Fertility Cafe

Too many people walk into an OB GYN appointment with uncertainty, unanswered questions, or years of silent symptoms.

In this episode, Eloise Drane sits down with board-certified OB GYN Dr. Renita White, MD to unpack the real state of women’s healthcare today and the steps every person can take to advocate for themselves.

Dr. White shares why she entered obstetrics and gynecology, what she witnessed during training, and how systemic gaps leave many women confused about their own bodies. She explains the challenges of limited appointment times, lack of access, and medical misinformation and offers practical tools for improving trust and communication with healthcare providers.

Together, Eloise and Dr. White cover fertility education, AMH testing, preventive care, maternal mortality, racism in medicine, pregnancy fears, and navigating care in a post-Dobbs world. Dr. White also breaks down what a “normal” period actually looks like and when to seek additional support.

“You deserve to walk out of every appointment with real answers.” - Dr. Renita White

Guest Bio

Dr. Renita White, MD is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and women’s health advocate. Originally from Georgia, she received her undergraduate degree from Duke University, her medical degree from The Ohio State University, and completed her OBGYN residency at Emory University. Alongside her private practice, Georgia OBGYN, Dr. White co-hosts the podcast Cradle & All and serves as a medical advisor for The Honey Pot Company, Flo Health, VeryWell Health, Parent Magazine, and Elle Magazine.

This episode is for any woman who has left a doctor’s appointment with more questions than answers, or who wants to better understand her reproductive health before something goes wrong.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Dr. White chose OB GYN and what she witnessed during training

• Stigma and systemic gaps within women’s healthcare

• How to prepare for and get more out of your OB GYN visits

• Fertility basics and what AMH testing can tell you

• When to see a reproductive specialist

• The realities of maternal mortality in the US

Episode Resources

Dr. Renita White renitawhitemd.com

Dr. White on Instagram @renitawhitemd

Cradle & All Podcast renitawhitemd.com/podcast

OBGYNs in Georgia study shorturl.at/k1aHl

Related Episodes

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

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

Ep 99: Bringing Equality to Reproduction for LGBTQ+ People

This episode is part of our Between Seasons series, where we’re bringing back some of the most-loved and most-needed conversations from the Fertility Café archive while we work on our next full season.

Stay Connected

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycafe

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fertilitycafe

LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/fertility-cafe

More Resources

Learn more about surrogacy & fertility https://familyinceptions.com/

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Chapters

(00:00:00) - Back to the Fertility Cafe Archive
(00:00:26) - Fertility Cafe: What to Know About Your Reproductive Health
(00:02:39) - Ob-GYN on Why She Loved Her Work
(00:11:10) - Ob-Gyn: Pre-Pregnancy Care
(00:18:09) - Maternal Fetal Mortality in the US
(00:26:26) - What is a miscarriage and how does it affect you?
(00:27:30) - Have you seen changes like pre-Covid and post-
(00:29:47) - On the Pro-Abortion Case
(00:33:20) - Are birth control pills safe?
(00:35:30) - Discussing menopause and contraception
(00:38:03) - How to talk about your period
(00:41:59) - Ob-GYN: Everything You Need to Know
(00:44:20) - Interview

What does it actually feel like to donate your eggs including the parts nobody talks about?

In this episode, Eloise Drane sits down with Rai Hyde, a six-time egg donor who is proud of her donations and the families she helped create and who also experienced long-term health complications as a result. Rai shares her story with honesty and without sugarcoating, because she believes every woman considering donation deserves the full picture before she decides.

This conversation covers what motivated Rai to donate, what the experience felt like from the inside, how she navigated known versus anonymous arrangements, and what she wishes she had known before her first cycle. It is a rare, candid account from someone who has done it six times and still looks back on it with pride while also being clear-eyed about the risks.

If you are considering becoming an egg donor, this is the episode to listen to before you take the next step.

“I’m proud to be an egg donor. And I want every woman who’s considering it to make the right decision for herself, knowing the real risks.” - Rai Hyde

Guest Bio

Rai Hyde is a six-time egg donor who, despite experiencing long-term health complications from her donations, looks back on the process and the families she helped create with pride and fondness. She is passionate about helping other donors and potential donors make informed decisions with a clear understanding of the health risks involved.

