
Clear-eyed conversations about modern family building.
The gist
Fertility Cafe covers modern family building with a steady focus on surrogacy, donor conception, IVF, hormones, and reproductive health. Its best episodes turn personal decisions into wider questions about transparency, access, medical risk, and who is protected by the fertility industry.
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About Fertility Cafe
Fertility Cafe sits at the intersection of reproductive medicine, family-building logistics, and industry accountability. It is centered on assisted reproduction, especially surrogacy, egg donation, donor conception, IVF, and the choices that surround them. The show does not treat fertility care as a simple path from hope to baby. It looks at the paperwork, the screening, the insurance, the clinical decisions, and the emotional burden that can sit behind a single treatment plan. Surrogacy episodes give intended parents a clearer view of what happens from early exploration through embryo creation, matching, pregnancy, and birth. They also make space for the people carrying pregnancies, including the need for support before, during, and after the process. Egg donation is covered with similar attention to informed consent, physical demands, compensation, repeat donation, and aftercare. Donor conception is not reduced to matching and logistics. The show spends real time on anonymity, home DNA testing, and the long-term impact on donor-conceived people who were never part of the original decision. Its reproductive health episodes broaden the conversation beyond procedures. Fertility Cafe covers egg, sperm, and embryo health, cycle tracking, ovulation, hormones, sleep, inflammation, and the ways infertility can become an early signal to look at whole-body health. The show is also notably practical about money. It discusses out-of-pocket maximums, newborn insurance for international parents, optional coverage, and the financial shock that can appear when complications are not planned for. That practical streak keeps the emotional material grounded. At the same time, the show is willing to criticize a fertility marketplace that can reward optimism, selective statistics, and persuasive language more than clear medical honesty. Embryo mix-ups, clinic transparency, legal vulnerability, and unequal access are treated as central issues, not rare footnotes. The interview format lets guests tell longer stories, but the editorial center remains consistent: patients and participants need better information, stronger protections, and fewer hidden traps. The tone is warm, candid, and measured. It can be encouraging, but it does not confuse encouragement with certainty. Fertility Cafe works best for people who want fertility guidance that names both the promise and the pressure of modern family building. It is especially useful when a decision feels emotional enough to require compassion and expensive enough to demand scrutiny.
Made for: People exploring infertility treatment, surrogacy, donor conception, egg donation, or fertility health will find the show especially relevant. It also suits intended parents, donors, gestational carriers, and professionals who want patient-centered context around complex reproductive decisions.
What sets it apart: Fertility Cafe stands out by linking personal family-building stories to the practical machinery around them: contracts, clinic behavior, insurance coverage, consent, and long-term identity questions. It offers empathy, but keeps accountability in the frame.
In their own words
Fertility Café explores the evolving world of reproductive health, infertility, and modern family building. Hosted by Eloise Drane, fertility expert, agency founder, past surrogate and egg donor, and mom of five, the show unpacks the medical, emotional, and ethical sides of today’s fertility care. From IVF, surrogacy, egg and sperm donation, embryo donation, infertility treatment, men’s fertility, hormones, and fertility preservation, each episode dives into every part of assisted reproduction. Hear real stories and expert insights from fertility doctors, surrogates, and intended parents in open conversations. Whether you are navigating infertility, exploring surrogacy or donation, or curiou…
As heard by us
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Fertility Cafe connects fertility care with the legal, financial, and ethical decisions surrounding surrogacy and donor conception.
Fertility Cafe makes assisted reproduction legible where medicine meets paperwork, money, and family decisions. Eloise Drain uses guest conversations to move between reproductive physiology and operational details, addressing cycle tracking, surrogacy insurance, and treatment in…
Why you'd press play
An ultrasound cap can turn your surrogacy budget into a surprise invoice.
Press play if you want
- to hear why your cycle needn't run on a 28-day clock to be considered normal
- to spot insurance gaps before your surrogacy budget meets an uncovered ultrasound
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Episodes
- 1
The Surrogacy Industry Has a Serious Problem
Hidden gemFertility Cafe host Eloise Drain delivers the Season 7 finale as a solo episode reviewing the season's 19 episodes and addressing major industry failures, including the 2024 California case where a couple used surrogates to bring 21 children into their home under false pretenses, and two IVF embryo mix-up cases in Georgia and Florida with no federal reporting requirement in place.
Apr 7, 2026·35m·2 clips - 2
Beyond the Egg: Rethinking Fertility Through Egg, Embryo, and Sperm Health
Hidden gemDr.
Mar 31, 2026·58m·4 clips - 3
The Egg Donation Screening Process: What to Expect from Application to Retrieval
An egg donor and industry professional shares her journey and insights on the egg donation screening process and ethical care.
Mar 24, 2026·49m - 4
Surrogacy from Start to Baby: What Every Intended Parent Should Know
An expert guide walks intended parents through the surrogacy process, covering stages, timeline, and financial commitment.
Mar 17, 2026·40m - 5
An ’80s Sperm Donor. A Fertility Specialist. A Sitting Senator.
A fertility specialist and his donor-conceived child share their story of connection decades after a sperm donation in the 1980s.
Mar 10, 2026·51m - 6
I Carried Two Babies for Other Families: The Truth About Becoming a Surrogate Twice
Mar 3, 2026·30m - 7
The Truth About Birth Control, Ovulation, and Your Hormones with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
Hidden gemHost Eloise Drain interviews Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, founder of the Fertility Friday podcast and the Fertility Awareness Mastery Mentorship Program, on the menstrual cycle as a diagnostic vital sign, the mechanisms of hormonal birth control, and the side effects that result from suppressing ovulation.
