RTL Episode 52: Robyn - Revolutionizing the Path to Parenthood
RTL Episode 52: Robyn - Revolutionizing the Path to Parenthood
In this fertility episode, I am joined by Alli Kasirer. After countless procedures, false hopes, negative pregnancy tests and a sea of unanswered questions, Allison Kasirer didn’t see failure, she saw an opportunity. She set out to ensure that no other parent ever felt as alone and confused as she once did on the path to parenthood, and started Robyn: a maternal health and wellness company that powers prenatal and postpartum virtual care to support aspiring, expecting and new parents on their path to parenthood. Today, Robyn is a digital platform for aspiring, expecting, and new parents featuring 200+ meticulously selected providers across specialized fields including acupuncture, nutrition, lactation, mental and physical health and personal coaching. Robyn has also launched Parentbirth™, a modern and inclusive virtual childbirth education class featuring real stories and parent-centric care. Prior to launching Robyn, Allison was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan’s Corporate & Investment Bank. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.
In this episode, we discuss Alli’s path to parenthood, her vision for her company, Robyn, and her tips for staying grounded throughout it all. For more info on Robyn, go to wearerobyn.co @wearerobyn on Instagram
Episode 52 Transcript
Josephine:
Welcome to responding to life. A podcast where we talk about issues relating to health, fertility, and parenthood. On today's episode, I am joined by Allie Kaiser after countless procedures, false hopes, negative pregnancy tests, and the sea of unanswered questions. Alison didn't see failure. She saw an opportunity. She set out to ensure that no other parent ever felt as alone and confused as she once did on the path to parenthood and started Robyn, a maternal health and wellness company that powers prenatal and postpartum virtual care to support aspiring, expecting a new parents on their path to parenthood. Today, Robyn is a digital platform for aspiring expecting a new parents featuring 200 plus meticulously selected providers across specialized fields, including acupuncture, nutrition, lactation, mental, and physical health and personal coaching. Robyn has also launched parent birth, a modern and inclusive virtual childbirth education class, featuring real stories and parents centered care prior to launching Robyn. Alison was a VP at JP Morgan's corporate and investment bank. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied science. Welcome to the show. Alli, I've been so excited to speak with you today about so many things. Thank you so much for joining me here.
Alli:
Absolutely, I'm so happy to be here, chatting with you. I'm excited for the conversation.
Josephine:
Yeah, so the last time we spoke, we were both part of an advocate chat for the fertility out loud campaign that launched this April. I've had the pleasure of partnering with Robyn as a mental health provider and have had the opportunity to both write pieces for the website and do takeovers for your Instagram account. And I'm actually taking over a Robyn's IG on Tuesday to answer all questions about surrogacy, which is one of the paths that I took to create my family. So thank you for all the opportunities you've created for providers in the fertility community to raise awareness and normalize the conversation of fertility.
Alli:
Oh, Thank you. We've loved the partnership as well and I'm so excited to continue working together and thank you for the amazing work that you do to support aspiring, expecting, and new parents in your own practice. And we're so happy that we can be a megaphone for providers like yourselves and your practices. Um, so yeah, thrilled with the partnership on my side as well.
Josephine:
Amazing, so I know I've hyped up your company, Robyn, just now, but before we go into all of those amazing things that your company is spearheading, let's backtrack a little bit and start with how this all came about, which started with your own personal fertility journey, your own path to parenthood. We'd love to hear all about it.
Alli:
Yeah, absolutely. So I started Robyn because I didn't want any parent to feel as alone or confused as I once did on my path to parenthood. Um, so, you know, I guess going back now, this is now four or five years ago. Um, my husband and I were struggling to get pregnant and we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, which is one of those really frustrating diagnoses because you just don't know what's wrong. You don't know what's going on. Um, so I actually took some time off from work. I was working in finance in New York at the time, and I kind of became obsessed with this intersection of wellness and fertility. I was kind of determined to take control of whatever I could control given how much is out of our control during the fertility journey. So, um, I did start seeing a reproductive psychiatrist.