This episode is for women who are considering becoming an egg donor and want an honest, first-hand account from someone who has done it six times and experienced both the rewards and the complications.

What You’ll Learn

• What motivated Rai to become an egg donor and to do it six times

• What the egg donation experience really feels like from a donor’s perspective

• The long-term health complications Rai experienced and what potential donors should know

• How Rai navigated known versus anonymous donation arrangements

• What she wishes she had known before her first cycle

• Why she is still proud of her donations despite the challenges

Episode Resources

Rai Hyde on Instagram @cornellcontentmarketing

Rai Hyde on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/raicornell

Will Being an Egg Donor Impact My Own Fertility? familyinceptions.com

IVF Injections: What to Expect & How to Deal With Them familyinceptions.com

Related Episodes

Ep 63: Meeting My Egg Donor Baby 

Ep 15: Egg Donor, Do You REALLY Understand the Egg Donation Process? 

Thinking About Becoming an Egg Donor?

If becoming an egg donor is something you’re exploring, visit familyinceptions.eggdonorconnect.com/donorprescreen to learn what’s involved.

This episode is part of our Between Seasons series, where we’re bringing back some of the most-loved and most-needed conversations from the Fertility Café archive while we work on our next full season.

Stay Connected

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycafe

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fertilitycafe

LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/fertility-cafe

More Resources

Learn more about surrogacy & fertility ...

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Return to Fertility Cafe: Episode 70
(00:00:50) - More Than 165,000 Egg Donors in 2019
(00:01:48) - I Was An Egg Donor 6 Times
(00:04:45) - After Donor 6, Did You Go Through a Clinic?
(00:05:56) - In the Elevator With An Egg Donor
(00:07:15) - Donor Anonymous on Sexual Donor Anonymous
(00:11:14) - On Becoming An Egg Donor
(00:16:45) - Donor Ovary Retrieval
(00:23:18) - Donor No. 6: Donor Experience
(00:26:15) - One Egg Donor's Issues related to the Donation
(00:34:36) - Donor Voices: I Have No Regrets
(00:36:37) - What would you tell intended parents who are considering egg donation?
(00:37:53) - Donor Speak Out
(00:40:46) - Donor Advocates Speak Out
(00:43:21) - Donor vs. Donor on Fertility Cafe

What does it feel like to grow up donor-conceived and find out at age 35 that everything you thought you knew about your origins was incomplete?

In this episode, Eloise Drane sits down with Erin Jackson, a freelance writer and donor-conceived rights advocate who discovered at 35 that she was conceived using donated sperm. The experience was shocking and it sparked a mission. Erin went on to create We Are Donor Conceived, a community and resource hub built to support others navigating the same discovery.

This conversation is an essential listen for any intended parent considering egg donation, sperm donation, or embryo donation. Erin shares what donor-conceived adults wish their parents had known, how the conversation around disclosure has shifted, and what the rise of consumer DNA testing has changed about donor anonymity forever.

If you’re building your family through donor conception, this episode gives you the perspective that matters most the one from the child’s point of view.

“Donor-conceived people deserve to know their own story.” - Erin Jackson

Guest Bio

Erin Jackson is a freelance writer and donor-conceived rights advocate. At age 35, she discovered she was conceived using donated sperm a revelation that transformed her life and her purpose. She founded We Are Donor Conceived, a community and resource platform created to support donor-conceived people in their search for identity, community, and answers.

This episode is for intended parents considering egg donation, sperm donation, or embryo donation who want to understand the long-term impact of donor conception from the perspective of the people who have lived it.

What You’ll Learn

• What it’s like to discover you’re donor-conceived as an adult and why late disclosure causes lasting harm

• What donor-conceived people most want parents to know and do differently

• Why donor anonymity is no longer a realistic promise in the age of consumer DNA testing

• How to approach disclosure with your child in a way that is honest, age-appropriate, and empowering

• What resources exist for donor-conceived people and the families who love them

Episode Resources

We Are Donor Conceived wearedonorconceived.com

Family Inceptions familyinceptions.com

Start Your Family-Building Journey

If you’re considering building your family through surrogacy or egg donation, visit familyinceptions.com to talk with our team.