Feb 24, 2026·52m·3 clips - 8
Navigating Fertility in the US: A Guide for International Parents Seeking Treatment with Richard Westoby and Julio Gaggia
Hidden gemHost Eloise Drain interviews Richard Westoby, co-founder of IVF Daddies, and his partner Julio Gaggi about the practical, legal, and financial realities of international surrogacy in the US.
Feb 17, 2026·40m·2 clips - 9
The First IVF Baby in America, Elizabeth Carr, Speaks Out on Access, Stigma, and the Future
Feb 10, 2026·36m - 10
Childfree By Choice
Feb 3, 2026·49m - 11
Is Fertility Care Getting Better—or Just Bigger
Jan 27, 2026·41m - 12
Acupuncture for Fertility: Supporting Hormones, Cycles & IVF Success
Jan 20, 2026·33m - 13
What Surrogacy Really Feels Like: A Candid Conversation
Jan 6, 2026·40m - 14
From Screening to Transfer: The Surrogate’s Medical Process, Explained by a Fertility Doctor
Dec 16, 2025·59m - 15
What Your OBGYN Isn’t Telling You
Dec 9, 2025·45m - 16
What Genetics Really Means for IVF, Donors, and Embryos
Dec 2, 2025·49m - 17
Finally Here: A Long Journey to Motherhood
Nov 25, 2025·1h - 18
Embryologist Reveals the Truth About IVF and Egg Freezing
Nov 18, 2025·1h 4m - 19
Surrogacy and Egg Donor Insurance: Complete Guide to Coverage and Protection
Hidden gemVirginia Hart, founder of ArtRisk Financial and Insurance Solutions with over 20 years specializing in assisted reproduction coverage, joins host Eloise Drain to explain the layered insurance requirements for surrogacy and egg donation journeys.
Oct 28, 2025·42m·2 clips - 20
Fertility Café Season 7: Inside Modern Fertility Care — IVF, Surrogacy, Egg Donation & Family Building
Oct 21, 2025·3m - 21
Ep. 120 Should I Freeze My Eggs? What to Know Before You Decide
Jul 1, 2025·23m - 22
Ep. 119 How Egg Donation Helped Me Become a Mom: Erica Ferraro’s Story
Jun 24, 2025·52m - 23
Ep 118 Surrogacy and the Emotional Journey to Motherhood
Jun 17, 2025·49m - 24
Ep 117 What Is a Fertility Coach—and Do You Need One
Jun 10, 2025·20m - 25
Ep 116 Hidden Struggles of High-Achieving Women in Fertility Treatment with Dr. Chatterjee-Morris
This episode explores the unique challenges high-achieving women face when balancing demanding careers with fertility treatment decisions.
Jun 3, 2025·51m - 26
Ep 115 How She Made Surrogacy Legal in Michigan: Stephanie Jones's Story
May 27, 2025·46m - 27
Ep 114 The Emotional Shift from Fertility Patient to Parent
May 20, 2025·18m - 28
Ep 113 The Fertility Timeline: Dr Susanna Park on When to Get Tested
May 13, 2025·1h - 29
Ep 112 Surrogate Logistics: Travel, Timelines, and Support
May 6, 2025·40m - 30
Ep 111 The Patient Experience in Fertility Care: Advocating for Better Support
Apr 22, 2025·48m - 31
Ep 111 The Patient Experience in Fertility Care: Advocating for Better Support
Apr 22, 2025·48m - 32
Ep 110 Why Not Just Adopt?
Apr 8, 2025·29m - 33
Ep 109 The Partner Perspective: Sharing Insights from Surrogate Spouse's
Mar 28, 2025·37m - 34
Ep 108 Fertility Crisis Alert: Understanding the Global Decline in Birth Rates
Mar 11, 2025·47m - 35
Ep 107 Should I Become a Surrogate? Why and Why Not?
Feb 26, 2025·45m - 36
Ep. 106 | Mastering Fertility Finances: Budgeting for Family Building
Feb 11, 2025·31m - 37
Ep. 105 | Changes in Surrogacy Laws and Accessibility
Feb 4, 2025·40m - 38
Ep. 104: | The Emotional Side of Family Building ❤️
Jan 29, 2025·46m - 39
Ep. 103 | Choosing the Right Team for Your Parenthood Journey
Jan 21, 2025·28m - 40
Ep. 102 | Beyond the Clinic: Why the Fertility Lab is Key to Your Success
Jan 14, 2025·45m - 41
Ep. 101 | Exploring Third-Party Family Building: Which Option is Right for You?
Jan 7, 2025·30m - 42
Ep. 100 | The Future of Fertility: New Scientific Developments in Infertility Research
In this 100th episode of Fertility Cafe, host Eloise Drain discusses the future of fertility and infertility research with expert David Sable, exploring challenges, societal impacts, and technological advancements.
Aug 22, 2023·48m - 43
Ep. 99 | Bringing Equality to Reproduction
Aug 15, 2023·51m - 44
Ep. 98 | Debunking Myths The Truth About Fertility and Conception
Aug 8, 2023·15m - 45
Ep. 97 | Fertility in the Modern Age: IVF, Environmental Impacts, and Quality Care
Aug 1, 2023·29m - 46
Ep. 96 | The Baby Business
Jul 25, 2023·16m - 47
Ep. 95 | Surrogacy Health Insurance
Jul 18, 2023·46m - 48
Ep. 94 | Embryo Donation: Balancing Choice, Ethics, and Regulation in ART
Jul 11, 2023·20m - 49
Ep. 93 | U.S. Surrogacy for International Parents
Jul 5, 2023·44m - 50
Ep. 92 | Navigating the Emotional Journey: Redefining Family Through Egg Donation
Jun 27, 2023·17m