Should you work with two surrogates at once? What does it take—mentally, emotionally, and logistically—to grow your family through a dual surrogacy path?

In this vulnerable and empowering episode, Dr. Alyssa Small Layne speaks with Carly Joseph, a mom of two babies born via two separate surrogates just months apart. Carly shares what led her to pursue surrogacy after eight IVF cycles and six pregnancy losses, what it was like to walk two paths simultaneously, and how she now supports others as a surrogacy concierge.

🎧 Whether you're an intended parent exploring your options or just want to hear what resilience really looks like—this one will move you.

What You’ll Learn:

• 03:12 — Why Carly turned to surrogacy after years of IVF and loss

• 06:28 — What fertility clinics don’t tell you about the process

• 09:28 — What happened after her first surrogate’s pregnancy ended in loss

• 14:43 — Matching with a second surrogate while grieving and hoping

• 16:51 — The emotional weight of transferring embryos to two surrogates

• 18:55 — One surrogate pregnant, another on deck—when the timeline overlaps

• 23:30 — NICU stays, caregiving logistics, and becoming a parent to two babies

• 27:50 — The practical and emotional challenges of dual surrogacy

• 35:51 — What Carly wishes she had known before starting
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Surrogacy Step-By-Step Guide

• ASRM Guidelines on 2 surrogates

• Surrogacy Made Simple #9

• Carly Joseph

What if your insurance actually helped you build your family?

In this conversation, surrogacy attorney and longtime advocate Ryan Ferrante joins Dr. Alyssa Small Layne to break down how Illinois is setting a national standard for inclusive, patient-centered fertility coverage.

They discuss how advocacy, state legislation, and redefined infertility standards are expanding access for LGBTQ+ families, single parents, and anyone needing third-party reproduction—including surrogacy. Whether you're facing frustrating denials, unclear mandates, or sky-high costs, this episode will leave you feeling empowered to ask better questions, get involved, and know your rights.

🎧 Press play to learn why what’s happening in Illinois could be a blueprint for the rest of the country.

What You’ll Learn:

• 02:33 — How Ryan’s surrogacy journey led him to legal advocacy

• 07:47 — Why Illinois is considered the gold standard in fertility access

• 10:46 — The major shift in how infertility is now defined—and why it matters

• 16:34 — What “surrogacy-friendly insurance” really means

• 22:48 — Could embryo transfer and screening be covered in Illinois? It’s possible.

• 24:52 — The non-binding referendum that 72% of Illinois voters supported

• 30:45 — What’s now covered under Illinois fertility mandates (hint: PGT, IVF, and more)

• 34:23 — IVF and abortion rights: why they’re more connected than people think

• 38:30 — How to advocate for change in just two questions: why am I here, and how can you help?
  

Resources Mentioned:

• 🧭 Resolve: The National Infertility Association

• 📝 Federal Advocacy Day

• 📘 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)

• 🧡 BloomBridge App — includes the Surrogacy Step-by-Step Guide & Cost Calculator
  

“Advocacy isn’t just for lawmakers—it starts with a story. And that story might be yours.”

PGT-A testing has been promoted as a breakthrough—promising fewer miscarriages, faster time to pregnancy, and better IVF outcomes. But what if those claims aren’t fully backed by science?

In this follow-up conversation, fertility attorney and IVF mom Allison Freeman returns to discuss the pending class-action lawsuits filed against embryo testing labs. She and Alyssa break down what patients are being told, why those promises may be misleading, and the real risks for anyone making decisions based on PGT-A results.

🎧 If you're facing embryo decisions, surrogacy timelines, or wondering whether testing is really worth the cost—this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• 01:52 — Why the lawsuits target labs (not clinics) and what’s being claimed

• 02:10 — The bold promises made by PGT-A labs—and why they raise red flags

• 05:36 — Could lawsuits increase IVF costs or hurt innovation?

• 08:17 — The real financial burden of testing (and its ripple effects)

• 10:00 — How PGT-A took off in the U.S. despite early skepticism

• 12:10 — When PGT-A might be helpful—and when it’s overused

• 14:56 — Why Allison chose to keep her mosaic embryos in storage

• 16:43 — IVF “add-ons”: what they are and how to question them

• 21:12 — What to ask your clinic before agreeing to any test or protocol
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Surrogacy Step-By-Step Guide https://gojunie.com/surrogacy-starter-kit

• Time Article: IVF Patients Say a Test Caused Them to Discard Embryos. Now They’re Suing

• SMS - Hidden Risks of PGT-A Testing in IVF and Surrogacy - Allison Freeman (Part 1)

• BloomBridge Surrogacy App: https://gojunie.com/solutions/bloombridge