby’s birth. -The repeated visa denials leading to the parents not only missing the birth but to Dawn taking care of the surrogate baby for 10 weeks! -The efforts and drama to reach reunification. -Her second experience with Intended Parents separated from their babies and taking care of them (yes THEM…TWINS!). -Her advice to International Parents when doing surrogacy to prevent this from happening — or at least help put safeguards in place to help. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com
 Learn more about Dawn's agency: us-surrogacy.com

Amanda is the Business Manager for Colorado Surrogacy. She lives in Colorado with her husband of ten years and two amazing boys. She is a sign language interpreter and an experienced gestational surrogate and now uses her superpowers to help other people with their surrogacy experiences! Listen as Amanda shares: • How her sister’s early diagnosis of cancer at 18 months inspired her to become a surrogate. • Her friend’s story of loss and how it led her to become her surrogate. • Their experience doing an independent match without an agency. • The legal issues they ran into without the help of an agency (i.e. trusting someone when they said the GC and IP could share an attorney). • The double embryo transfer and the scary situation when she started bleeding early in the pregnancy. • How she finally found her own legal representation after 20 weeks pregnant to put together the Pre-Birth Order. • The dramatic birth story and what her relationship with the IPs is like now. • Her motivation behind working with an agency now to help other surrogates. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com

Hannah has two loving moms and shares her unique story of conception, upbringing and what makes a family. Listen as Hannah chats about: • Her unique conception and unconventional family structure. • Her moms meeting her dad the first time she did (take that in for a minute). • What happened when the realities of being a sperm donor set in with her donor—there is a real human on the other end! • How her sperm donor became a very involved part of her life. • Growing up as donor conceived in an unconventional family and trying to explain it to kids she grew up with — and moving from hiding it to embracing it. • Dealing with the perils of separated parents …oh and dealing with it while you are in middle school (good times). • The awesomeness of the donor sibling registry. • Reaching out to same sex couples on how to help them navigate the experience she went through with their kids. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com

Cathleen McKenzie was born and raised in a small town in New Brunswick, Canada where she went to school and college. She has carried 4 surrobabies to date and is currently preparing to carry another! Listen as Cathleen discusses: • Her experience as a teen mother and her inspiration to become a surrogate. • How surrogacy works in Canada, including a very different legal landscape from the US. • Being a traditional surrogate and doing an at home insemination. • The snags with doing traditional surrogacy in Canada where compensation is illegal — including a lack of resources like agencies and clinics. • The dramatic story when things took a turn for the worse with her intended parents. • The intended parents deciding they didn’t want the twin babies anymore around 30 weeks and what she was left to do. • Her advice to others wanting to be surrogates in Canada — how to protect yourself and the children. • How her surrogacy experiences went after the first traumatic one and about her incredible future plans. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com 
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com

Ellen Trachman is the Director and Co-Owner of Bright Futures Families, which includes Colorado Surrogacy, New Mexico Surrogacy, Montana Surrogacy, Texas Surrogacy and New England Surrogacy. She is an attorney specialized in family formation law and Managing Director of Trachman Law Center, LLC and the co-host of the I Want To Put A Baby In You Podcast. Listen as Ellen and her spouse, Will, chat about: • The 9:00 pm call from the hospital telling them to come in right away. • Their adventures in Bradley Method classes and preparation for their first child in San Francisco. • Cramps on the way and in the middle of a court hearing—which, you guessed it, progressed into full-fledged labor (eek)! • The doula’s TSA violations in an attempt to make the birth. • AND…a special BONUS interview with the product of that birth, Ellen’s daughter and Jennifer. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com

Jennifer White is the Director and Co-Owner of Colorado Surrogacy, New Mexico Surrogacy, Montana Surrogacy, Texas Surrogacy and New England Surrogacy. She is also the co-host of the I Want To Put A Baby In You Podcast and a proud infertility survivor. Listen as Jenn opens up about: • How she met her husband and how their relationship blossomed. • Her journey with infertility—the feelings and frustrations along the way and the tests and doctors that followed. • Her surprise positive pregnancy test and their reaction. • The phone call to tell them that the triple screen test was abnormal (while her husband was deployed). • Her strange medical problem and the horrors of dealing with a completely inappropriate perinatologist. • Her dramatic labor and birth story (including no option for an epidural, a power outage and an emergency c-section). • The emotional homecoming with her husband and baby after returning from deployment. • AND…a special BONUS interview with Ellen’s daughter (7) and Jennifer’s daughter (11). Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com

Kim Surratt is back! If you missed it, go back to Episode 31 to hear her background and some majorly impressive feats. In this episode we hear the drama-filled story of how Kim played a significant role in taking down a criminal “surrogacy” baby-selling ring. Listen as Kim discusses the details of a scary and horrifying case involving corrupt attorneys, a California “agency,” duped women “surrogates” in several states…oh, and the FBI: • Rematching in surrogacy — but when the “surrogate” is already pregnant (say, what?!). • Sending women off to the Ukraine to a fertility clinic to get pregnant but with whose genes? No one knows. • The vague surrogacy laws at that time in CA and NV that made it difficult to prove what they were doing was illegal (even though it was clearly unethical). • An attorney administering medication…yes, an attorney (who was not, by the way, also a doctor). • A minimum of 13 known women who came back from the Ukraine and were essentially tricked into have the baby they were carrying sold to the highest bidder. • FBI, wiretapping and some really awesome spy stuff. • The charges - illegal administering of medication, illegal “surrogacy,” trafficking women out of the country and selling babies. • Plus, Kim’s tips on finding a GOOD, reputable surrogacy agency. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com 
Learn more about Surratt Law Practice: www.LawyersForFamilies.com

