Join Maya Grobel, psychotherapist, parent via embryo donation, and EM•POWER with Moxi/Moxi Matching co-founder, as she talks with guests about all things embryo donation. Hear real stories from embryo donors and recipients, and listen in as Maya and the Moxi Matching team tackle questions about directed embryo donation/donor conception, sharing genetics, and the meaning of family. EM•POWER with Moxi is an organization deeply rooted in education, support, and ethical practices for embryo donation. And Moxi Matching is a directed embryo donation matching platform and journey management service.
In the final episode of Season 2 of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by the Moxi team, co-founders Jen and Gina.
In this episode, Maya, Gina, and Jen reflect on three years of supporting embryo donation, sharing insights on journey management, trust, flexibility, and the emotional rewards of their work.
They discuss how the process has evolved, the importance of patience, and the deep connections formed through this meaningful work.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and episode overview
3:15 Supporting success in embryo matching
04:18 The role of patience and open-mindedness
07:53 Journey management and logistical considerations
10:31 Trust and collaboration in the process
11:17 Trust as the foundation of support
13:06 Building trust among team members
15:24 Reflections on launching the platform
19:02 Problem solving and communication strategies
22:23 Bravery and honesty in journey discussions
29:11 Personal growth and self-care in this work
31:47 The most rewarding aspects of embryo donation
36:36 Looking ahead to the future of embryo donation
Thank you for listening! To learn more about EM•POWER with Moxi or Moxi Matching, visit our website (https://www.empowerwithmoxi.com/).
Love what you're hearing? Let us know by subscribing or giving us a 5-star rating or review!
24 Sept 2026
From IVF to Embryo Donation: A Journey in Resilience -- Meet Lauren
In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by embryo recipient, Laura.
Maya talks with Lauren about an eight year fertility journey that moved through four IVF retrievals, embryo donation, adoption paperwork, and ultimately a surprise pregnancy that led to their baby boy. It is a candid conversation about grief, resilience, changing expectations, and how relationships with embryo donors can shape the experience in ways no one can fully predict.
Lauren shares what it was like to navigate multiple losses, build a meaningful connection with her donors, and then carry a pregnancy after deciding to pursue adoption. This episode is especially useful for anyone trying to understand embryo donation as part of a broader family-building path, not always as a final destination.
Chapters
00:00 Lauren’s embryo donation story and why it mattered
01:29 Starting fertility treatment and the first IVF attempts
02:36 Four IVF cycles, six embryos, and repeated losses
04:08 Hearing about embryo donation for the first time
05:23 Finding a donor through online matching
06:33 Choosing a donor based on shared values and family fit
07:44 Planning for four embryos, then receiving five
08:10 Learning the donor was pregnant during the process
10:59 Legal completion and embryo shipping to Maryland
11:49 First donated-embryo transfer and early pregnancy hope
12:56 The miscarriage that changed everything
14:36 How close the families became and why boundaries mattered
18:13 Defining the relationship with the donor family
20:53 Four donor-embryo transfers and no live birth
22:38 Why Lauren did not regret the connection with her donors
24:22 Grieving genetics and processing repeated disappointment
26:55 Turning toward adoption after embryo donation
27:19 Why adoption felt easier after genetic grief
28:05 Surprise pregnancy during the adoption process
29:29 The emotional whiplash of changing paths
30:22 Birth of their baby boy and what genetics mean now
32:13 Making meaning of the journey and possibly writing a book
33:43 What embryo donation ultimately gave her
34:42 Advice for people in the thick of fertility decisions
Thank you for listening! To learn more about EM•POWER with Moxi or Moxi Matching, visit our website (https://www.empowerwithmoxi.com/).
Love what you're hearing? Let us know by subscribing or giving us a 5-star rating or review!
10 Sept 2026
What Makes a Good Match – A Moxi Team Chat
In this episode of Never Thought We’d Be Here, host Maya Grobel is joined by the Moxi team, co-founders Jen and Gina.
This team chat with Maya, Gina, and Jen looks at what actually helps an embryo donation match work, and why some promising pairings do not move all the way through.
Their conversation centers on flexibility, emotional maturity, self-knowledge, and the reality that a good match is often bigger than one profile or one meeting. It also digs into the extra layers that can change a match, including embryo quality, genetics, clinic policies, timelines, and contact preferences.
Chapters:
00:00 Opening the team chat: what makes a good match?
01:29 Why flexibility and emotional maturity matter most
03:52 Knowing yourself, your boundaries, and your family’s needs
05:25 When specific preferences are helpful and when they can shift
06:43 Checking assumptions and recognizing unexpected fit
08:47 Why donor declines are usually values-based
09:36 Reframing rejection as a mismatch, not a failure
13:19 What it feels like on the donor side without matching support
15:12 Normalizing recipient disappointment and protecting the bigger picture
16:58 Embryos matter too: quality, testing, and cohort fit
18:37 Clinic requirements and why some strong matches still stall
20:31 Genetics as a major layer of matching
21:50 Why full family history and genetic counseling are essential
23:56 Comfort levels with autism and other risk considerations
27:46 Other reasons a match can fall apart after matching
30:04 Clinic policies, transfer location, and flexibility
31:16 Why timelines vary so much in journey management
32:23 Matching multiple recipients from one donor cohort
Thank you for listening! To learn more about EM•POWER with Moxi or Moxi Matching, visit our website (https://www.empowerwithmoxi.com/).
Love what you're hearing? Let us know by subscribing or giving us a 5-star rating or review!
Who has been a guest on Never Thought We'd Be Here
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Mika Grobel
Jen Vesbitt
Claire
Melissa
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Engagement
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