Perry & Sydney went from being told to stop their medications (i.e.: their pregnancy was over)… to holding their miracle daughter. Their journey in between, virtually the whole time, was filled with anxiety. Hear how deeply they were shaped by infertility, and learn from what they did as they struggled to find contentment and a sense of certainty, in this episode of The Embryo Adoption Podcast. (time stamps below)Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. :56 Sydney remembers when she was told to stop taking her medications after her frozen embryo transfer (FET), then took a pregnancy test anyway 5:30 What their conversations with the NEDC and its medical partners were like during the time of waiting to see if a pregnancy would be established 7:45 What it was like for Perry to play a support role during this ‘holding our breaths’ situation 11:33 How the rest of the pregnancy went once it was firmly established 16:30 The guilt Sydney felt while lamenting her difficult pregnancy 18:25 What the moment was like when Marlee was born 22:30 What parenting has actually been like compared to what Perry & Sydney expected 26:20 What the relationship with their donor family has been like 27:45 How infertility has changed them 33:20 How God formed Marlee before Perry & Sydney even met 35:45 Is going back to the complicated emotions of infertility helpful or unhelpful?

Life throws us curve balls. For Jay and Elizabeth, the result was a family-building journey that showcases God’s variety and God’s provision. From a biological child to an embryo adoption baby, their story has it all (including how they adopted without debt!). It’s our prayer that this episode of The Embryo Adoption Podcast will leave you -like them- recounting the goodness of God. (Time stamps are below.) Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. 1:15 How they envisioned their family taking shape when they got married 4:30 Learning they wouldn’t be able to have biological kids anymore, how their church became a great resource as they turned to adoption 6:45 What it means to be part of an adoption-minded church 11:25 Emotional recovery from loss, how the infant adoption process worked for their older son Liam & how they raised $ for it 18:10 The difficulty of waiting for infant adoption, the joy of seeing it finally happen                22:15 How embryo adoption came onto their radar 25:00 What their journey with the NEDC looked like 31:30 What the matching process was like  35:00 What it’s been like having NEDC baby Nathanael join their family 37:15 How they found out they were having a son 39:45 What they hope others see when they look at their family 40:40 How God has shaped their souls through embryo adoption

Madison got pancreatitis (twice!) and COVID while she was pregnant with Pia & Judah, her embryo adoption twins. That, combined with extended NICU stays for each baby, made Madison & Toby’s road to parenthood a taxing one. But they’d do it all again to experience the deep parental love consuming them now. Gain valuable insights from their story, from a case of nerves on the day of their frozen embryo transfer to what it was like carrying multiples, in this episode. (Time stamps are below.) Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. 1:45 Peace, then a sense of nervousness before the frozen embryo transfer (FET) 3:30 What the moment was like when they learned they were having twins 6:10 What the home stretch of Madison’s difficult pregnancy was like 9:50 The “magical moment” of delivering their twins, Pia & Judah 13:15 How it feels to finally be parents, how enduring NICU stays of several weeks actually strengthened Madison & Toby as parents 16:00 Their strong relationship with their donor family and how the donors have encouraged them 19:15 What they wish they’d known about embryo adoption going into the process 21:05 How Madison & Toby leaned on their relationship with God for support during their entire journey 

Secondary infertility sent Arleta into the throes of depression, which sent her to YouTube, of all places. And through that, God led her & Owen to double blessings. How fitting that they arrived on Thanksgiving! (“Two turkeys,” their older son jokes.:)) They’re telling their story in this episode (time stamps below). Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.  1:05 Struggles with secondary infertility, including fibroids, miscarriage, failed IUIs and IVF 4:05 How Arleta found out about the NEDC online, while battling depression 5:30 Owen’s initial hesitancy about pursuing embryo adoption 7:20 Arleta describes her experience of doing embryo adoption with the NEDC 9:30 Arleta describes the arrivals of twins Zion & Zuri, who were born on Thanksgiving 13:10 Owen on what it’s like having newborn twins in the home 14:35 How older sibling Josiah is adjusting to being a big brother 15:15 What they wish they knew about battling infertility before they started the embryo adoption process

God opened Graham and Libby’s door to parenthood through the prayers of their foster child, and the work of a family concerned with saving a vulnerable young life. From there, the story only gets wilder… and more beautiful. God has walked them through a child’s cerebral palsy diagnosis, embryo adoption, and building a close relationship with their NEDC donor family. Along the way, He’s refined Graham and Libby, and helped them see His goodness in the hardest moments. Let their story speak to your soul. It’s our debut episode for Season Three of The Embryo Adoption Podcast. (Time stamps are below.) Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. :55 Starting the adoption process started after encountering unexplained infertility 2:05 How their first adoption coincided with the prayer of their foster child 4:00 Amazing story of how their daughter, Macy, had her life saved by a praying family & was placed in their home through a special connection 9:15 Finding out Macy had cerebral palsy 14:30 When they began considering embryo adoption and why they chose the NEDC 15:44 How their family expanded through NEDC embryo adoption, adding Gideon and Judah 18:35 How the family adjusted to having embryo adoption twins and an older special needs child 22:40 Coming back to the NEDC for another child, who turned out to be their son, Cub 25:30 The great relationship they have with their NEDC donor family, including meeting several times in person 34:45 Is their family complete? 36:40 How building their family has grown their relationships with God

