The holidays can feel like the brightest spotlight on what’s missing—especially when intended parents are still waiting, longing, or grieving their path to parenthood. Scrolling through social feeds packed with family celebrations, facing sensitive questions from relatives, or enduring pregnancy announcements at festive gatherings can sting in ways few people understand. It’s exhausting to keep showing up, pretending, or shrinking yourself just to survive the season.

But you don’t have to go through it alone or unprepared. In this episode, Alyssa Small Layne shares 8 practical, compassionate strategies to protect your emotional and financial wellbeing, set boundaries without guilt, and create tiny moments of comfort and control—even before your baby arrives.

🎧 Press play and discover how to make holidays survivable, honest, and even full of hope.

What You’ll Learn:

• 02:23 — Why the holidays amplify grief, longing, and comparison for intended parents
• 07:14 — How to decide your level of participation and give yourself permission to opt out
• 08:55 — The power of having a “safe person” at every gathering
• 11:31 — Scripts for handling nosy, insensitive holiday questions about surrogacy or infertility
• 13:12 — Creating exit plans and time limits to save energy at hard events
• 16:27 — Handling pregnancy announcements without falling apart
• 19:48 — Building new traditions—even ones focused on your future child
• 22:00 — Special tips for navigating surrogacy during the holidays—whether matched or still waiting
• 24:53 — How to honor both your emotional and financial budget while building your family

Resources Mentioned:

• BloomBridge Surrogacy App

• Free Surrogacy Starter Kit for Intended Parents

• #40 Surrogacy Costs Soaring: Are Luxury Gifts Really Necessary?

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  Key Takeaways:

• • You do not owe anyone holiday participation that harms your emotional health.

  • Preparing responses ahead of time reduces anxiety during gatherings.

  • A designated safe person can anchor you when conversations become difficult.

  • Triggers do not mean failure, they are normal and temporary responses.

  • New traditions can help you reclaim meaning during a sensitive season.

  🎧 Ready to reclaim peace and comfort this holiday season?Listen now and let Alyssa Small Layne guide you to a gentler, stronger holiday—just for you.

  “You are allowed to protect your peace during the holidays.”

  
  

Worried about making a mistake when choosing your surrogate? You’re not alone—one wrong decision can lead to contract battles, lost money, or broken dreams. It’s easy to get caught up in emotions and miss the subtle warning signs hiding in a profile.

In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Alyssa Small Layne reveals exactly how to choose a surrogate step-by-step: what signals caution, how to interpret health notes, and which “green flags” actually matter. Real profile examples, actionable tips, and must-ask questions will help you avoid common pitfalls—and confidently invest in the right match for your family.

🎧 Press play so you can match with clarity and peace of mind!

What You'll Learn:

00:07 — The emotional reality of reading that first surrogate profile

05:02 — Why your fertility clinic’s requirements must guide your decision

07:01 — How to anchor your preferences and stay focused

11:00 — Spotting hidden red/orange flags before it’s too late

14:41 — Surrogate compensation, double embryo transfers, and support systems

18:40 — How health history (like thyroid antibodies) should affect your choice

30:27 — Why location, insurance, and termination views are critical to “how to choose a surrogate”

44:18 — The biggest financial red flag you should never ignore

Resources Mentioned:

• BloomBridge Surrogacy App
• Surrogate vetting essentials
• Episode #66
• https://gojunie.com/podcast/episode/5
• Surrogacy BluePrint Course

Key Takeaways:

• Review both clinic and personal criteria before saying yes to a match
• State laws on termination and reproductive rights can affect your journey
• Look for consistency, honesty, and a strong support system in profiles
• Use professional guides to vet red flags and protect your investment
• Matching isn’t luck—it’s clarity, alignment, and communication
  

🎧 Want to feel confident about how to choose a surrogate?Download the Surrogate Vetting Essentials Guide on BloomBridge and start your matching journey with clarity!

Navigating surrogacy insurance is more daunting than ever in 2026.

Thinking you’ve found the perfect surrogate, only to worry about the massive, unpredictable expenses hiding in her insurance?

You’re not alone. As surrogacy insurance evolves in 2026, many intended parents are blindsided by exclusions, rising premiums, and devastating liens—making “insurance options for surrogacy 2026” more confusing (and essential) than ever.

In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Small Layne and Sarah Paige break down every insurance option, debunk myths about surrogacy-friendly plans, and show you how to spot red flags before you match.

Feeling overwhelmed? This discussion will help you take control, protect your budget, and safeguard your journey with confidence.

Don’t let insurance confusion steal your peace—press play to get clarity now!

