Our Families Ourselves
Ann-Sophie Morrissette & Maria Pasquarelli
Each week, "elder" millennial moms Ann-Sophie and Maria meet people who challenge the traditional notion of family-forming and parenting. We explore the joy, the pain, and - let’s face it - dysfunction of creating a family. Adoption, IVF, surrogacy, child-free by choice, and more ... these are our families, told through our voices.
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Top 10 Our Families Ourselves Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Our Families Ourselves episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Our Families Ourselves for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Our Families Ourselves episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Let’s Talk About Eggs, Baby! Being a Four-Time Egg Donor with Kristi
Our Families Ourselves
02/21/24 • 35 min
We’ve had *a lot* of sperm talk these past few weeks, so we’re more than ready to explore the other side of the equation — eggs! This week we sit down with four-time (yes, you read that right) egg donor Kristi, who opens up about her experience with candor and humor.
Listen in to learn about:
- Why a woman might choose to donate her eggs (hint: it’s not just about the money)
- The physical demands of being an egg donor
- Making the choice to not have kids
- The surprises you might face on 23andMe
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A Lifetime Original: How An Adoptee Found His Bio Parents with Mark Caffee
Our Families Ourselves
03/20/24 • 39 min
It could be a Lifetime movie or a work of fiction, but it’s one of the most incredible stories we’ve heard. Mark Caffee, communications consultant (and Ann-Sophie’s former boss), shares the remarkable journey of meeting his bio mom and bio dad — 50 years after he was adopted. Grab a mug of warm tea and get out your tissues for this episode!
Listen as we chat about:
- The journey of self-discovery growing up gay and adopted
- How adoption was very different in the 60s compared to today
- The rollercoaster journey of finding biological parents in a closed adoption
- Why open adoption is so important for adoptees to feel accepted and loved
- Nature vs. nurture in shaping self-identity
Two amazing organizations mentioned in this episode:
Hope CottageCasa of Los Angeles
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
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Season One Recap!
Our Families Ourselves
07/11/24 • 10 min
We're baaaack! It's been a few months ... Maria had a baby, summer is summer'ing, and Ann-Sophie's Tuff Shed now doubles as a sauna.
Join us we recap some of our fave moments and surprising turns from Season One. And we're giving you a sneak peek of what's in store for Season Two.
THANK YOU to everyone who supported us on our foray into professional podcasting. We're living the dream, y'all.
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts
Join the conversation and follow us on Instagram:
@ourfamiliesourselves Learn more about us:
LA Parent Mag
GOOAAAL! Starting a Family as a Lesbian Couple with Fei Wu & Lee Lawlor
Our Families Ourselves
02/13/24 • 36 min
We talk to our dear friends Fei & Lee about their experience starting a family as an interracial, lesbian couple. It’s a long and winding road that takes them from spa-like fertility clinics to wheeling sperm through Target.
Listen to learn about:
- The challenges of starting a family as a LGBTQ+ couple
- How LGBTQ+ folks can feel less isolated in the process
- Why shorter men need not apply to be sperm donors
- The painful truth about fertility treatment costs
- Why the Dutch national soccer team is the perfect analogy for family
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
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From Kroger to the Courthouse: Foster to Adopt with Bill Murphey
Our Families Ourselves
02/06/24 • 35 min
From the freezing depths of Ann-Sophie’s Tuff Shed, we bring you the warmth and delight of Atlanta-based actor Bill Murphey. A chance encounter at a neighborhood Kroger led him down the path to single parenthood, and it’s unlike any story we’ve heard!
Join us as we talk:
- Foster-to-adopt in the US
- Single parenthood and finding support from your community
- Why not to book expensive vacations with teenagers
- Supporting a boy’s freedom of expression (whether wearing skirts or dyeing hair!)
- Balancing boundaries and unconditional love in parenting
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Join the conversation and follow us on Instagram:
A Beautiful Mess: Adopting in the US with Melissa & Kenny Lindsey
Our Families Ourselves
01/30/24 • 38 min
This week, we chat with the delightful Melissa and Kenny about the experience of adopting their daughter. Adoption in the US has evolved in the past few decades, and the Lindseys challenge common misconceptions about adoptive families, birth families, and adoptees. Also, they’re probably some of the sweetest people you’ll ever hear!
