“Gestational carriers: The Choice to Help Another Family” – with Adrienne VanArdsall

Dr. Fox: Welcome to “High Risk Birth Stories,” one of the top 200 health and wellness podcasts in Iceland. Last week, we heard the story of Adina and Simon Brief. It was originally a “Healthful Woman” podcast we dropped in 2020 prior to the creation of this “High Risk Birth Stories” podcast. Adina and Simon told the story of their third delivery, which was achieved with the help of a gestational carrier. Today, we’re gonna hear the story from the perspective of their gestational carrier, Adrienne. This was also originally a “Healthful Woman” podcast that was dropped right after Adina and Simon’s story, so we decided to drop them in the same manner on this podcast. As a reminder for all of you, we’d love to hear your birth story. You can send us an email at hrbs@highriskbirthstories.com or you can go to our website and click the link to tell your birth story. Thanks for listening. Have a great weekend. See you Monday on the “Healthful Woman” podcast.
Welcome to “High Risk Birth Stories” brought to you by the creators of the “Healthful Woman” podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Nathan Fox. “High Risk Birth Stories” is a podcast designed to give you, the listener, a window into the life-changing experiences of pregnancy, fertility, and childbirth. Okay. We’re here with Adrienne Van Ardsall who was kind enough to agree to come on to “Healthful Woman” to talk about your experience as a gestational carrier. Adrienne, thank you so much for coming on to “Healthful Woman.” I really appreciate it.
Adrienne: Thank you for having me.
Dr. Fox: As I was telling you before, I have already spoken to Adina and Simon Brief, and they actually recommended to me that I speak with you. You were their gestational carrier for their most recent pregnancy for baby Joey and that you’d be open to talking about it and that you’re a fascinating and wonderful person and our listeners would really love to hear from you.
Adrienne: Well, they are too kind. But I would definitely like to give any information people are interested in.
Dr. Fox: Yeah, thank you. Yes. I mean, when I spoke to them, they talked about their journey and your story, and then specifically a lot about the pregnancy, and they spoke so highly of you and also just the relationship that they and you had with each other, which is obviously a unique relationship. It’s not one that most people get to experience in their life in either direction. And I thought it’d just be fascinating to get your story and your perspective on this, you know, fill out the entire picture for that pregnancy.
Adrienne: I couldn’t have asked for a better match. So, it really worked out well for us.
Dr. Fox: That’s amazing. So, just a little bit of background, you know, what is your story? Sort of, you know, who are you? Where are you from? What’s your family like? And then what led you to becoming a carrier?
Adrienne: I live in Ohio. And Simon and Adina are in New Jersey. But I have two kids. I have an eight-year-old and a six-year-old. And I remember after I had my eight-year-old… First of all, I loved being pregnant. I thought I didn’t have any issues getting pregnant, staying pregnant. I had very little morning sickness or any of that. So, pregnancy was enjoyable to me. And after I had my son, I was like, “This is amazing. And there are people out there that can’t have this baby that they would so badly want.” At that point, I felt like it was something I was gonna do in the future. I wasn’t sure if I was gonna help family or friends, but it was something I wanted to do.
Dr. Fox: So, you knew that right away after your first.
Adrienne: Yeah. And I remember I had a family member struggling with fertility and we did casually bring it up that, “Hey, if this is something you wanted to do, we’d be open to that.” And that didn’t end up happening, but we did do it a different way.
Dr. Fox: And then when you were having, you know, these thoughts, these decisions, what was your husband thinking with this?
Adrienne: He has been so supportive and so on board the whole time. His only concern, I think, in the very beginning was just my health and how safe it was for me and if there’s any risks for me. So, he spoke to somebody at the agency, and they kind of put all his worries at ease. And then from then on, he was completely on board.
Dr. Fox: Right. And so how does that even work? You have this thought that you’re gonna embark on this. And where do you even start? Do you just, like, call someplace and say, “Hey, I wanna volunteer,” and then go through a process? So, what happens?
Adrienne: So, I guess most people do a lot of research. I on the other hand was up late one night, my husband was sleeping, my kids were sleeping. I was up late and I was on Facebook and an advertisement popped up from a surrogacy agency. So, I clicked on it and I read the qualifications. And I was like, “I think I fit all of these.” So, then I filled out, like, the questionnaire and the next day I had an email back from them. And I was like, “Oh, my.” I really wasn’t expecting a response. Just kind of doing something. So, I got the response, and then from there we just went forward with it. It was kind of… I don’t know… If I hadn’t seen that advertisement, I don’t even know if I would have continued to go forward with it, but because I filled it out and he responded. And it was just a good time in my life to do it. I had one kid in school full-time. My other son was starting preschool. I hadn’t gone back to work yet. So, it was like one of the best times I could have chosen to help carry somebody else’s baby.