I started going to fertility acupuncture. Um, I changed my diet, my exercise routine, and I really, um, you know, just started to live overall a more healthy lifestyle. Um, it was still so challenging, uh, physically and emotionally going through that fertility journey. We ultimately decided we were going to do IVF. Um, after trying naturally after trying a couple of rounds of IUI, um, we move forward with IVF and, uh, our first two transfers didn't work. Um, and I was really young at the time I was 29 and my husband was 28. So we were just really confused in terms of what was going on. Um, but fortunately the third transfer that we did, uh, we put in two embryos and they both stuck. And, um, we now have our twins, Jacob and Freddy who are four years old. And of course when they were one, uh, we had our miracle pregnancy.
And, uh, so the twins also have a two year old little brother named Billy. Um, so, you know, we feel very fortunate to have our, our happy ending. Um, but one of the big things that helped me when I was going through it was I just started sharing my journey and kind of sharing what we were going through, being very real and raw and open and honest. I would tell like friends, I would tell family I would start, you know, telling people on the subway honestly. Um, and I started sharing about it on social media and that's really how Robyn got started. Um, we started to kind of grow a community about around changing the fertility pregnancy and postpartum conversation. And, um, after I shared my path to parenthood, we shared all different paths to parenthood, fertility journeys, pregnancy journeys, post-partum journeys. And it really became this place that you could go and not feel alone in what you're going through.
You know, you could connect with other women and families who maybe were going through a similar path to parenthood. We started to share, you know, about all kinds of stigmatized topics, not just infertility, miscarriage and loss, but also, you know, postpartum, depression, anxiety, OCD, postpartum body image. So, you know, that's really how the community and content piece of it got started. Um, and then kind of once the community had been established, we did a lot of work with the community around like what, what the greatest pain points were on the path to parenthood. And while everyone felt really grateful to have this collective wisdom of the community and other women and families, they were looking for more expert support. So that's when we decided to start creating this network, which were so fortunate that you Josephine are a part of where, um, aspiring expecting a new parents can connect with the parental wellness experts, like, you know, doulas, lactation consultants, fertility, coaches, maternal mental health professionals.
So now Robyn is really a place where you can kind of get both, you can get that community support connect with other women and families. Um, but you can also get the information from, um, you know, maternal wellness providers who, who know and, you know, who have kind of studied these areas and really kind of have dedicated their careers to supporting, um, parents on their path to parenthood. So, um, yeah, we're really excited to kind of with the, the trajectory of the company and how it's expanded in terms of the platform and the services that we offer. Um, and just generally really excited about the feature.
Josephine:
That's so wonderful on so many levels and Congratulations on building your family and having your happy endings. It's so amazing. But before we pivot over to diving deeper into all the amazing offerings that you touched upon with Robyn, I just wanted to go back to what you mentioned previously in the beginning about when you decided to work on just your total wellness and you sought out, you know, an acupuncturist, you changed your diet and you saw a fertility specialist, and I'm curious to hear, you know, were those all things that you sought out for yourself and, or were those recommendations from, you know, from your doctor and is that kind of the driving force? Like, did you have to, were there many resources available for you to explore at the time?
Alli:
Yeah, so that's a great question. I think I was always very interested in the world of wellness, um, and it was just getting to be kind of bigger and bigger, I think around me, but I had such an intense, stressful job in finance that I found that I never had the time or the energy or the bandwidth to like explore some of these wellness modalities. So when I went on this sabbatical from work, I thought I was just going to be a couple of months and I would be back at my job, you know, pregnant, expecting my family. And, um, you know, our journey turned, turned out to be a little bit longer than that. But, um, what was great about the sabbatical was I finally had the time to explore some of these areas. So I understand how fortunate that is to be able to take time off from work, um, to take this time to kind of mother myself.
