This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 6 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.
Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Stitcher Podcasts Google Podcasts
This is Infertility

Episode 209: Reimagining LGBTQ+ Family Building: A Midwife’s Perspective

For LGBTQ+ individuals and couples going through their family building journeys, having a medical support system that truly understand their lived experience can make all the difference.

In this episode, we hear from Marea Goodman, a licensed midwife, parent of three, and co-author of Babymaking for Everybody about the role and importance of a midwife.

Marea explains how midwives operate across a wide range of settings, from hospitals and fertility clinics to birth centers and home births. While midwives often fly under the radar, they play a vital role in family building, especially in spaces where traditional care may feel less inclusive. Marea offers an in-depth look at the role of midwives, including how they complete years of clinical training to become licensed healthcare providers.

Today, Marea’s practice supports at-home births, where they connect with patients on a deeply personal level through shared identity, lived experience, and affirming care.

Over time, Marea noticed just how isolating this journey can be for queer and solo parents. That realization led them to co-create PregnantTogether, a virtual community designed to bring these families together. The platform supports people all over the world, offering both connection and logistical help in one beautiful space.

This episode is a reminder of the power of identity-informed care and how transformative it can be to feel seen and supported.

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

Watch this episode on YouTube: 

Dan Bulger

Host

Dan Bulger
Producer at Progyny

Dan has been in the healthcare industry for the past ten plus years as a multimedia content producer. Better known as ‘Video Dan’ he has interviewed numerous doctors, patients and other experts in the world of fertility. He’s also the producer for this podcast, This is Infertility and the producer behind the Progyny YouTube Channel which features interviews with dozens of the nation’s leading fertility specialists. On a personal note Dan’s parents started fostering kids when he was four years old, and he considers himself a proud older brother to over 100 foster children.

Marea Goodman

Guest

Marea Goodman
Co-Founder of PregnantTogether

Marea Goodman, LM, CPM (they/them) is a licensed midwife specializing in caring for the LGBTQ+ community from pre-conception into the first year of parenting. A graduate of the National Midwifery Institute, Marea has been licensed by the California Medical Board since 2015 and is now serving the community in Santa Cruz, CA for homebirth and at-home IUI.

Marea is the founder of the PregnantTogether Community, a vibrant online community supporting queer folks & solo parents from preconception through parenting, and the co-author of the book Baby Making for Everybody—Fertility and Family Building for LGBTQ+ and Solo Parents (touted as the What to Expect When You’re Expecting for non-traditional families).

What they are most proud of is getting to be “mapa” to their amazing kids.