Dr. Fox: Is the status right now that, you know, there’s much more of a demand for carriers than there is women willing to do it? Meaning the fact that, you know, you filled out a form and immediately get an email, like, “Oh, my God, please come in.” Is that indicative of the fact that it’s hard to find people like you or just the nature of this?
Adrienne: Yeah. I think there’s definitely more parents looking for carriers than there are carriers.
Dr. Fox: Wow. So, if you are healthy and willing and able to do it, there’s a way to do it, obviously.
Adrienne: Yes. And I know a lot of people do it without an agency. I don’t think I would ever… There are just so many processes and steps and just legalities that it was so much easier with an agency and they can help match and…
Dr. Fox: Well, how would someone do without an agency? What does that even mean? Just like find someone like a friend?
Adrienne: Yeah. If you have a family or a friend or I know there’s even Facebook matching groups where people can post. And so they would hook up that way and then go through lawyers and doctors. I mean, it definitely cuts down the fees for the parents, but I do think it is a lot more work on both their parts.
Dr. Fox: Right. I mean, when I spoke to Adina and Simon, they had a similar feeling that they sort of felt there was a “right way” to do this, and just sort of to make sure it’s all done right and appropriately, and thoughtfully, and correctly. And they just felt it really had to be done through not just an agency, but a quality one. And the same thing in terms of who the agency selects to be carriers, they wanted to make sure that this has been done right and not… Because I imagine it can go wrong.
Adrienne: Exactly. Yeah. You hear so many horror stories. And I have to say even till the day we started, I was still having, like, “I hope this goes okay.” You just don’t know how it’s gonna… Nobody goes into it planning for it to go badly.
Dr. Fox: Were they the first family that you did this for?
Adrienne: Yes. Yes. I had two C-sections with my own boys, so I knew I could do… I think after this third one, I had a C-section with Joey, too. And after this one, like, emotionally, I could do it again, but physically, I think my health would be at risk, so I wouldn’t do it again.
Dr. Fox: So, maybe just one. Got it. Okay. And then when you were going through the process, how does it even work that you get… Is it that you get selected or you get matched or you sort of get to see different couples? I mean, how does that process work on your end? I know sort of how it worked on their end.
Adrienne: So, I think our agency is pretty small compared to a lot of them. The coordinators sent me… He basically… I didn’t see anybody else’s profile. But he sent me their… They wrote about themselves. And he sent me that and some pictures of their family. And asked if I would like to talk to them. And then we set up a…I think it was a phone call with the agency and a nurse. And then from there, we just moved forward. Like, I didn’t have any doubts. They seemed perfect from reading about their story.
Dr. Fox: Right. And what was it specifically you were looking for? Was it more sort of, like, how they came to this or what kind of people they are? What exactly… I mean, because, obviously, you’ve never done this before. How do you even sort of weigh what are the things you’re gonna look for?
Adrienne: I really did not have a whole lot of disqualifiers. I was open to homosexual couples. I was open to people with children. I was open to no matter what the religion was. There was not a whole lot that, I mean, I can’t even think of anything that was really gonna disqualify, I guess, unless I couldn’t get…unless we were hard to get along with or I couldn’t… I didn’t really want to be overseas where I couldn’t speak the language.
Dr. Fox: Oh, I didn’t realize that’s an option.
Adrienne: Yes. And a lot of couples do it with parents overseas. And yeah, I wanted to be able to communicate. So, that was one.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. Did you speak…before you did this or while you were going through the process, did you speak to other carriers about their experiences? Is there like a network or, you know, a community of people that you could be in touch with?
Adrienne: I ended up joining a Facebook group and just reading, like, I didn’t say anything. I would just read through people’s experiences and stories and got tips on what to look for and red flags. And then the agency hooked me up with one of their previous surrogates who was actually going to do a second journey. And she lived not far from me. So, she came over and we talked. We had a phone call and she gave me her experience. And she had a great experience. So, I was on board with that.
Dr. Fox: Well, and then what about your children? What did they think about this? Was it difficult to even explain what this was or were they pretty, you know, with the flow?