This episode is part of our Between Seasons series, where we’re bringing back some of the most-loved and most-needed conversations from the Fertility Café archive while we work on our next full season.

Stay Connected

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycafe

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fertilitycafe

LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/fertility-cafe

More Resources

Learn more about surrogacy & fertility https://familyinceptions.com/

Listen to past episodes https://www.youtube.com/@FertilityCafe

Get expert insights & updates thefertilitycafe.com/resources

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Back in the Fertility Cafe Archive
(00:00:53) - Fertility Cafe: We Are Donor Conceived
(00:02:17) - Donor Conceived: Erin on the Podcast
(00:03:15) - Adoptee Reveals She Was Adopted
(00:05:08) - Does 23andMe Tell You How You Were Made?
(00:07:54) - In the Elevator With We Are Donor Conceived
(00:10:45) - The Donor Conceived Person Facebook Group
(00:12:34) - Donor Conceived People Respond to the Survey
(00:21:51) - What Does It Feel Like To Know You Have Sister?
(00:23:28) - Donor Anonymity Is Dead
(00:25:24) - Donor Conceived People Speak Out About Their Own Fate
(00:30:42) - Donor-Conceived People Want More Transparency
(00:35:57) - The DNA That Makes You Who You Are
(00:38:26) - Donor Conceived: What Do Donor-Born People Want
(00:40:30) - The Fertility Cafe: Modern Family Building

What does it actually feel like to carry a baby for someone else? Not the polished version the real one.

In this episode, Eloise Drane sits down with Heathyr Suhr, a two-time gestational surrogate and single mom, to talk honestly about what the surrogacy journey looks and feels like from the inside. Heathyr shares her motivations, her experiences with intended parents, what she needed most from her agency, and the parts of surrogacy that nobody tells you about upfront.

This is a first-hand account from someone who has done it twice and loves it and who is passionate about helping other women understand what they’re really signing up for before they begin.

If you’re considering surrogacy and wondering what the experience is truly like for the surrogate, this episode gives you an honest, grounded answer straight from someone who has lived it.

“I love pregnancy, I love helping create families, and I love educating other women on the ups and downs of this journey.” - Heathyr Suhr

Guest Bio

Heathyr Suhr is a single mom and two-time gestational surrogate who loves pregnancy, helping create families, and educating other women on the realities of surrogacy. She brings a candid, warm perspective to one of the most personal decisions a woman can make.

This episode is for women who are considering surrogacy and want to hear an honest, first-hand account of what the journey actually feels like.

What You’ll Learn

• What motivated Heathyr to become a surrogate and do it again

• What the day-to-day reality of being a gestational carrier actually feels like

• How Heathyr navigated her relationship with her intended parents

• What surrogates need most from their agency and their IPs

• The emotional ups and downs no one prepares you for

• What Heathyr wishes more women knew before starting the process

Episode Resources

Becoming a Surrogate: What’s Carrying Someone Else’s Baby Like? familyinceptions.com

6 Red Flags When Selecting a Surrogacy Agency familyinceptions.com

Related Episodes

Ep 8: Six-Time Egg Donor & Three-Time Surrogate Eloise Shares Her Story 

Ep 2: Surrogacy 101: When It Takes a Village to Start a Family 

Thinking About Becoming a Surrogate?

If you’re thinking about becoming a surrogate and want to talk with a team that’s been doing this for over two decades, visit familyinceptions.com.

This episode is part of our Between Seasons series, where we’re bringing back some of the most-loved and most-needed conversations from the Fertility Café archive while we work on our next full season.