Join us as we talk:
- Private adoption vs. foster care
- Why “open” adoption is more common these days
- Adopting during a global pandemic (spoiler alert: it’s more stressful)
- The grief of a “disrupted” adoption
- Why dads don’t create the same networks as moms - seriously, WHY?
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
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Join the conversation and follow us on Instagram:
Solo Parenting, By Choice or By Consequence with Molly Hawkey
Our Families Ourselves
01/23/24 • 41 min
For our very first ep, we sit down with the woman who inspired us to get on the mic: Molly Hawkey - actress, comedian, and host extraordinaire of Spermcast.
Molly shares her journey to “solo parenting,” from interviewing comedian friends on why their sperm fits the bill, traveling cross-country pregnant during a global pandemic, to her own podcast audience helping her through very tough times. We promised a rollercoaster, and here it is ... hold on tight!
Join us as we chat about:
- The freedom and challenges of solo parenting
- The joy (and sometimes annoyances) of grandparents
- Sperm, sperm, sperm! Known-donor, anonymous donor, genetic mutations
- IUI, IVF ... all the acronyms
- “Diblings” i.e. donor siblings - yes, it’s a thing.
*Trigger Warning* This episode contains themes of miscarriage and TFMR (termination for medical reasons).
Links:
Listen to Spermcast.
Support Molly's Patreon.
Follow Molly (and her adorable baby) on her IG.
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Join the conversation and follow us on Instagram:@ourfamiliesourselves
Live from Maria's bed: we're official! [TEASER]
Our Families Ourselves
01/15/24 • 9 min
Allow us to introduce ourselves! Maria and Ann-Sophie share who they are, why they thought the world needed another podcast, and how you can expect zero tech skills but all the quality content about family-forming.
V is for Vasectomy - Living that Child-Free Life with Edgar Landa
Our Families Ourselves
02/27/24 • 34 min
We met a man who may just be a walking advocate for vasectomies - yay! But in all seriousness, LA-based fight choreographer, actor, and director Edgar charmed us with his enlightened view on the dreaded “v” word, and how he and his partner have embraced a child-free life.
Join us as we chat about:
- Showing up as an uncle...often with the “un-cool” gifts
- The decision to have a vasectomy and why men shouldn’t be afraid of it
- What does it even mean to leave a “legacy”? And, really, are kids even worth it?
- The importance of “chosen family” in our lives
- Why Disneyland is hands-down more fun without kids
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Join the conversation and follow us on Instagram:
An LGBTQ Family’s Surrogacy Journey with Corey Johnson & Meyer (7 months old!)
Our Families Ourselves
03/05/24 • 38 min
It’s our youngest guest yet! Seven month-old Meyer and his dad, LA-based actor Corey, tell us their family’s experience with surrogacy. Maria and Ann-Sophie also get political this week as we rail against the dismantling of reproductive rights in the US. Tune in for our rant, stay for the delightful guest and adorable baby sounds.
Listen to learn about:
- How surrogacy works from start to finish
- The relationship between a surrogate and expectant parents
- The ups and downs of a fertility journey
- What goes into the decision-making process of how to form your family
- How the definition of family can change after you have children
- Maria & Ann-Sophie’s feelings on reproductive justice and the current political climate
For more surprising and authentic conversations about family-forming, subscribe to Our Families, Ourselves:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Join the conversation and follow us on Instagram:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Our Families Ourselves have?
Our Families Ourselves currently has 13 episodes available.
What topics does Our Families Ourselves cover?
The podcast is about Parents, Adoption, Parenting, Kids & Family, Ivf, Moms, Podcasts and Dads.
What is the most popular episode on Our Families Ourselves?
The episode title 'Let’s Talk About Eggs, Baby! Being a Four-Time Egg Donor with Kristi' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Our Families Ourselves?
The average episode length on Our Families Ourselves is 34 minutes.
How often are episodes of Our Families Ourselves released?
Episodes of Our Families Ourselves are typically released every 7 days, 1 hour.
When was the first episode of Our Families Ourselves?
The first episode of Our Families Ourselves was released on Jan 15, 2024.
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