Adrienne: It was. I mean, they were five and seven at the time. So, we had a couple of books that we read and talked about it, and I let them know we were gonna be helping another family that really wanted a baby and couldn’t carry the baby. So, we were just helping and babysitting for nine months and then the baby was gonna go home with its parents. And I don’t think my youngest really even knew I was pregnant until a couple of months before we were due.
Dr. Fox: Right.
Adrienne: And finally, I think, it clicked. I mean, they don’t notice the way it came from. Finally, he noticed there was, like, a belly there.
Dr. Fox: Hey, what’s up?
Adrienne: And we talked about the baby. Yeah. But they were… I mean, they would say stuff like, “Oh, I wanna, you know, have a baby that we can keep, too.” And I was like, “Well, we’re done. Our family is complete, but other families want a baby.”
Dr. Fox: That’s your younger brother.
Adrienne: Yeah. Adina and I are friends on Facebook, so we see pictures and videos of Joey and I show them and they think it’s pretty cool.
Dr. Fox: I mean, it’s pretty cool the fact that they know that their mother did this for another family is, I think, something that they’ll always appreciate and it’s gonna be something that, you know, it also teaches them a lot about, you know, kindness and giving that they can’t learn from reading it or learning it in school. This is a unique thing, you know, a unique situation they got to be a part of, and it’s a tremendous lesson for them.
Adrienne: Yeah. And even if they don’t understand it, now I’m counting on in 10, 15 years, it’ll click when they start having their own families and they’ll see.
Dr. Fox: Right, right. I mean, just, from my own experiences, since they’re boys, it may take them 40 years to figure it out. But, you know, if they were girls, they’d get it a lot earlier. So, okay. What are you gonna do? So, you’re going through the process and I know, like, logistically, you have to, you know, fly to New Jersey and come home and fly back. Was that, like, very taxing at least in the beginning and that you have to go back and forth on, you know, airplanes or long car rides or however you’re doing it?
Adrienne: We only had to go twice. So, we went for the physical screening, my husband and I both went because they had to screen him as well. We went there. And I think that was… It really wasn’t a long time. We have… His mom lives nearby, so she was a lot of help and she was willing to stay with our kids. And so we were only there, I think, one maybe two nights at the most. So, for that, we flew there and back pretty quickly. We were home fast. And then for the transfer, we flew in. And there was no way… I think we flew back the same day as the transfer.
Dr. Fox: Wow. What was that like, the transfer? Your kids were born or they’re conceived naturally or with IVF?
Adrienne: They were natural.
Dr. Fox: Right. So, this is a new process for you in many regards also that you’re having to transfer. What was that like for you just that day?
Adrienne: It was really cool. The process was really cool. Like, we were all in the same room when they were doing the transfer. They brought this teeny-tiny embryo that you couldn’t even see in the Spigel cart and it was, like, treated like gold and taken such good care of, and then they had a big screen up so you could see them putting the embryo in. And it was just, like, really amazing to think that that can turn into a baby.
Dr. Fox: They were in the room at the same time. I mean, all of you in the room together including this.
Adrienne: Yeah.
Dr. Fox: And was that something… I know because that’s not always the case in terms of, you know, with the carriers, you know, the surrogates and, you know, the genetic parents whether they’re in the room for procedures or they come to your prenatal visits or they don’t. How did you yourself make those decisions or navigate how you would do that?
Adrienne: I wanted them to be involved as they wanted to be. And I knew they couldn’t. I mean, just logistically, they can’t come to every appointment.
Dr. Fox: Right.
Adrienne: We got tons of ultrasounds, but, unfortunately, you can’t FaceTime and you can’t video those.
Dr. Fox: Right.
Adrienne: So, I was always bummed that they couldn’t be a part of that. And I felt like it would be hard for them to feel how they felt their older two with this one. We did FaceTime with a doctor, so they knew who the doctor was gonna be delivering him. And they came to the 20-week ultrasound. So, they got to see that one.
Dr. Fox: Right. Which is the big one. That’s a really big one.
Adrienne: Yeah.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. Is that typical in your experience with being on the Facebook groups and talking to others that the carriers are so open to having the parents with you at visits? Because, I mean, there are privacy issues, you know, it’s your body, it’s your pregnancy, things might come up that are private and… Is that something that typically happens as someone who’s so open as you to have them come or Is that unusual?
Adrienne: From the ones I read, it is pretty typical. Most people, if you’re doing it, it’s because you wanna help and you do kind of want that relationship. So, to not allow them to see that part of their baby’s growth is… I don’t know a whole lot of people that haven’t let them in.
