Choosing a donor, navigating surrogacy, knowing how to talk to your child about their origins, these decisions change the trajectory of your family's life.
I'm Lisa Schuman, therapist, researcher, and author with 30 years of clinical experience in reproductive medicine. I've helped thousands of people make these decisions with clarity instead of fear.
On this channel you'll find evidence-based conversations with leading fertility doctors, donor conceived people, surrogates, intended parents, and researchers, plus solo episodes where I share the frameworks I use in my clinical practice.
New episodes every week.
If you're using donor conception, surrogacy, or fertility treatment to build your family, or parenting a child who was, you're in the right place.
Start here: familybuilding.net/building-your-family-community
Warmly, Lisa
Building Your Family
🌈 Pride Special: Queer Family Building 🌈
Real stories from LGBTQ+ parents, doctors & donors—navigating surrogacy, answering “Who’s the real mom/dad?”, and celebrating love that makes a family. 💜
👉 Watch now & join the conversation.
#QueerFamily #Surrogacy #DonorConception #LGBTQIA #PrideMonth
1 hour ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
✨ I re‑release this episode with a full heart, honoring Bret’s legacy and celebrating the resilience of queer families everywhere🌈
💬 I’d love to hear from you: What conversations or stories have inspired you most during Pride?
#Pride2026 #QueerFamily #BroadwayDads #LoveMakesAFamily
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
🌈 Donor Conception for Queer Parents-to-Be 🌈
I’m excited to invite you to a free 60‑minute online workshop on Sunday, June 28th at 12PM EST in honor of the Stonewall anniversary.
Get free tickets here:
familybuilding.net/events-page/
💜 Join us, ask questions, and connect with others on the journey of family building. I look forward to seeing you there!
#FamilyBuilding #QueerParents #DonorConception #StonewallAnniversary
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
What does it really look like to build a queer family today – with donor conception, infertility, and non‑biological parenting in the mix?
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
✨ In honor of Stonewall…
I’ll be hosting a workshop on donor conception on June 28th. 🌈
This session is designed to support queer families and anyone navigating donor conception, with practical tools and compassionate guidance.
Stay tuned for details — I’d love for you to join and be part of this important conversation. 💜
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
🌈 Happy Pride Month!
Queer family‑building today often means navigating donor conception, infertility, and non‑biological parenting. In my latest article, I share how genetics, intentional parenting, and humor all play a role in creating safe, loving spaces for our kids.
Read Here:
familybuilding.net/building-a-family/expert-tips-f…
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
Re-released for Pride 2026 — Because this conversation never gets old
What does it actually feel like to need a donor to build your family? How do you choose the right one? What does the medical process look like — and what does the emotional process look
like?
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
She was only 25 and already knew something was wrong.
If you have one child and are secretly struggling to have another, this episode is for you.
Margarita’s story of secondary infertility and PCOS shows what happens when “just keep trying” isn’t good enough.
👉 Watch in full here
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
🌱 The Waiting Game
Waiting for test results, appointments, or the next cycle can feel endless. In my latest blog, I share how practicing “pleasurable productivity”—small, meaningful projects that bring joy—can ease anxiety and restore a sense of control.
👉 Read the full article here familybuilding.net/uncategorized/managing-the-wait…
💬 Share your own coping strategies in the comments—we’d love to hear how you get through the waiting.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Building Your Family
New Episode Alert ✨
If you’ve been told “this is just your protocol,” “we’ll just try again,” or “everything looks fine” while IVF keeps failing, this conversation is for you.
I sat down with Dr. Pietro Bortoletto of Terra Fertility—an expert who trained at Northwestern, Brigham & Women’s / Mass General, and Weill Cornell, and now focuses on the hardest cases: diminished ovarian reserve, recurrent implantation failure, recurrent pregnancy loss, endometriosis, fibroids, and Müllerian anomalies.
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Load more