Episode 199 : Out of Order – Shira Butler

I Want to Put a Baby in You!

This is the story of a beautiful family assembled out of order: dog, daughter, dad. It's the story of planning years ahead to become a mom, and wishing she’d started years earlier. It's the story of the unexpected that arrives in every form from love (like a husband) to terror (like medical issues), and the life-changing decisions that accompany any rocky road through fertility.

It was after their second date that Shira told her now husband she was probably pregnant. She conceived her daughter as a single mom by choice using donor sperm, most of her savings, and so much time, energy and effort. Just as she finally succeeded in getting pregnant, she met him. It turns out families don't have to be assembled in order.

Shira is a product, commercial and operations leader with deep experience launching and scaling tech-enabled healthcare. She has worked across various clinical specialties, partnering closely with health plans, employers, health systems and government.

Shira is currently at Lin Health, which specializes in treating chronic pain. Shira loves leading people, helping patients, and designing technology to solve problems. Shira was previously the General Manager of Behavioral Health and Musculoskeletal care at Eden Health. Before that at Omada Health, she led creation of product lines for diabetes, hypertension and behavioral health, as well as spearheading Omada’s work with national insurance carriers, the American Medical Association, and the federal government’s healthcare innovation team.

Shira is passionate about writing and speaking on the future of integrating technology into healthcare, as well as insights about culture and life choices from her time working and living around the world. Her greatest passion at work is supporting her team members in growth and development, and fostering the culture and organizational structures that lead to high productivity and work-life balance. Shira’s greatest joy is this family she built out of order: her young daughter, her loving husband, and her ever-hopeful dog. She is a community builder, outdoor enthusiast and world traveler. Shira has lived across the US, Europe and Africa and now loves hiking, biking and paddling near her home near Boulder, Colorado.

Listen as Shira shares with Ellen and Jenn:

• Calling her second date romantic interest to tell him she’s pregnant.
• Rewinding, getting good advice at 35 to get her fertility checked.
• Finding out she had a very low egg count, choosing to go through the expensive process of egg freezing.
• Talking to a financial planner about her hopes to be a parent, and ultimately making some major shifts in her life (including a major move).
• Still wanting a partner, but meeting people became hard with the onset of the COVID pandemic.
• Grieving the loss of an idea she had for her life, but then being ready to move forward.
• Researching who decides to become a single mother by choice; finding that these women are bad asses.
• After telling her second date the news, him still being in. And then being all in.
• Finding out about a serious medical complication, moving to Florida together for specialized care.
• Experiencing her happy ending/beginning.

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