Dr. Fox: And I mean, I think it’s amazing. I mean, it just speaks to the whole idea. I think a lot of people are mistakenly under the impression that, you know, surrogates are carriers. It’s sort of like a job. I mean, there is a component that it’s like a job and, you know, there’s contracts and there’s, you know, fees and this, okay, but that they’re sort of doing it because this is their line of work and they’re very sterile about it. And I think that what you’re describing is something very different. You’re describing almost like a calling that you wanted to do this for somebody and you’re, you know, willing and happy to do it. And I think that that’s a very different mindset. And what you’re saying is that that’s really, in your experience, how most people approach it.
Adrienne: Yeah. So, I would say I think if you’re going into it for a payout or for anything other than trying to help another family, I don’t think it’s even worth it. I mean…
Dr. Fox: Right.
Adrienne: And they do a psych evaluation. So, I think they try to weed out the people that are not doing it for the right reasons. But I’m sure there are people that do, but I don’t even… I would say for the most part, that’s not the case.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. And I think that that’s just a misconception that some people have. That’s why I just think it’s so important to hear your perspective and that from your, you know, experience and your understanding that your perspective is more than that that’s how most people who go into this are doing it, which is so encouraging I just think for humans that there are so many people out there who are willing to sacrifice themselves and do this for others who are complete strangers at the start. Did your family and friends have the same feeling about this and you deal with it, like, “Oh, my God, this is amazing. You’re, like, awesome. You’re so cool.” Or were they like, “What are you doing? You’re out of your mind”? Because I mentioned there’s some of each. But what was sort of the general feeling in, you know, your inner circles and then maybe your more peripheral circles that don’t know you as well?
Adrienne: I had overwhelming support. I don’t think I had anyone really questioned my motives or questioned why I would do that. I think most people said that’s amazing. I know a lot of people were like, “Well, how are you just gonna give the baby away?” And I think I never felt like it was my baby. I always felt like I was just carrying somebody else’s baby. So, I never felt, like, an emotional attachment that giving it to his parents was gonna be difficult. But I think a lot of people when they think about it, that’s their hold up is, “How can you just give that baby away after you carried it for nine months?”
Dr. Fox: Right. I mean, there is definitely some, like, intellectual disconnect there. It’s sort of the way that we think about pregnancy and delivery, but it’s also a unique circumstance where you know going in, like, this is their baby. Like you said to your kids, “We are basically like sitting. We’re holding the baby for X amount of time for them.” And that’s… I just think a lot of people have a hard time wrapping their heads around it, but if you can, it makes…obviously, it makes complete sense, but it’s just so unusual that that’s what people are sort of, like, they have a short circuit, you know, in their brain to try to figure that out.
Adrienne: Yeah, I totally get why people would question it. Just for me, it was never an issue. Even from the very start, I never felt like I was gonna struggle with any other thing. And I never did. Even after I had him, there was never any emotional issues to deal with from him going with his family.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. I was gonna ask specifically about emotions, like, you know, during the pregnancy and after delivery, is it a feeling of this, like, joy that you’re helping or is it, you know, a little bit of sadness that, you know, you’re doing this not for yourself? I imagine there’s a mix, but I’m just curious. What were the range of emotions you went through over the course of pregnancy?
Adrienne: I think I was so content that our family is complete and that I don’t want another baby. I did not have, really, any sadness there. I mean, it was exciting. It was fun feeling him grow and sending videos. And then after the fact, I was… Like, I feel bad thing I didn’t, like, miss it or miss anything, but I was so ready to not be pregnant anymore by the end because we spent the summer being hugely pregnant at my son’s baseball games.
Dr. Fox: Well, as an obstetrician, I could tell you, it’s a very common feeling for women to not wanna be pregnant anymore towards the end.
Adrienne: Yeah.
Dr. Fox: It is a very, very strong, natural urge to not wanna be pregnant at the end of pregnancy.
Adrienne: And it was just freeing to know he’s being taken care of by his parents and I can just focus on myself and recovery and…
Dr. Fox: Yeah. What was the day of the delivery like? You’re having an operation, right? So, that’s, obviously, a big deal for you physically, but the same thing, you’re there, your doctor is there, your husband is in the room, the Briefs are in the room. What was that experience like, because you’ve, obviously, never had anything like it?
