What happens when you’ve done everything right — but your path to parenthood still feels impossible?

In this episode, Maria Feekes sits down with Irina to share her deeply personal story of infertility, surrogacy across Ukraine and the United States, and building a family through uncertainty.

If you’re navigating:

• fertility struggles and loss of control
• surrogacy in Ukraine vs USA
• uncertainty and emotional challenges during IVF or surrogacy
• questions about resilience, timing, and trust in the process

— this conversation offers both perspective and reassurance.

Irina shares:

• How she navigated surrogacy across two countries, including Ukraine and the United States
• What it was like pursuing multiple paths to parenthood in parallel, especially during COVID and global uncertainty
• The emotional reality of infertility, including grief, loss of control, and managing expectations
• What life looks like raising three young children and a teenager after surrogacy
• How shifting from control to gratitude and acceptance changed her experience
• How technology and AI can support fertility journeys, from research to emotional support

This is a powerful and honest fertility and surrogacy story, showing that even when the journey is unpredictable, it can still lead to something meaningful.

If you are in the middle of your fertility or surrogacy journey, this episode will remind you that you are not alone — and that hope can take unexpected forms.

Irina is a mother of multiple children, including babies born through surrogacy, whose journey has spanned both Ukraine and the United States. She shares an honest and reflective perspective on infertility, resilience, and building a family across borders.

1. Fertility journey and loss of control: building trust and support systems [00:02:09]
2. Surrogacy in Ukraine vs USA: navigating multiple paths during COVID and global uncertainty [00:06:11]
3. Life after surrogacy: raising three toddlers and a teenager [00:10:04]
4. Letting go of perfectionism: gratitude, resilience, and meaning in fertility struggles [00:14:01]
5. How AI and technology support fertility journeys and decision-making [00:32:02]

Your host, Maria Feekes, can be found online at:

Website: smartpathfertilityintl.com

Website: mariafeekes.com

Facebook: facebook.com/mariafeekes

Instagram: instagram.com/mariafeekes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-feekes-738576127/