Good American’s Emma Grede on fertility struggles: knowing you’re not alone is key
In honor of National Infertility Awareness WeekⓇ (NIAW) Kindbody’s Dr. Angeline Beltsos, CEO, Clinical, sat down with Emma Grede, Co-Founder and CEO of Good American. In this conversation we learned about Emma’s own fertility journey and what inspired her to partner with Kindbody to offer family-building benefits to Good American’s employees.
Tell us about your fertility journey?
I’m so blessed to have four healthy children but the journey to get here has not been easy. I had multiple miscarriages over my time trying to get pregnant after my first two children. I then underwent failed rounds of IVF, which was heartbreaking and emotionally draining, I found I just couldn’t hold on to a pregnancy. It was then I turned to surrogacy, which gave me my twins. I appreciate surrogacy is expensive and not the right choice for everyone but I’m keen to talk about my journey in the hope it will empower people to talk about fertility struggles without judgment.
Why did you choose Kindbody as your fertility benefits provider?
From going through infertility myself, I understand firsthand the need for education, resources and accessibility when it comes to family planning. One in six people experience infertility, – it baffles me that we don’t do more as a society to support people going through these struggles . With that in mind, I knew that in my position as CEO, running a company with employees – most of which are women – I needed to do my part to provide them and their families with more.
I see fertility care as health care, and I was drawn to Kindbody because they’re committed to making fertility and family-building care accessible for all. Kindbody is also women-owned, women-led and their clinics are staffed to reflect the communities they serve, so each individual feels seen and understood. This resonated with me and what we stand for at Good American; inclusivity and making sure all of our customers feel seen. Numerous studies show that sharing a racial or cultural background with one’s physician leads to a better patient experience, better adherence to medications and treatment plans, and better health outcomes, so this was a no brainer.
What would you want to share with someone who is struggling to have/build their family?
Knowing you’re not alone is key! And I think one of the most important things is to share and discuss with those around you. There is still so much stigma and shame around these topics and my experience showed me that whenever I spoke about my issues, I would find a person with a story to share who wanted to speak and there’s comfort in knowing you’re not alone and discovering new options that you might not have ever pursued otherwise.
*All responses above to be attributed to Emma Grede, Co-Founder and CEO of Good American
