178. Finding Strength in Unwritten Chapters with Rachel Honeyman, Tzipora Grodko and Peri Lyman
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
Release Date: 08/21/2025
178. Finding Strength in Unwritten Chapters with Rachel Honeyman, Tzipora Grodko and Peri Lyman
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
What happens when life doesn’t unfold the way you thought it would? When the hopes you once held close—marriage, children, grandchildren—don’t materialize, or take a completely unexpected path? In this powerful episode, we share the stories of three extraordinary women who bravely open up about their deeply personal experiences of waiting, grieving, and finding meaning in places they never expected. Rachel made the decision to stop trying after years of heartbreaking fertility treatments. Even though the choice was hers, it still hurts, and sometimes in the moments she least expects...
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177. Navigating Pregnancy After Loss with Taliya Corbett
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
“I couldn’t have my child bearing years end with a dead baby” with Taliya Corbett This is a messy, complicated truth of what it means to carry both heartbreak and hope. After the devastating stillbirth of her daughter, Ora, all Taliya could think was—“The only thing that will make me feel okay again is another baby.” But the road to pregnancy wasn’t simple. And even when she finally conceived, she didn’t feel joy. Or hope. Or love. This episode is for anyone who's been told that a new baby will "fix it"—and then finds themselves drowning in guilt when it doesn’t feel that...
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176. Modern Jewish Dating Meets Fertility with Aleeza Ben Shalom
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
Renowned Jewish matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom joins us for a raw and honest conversation about the intersection of egg freezing and dating. We get into the pressure, the judgment, and the impossible choices many women face—whether they want to freeze, don’t want to, or simply can’t. Aleeza also shares how this shows up in the dating world: men asking about egg freezing before a first date, when (or if) to bring it up in the dating process, and what real support looks like from friends and family. Whether you’re navigating this yourself or walking alongside someone who is, listen with an...
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175. "I Will Always Be Someone Who Lost Her Twins" an Anonymous TFMR story
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
In this anonymous and deeply moving episode, a woman shares the story she never imagined would be hers. She always thought getting pregnant would be a struggle, but when it finally happened naturally (and it was twins!), there were mixed emotions... because she and her husband both carry a serious genetic disorder. And that meant there was a possibility the babies might be affected. What follows is a harrowing journey of diagnostic testing, endless waiting, and pain. This is a story about maternal love, medical complexity, and emotional devastation. About the babies she chose to...
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174. This Wasn’t How It Was Supposed to Go with Julia Makowsky
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
In this raw and real conversation, we sit down with a therapist and mom of four who opens up about what it was like to fall apart just when everything looked “fine.” She shares the unexpected crash of antenatal depression during her third pregnancy, the challenge of diagnosing herself when she’s supposed to be the expert, and how she finally got the help she needed. We talk about receiving a BRCA+ diagnosis after her mother’s cancer, deciding to undergo a preventive mastectomy (with a hysterectomy still to come), and grieving the loss of future fertility. Julia also reflects...
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173. Stillbirth and Still Standing: Sarah Guigue’s Story
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
“I finally wanted this baby—and then I lost her.” In this heartbreaking and brave conversation, Hasidic Hipster Girl Sarah Guigue shares the story behind her stillbirth with honesty, vulnerability, and warmth. It's filled with hope, loss, and survival, told with stunning courage. Sarah grew up carrying adult responsibilities from a young age. Taking care of her siblings, holding the household together, she longed for freedom. So when she got married, she felt relief. Independence. And for a long time, no desire to have children. It took years of healing and...
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172. Surrendering: Bianca Jade’s Story of Fertility, Faith, and Finding Herself
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
What happens when you do everything "right," but life doesn’t follow the script? In this deeply honest conversation, Bianca Jade—a 46-year-old Jewish Latina woman—shares the winding, emotional path of her fertility journey. From freezing her eggs in her late 30s after a much-needed push from her therapist, to getting married at 44 and diving headfirst into trying to conceive, Bianca opens up about the pain of two miscarriages, the complexity of waiting, and the quiet grief of time passing. We talk about what it means to take control - switching clinics,...
