Fertility Cafe

50 episodes listed below

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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…

Read our full review in PlayNext →

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
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
surrogacy process and costsegg donation screeningdonor conception and anonymityIVF and embryo transferfertility clinic transparencyinsurance and legal riskhormones and menstrual cyclesrecurrent pregnancy loss

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Episodes

  1. 1

    The Surrogacy Industry Has a Serious Problem

    Hidden gem

    Fertility 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. 2

    Beyond the Egg: Rethinking Fertility Through Egg, Embryo, and Sperm Health

    Hidden gem

    Dr.

    Mar 31, 2026·58m·4 clips
  3. 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. 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. 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. 6

    I Carried Two Babies for Other Families: The Truth About Becoming a Surrogate Twice

    Mar 3, 2026·30m
  7. 7

    The Truth About Birth Control, Ovulation, and Your Hormones with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

    Hidden gem

    Host 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. 8

    Navigating Fertility in the US: A Guide for International Parents Seeking Treatment with Richard Westoby and Julio Gaggia

    Hidden gem

    Host 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. 9

    The First IVF Baby in America, Elizabeth Carr, Speaks Out on Access, Stigma, and the Future

    Feb 10, 2026·36m
  10. 10

    Childfree By Choice

    Feb 3, 2026·49m
  11. 11

    Is Fertility Care Getting Better—or Just Bigger

    Jan 27, 2026·41m
  12. 12

    Acupuncture for Fertility: Supporting Hormones, Cycles & IVF Success

    Jan 20, 2026·33m
  13. 13

    What Surrogacy Really Feels Like: A Candid Conversation

    Jan 6, 2026·40m
  14. 14

    From Screening to Transfer: The Surrogate’s Medical Process, Explained by a Fertility Doctor

    Dec 16, 2025·59m
  15. 15

    What Your OBGYN Isn’t Telling You

    Dec 9, 2025·45m
  16. 16

    What Genetics Really Means for IVF, Donors, and Embryos

    Dec 2, 2025·49m
  17. 17

    Finally Here: A Long Journey to Motherhood

    Nov 25, 2025·1h
  18. 18

    Embryologist Reveals the Truth About IVF and Egg Freezing

    Nov 18, 2025·1h 4m
  19. 19

    Surrogacy and Egg Donor Insurance: Complete Guide to Coverage and Protection

    Hidden gem

    Virginia 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. 20

    Fertility Café Season 7: Inside Modern Fertility Care — IVF, Surrogacy, Egg Donation & Family Building

    Oct 21, 2025·3m
  21. 21

    Ep. 120 Should I Freeze My Eggs? What to Know Before You Decide

    Jul 1, 2025·23m
  22. 22

    Ep. 119 How Egg Donation Helped Me Become a Mom: Erica Ferraro’s Story

    Jun 24, 2025·52m
  23. 23

    Ep 118 Surrogacy and the Emotional Journey to Motherhood

    Jun 17, 2025·49m
  24. 24

    Ep 117 What Is a Fertility Coach—and Do You Need One

    Jun 10, 2025·20m
  25. 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. 26

    Ep 115 How She Made Surrogacy Legal in Michigan: Stephanie Jones's Story

    May 27, 2025·46m
  27. 27

    Ep 114 The Emotional Shift from Fertility Patient to Parent

    May 20, 2025·18m
  28. 28

    Ep 113 The Fertility Timeline: Dr Susanna Park on When to Get Tested

    May 13, 2025·1h
  29. 29

    Ep 112 Surrogate Logistics: Travel, Timelines, and Support

    May 6, 2025·40m
  30. 30

    Ep 111 The Patient Experience in Fertility Care: Advocating for Better Support

    Apr 22, 2025·48m
  31. 31

    Ep 111 The Patient Experience in Fertility Care: Advocating for Better Support

    Apr 22, 2025·48m
  32. 32

    Ep 110 Why Not Just Adopt?

    Apr 8, 2025·29m
  33. 33

    Ep 109 The Partner Perspective: Sharing Insights from Surrogate Spouse's

    Mar 28, 2025·37m
  34. 34

    Ep 108 Fertility Crisis Alert: Understanding the Global Decline in Birth Rates

    Mar 11, 2025·47m
  35. 35

    Ep 107 Should I Become a Surrogate? Why and Why Not?

    Feb 26, 2025·45m
  36. 36

    Ep. 106 | Mastering Fertility Finances: Budgeting for Family Building

    Feb 11, 2025·31m
  37. 37

    Ep. 105 | Changes in Surrogacy Laws and Accessibility

    Feb 4, 2025·40m
  38. 38

    Ep. 104: | The Emotional Side of Family Building ❤️‍

    Jan 29, 2025·46m
  39. 39

    Ep. 103 | Choosing the Right Team for Your Parenthood Journey

    Jan 21, 2025·28m
  40. 40

    Ep. 102 | Beyond the Clinic: Why the Fertility Lab is Key to Your Success

    Jan 14, 2025·45m
  41. 41

    Ep. 101 | Exploring Third-Party Family Building: Which Option is Right for You?

    Jan 7, 2025·30m
  42. 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. 43

    Ep. 99 | Bringing Equality to Reproduction

    Aug 15, 2023·51m
  44. 44

    Ep. 98 | Debunking Myths The Truth About Fertility and Conception

    Aug 8, 2023·15m
  45. 45

    Ep. 97 | Fertility in the Modern Age: IVF, Environmental Impacts, and Quality Care

    Aug 1, 2023·29m
  46. 46

    Ep. 96 | The Baby Business

    Jul 25, 2023·16m
  47. 47

    Ep. 95 | Surrogacy Health Insurance

    Jul 18, 2023·46m
  48. 48

    Ep. 94 | Embryo Donation: Balancing Choice, Ethics, and Regulation in ART

    Jul 11, 2023·20m
  49. 49

    Ep. 93 | U.S. Surrogacy for International Parents

    Jul 5, 2023·44m
  50. 50

    Ep. 92 | Navigating the Emotional Journey: Redefining Family Through Egg Donation

    Jun 27, 2023·17m