Ashley Christman is a born and raised Pennsylvania girl. She is the mother to two beautiful children and a decade deep into marriage with her high school sweetheart. They live on a small “farmette” with all kinds of furry creatures! She loves to garden, sew clothing, cook and bake!

Surrogacy is something that was on her heart for years after a close family member battled infertility. In 2021, she completed a successful journey and delivered a healthy baby to a set of Intended Parents that became an extended part of her family. Ashley says that standing witness to a set of parents seeing their child’s face for the first time was an experience she will never forget. Now being a case manager, she has the opportunity to help so many more couples become parents!

In 2023, feeling the pull to give back in another big way - Ashley applied for a Uterus Transplant clinical trial at Penn Medicine. In December of 2023, she became the 3rd living donor at Penn to donate her uterus to another woman in hopes that she would be able to carry her own baby!

Listen as Ashley shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• A comparison with Jenn as to who has more chickens (Ashley wins!)
• Being an only child, but with a large extended family.
• Marrying her high school sweetheart.
• Always wanting to be a mom and pregnancy coming easy for her.
• Watching her like-a-sister cousin struggle and endure a hysterectomy, and her best friend become a surrogate. Being inspiring to become a surrogate herself.
• Loving the intended parents she was matched with.
• After some health drama, delivering a perfect baby girl.
• Starting work for the surrogacy agency.
• Being inspired by a podcast (this podcast!) to look into uterus donation.
• Applying and being accepted into Penn’s uterus donation clinical trial, subject to a whole battery of tests.
• Undergoing the ten-and-a-half-hour surgery
• Not knowing anything about the recipient, but being permitted to write a letter to the recipient a year after surgery. (Get the tissues ready as we read from the letter!)

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Family Makers: https://familymakers.com/

Learn more about Penn’s uterus transplant program: https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/find-a-program-or-service/penn-fertility-care/uterus-transplant

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

Brooke Kimbrough is the founder of Roots Surrogacy, a boutique, relationship-driven surrogacy agency grounded in empathy, transparency, and ethical care. A former surrogate herself and a long-time industry professional, Brooke brings over a decade of firsthand experience to the work of guiding intended parents and surrogates through one of the most meaningful journeys of their lives. At the heart of everything she does is a deep belief in connection, women’s empowerment, and the power of doing things the right way—even when it’s hard. Brooke leads her all-female team with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to the values behind the Roots name.

Listen as Brooke shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Both of her parents working in family law and knowing a lot about adoption. Learning about surrogacy and becoming really interested in being a surrogate.
• Her husband initially saying no, but with time giving in knowing she was going to do what she wanted eventually anyway.
• An adoption attorney family friend introducing her to a surrogacy agency. Doing no other research on agencies.
• Being open to carrying for any type of family; being matched with a single intended father.
• Transferring two embryos, both successful at first. But then losing one of the heartbeats around 9 weeks. Feeling disappointed, but Intended Father being very supportive and encouraging.
• Intended Father throwing a baby shower with all his friends and family loving on her.
• Having a planned C-section, with dad in the room until the birth (him finding out baby’s sex at delivery!), then her husband in there for the post-delivery operation part supporting her.
• Intended Father’s tears sweetly falling on her face during the delivery!
• Experiencing complications with retained tissue and loss of blood.
• Planning to go back to work, but not being excited to return to HR. In a lunch with Intended Father, him suggesting she should start a surrogacy agency.
• Sitting down and coming up with a plan to start slowly, no more than 4 cases the first year. The company instead quickly growing and helping with 12 matches the first year.
• Bringing on a business partner. Focusing on the things they would want and need as intended parents and surrogates. Not taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Advocating for best practices in the industry, including stopping double embryo transfers back in 2017
• This year Roots celebrates its 10th year of building families!
• The story of some of her favorite Intended Parents (check out Episode 175!).

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Roots Surrogacy: www.rootssurrogacy.com

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/

Carly Joseph is a surrogacy concierge helping Intended Parents match with the right surrogates quickly. Having navigated her own two surrogacy journeys, Carly knows firsthand how overwhelming the process can be. Her mission is to combine personal experience with established relationships to help make the path to parenthood smoother. Carly works with intended parents who are ready to explore surrogacy.

Listen as Carly shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Through eight rounds of IVF and four failed transfers being welcomed into a club she never wanted to be a member of – that of infertility.
• Being really open about her story in an effort to normalize different family paths.
• Learning how to support others with their infertility through her own journey.
• Being diagnosed with endometriosis and undergoing surgery. Experiencing another failed transfer.
• Moving across the country from New York to Los Angeles while also dealing with her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
• Her doctor recommending surrogacy. Feeling all the conflicting emotions – happy that there’s a path forward, but hard to give up the dream of carrying her babies herself.
• Working with a concierge provider and being matched with a surrogate quickly.
• Getting confirmation of pregnancy and heartbeat, and all the joy, only to discover no heartbeat at 9 weeks.
• Going through another transfer and then surrogate experiencing a second miscarriage.
• Not feeling optimistic about a third transfer and matching with a second surrogate. Then hearing from the first surrogate that she was up for a third transfer attempt.
• Transferring to their second surrogate when the first was five months along.
• The amazing moment of being in the delivery room for their son.
• Receiving a call from her second surrogate and the doctor that she is leaking amniotic fluid at 29 weeks and will not be leaving the hospital before delivery.
• In the thick of it with babies but also feeling moved to start a surrogacy concierge business to help others.
• The concierge advantage – having a personal advocate, more education at the beginning, and faster matching by working across hundreds of agencies.

Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903.

Learn more about Carly Joseph and her services: carlypjoseph.com

Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/

Learn more about our surrogacy agency: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/

Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch

Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/