And I was so grateful that I had that space and I had that time. Um, so it really became like a very exploratory time for me, but it definitely did take a lot of research. Um, and just a lot of being my own advocate to build this village around me. And I think, you know, that was one of the inspiring forces behind Robyn. Like, it shouldn't be that hard for aspiring expecting new parents to build their village and to find the right support and education. Um, so yes, that was definitely, you know, an inspirational moment when I was kind of going through it myself and I thought, wow, this is super helpful, but this isn't accessible to so many parents. Um, and you know, just finding this type of care, there are just so many barriers, right. Um, you know, we look at the typical parents journey and it's like one they've got to get over the stigma of asking for help, which unfortunately in this country is still a really big hurdle and barrier because we're just not built around the, it takes a village concept, um, you know, two, you've got to figure out what type of help you need.
And not everybody knows that, you know, there are, uh, fertility therapists and acupuncturist and coaches available and what those modalities even mean. Right. Um, you know, there's kind of a health literacy gap in the country, which unfortunately, you know, a lot of people don't know, you know, what those services might, might entail. Um, and then you've got to find a provider you've got to find a provider in your area or one that will keep you online, which unless your workplace offers like specific benefits or, you know, about a service like Robyn can be real, be really hard to find the right, um, provider for you and for your journey. Um, and then the biggest hurdle, which is our next hurdle that we want to tackle is, you know, nine times out of 10, that provider doesn't accept insurance. So it ends up being, you know, you pay a hundred dollars, a thousands of dollars out of pocket for these services, and if you can afford it and then hopefully you end up getting kind of reimbursed a couple months later by, you know, your health insurance. But, um, that to us is one of the biggest, you know, accessibility barriers that we want to tackle next. So, um, yeah, you just think about all of these barriers to care and we're just not meeting parents in their moments of need, and that's something we are really looking to change.
Josephine:
I love that on so many levels, because as you're talking, I thought about my own experiences and it's true. It's really hard to, first of all, if you don't know that these modalities exist, then you know, you're kind of at a loss there, but then so finding a resource like Robyn and is tremendous because it's all in one place I love that you offer like doulas and lactation consultants and therapists and all of that in terms of all the aspects of wellness and, um, maternal health and all of that under one roof. So it definitely breaks down that barrier. Um, but I love where you're headed with it because you're right in terms of insurance, it's just, you know, there's that other barrier to access. And so, uh, that would be tremendous to be able to, to tackle that next. And one thing I wanted to touch back on was the, the phrase path to parenthood.
And I, you know, it just seems like it's just a phrase, just another way to say, having a baby, but I really wanted to call attention to the impact of words and speaking from my own experiences, creating my family through IVF adoption and surrogacy, the phrase means a lot to me and in our fertility community, especially on Instagram and social media, a big hashtag that's used is TTC, which stands for trying to conceive. And I admit that my I myself would use that phrase, um, before I became part of the Robyn provider network. And, but now I've made this concerted effort to, to switch to path to parenthood because it encompasses all the ways that families are created and not just through conception, whether it's assisted or not. So I just have to throw that out there and acknowledge because it means a lot to me and the people that I advocate for within the adoption and surrogacy community, um, you know, words really matter, especially in the fertility space, a lot of them can be so triggering and, um, not all encompassing. And that's what I love about Robyn is that you just, you approach sort of the path of parent from so many different aspects of, you know, equality and, and covering so many things that it's, I really appreciate it. So I just had to say that to you, Allison.
Alli:
Yeah, no, I so appreciate that feedback. Um, and it's so great to hear. Um, I would say like messaging has been a really key focus for us from the very beginning, and it's obviously evolved over time. Um, you know, I think maybe four or five years ago when we started, we were using, you know mother, baby a lot, and now we're always like using parent and path to parenthood, but, um, it really words do really matter. And it's, it's so interesting because I have noticed on social media that's that path to parenthood is, is, um, is being used more. And, um, even like the words that we use, like we have a mission that's our four Ds, so de-stigmatize, demystified, democratize and defend. And I even see those four Ds popping up more and more in the community. And yeah, it just feels like such an important impact that, that we are having in the end. Um, I feel really like proud that that messaging is, is getting out there and it's, it's just like a subtle thing, you know, you start using a certain word and then another person starts using a certain word. And it's just incredible to see over the past couple of years, the evolution and how, um, it really takes to the next level. People like respect and acceptance of all different paths to parenthood. So, um, yeah, no, I so appreciate that feedback and, and completely agree. And it's been incredible to watch
Josephine:
I love it. And I would love to move on and discuss, um, some of the other offerings that you offer, one of which is the parent birth online class that you have. And I'm curious to hear sort of what concerns you've found people have had that you're now addressing in that class that they may not have found in other resources that are available to them.