Pradeepa Narayanaswamy is an international Fertility Coach based out of Dallas, Texas. Her specialty is helping men, women and couples infertility journey SUCK LESS! She provides self-care plans to support her clients to take control of their fertility journeys. Pradeepa discusses: • What inspired her to go from the technology field to becoming a life coach and then a fertility coach. • Her heartbreaking personal losses and fertility journey. • Dealing with her emotions after 8 rounds of IVF and having to explore alternative treatments. • Her coping mechanisms for dealing with the constant loss and disappointment and how she finally came to peace with her infertility. • Tips on how to cope with infertility in a healthy way, especially for relationships. • Tips on identifying what is most important to you to calm the roller coaster of emotions and to help your fertility journey SUCK LESS! Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com
 Visit Pradeepa’s website for additional information and to schedule a consultation today: PradeepaFertilityCoach.com

Kim Surratt is a force of nature. She sits on the Executive Council as the Vice-Chair for the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Nevada, is a member of the National Family Law Advisory Council for the National Center of Lesbian Rights, a member of the National LGBT Bar Association and Vice President of the Nevada Justice Association. Kim is the chair of the domestic lobbying committee for the Nevada Justice Association and was a leader in the successful movement to have Nevada pass a comprehensive, family-supportive surrogacy law. She has spoken on assisted reproductive technology issues around the world. Listen as Kim discusses: • Her journey to ART Law, starting with getting involved with the LGBTQ community and Aids Prevention • Her adventures from Nevada to Costa Rica to California • Why she decided to go to law school and her first job after law school. • The amazing story of her first surrogacy case - and how it launched many surrogacy cases after it. • How she drafted and lobbied for the passage of the current reproductive family law statutes in Nevada. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com
 Learn more about Surratt Law Practice: www.LawyersForFamilies.com

Ashlee is an infertility advocate, former intended parent, mom of twins, and surrogacy agency owner (In other words, she is a super woman!). She has been featured as an educator for All Things Surrogacy, serves as a Fruitful mentor and is a member of ASRM and SEEDS. She enjoys offering support to those battling infertility, as well as to intended parents and gestational carriers interested in surrogacy. She is the owner and founder of Family Makers Surrogacy. Hear Ashlee’s amazing story as she discusses: • Her 10 year fertility journey, including fertility drugs, IUI, egg retrievals, IVF and 8 devastating losses. • Their research into surrogacy and adoption. • The embryo transfer which finally led to a successful pregnancy. • An emergency situation with her surrogate right after birth. • The importance of advocating for yourself even in the face of constant heartbreak and loss. • What the relationship with the surrogate is like now. • Their miracle that happened after the surrogacy! Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com 
Learn more about Ashlee’s agency: www.familymakers.com

Corlandos Scott is an attorney in the Assisted Reproductive Technology field and a Hollywood actor. Listen as Corlandos talks about: • The hilarious story of how he accidentally got into acting. • His career path of communications major, nuclear reactor operator, actor, entertainment lawyer, ART lawyer and business owner. • How he fell in love with ART law and become an attorney in the celebrity world. • How his employer encouraged him to start his own firm. • The additional complications surrogates for celebrities face. • The added hardships celebrity Intended Parents sometime face in having to ask for extra things (privacy-related) from the surrogate - all after struggling to have a child unsuccessfully. • Balancing his acting career and managing his business and his celebrity (and even his non-celebrity) clients. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com Learn more about Corlandos’ practice: https://www.pinnaclefirm.com

Sonal Patel is a pediatrician and a neonatologist who left the traditional hospital/clinic setting to start a specialized practice providing in-home newborn care. Listen as Sonal talks about: • Her time as a NICU doctor and experiencing birth and postpartum newborn care as a patient. • Seeing the holes in postpartum care provided to parents in our country, sparking her passion to start her practice, NayaCare. • The services NayaCare offers, including the 2-3 day newborn exam, 2 week baby exam, mother’s medical exam, as well as breastfeeding support…all within the comfort of your own home. • The benefits of her practice model to families through surrogacy. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com 
Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com
 Learn more about Dr. Patel’s practice: https://nayacare.org

Emily had leukemia four(!) times after first being diagnosed when she was 5 years old. She had an amazing journey of becoming a mother. Listen as Emily talks about: • Balancing her chemo treatments, school and soccer when she was younger. • The last time she was diagnosed at 19 (as a freshmen in college) and how she finished college while doing chemo for 2 years. • How she managed to get through being diagnosed and relapsing with leukemia 3 times, all while keeping up her spirits. • How she met her husband and how the discussion of a future family went. • The search for a gestational surrogate and an egg donor. • The 3 transfers it took to finally get their identical twin boys. • Her connection she felt to the babies during the pregnancy even though she didn’t carry them. • Being on a cruise in the middle of the ocean when their surrogate went into labor — find out if they made it to the birth! • What her relationship with her surrogate is like now. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: iwanttoputababyinyou.com
 Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com
Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: trachmanlawcenter.com