Episode 11: The Road to Grey: A Journey Through Reciprocal IVF

The Morning Meeting with Sarah & Jess

Joining Sarah & Jess around the table for this week's Morning Meeting is Dr. Heather & Hayley Rudderham. Heather and Hayley sit down with us over the course of two episodes to share their journey through reciprocal IVF beginning with the early stages of research, to picking a sperm donor, to the personal decisions, painful procedures, pregnancy, delivery and birth of their son, to adjusting to parenthood, and deciding what’s next! They cover the ins and outs, costs associated, the risks and rewards, difficult decisions, the discriminatory and privileged processes, and what it was like navigating through (traditionally) heteronormative systems as a same sex couple. In this part 1 episode we learn how two women from Cape Breton and Philadelphia meet and where their love story began. We travel with them from the East Coast of Canada to the West Coast of the United States of America and back again. A wedding, a few international moves, a Psy.D, Nursing degree, navigating through permanent residency applications, starting new careers, and more. Married in 2011, and always knowing they wanted children, it wasn't until 2016 that Heather and Hayley started actively researching the options available to them that eventually led to the birth of their son - Grey - in November of 2020. A real story of fate, love, strength and determination. They share how their dream became a reality with the love and support of friends, family and their incredible medical team. Heather and Hayley feel lucky and grateful for their experience and are happy to share their journey with us today, however, they do so while also acknowledging, honouring and recognizing how difficult of a process IVF is for those who go through it – everyone’s journey is unique and the outcomes can be so varied. This is Part 1 of a 2 Part series, Heather and Hayley's story will continue in our next episode. Heather & Hayley pull up a seat at 3:51. AD: 25:56- @belleviebirthandbabySocial: @themorningmeetingpodcast