Alli:
Yeah. So, um, I'd love to talk about our class. Um, the way that the classes started was we actually, during COVID, um, we recognize that all of the in-person education was going to be canceled. So all those great, like birthing classes and newborn classes and breastfeeding classes that need parents feel so connected to their birth, to their birthing center, um, to their provider that, you know, either their OB GYN or their midwife. Um, and we really responded very quickly. So we did just like a live zoom class. So we did one, um, for the fertility community around, um, uh, trying to conceive using, you know, um, assisted reproductive technologies as well as naturally cause a lot of IVF cycles were canceled back in March of 2020. And that was a big concern for the fertility community. We did, um, a childbirth education class, um, for expecting parents.
And then we did a, um, postpartum and breastfeeding class and those were all free. And we saw like thousands of people sign up for these classes. And it was just incredible because, you know, in the beginning of the pandemic, like everybody was doing these like big freeze zoom webinars. So it felt like, and it felt like there was just a real need because we had so many sign up. Um, so what we ended up doing because the childbirth education class was the most highly subscribed class was we decided we were going to create, um, a, a more robust childbirth education class where we could, um, use kind of the collective wisdom of, you know, not just one provider, but like 12 providers. So, you know, it gives you the OB GYN perspective. It gives you the maternal mental health perspective. It gives you, I think we have a twins and multiples expert.
It talks about, you know, the experience of black birth. It has real birthing stories. So, you know, you can actually hear real, um, you know, real, um, families stories. It's just so unique in a childbirth education class. So it really gives this kind of multifaceted experience that you would never get in your typical hospital birthing class. And it was really important to us that we made it really accessible because your typical hospital birth in class can be 200, 300, even $500. Um, so our class is $49. Um, and so it's, you know, three hours, I think, 35 lessons. Um, you can kind of choose your own adventure, skip around to the different lessons. There are PDFs and lists and guides that accompany the videos. Um, so it's really, you know, a dynamic class we're hoping we can put out more, um, you know, in the near future, this is kind of like our first foray into digital education. Um, but it's, uh, yeah, it's been a really incredible experience to kind of put it out and to start to get feedback. And, um, it's, uh, it was really important to us that we responded to kind of the community's needs during COVID. So that was, um, you know, also one of the motivating factors,
Josephine:
I think it's so amazing and I love how you on, on your website, you phrase it as you know, it's not just the child who was born, but it's also a parent who is born and it just requires so many resources and all the help that we can get is, is so appreciated. And with, I'd love to then just bring it back one more time to your personal experience. And if you could please share with the audience, a lesson learned a takeaway that you took from your path to parenthood and how our listeners can respond to their own journeys in a more mindful way.
Alli:
Oh, that's such a good question. Um, I have so many lessons learned. I feel like as a parent every, every day. Um, I think, you know, when I think about the ups and downs of my own journey and those like really low lows, um, you know, where we just had an embryo transfer fail, or, you know, uh, we, you know, learn about like the labs and insurance coverage, or, you know, when I had the twins and all of a sudden I had two screaming, newborns, and not enough milk supply to feed both of them. Um, you know, when I think about those low lows, you know, I think you think you're going to be in there forever. Like, it feels just, you know, like it's, it's, it's everything. Um, and the phrase that I love to use, I think I used this with you guys in the fertility out loud campaign, but it's, it's just a chapter, it's not your whole story and this too shall pass.
