Marea's Journey: Redefining Family Through Relationships, Commitment, and Connection

Today’s episode features Marea Goodman, a licensed midwife, parent, co-author of the book Baby Making for Everybody, and founder of PregnantTogether, a virtual community supporting queer and solo parents from preconception through parenting. Marea’s family grew through a non-traditional and "growthful" journey that involved co-parenting, a romantic relationship developing unexpectedly, the use of a known donor, having a child of their own (after a chemical pregnancy and then successful IUI), and eventually navigating a separation. They described the fertility process, alongside their experiences of pregnancy, birth, and separation, as deeply "humbling" and realized that if the process was this overwhelming to them as an "quote unquote expert" with training, then they could only imagine how it felt for others. This feeling of overwhelm and the observation that people often do not see the narratives of their non-traditional families in the mainstream world, led to the creation of the PregnantTogether community. By creating a space for LGBTQ+ individuals and solo parents, Marea hopes to provide a space where the unique stories of queer folks and solo parents are normalized and people can find the tailored support and resources that they wished they had had on their journey. PregnantTogether is excited to host the first virtual queer family building conference called “Together” this November 4th and 5th. Our conversation highlights the importance of normalizing diverse family structures, addressing the grief and disappointment inherent in the process, and connecting people to help smooth out the bumps of the family-building challenges. Find Marea and the community on Instagram @pregnanttogether.community or the website www.pregnanttogether.com.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Reproductive justice, queer parenting, queer family building, midwife, doula, fertility care, IUI, donor sperm, queer family stories, Baby-Making for Every Body book, grief, relationships, family, spiritual growth, at-home insemination, unsolicited advice, compassionate listening, family building, queer parenting, solo parenting, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ family support, insemination process, parenting community, family planning resources, fertility challenges, emotional support for parents, non-traditional families, midwifery care, online parenting support, community for queer families, navigating parenthood, parenting after divorce, inclusive parenting resources, support for trying to conceive, parenting workshops, LGBTQ+ family building conferenceCONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.orgFollow us on social media @allpathsfbWant to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at [email protected]!