Adrienne: Yeah. That was really cool. I was worried leading up to delivery that the Briefs wouldn’t be allowed in the room because they had said from the very start, “You can only have one other person in the room.” They said from the very start, “Jason can be…” My husband can be in the room with me. But I… That didn’t really sit well with me, actually. I feel like the parent…one of the parents at least should be in the room when he is born. So, I was… Jason was fine with that. He said he would sit in the waiting room, if need be, and one of them could go in. But luckily, I don’t think we found out till the day of because I think it was up to the anesthesiologist who could be in the room.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. For whatever reason, they have control over the personnel in the room. I’m not sure why. It’s the same way in our hospital. They’re the gatekeepers to the people in the room.
Adrienne: Yeah. And we didn’t know who that would be, so we couldn’t even kiss up or do anything. So, we had to just cross our fingers on the day of and hope. And so they put us… I mean, the room seemed huge, but they said it was a small room. But they put two chairs down for them and I could see…basically, I could only see them. So, I could see Adina and Simon. And then my husband was sitting at my head and he was… I think as he started taking a video as they were pulling Joey out, and that was just… It was amazing to watch it, but to be able to have it on video, it was like, that’s why you’re doing it. They were just so emotional and happy and thankful to see him come into this world.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. I mean, when I spoke to them they were just so… Obviously, they would have done whatever was best for you and, you know, they would have been comfortable being outside if that’s what had to be, but they were so thankful that they got to be there and, you know, it was exciting and surreal and just also, you know, just from her previous experiences a little bit of, like, PTSD going into an operating room again, but such a mix, but they’re so thankful that they were there. They’re thankful to you guys. I mean, the fact that you’re talking about your husband, Jason, saying he would stay out so one of them could be in. I mean, just, you know how giving that is under the circumstances, it’s really impressive. Or maybe he just really didn’t wanna be in there in the first place. I don’t know. I’ve been… I’ve seen that before. So, calling him out here.
Adrienne: I think he was a little hurt when I said I’d rather have one of them in there, but, yeah, I was so glad they were both there.
Dr. Fox: Stay home with the boys. It’s fine. We got this. [crosstalk 00:20:55] the baby come home. It’s all good.
Adrienne: Yeah. I think it would have totally… I don’t know. It just seemed like such an important moment that they should have been there and I was so glad they could be in there.
Dr. Fox: Yeah.
Adrienne: And I’m sure it would have worked out if they weren’t, but I am glad that that moment solidified that it was the right thing to do.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. And I mean, I think hospitals don’t really…they don’t do this so much that they have protocols in place and exceptions to rules in these circumstances. You would think it would make sense that they should, but it’s just sort of hard to come up with every circumstance and how they’re gonna do this in every single hospital. So, it’s sort of understandable why it took so long to figure that out, but I’m glad it did work out. That’s amazing. And then…
Adrienne: Yeah, me, too.
Dr. Fox: …I know that, you know, you said, and the Briefs told me how you guys you do stay in touch, you know, on Facebook and you see pictures of, you know, their kids and they see pictures of your kids. Is that something you expected to happen to have this relationship that lasted even beyond the pregnancy?
Adrienne: I was hoping for it. I was definitely hoping for it. I wasn’t gonna push it and I didn’t want them to feel like they were obligated to send me pictures or give me information on how he was doing. I felt like I was doing this to give them their baby and if they wanted to stop communication, that would have been fine too. But I’m glad we continued it and I’m glad I can watch him grow up through pictures and videos and…
Dr. Fox: Yeah. I mean, that’s pretty cool. I mean, you have your own beautiful family and then you get to see this other family who’s in a different part of the country from a totally different place, so your roads crossed and now you’re linked with them, you know, basically forever. And they’re obviously awesome. They’re a great family. And when this was happening on their end, just so, you know, because, so you should know, when they let everyone know what was going on and they’re gonna have a baby and they have a carrier in Ohio and they were going through this, I mean, everybody was just like so excited for them, you know, all their family and their friends, the whole community. It was just amazing because they’re such wonderful people and they’re so loving. And some of us knew it, some didn’t know about, you know, her history and, you know, what was going on. Just that they were gonna have another baby. And the whole event in our community was just awesome. And you gave that to them, basically, gave it to all of us.
Adrienne: Yeah. And I’m so glad it was accepted because I know the religion was in question, like, is it acceptable? Is it not?
Dr. Fox: Right.
Adrienne: But…
Dr. Fox: Right. Yeah. They had concerns and it ultimately wasn’t…it’s not a concern. But yeah, this is something that’s not…anything that’s new is not gonna have hundreds of years of rabbinic literature on it. So, it’s sort of like, “Well, you know…” But it was… Yeah. Everyone was very encouraging, very supportive from top to bottom. That’s what they described and that’s what sort of my recollection was, at least from my vantage point. And it’s just amazing that you get to see that from your end that what you were trying to do you did. They told me how awesome you are and I’m thinking, “Well, you know. Well, yeah, she’s awesome because she did this,” but, in fact, just to hear your level of, you know, altruism, your level of just concern for others and how giving you are, it really is above and beyond what you would expect even from someone who’s doing this. It’s pretty impressive.