“It’s not like God’s just going to drop a check in our lap,” Naomi thought. Then, actually, He did, through some generous friends who -as they handed them the check- told her and Michael, “This is for you to one day hold a baby in your arms.” We’re wrapping up Season Two of The Embryo Adoption Podcast with Michael and Naomi’s encouraging story of the special gift that enabled them to pursue embryo adoption (and now has them holding not just one, but TWO baby boys in their arms!). So much good, insightful stuff here. Some helpful time stamps are below. Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.  :40 How their story started when they were little kids, even continuing through Michael’s family's long time away doing missionary work in Turkey 4:14 When they encountered infertility and learned about embryo adoption 8:30  How a generous, unexpected gift from friends enabled them to pursue embryo adoption 10:20  Michael and Naomi’s response to the gift 15:00 How they saw embryo adoption as a ministry, and how plugging into the NEDC brought them into a story bigger than themselves 17:00 What most stood out about their experience with the NEDC 20:00 Their advice for future couples going through the NEDC embryo adoption program 23:20 How they gave birth to twin boys from two different donors originating from the same embryo transfer 24:25 What pregnancy was like and how their sons have changed their lives 28:00 How they chose the boys’ names and what they mean 31:00 How they’ll talk to their sons about embryo adoption

It’s incredibly important for families going through embryo adoption or embryo donation to have a “safe space” where they can connect, ask questions, swap stories, and share information. That’s why the NEDC Embryo Adoption/Donation Group on Facebook is such a blessing. If you’ve walked either route with the NEDC, or are currently in process, you should join! In this episode of The Embryo Adoption Podcast, administrators Bethany Piechowski and Julie Garber take a deep dive into what the group’s all about and how it can make a difference for you. Some helpful time stamps are below: :53 History of the group and how it formed 2:25 Purpose of the group 5:41 How administrators work to make sure only people who meet the criteria are accepted into the group 7:21 Most common topics discussed among members in the group 9:33 How God has worked in beautiful ways through the group 12:46 What the group is not for 15:06 Why it’s important to have a “safe” discussion space outside the official NEDC purview 20:46 How & why administrators of the group maintain a connection to the NEDC Like what you’re hearing? Rate, review, and subscribe to The Embryo Adoption Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jason & Jen have a heart for the vulnerable. That's led them to explore both foster care/adoption and embryo adoption. In fact, they're doing both at the same time! Here's their journey, which gives real hope to those of you who may feel called to both, but wonder if you have the capacity to handle it all. Below are some helpful timestamps::36 Jason & Jen on the six children they’ve fostered (three of whom they’ve adopted) 2:10 How their faith informs their heart for orphan care & adoption 5:15 Learning to handle the difficult emotional aspects of fostering children 8:14 How embryo adoption came onto their radar and why they wanted to do it11:11 How Jen’s pregnancy is going 13:57 Were they ever worried they couldn’t handle foster care & embryo adoption? What would they say to others with that concern? 16:22 Similarities in the ways foster care & embryo adoption spoke to their hearts 19:54 What does the future look like for them in terms of adoption?

Open embryo adoption can be a beautiful thing. This episode gives you a firsthand glimpse from embryo recipients David & Laura George and their embryo donors Gerard & Nicole Straka. Below are some helpful timestamps:2:00-3:51   What factors were important to adopters David & Laura in the donor selection process 4:04-5:28  How donors Nicole & Gerard’s fertility journey played out 5:51-10:33  Nicole & Gerard on how they agonized over what to do with their frozen embryos, and how a canceled credit card saved their embryos’ chances at life outside the womb. 11:27-16:39  What the mediation process was like for the open adoption 17:20-18:00  What it was like for the donors to see their embryos results in babies born 18:42-22:33  How David & Laura felt when their children were born 23:20-29:15  What their open relationship looks like today 29:53-30:40  What Colt, the donors’ teenage son, thinks of the open adoption relationship 

If you choose to do an open embryo adoption through the National Embryo Donation Center, how do you work out contact with the family on the other end of the match? The answer: Through something called an Open Donation Agreement, or ODA. Here's your chance to learn all about that. Plus: Why do adopting NEDC families need to have their home studies reviewed? Lauren Wilson and Amy Ferguson from our partners at Flourish Consulting LLC are giving detailed insight into these parts of the process in this episode of The Embryo Adoption Podcast.