What You’ll Learn:

00:00 — Why surrogacy insurance is more complicated (and expensive) in 2026

01:32 — What qualifies as “surrogacy friendly” insurance—and why it matters

05:39 — How premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maxes are changing

07:16 — Liens explained: hidden risks in surrogacy insurance

13:27 — Lloyd’s of London and other alternative insurance policies you should know

15:13 — Liens vs. compensation: understanding “right to reimbursement”

27:19 — How to compare your insurance options for surrogacy in 2026

39:11 — Most common states for lien policies and insurance pitfalls

46:17 — The new surrogacy climate in California (and what it means for your journey)

Resources Mentioned:

• BloomBridge Surrogacy App

• ART Risk

• Creative Family Connections Surrogacy Law Map

Key Takeaways:

• Premiums are up 18%—out-of-pocket costs now average $10,600 per journey.

• Liens are expanding, especially in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Ohio.

• Never hide surrogacy from an insurer—it can void coverage and risk employment.

• Always compare lien policies to Lloyd’s plans to find the true cost.

• Legal support and professional insurance review are essential before matching.

🎧 Wondering which insurance options for surrogacy 2026 are right for you? Use BloomBridge to get your policy professionally reviewed before you match!

Worried about how changing abortion laws might affect your surrogacy journey? You’re not alone. In this urgent episode, Dr. Alyssa Small Layne dives into exactly how abortion laws impact surrogacy—from limiting access to IVF and restricting doctors, to threatening the very care surrogates and intended parents depend on. Even if abortion isn’t part of your plan, these laws can create roadblocks and risks for everyone trying to build a family.

Get clarity on what’s happening, why it matters now, and the concrete steps you need to protect your surrogate, your embryos, and your future.

🎧 Press play and arm yourself with vital knowledge!

What You’ll Learn:

• 00:00 — How abortion bans are already affecting surrogacy in the U.S.

• 02:15 — The hidden consequences for fertility clinics and reproductive care

• 03:12 — Why personhood laws are disrupting IVF and embryo care

• 05:19 — How Alabama’s Supreme Court decision impacted IVF treatments

• 07:41 — The “abortion ban domino effect” and its reach across surrogacy

• 10:03 — How surrogacy and termination laws intersect—and what it means for you

• 11:29 — What you must do before matching with a surrogate in restrictive states

• 13:30 — Why every surrogacy plan should include termination discussions upfront

• 15:13 — The medical malpractice paradox that’s making OBs scared to act

• 17:14 — How you can still protect your surrogacy journey amidst legal confusion
  

Resources Mentioned:

• ASRM Position statement on personhood
• RESOLVE personhood statement
  

Key Takeaways:

• Surrogacy care is being impacted by legal ambiguity, and every intended parent needs to stay informed

• Personhood laws threaten more than abortion—they could impact IVF access and embryo storage

• Abortion-related legal changes are pushing OB/GYNs out of the field, leading to surrogate care shortages

• You must discuss termination and know your surrogate’s stance before moving forward

• Proactive legal planning is your best defense in navigating this changing landscape
  

Start your surrogacy journey with clarity and protection—don’t skip the legal preparation.

📱 Download the BloomBridge app today to access tools and guides that prepare you for every step of the surrogacy process.

“When abortion laws change, fertility care changes. And your surrogacy journey needs to be ready for it.”

Dr. Alyssa Small Layne digs into why Bloomberg’s “IVF Disrupted” resonated so widely and what it reveals about the modern fertility industry. She explains how a specialty that once covered broad reproductive care narrowed to one core product—IVF—then absorbed private-equity incentives and startup-style operations. The result can be speed over safeguards, glossy lobbies over lab quality, and patients left guessing about real risk.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to look past marketing, ask process-focused questions, and spot profit-driven decisions before they shape your care. Press play to learn how to evaluate clinics with clarity and confidence.

What You’ll Learn:

03:14 — How REI shifted from medicine to marketing

04:50 — Why private equity targets IVF clinics

06:52 — How fast growth leads to dangerous mistakes

08:20 — Real cases of embryo mix-ups and clinic errors

14:30 — The lab procedures you never get to see

16:50 — Why clinics reject patients to protect success rates

17:34 — Add-on procedures that increase cost but not outcomes

19:39 — How intended parents can push for industry change

Resources Mentioned:

• BloomBridge Surrogacy App

• SMS#47 Hidden Risks of PGT-A Testing in IVF and Surrogacy - Allison Freeman

• IVF disrupted: The Kindbody story

Key Takeaways:

• A narrow, procedure-driven model can sideline safety and transparency.

• Lobby aesthetics never substitute for validated lab processes and controls.

• Profit incentives may shape add-ons, timelines, and who performs procedures.

• Ask precise, process-focused questions to evaluate real clinic safeguards.

Choosing or re-evaluating a clinic? Use today’s questions to assess lab quality, staffing, and add-on recommendations—then press play for the full guide.

“Don’t judge care by the lobby. Ask how the lab protects your embryos.”

When you’ve been through surrogacy once, everything changes the second time around.

In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Alyssa Small Layne shares what she and her family are doing differently on their second surrogacy journey—and how those changes can help you avoid common setbacks, delays, and disappointments.

