For many people, “starting a family” includes having kids. But we know that not everyone wants to be parents, and in this episode we hear from a handful of childfree people to celebrate that choice.  Listen to Claire’s Terrible, Thanks for Episode, ‘Should I Have Kids?’ here. You can follow Heidi Clements at @welcometoheidi on Instagram.  The episode transcript can be found here.  _ Connect with us:  EMAIL: [email protected].  WEBSITE INSTAGRAM TIK TOK _ Subscribe to our Substack if...

A few years ago, Alexis Hourselt took a commercial DNA test. She was hoping the results would help her with some ancestral research about the Mexican side of her family. But the day she got her results became the day everything she knew about her family changed forever.  Alexis Hourselt is the host of the podcast DNA Surprises, a show that talks to other people who learned their biological truth through DNA tests. _ The episode transcript can be found here.  _ Connect with us:  EMAIL:...

When Cat and Emily, two women, wanted to have a baby, they knew they would need outside help. They asked their friend David to donate his sperm. They didn’t just want his DNA though, they wanted to invite him into the family they were creating. The episode transcript can be found here. _ Connect with us:  EMAIL: [email protected].  WEBSITE INSTAGRAM TIK TOK _ Subscribe to our Substack if you want a monthly newsletter about all things refamulating. We share resources for people...

We are taking a break this month to produce the rest of Season 1. We got some amazing submissions from you all, and we are excited to come back with stories about your families :)  We'll be back with a new episode June 4.While we're away, consider signing up for our newsletter. Each month we share all of the articles, books, movies and podcasts we're listening to as we make these episodes.  Send your family's submission to us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram.  See...

Lauren always knew she wanted a family. The way she imagined it, she’d meet a great guy, get married, and have babies. But when she finally met Dan in her late 30s, that’s not how it happened. Dan was a divorced dad with two small kids, so their family became a blended one. Lauren’s transition from Lauren to Mama (aka Llama), led her on a journey to grieve her single life, learn her new role as a bonus parent and grapple with her least favorite word: step-mother. Along the way she gained more...

When Jen was pregnant with her daughter, she had one of those unicorn pregnancies you never hear about in real life: she wasn’t tired or sick, and she felt energized by it all. But she and her husband didn’t want more biological kids, so Jen started thinking about how she could experience the magic of pregnancy again. That’s when she became a surrogate and found her life’s purpose.  The episode transcript can be found here.  _ Resources mentioned in this episode:  What do surrogacy laws...

Four years ago, Lindsay and Jeff were just starting their family. The 32-year-old couple had recently bought a house. They were talking about getting married and they knew they wanted kids…one day. Then, Lindsay’s step-sister collapsed, and overnight everything changed. Lindsay’s sister had 10-year-old twins, and as their mom lay unconscious in a hospital, Lindsay wondered if she and her boyfriend could take care of and parent these kids. The episode transcript can be found...

Tony Lilios always imagined himself as a father. When he was younger, the picture he had in head included a wife, a few kids, and a white picket fence. Then he came out as gay and had to totally re-imagine his vision for family. It took him almost 20 years, but Tony finally created a family that’s better than he ever could have dreamed. And he couldn’t have done it without the help of two very special women. – The episode transcript can be found here.  _ Connect with us:  EMAIL:...

Wait...what is a family? When host Julia Winston donated her eggs to a gay couple in her late 30s, it blew up her idea of what it means to make a family. That’s how “refamulating” was born – it’s a noun, a verb, a show. This show! Through this journey, Julia realized she’s been refamulating her whole life. She went from a traditional nuclear family, to divorced parents, a gay dad, and eventually, a whole new understanding of family. But it took a long time to get there. In this episode,...

Two years ago Julia Winston was asked to help a gay couple start a family by donating her eggs. At the time, she was 38, single, and had no idea if she’d start her own family. Sometimes that made her feel insecure, so the opportunity to donate her eggs allowed her to help create a family, just not the one she imagined in her head. Since the donation, she’s gone through an emotional transformation that opened her eyes to all the different ways a family can look.  This episode originally aired...

Refamulating is a new podcast that celebrates different ways to make a family. Episodes 1 and 2 drop April 2.  A generation ago, most Americans were guided by the idea of the nuclear family: a mom, a dad, two kids, and a derpy dog. Many still have a family like this, and that’s great! But the numbers show it doesn't represent the majority of American households. In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all for what a family should look like. We’re collectively reformulating our understanding of...