Stay Connected

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycafe

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fertilitycafe

LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/fertility-cafe

More Resources

Learn more about surrogacy & fertility https://familyinceptions.com/

Listen to past episodes https://www.youtube.com/@FertilityCafe

Get expert insights & updates thefertilitycafe.com/resources

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Return to Fertility Cafe: Surrogacy Story
(00:01:23) - Surrogacy Special Guest: Heather Sir
(00:01:54) - Surrogacy for Kids 1
(00:05:01) - Surrogacy 1, Personal Support
(00:06:01) - The Surrogate's First Pregnancy
(00:07:37) - The surrogacy journey
(00:08:50) - The First Couple I Met Through The Birthcare Agency
(00:12:42) - The Surrogacy Process
(00:13:46) - The surrogates' first transfer failed
(00:15:25) - The Couple's Love Letter
(00:20:25) - I Was Forced To Have A Termination During My Marriage
(00:24:14) - The Match Manager's involvement in the pregnancy
(00:25:33) - The C-Section Baby
(00:29:18) - The Surrogacy Process
(00:34:18) - The Penn State doctor who got coveted
(00:34:36) - The Couple Who Matched With Their Daughter
(00:37:12) - Surrogate on 'The Surrogate'
(00:38:27) - What Would You Tell the Intended Parents About Surrogacy?
(00:40:14) - What would you tell a woman considering becoming a surrogate herself?
(00:42:03) - Surrogates Speak Out
(00:46:50) - Heather's Story of Surrogacy

Why are we taught so little about something that happens every single month for decades of our lives?

In this episode, Eloise Drane sits down with fertility awareness educator and author Lisa Hendrickson-Jack to unpack one of the most overlooked truths in women’s health: the menstrual cycle is not just about getting pregnant. It is a vital sign.

From heavy periods and birth control prescriptions in her teens to becoming a pioneer in fertility awareness education and podcasting, Lisa shares how charting her cycle transformed her understanding of her body and ultimately her career.

This conversation goes far beyond basic sex education. It breaks down what is actually happening during your cycle, how ovulation impacts overall health, what hormonal birth control really does to the body, and why so many women feel confused or dismissed when something feels “off.”

“Your menstrual cycle is not an inconvenience. It’s information.” - Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

Guest Bio

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified fertility awareness educator, host of the Fertility Friday podcast, and author of The Fifth Vital Sign and Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lily Nichols, RDN). Lisa has been charting her cycle since age 18 and was one of the first voices to bring fertility awareness education to the podcast space in 2014. Today her work focuses on educating women directly and training health practitioners to use the menstrual cycle as a diagnostic and health tool.

This episode is for any woman who wants to understand her cycle more deeply whether she’s on hormonal birth control, recently come off it, or simply trying to make sense of what her body is doing every month.

What You’ll Learn

• What it really means when we say “the menstrual cycle is a vital sign”

• What’s happening hormonally from your period to ovulation to the luteal phase

• Why the 28-day cycle myth is misleading and what is actually normal

• How cervical fluid works, and why most of us were never taught about it

• The key role ovulation plays in bone density, mood, and long-term health

• How hormonal birth control suppresses ovulation and what that means for your body

Episode Resources

Fertility Friday Podcast fertilityfriday.com

The Fifth Vital Sign fertilityfriday.com/book

Real Food for Fertility (free first chapter) realfoodforfertility.com Lisa on Instagram @fertilityfriday

Related Episodes

Ep 129: Acupuncture for Fertility: Supporting Hormones, Cycles & IVF Success 

Ep 126: What Your OBGYN Isn’t Telling You

This episode is part of our Between Seasons series, where we’re bringing back some of the most-loved and most-needed conversations from the Fertility Café archive while we work on our next full season.

Stay Connected

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycafe

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fertilitycafe

More Resources

Learn more about surrogacy & fertility https://familyinceptions.com/

Listen to past episodes https://www.youtube.com/@FertilityCafe

Get expert insights & updates

Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Fertility Cafe
(00:01:30) - Fertility Cafe: The Cycle
(00:02:13) - Unpacking Fertility Awareness
(00:03:00) - Fertility Awareness For Women
(00:09:12) - The Secret to Working Through Your Period
(00:12:19) - Meticulous Signs of PCOS
(00:16:39) - How to Tell When You're Expecting Ovulation (Cycle
(00:21:16) - How to manage your cycle? (28 Day Cycle)
(00:26:59) - What is the normal range of periods?
(00:29:09) - How Does Birth Control Work?
(00:36:05) - Ovarian reserve parameters post-ppill
(00:42:01) - Coming off the Pill
(00:47:54) - Trust Your Intuition
(00:49:58) - Lisa On Fertility: Real Food for Fertility
(00:51:56) - How to chart your cycle