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171. The Silent Half: Why His Mental Health Matters with Michael Neuman, LCSW
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Michael Neuman, LCSW joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -his own personal fertility journey -his clinical work -what it’s like for men to carry invisible grief, societal pressure, and silence—all while being expected to "be strong" -the emotional toll of fertility journeys and loss on men -what it looks like when men are struggling and what actually helps (and what really doesn’t) when you’re trying to support a partner More about Michael: Michael Neuman, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist based in Miami and Hollywood, seeing...
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170. Head First, Fearless: How a Single, Gay Jew Became a Dad with Chaz Naor
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Chaz Naor joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -the raw and remarkable story of how he became a father through surrogacy -the emotional complexities, logistical challenges, financial hurdles, and moments of deep joy that shaped his path to parenthood -what led him to pursue fatherhood on his own -the decision to use surrogacy and the entire process from choosing an egg donor to the moment his daughter was born -how Jewish tradition community played a role in his journey -the hope and strength required along the way -what he wants other men,...
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169. This Wasn’t the Plan: Choosing Motherhood on My Own with Jordana Brown
Talking Away the Taboo with Dr. Aimee Baron
On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Jordana Brown joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -her journey becoming a frum single mother by choice -the unexpected path that led her here and how she never imagined this would be her story -the emotional toll of letting go of “the plan” and the strength it took to move forward anyway -the moment the decision became real, egg freezing, the heartbreak of multiple pregnancy losses, and the incredible strength she had to keep trying -how people judged, supported, misunderstood, and sometimes surprised her—and what she wishes...
info_outlineWhat happens when life doesn’t unfold the way you thought it would? When the hopes you once held close—marriage, children, grandchildren—don’t materialize, or take a completely unexpected path?
In this powerful episode, we share the stories of three extraordinary women who bravely open up about their deeply personal experiences of waiting, grieving, and finding meaning in places they never expected.
Rachel made the decision to stop trying after years of heartbreaking fertility treatments. Even though the choice was hers, it still hurts, and sometimes in the moments she least expects it (like shul dinners- this was NOT what I expected her to say).
Tzipora, a single woman, vulnerably shares that a lot of her pain comes from younger family members who get married and have kids while she is still waiting. Seeing others move forward with their lives, while she is still stuck as the "cool auntie," is just so hard.
Peri will never be a grandmother, and she is okay with that. But it's when other people start to brag about the newest baby in their family, or when she needs to put on a brave face for too long, it just becomes too much.
More about Rachel Honeyman:
Rachel Honeyman has been involved with IWSTHAB since its early days — first as a recipient of support, then as a board member. Rachel and her husband, Tzvi Doron, are childless-not-by-choice after a painful, 5+ year infertility journey, about which they've both written and spoken publicly (including in Instalives and podcasts for IWSTHAB). While motherhood isn't in the cards for Rachel, she gains great comfort in being able to give back to the IWSTHAB community. Rachel has a Master's in English, runs a marketing and web design agency called HoneyBeBold, and is a martial artist and women's self-defense instructor. She lives in Long Island, NY.
Connect with Rachel:
- Follow her on Instagram
- Visit her website here
More about Tzipora Grodko, LMSW:
Tzipora Grodko is a dynamic public speaker, psychotherapist, and coach who inspires audiences across the Jewish world with powerful messages of confidence, resilience, and personal growth. Her viral talk, Things Shadchanim Should Know, reframed the “shidduch crisis” with a more compassionate lens, making her a leading voice in single advocacy.
Ranked as the #1 Meaningful People episode of 2022, Tzipora has since traveled globally, speaking at schools, organizations, and events on topics like mental health, leadership, and breaking societal stigmas.
She recently launched Stories of Hope, the first Orthodox podcast of its kind, featuring extraordinary stories of unexpected love. Through her work, she continues to inspire deeper understanding, broader possibilities, and a future filled with support and hope.
Connect with Tzipora:
- Follow her on Instagram
- Visit her website here
More about Peri Lyman:
Songwriter, reading specialist, kugel maker extraordinaire
Connect with Peri:
-Follow her personal and Loaleinu Instagram accounts
- Visit her website here
- Feel free to reach out via email at: [email protected]
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