When the Journey Ends Without a Baby: Justine & Chad Froker on Infertility, Identity & Choosing to Thrive

The opinions and perspectives shared in this episode are those of Dr. Clay Brigance, Ginny Lupka, Justine Froelker, and Chad Froelker and are intended for educational and informational purposes only as part of the Love & Infertility podcast. The content discussed is not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or therapeutic advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need assistance navigating infertility, reproductive trauma, or mental health concerns, please consult your healthcare professional or a licensed therapist in your area.

This episode contains honest discussion of infertility treatment, embryo loss, pregnancy grief, and the emotional weight of ending a fertility journey without children.

What if you did everything right and it still didn't work? After two rounds of IVF, a gestational surrogate, and three embryo losses, Justine and Chad Froekler made the decision most fertility clinics never prepare you for: they stopped. This episode is about what comes after and how a marriage can survive the odds.

Justine Froelker, LPC is a licensed professional counselor, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and certified Brené Brown Dare to Lead facilitator. Her book Ever Upward was one of the first published accounts of living childfree after infertility. She has been featured on the Today Show and in numerous national publications.

Chad Froelker is Justine's husband of 18 years. He brings a rare and honest male perspective on carrying grief silently, making hard decisions as a couple, and finding a way forward when the journey ends differently than planned.

• Connect with Justine and Chad → https://justinefroelker.com/

• Book Dr. Clay for speaking or training → https://www.drclaybrigance.com/trainings-for-mental-health-professionals

• Therapy with Dr. Clay/ Shiloh Counseling → https://shilohcounselingllc.com/

• Learn more about the Four Pillars approach → lhttps://www.drclaybrigance.com/fourpillars

• Connect with Ginny Lupka → https://linktr.ee/ginnylupkacounseling