197. Carrying for Family: A Cousin's Gift of Surrogacy with Andrea Syrtash, Elana Syrtash-Ochs, and Aliza Abrams Konig

In this episode, IWSTHAB's Surrogacy Support Consultant Aliza Abrams Konig sits down with Andrea Syrtash, a relationship expert and founder of Pregnantish, and her cousin Elana Syrtash-Ochs, an early childhood educator and enentrepreneur, to discuss their shared journey through gestational surrogacy. The conversation explores the profound emotional shift that occurs when a family member steps in after years of infertility, loss, and the heartbreak of being ghosted by a previous surrogate. Andrea reflects on her winding path to parenthood, marked by endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, and the eventual realization that she needed a gestational carrier. After a devastating experience with a surrogate who disappeared mid-process, Elana moved the family toward healing by offering to carry Andrea's baby herself. Together, they navigate the unique dynamics of intrafamily surrogacy, discussing how they set healthy boundaries, managed the curiosity of young children, and even educated hospital staff on how to respectfully handle a surrogacy birth. Their story is a powerful testament to trust, "beshert" timing, and the strength of family bonds. If you are navigating the complexities of surrogacy this episode offers a roadmap of honesty and hope. View additional surrogacy resources: here More about Andrea Syrtash: Andrea Syrtash is a relationships and sexual health author, fertility advocate, and founder of Pregnantish—the first media platform exclusively dedicated to helping people navigate fertility treatments and infertility. She is also the founder of the World Fertility Awards, the first global, consumer-facing event recognizing and celebrating assisted reproductive technology and the future of family. Andrea is passionate about supporting the 1 in 6 diagnosed with infertility worldwide, as well as the many more who lack access to the care and information they need to build their families. She is the author of multiple books published by Penguin Random House, including He's Just Not Your Type (And That's a Good Thing) and Cheat on Your Husband (With Your Husband) She has hosted television programs for Oprah's OWN (Canada), Discovery Network, and Fox, and regularly appears as a guest expert in global media including Good Morning America, Women's Health, The Times of India, Forbes Brazil and NHK Japan. Andrea hosts the Pregnantish podcast, which explores the extraordinary lengths people go to create their families through science and was recently named a New York Times–recommended listen. As Editor-in-Chief of pregnantish, Andrea authored and helped lead one of the largest studies on fertility patient retention, "Why I Left My Fertility Clinic for Another ART Provider," published in Human Reproduction (2022). Originally from Toronto, Andrea lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter, who was born via gestational surrogacy after many years of fertility treatment. She remains deeply committed to breaking the stigma around infertility and elevating conversations about modern family-building. Connect with Andrea: - Check out Andrea's Instagram - Visit her website here</