Adrienne: It’s not for everyone and not everyone agrees with it, but it has been an amazing experience. And when you look back, it’s just like a blip in time, but it’s changed their life forever and they now have this beautiful baby that they can… He’s brought so much happiness. You just see how loved he is and how much happiness he brings to everybody. So, it’s like just something, so, I don’t wanna say it’s simple, but it’s like something I could easily give and I’m glad I chose to do that because I could have easily not.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. Yeah. And no one would have…obviously, no one would have faulted you for not doing it. No one would’ve said anything. Before I let you go, I’m just curious. If there are women out there who sort of feel like you do, they had, you know, pretty good pregnancies and they’re thinking about this themselves, what would you recommend to them if they’re just interested in it or curious about it, how they would go forward? Do the same way you did it, just contact an agency or is there, like, are there books to read or good blogs or, you know, how would they get information that would be helpful to them in making this decision?
Adrienne: I actually didn’t read any books about it, but there are a lot of Facebook groups if you just search “surrogacy.” And I joined those. And yeah, just talking to an agency and seeing if you would be a good match. I think if you’ve even considered it, it’s worth diving. It’s worth at least giving it a try and seeing if you would be able to do it because in the end, the result is amazing. But I know I had my husband’s cousin, she’s… After I did it, she said, “I have always thought about that and just never did it.” And now she’s actually pregnant right now with a surrogate baby.
Dr. Fox: Oh, my God, that’s so cool.
Adrienne: Yeah. So, once one person does it, it’s like it kind of just a trickle effect. I had a friend that contacted an agency, but her health just wasn’t where it needed to be for carrying a baby. So, yeah. I think it’s something… If you don’t know anybody that’s done it, you kind of go in hesitantly, but I would definitely look into it if it’s something someone’s considered.
Dr. Fox: Wow. I mean, it’s amazing and just the fact that since you did it, not only did you help one family, but others are looking at you and considering doing it and sort of as a snowball effect. I mean, it’s almost, you know, like a metaphor for, you know, life. If you do good things, people will take your example and do it themselves. And this is on a much, you know, bigger scale than that, obviously, but it’s just that same idea that people who are giving are infectious, and others see that and wanna emulate that and it’s really… I know I’m gushing here, but I just think it’s really cool and I’m just so impressed and excited to talk to you about this. I’m so appreciative that you did this and, obviously, that you’re willing to talk about it so openly.
Adrienne: Yes. Well, thank you. Yeah. I mean, I don’t talk about it a whole lot, I mean, not to people that haven’t seen me since [inaudible 00:27:04] I mean, a lot of people that are new in my life, I don’t… It’s not like I just bring it up. So, I don’t talk about it a whole lot. But I do have people that they were there when I was pregnant for nine months, and they ask how Joey is doing. And I can pull up pictures and let them see he’s doing great, and he’s happy, and he’s got an amazing family.
Dr. Fox: It’s awesome. But Adrienne, thank you so much for coming on to the podcast. I really appreciate it. I know my listeners appreciate it. And it’s just such a great compliment to the story that we got to hear from Adina and Simon. And so thank you so much. And thank you for…
Adrienne: Thank you.
Dr. Fox: …what you did and how you’re inspiring others.
Adrienne: Great. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
Dr. Fox: Thank you for listening to “High Risk Birth Stories” brought to you by the creators of the “Healthful Woman” podcast. If you’re interested in telling your birth story on our podcast, please go to our partner website at www.healthfulwoman.com and click the link for sharing your story. You can also email us directly at hrbs@highriskbirthstories.com. If you liked today’s podcast, please be sure to check out our “Healthful Woman” podcast as well where I speak with leaders in the field to help you learn more about women’s health, pregnancy, and wellness. Have a great day.
The information discussed in “High Risk Birth Stories” is intended for information and entertainment only and does not replace medical care from your physician. The stories and experiences discussed in our podcasts are unique to each guest and are not intended to be representative of any standard of care or expected outcomes. As always, we encourage you to speak with your own doctor about specific diagnoses and treatment options for an effective treatment plan. Guests on “High Risk Birth Stories” have given their permission for us to share their personal health information.