From choosing not to rush, to using the Surrogacy First Six, to prioritizing proximity and emotional alignment over speed, this episode is a masterclass in intentional surrogacy planning.

Whether you’re just starting out or already navigating your second (or third) journey, Alyssa walks you through 10 key things they’re doing differently—and why BloomBridge was built to simplify it all for other parents.

What You’ll Learn:

• 00:52 — Why they’re building BloomBridge while doing surrogacy again

• 03:36 — The first time vs second time: what they wish they knew

• 05:18 — What their “200-page Google Doc” turned into

• 07:50 — Why DIY surrogacy research wastes more than time

• 08:28 — New approach to matching with surrogates through BloomBridge

• 09:31 — Why compatibility scores and ID verification matter

• 11:21 — How they’re preparing potential surrogates before matching

• 12:12 — Why they’re not using a traditional agency—and how concierge support might replace it

• 13:18 — Clarifying that BloomBridge supports both independent and agency-based paths

• 14:49 — How the Surrogacy First Six became a filter to prevent misalignment

• 16:45 — The power of saying no and being picky

• 17:28 — Why proximity (driving distance) now matters more than ever

• 20:12 — The “small red flag” story they ignored last time (and now won’t)

• 21:20 — Why they’re using escrow this time—and how it avoids financial conflict

• 22:40 — Alyssa’s healing experience with induced lactation after hysterectomy

• 24:32 — The push present she wishes she had: a postpartum doula

• 27:26 — What a great doula actually did for their family

• 30:17 — Why nutrition planning with Green Chef became their postpartum secret weapon

• 33:30 — What this second journey is really about: doing it better—and doing it for you, too
  

Resources Mentioned:

(Note- This post includes an affiliate link. That means if you try Green Chef through our link, we may receive a small thank-you commission—at no extra cost to you. We only share things we genuinely use and recommend.)

• BloomBridge Surrogacy App

• View Our Public Intended Parent Profile (please share)

• Free Box of Green Chef (affiliate link)

• Surrogate Vetting Essentials Guide

Thinking about surrogacy—or doing it again? 💡 Start where Alyssa did this time: with BloomBridge. 💻 Create your free profile, explore vetted surrogates, and plan your next steps with tools built for you.

“We’re still living the story, but now—as we walk—we’re creating the map.”

Double embryo transfer (DET) is often discouraged in surrogacy—but are there ever exceptions?

In this follow-up to their powerful SET vs. DET conversation, Dr. Alyssa Small Layne welcomes back Dr. Erica Bove to explore the rare—but real—cases where two embryos might be transferred into a surrogate. Together, they explore age-based ASRM guidelines, the impact of embryo quality, endometriosis, failed cycles, and how patient history can influence decision-making.

They also discuss surrogate qualifications, uterine environment, legal contracts, and the emotional nuances that make this one of the most complex decisions in modern family-building.

What You’ll Learn:

• 00:50 — Why single embryo transfer (SET) is still the gold standard

• 02:04 — The ASRM exceptions for older eggs, day-3 embryos, or poor prognosis

• 04:21 — How genetic testing changes the equation completely

• 05:30 — 30–50% twin risk with two euploid embryos

• 06:13 — Why most OBs are still “twitchy” about DET—even in IVF

• 07:09 — Whether failed transfers or miscarriages justify DET

• 08:13 — The miscarriage data no one talks about with twins

• 09:08 — Endometriosis and embryo quality—even in a new uterus

• 10:42 — Whether surrogate height or twin history matter (data vs assumptions)

• 12:22 — Why surrogacy matching must include detailed contracts and expectations

• 14:35 — The role of values, identity, and support in surrogacy decision-making

• 16:44 — Why traditional fertility support groups don’t always work for surrogacy parents

• 18:51 — The need for dedicated surrogate-focused support and coaching

• 21:57 — The unseen stress surrogates face—and why they deserve emotional support too

• 23:46 — How Dr. Bove’s coaching changed her practice and patient relationships

• 26:52 — The #1 message Dr. Bove wants every intended parent to remember
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Surrogate Vetting Essentials⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠BloomBridge Surrogacy App⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠ASRM Guidelines⁠⁠⁠
• Dr Erica Bove- ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠

Key Takeaways:

• Even in rare cases, DET requires deep evaluation of egg quality, age, history, and uterine environment

• PGT-A tested embryos dramatically raise the chance of twins—up to 50%

• Height and prior twin deliveries may be helpful—but evidence is still anecdotal

• Legal contracts and clear emotional support plans are critical in complex surrogacy cases

• Surrogates deserve emotional care—not just medical clearance
  

Planning your embryo transfer? 📱 Use BloomBridge to plan your full journey—transfers, timelines, and emotional support included.

“More efficient isn’t always safer. A single embryo transfer is still the best path to a healthy baby.”