Ep 56: Needing donor eggs as the last fertility taboo with Cofounder and CEO of Cofertility, Lauren Makler

This week, we’re joined by Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, to talk about the future of egg freezing, egg donation, and fertility access. Lauren shares the personal health journey that inspired her to build Cofertility and explains how the company is making fertility preservation more accessible through its innovative egg-sharing model (and also why she believes egg donation is fertility’s last taboo).We dive into the emotional realities of donor conception, the stigma surrounding donor eggs, and what it means to navigate grief and hope at the same time while building a family.Whether you’re considering egg freezing, exploring donor-egg IVF, or simply curious about modern family-building, we’re so excited to share this conversation about the many ways families are created today.About CofertilityCofertility is a human-centered fertility platform helping women freeze their eggs while helping other families build theirs.Through their innovative Split Program, eligible women can freeze their eggs at no cost by donating half of the retrieved eggs to intended parents. CoFertility also takes a modern approach to donor conception by prioritizing transparency, education, optional known donation, and limiting the number of families a donor can donate to.About Lauren MaklerLauren Makler is the co-founder and CEO of Cofertility. After being diagnosed with an extremely rare abdominal disease and facing uncertainty about her own fertility, Lauren experienced firsthand the gaps in fertility preservation and donor egg options. She later became a mother and launched Cofertility to create a more transparent, ethical, and accessible path to egg freezing and egg donation.Lauren has been recognized on the Inc. Female Founders 500 and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business lists and has become a leading voice in conversations around fertility access, donor conception, and reproductive healthcare.Follow LaurenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmakler/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmakler/More valuable nuggets in this episodeFertility Tracking & Cycle Health with Tempdrop: A wearable fertility tracker that collects overnight temperature data to help identify ovulation and cycle patterns, even with irregular cycles.Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off and a two-month premium app trial at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFFRIEDEGGSPODFertility Financing with Sunfish: Helping make fertility treatment, IVF, egg donation, surrogacy, and family building more financially accessible. joinsunfish.comFertility Mental Health with Mavida Health: Mental health support designed specifically for fertility patients. Our episode with Dr. Sarah Oreck on fertility & mental health. Check out mavidahealth.com to learn more.Needle-Free IVF as a less invasive approach to IVF. A newer IVF approach discussed in previous FriedEggs episodes that may reduce the number of injections required during treatment. Talk with your fertility specialist about whether newer protocols may be appropriate for your situation. Learn more at needlefreeivf.com.Related Fried Eggs Episodes* Ep 32: Surrogacy 101 and how to find a surrogate with Carly Joseph* Ep 49: How to care for your mental health while going through IVF with Dr. Sarah Oreck, founder of Mavida HealthConnect With UsHave questions about donor eggs, egg freezing, infertility, or family building? Check out Cofertility on Instagram at @cofertility.If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, <a target="_blank" href="ht