And I think, you know, that's just really important to remember, um, you know, whenever you're kind of in that present moment, that's just, you know, painful frankly. Um, and just kind of sitting with that and really feeling that and knowing that it is going to pass, um, and, you know, the, the next moment is going to be different the next day is going to be different. Um, so that's really, you know, that's one of the really important lessons I think I learned, um, on my path to parenthood and, um, you know, another one, I guess, I, I, um, I mentioned how I was kind of like looking to control everything that I could control. Um, and that's what kind of got me so deep into this world of fertility and wellness in the beginning. Um, but I think really, you know, recognizing that so much of it is out of our control and really learning to get comfortable with that uncertainty. I mean, it's so hard. Um, and it's so much easier to say now than when you're in the moment. Um, but I think, you know, learning to let go, um, is probably, you know, a lesson that I continue to keep learning throughout, you know, even being, uh, in early parenthood. So yeah, I think those are probably two, you know, the mindfulness lessons that have kept me really grounded during this time.
Josephine:
Well, those are great. And thank you so much for sharing those. In fact, today, I posted on my Instagram, this quote by Marcus Aurelius that basically stated that nothing in life is within our control with the exception of our mindset. And once we realize that that's where we'll get our source of strength and, you know, that brings it back to what you were saying. It's, it's hard to let go of those things and be vulnerable and to just ride the waves, but a lot of going through that path to parenthood. And then once you are a parent is a lot of that acceptance of that. And just knowing what, what you can navigate, um, creates a lot less stress and it helps you be really present in the moment. So thank you for sharing those. I really appreciate it. I always end my podcast by asking my guests to share gratitude as a way to shift into a state of positivity. So I'd love to hear yours for today
Alli:
So something that I'm grateful for today, uh, let's see. Um, well today our littlest, Billy who's now in school, um, he was the Shabbat star. We go to a Jewish preschool and he got to sit in front of the class and say the prayers and say his own prayers of gratitude. And it was just, you know, my heart was completely full, um, you know, watching this over zoom of course, but still actually being able to witness it. It was such a, um, incredible moment that, and it's already, it's only, um, you know, 10 30 in the morning and I've already had such an incredible moment of gratitude kind of watching him. So that's probably mine for the day. Um, I know it's very specific, but, um, just important to take, take in those little moments when they're happening.
Josephine:
Yes, absolutely. I love it as smiling thinking about you having that experience. So that's beautiful. So I'd love for you to just let our audience know how they can connect with Robyn, um, and all the good things that you offer.
Alli:
Yeah, absolutely. So you can head over to our website, wearerobyn.co and that's where you can see all of the resources that we offer. So if you're looking for a specialist in our network, you can kind of browse through the specialist. You can actually read real journeys and paths to parenthood from aspiring expecting new parents in our community. You can share your own journey. Um, and if you just want to read articles and get educated and learn on some of these different modalities, you can do that as well. Um, our Instagram is @wearerobyn, so it's Robyn with a Y , R O B Y N should say. Um, and then we are also on Pinterest. We are also on Facebook. You can find us there on LinkedIn. Um, so yeah, just find a way to connect, send us a DM or an email if you're curious about learning more and, um, yeah, I'm always open to feedback for a very early stage, you know, new company. So let us know what you think.
Josephine:
Wonderful. I'll definitely check it out. So many great resources and support and inspiration, uh, on the Robyn network and great providers. So thank you, Allison, for all that you are doing with your company and how you're normalizing the conversation and amplifying voices and access really is such a pleasure to, to speak with you and to work with you.
Alli:
Thank you so much, Josephine. Thanks for having me on the podcast. It was great speaking with you as always.
Josephine:
Thank you for listening to today's of the responding to life podcast. For more info on today's guests, check out the episode summary. I'd love to connect with you more. So be sure to check out my website, responding to life podcast.com for links to previous episodes, articles I've written and interviews I've done on mindfulness, meditation and fertility and parenting. You'll also find free video meditations on my site and on my YouTube channel Josephine Atluri Meditation. If you'd like to book a one-on-one session with me, you can do so on the website. You can also follow me on Instagram @josephineratluri for daily inspiration and mindfulness tips. Finally, I'd love for you to join my Facebook groups, to connect with a supportive community and receive greater insight on how to incorporate mindfulness into your life. Check out the mindful parenting group with Josephine Atluri or the empowering your fertility group. Thanks again for tuning in today. I look forward to sharing more conversations with you on how to respond to life in a more mindful way.