Refamulating
The nuclear family – a heterosexual couple in their first marriage with 2+ kids – is no longer the dominant family structure. In fact, there is no one dominant family structure.
Our show tells real stories of people creating family- whatever that means to them.
Latest Episode
REFAM CHAT: The name dilemma
A lot of us refamulating have faced a similar challenge: as we choose a new path or carve out a different role in a family, we realize there is no name for us. A step-parent wants a more warm and loving name. An egg or sperm donor with an emotional tie to the family doesn’t…
Featured Episodes
Season 2 Trailer
October 29, 2024 • Ep. • 4 min 30 sec
We’re back with season 2 of Refamulating! We have more stories of personal and family transformation including being a solo mom by choice, how caregiving impacts families, polyamory and more. Season 2 launches November 12, 2024. _ Subscribe to our Substack for more refamulating! We write about how refamulating looks in our lives, share resources…
Introducing Refamulating!
March 20, 2024 • Ep. • 3 min 56 sec
Refamulating is a new podcast that celebrates different ways to make a family. Episodes 1 and 2 drop April 2. A generation ago, most Americans were guided by the idea of the nuclear family: a mom, a dad, two kids, and a derpy dog. Many still have a family like this, and that’s great! But…
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REFAM CHAT: The name dilemma
A lot of us refamulating have faced a similar challenge: as we choose a new path or carve out a different role in a family, we realize there is no name for us. A step-parent wants a more warm and...
November 28, 2024
13 I Don’t Tell Mom: Grieving the “living death” of family estrangement
When Emily was a child, a family member abused her and told her to keep it a secret. She kept that secret until she was 34, but her family didn’t react well. Eventually Emily chose to stop talking to them,...
November 26, 2024
12 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 2): Communal Living Makes a Family
Show Notes: What happens when you expand beyond the nuclear family home? In this episode, we meet people who've chosen to share their daily lives with others in unconventional ways - from two married couples buying a house together to...
November 12, 2024
11 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 1)
The nuclear family has been held up as the ideal for generations, but it's actually a relatively recent invention. From college dorms to pandemic pods, some of our happiest moments come from living in community with others. So why do...
November 12, 2024
REFAM CHAT: Love is in the air + Sister Wives
Before season 2 officially starts Tuesday, Nov 12, Julia and Claire chat about a few things: Julia is officially a Fairy Godmother and shares an update (the twins are born! she's held them!) Claire is getting married, which has brought...
November 5, 2024
Season 2 Trailer
We're back with season 2 of Refamulating! We have more stories of personal and family transformation including being a solo mom by choice, how caregiving impacts families, polyamory and more. Season 2 launches November 12, 2024. _ Subscribe to our...
October 29, 2024
Curious about non-monogamy? Join us for the October ReFamily Dinner!
Each month we host a live, virtual event called The ReFamily Dinner! It's a way for us to connect with other refamulators outside of the podcast. This month’s ReFamily Dinner will feature a conversation with Heath Schechinger, a psychologist and...
October 14, 2024
10 I Seahorse Dad: Planning for pregnancy as a transgender man
Liam is a transgender man who has spent the last eight years embracing his true life. He changed his name, took hormones, and got top surgery. But recently he had a big realization. He wants to be a father -...
July 2, 2024
10 I Seahorse Dad: Planning for pregnancy as a transgender man
Liam is a transgender man who has spent the last eight years embracing his true life. He changed his name, took hormones, and got top surgery. But recently he had a big realization. He wants to be a father –...
July 2, 2024
09 I Sister Moms: From foster care to chosen family
Show Notes: When Lindsay lost custody of her toddler, Gabriel, an acquaintance named Rachel stepped in as his foster mom. As Lindsay worked toward reunification with her son, she and Rachel developed an unlikely friendship. The journey they've shared has...
June 25, 2024
09 I Sister Moms: From foster care to chosen family
Show Notes: When Lindsay lost custody of her toddler, Gabriel, an acquaintance named Rachel stepped in as his foster mom. As Lindsay worked toward reunification with her son, she and Rachel developed an unlikely friendship. The journey they’ve shared has...
June 25, 2024
08 I The Childfree Life Is The Life For Me
For many people, “starting a family” includes having kids. But we know that not everyone wants to be parents, and in this episode we hear from a handful of childfree people to celebrate that choice. Listen to Claire's Terrible, Thanks...
June 18, 2024
07 I Family Secrets Revealed: How a DNA test brought one woman home to herself
A few years ago, Alexis Hourselt took a commercial DNA test. She was hoping the results would help her with some ancestral research about the Mexican side of her family. But the day she got her results became the day...
June 11, 2024
07 I Family Secrets Revealed: How a DNA test brought one woman home to herself
A few years ago, Alexis Hourselt took a commercial DNA test. She was hoping the results would help her with some ancestral research about the Mexican side of her family. But the day she got her results became the day...
June 11, 2024
06 I Thicker Than Water: Creating family with a known sperm donor
When Cat and Emily, two women, wanted to have a baby, they knew they would need outside help. They asked their friend David to donate his sperm. They didn’t just want his DNA though, they wanted to invite him into...
June 10, 2024
06 I Thicker Than Water: Creating family with a known sperm donor
When Cat and Emily, two women, wanted to have a baby, they knew they would need outside help. They asked their friend David to donate his sperm. They didn't just want his DNA though, they wanted to invite him into...
June 10, 2024
We’ll Be Back In June!
We are taking a break this month to produce the rest of Season 1. We got some amazing submissions from you all, and we are excited to come back with stories about your families :) We'll be back with a...
April 30, 2024
05 I Are You My Llama: Creating a blended family after divorce
Lauren always knew she wanted a family. The way she imagined it, she'd meet a great guy, get married, and have babies. But when she finally met Dan in her late 30s, that's not how it happened. Dan was a...
April 23, 2024
04 I Professionally Pregnant: For this mom, being a surrogate is more than a job, it’s a calling
When Jen was pregnant with her daughter, she had one of those unicorn pregnancies you never hear about in real life: she wasn't tired or sick, and she felt energized by it all. But she and her husband didn't want...
April 16, 2024
03 I Accidental Parents: Creating a family after tragedy
Four years ago, Lindsay and Jeff were just starting their family. The 32-year-old couple had recently bought a house. They were talking about getting married and they knew they wanted kids…one day. Then, Lindsay's step-sister collapsed, and overnight everything changed....
April 9, 2024
02 I Picture Perfect: A single dad’s journey to fatherhood
Tony Lilios always imagined himself as a father. When he was younger, the picture he had in head included a wife, a few kids, and a white picket fence. Then he came out as gay and had to totally re-imagine...
April 2, 2024
01 I My Big, Gay, Blended Family
Wait...what is a family? When host Julia Winston donated her eggs to a gay couple in her late 30s, it blew up her idea of what it means to make a family. That's how “refamulating” was born - it's a...
April 2, 2024
00 I Becoming Fairy Godmother: Egg donation and creating a new kind of family
Two years ago Julia Winston was asked to help a gay couple start a family by donating her eggs. At the time, she was 38, single, and had no idea if she'd start her own family. Sometimes that made her...
April 2, 2024
Introducing Refamulating!
Refamulating is a new podcast that celebrates different ways to make a family. Episodes 1 and 2 drop April 2. A generation ago, most Americans were guided by the idea of the nuclear family: a mom, a dad, two kids,...
March 20, 2024