Episode 172: Three Dads and a Baby – Jeremy, Ian, and Alan

I Want to Put a Baby in You!

Jeremy Hodges has worked for the San Diego Zoo for 19 years. Much of this time was spent as an aviculturist in Hawaii where he managed a captive population of some of the most endangered birds on the planet. He currently works as the lead zookeeper for the veterinary hospital of the zoo. He throws exceptionally fancy and delicious dinner parties. He has introduced the family to raising chickens, bees, rabbits, and finches. Alan was raised in Colorado and earned his BS degree in Microbiology from Colorado State University and his MD degree from Harvard University. He completed residency in General Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. He enjoys working in both graduate medical education and as a psychiatrist specializing in treatment resistant depression and addiction medicine. He serves as the family handyman, plays guitar and piano, and collects antique stereoscopic viewing cards. Ian Jenkins earned his MD from the University of VA and completed residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Harvard University. Since 2004 he's served as a hospital doctor and faculty at UC San Diego Health, where he leads patient safety initiatives and teaches a medical school course and clinical practice to students and resident physicians. He's been active in healthcare quality on a national scale with his professional society and has given over 100 invited talks around the country. He writes as a hobby and published a memoir on his unique family, "Three Dads and a Baby," which made the news, podcasts, and morning shows on five continents. He's currently working on a hospital medicine memoir, "How to Die," and a young-adult romance, "Romeo and Julian." His home- made pizza is excellent. Listen as Jeremy, Ian, and Alan discuss with Ellen and Jenn: • The beginning of their romance story, with Alan and Ian meeting on the job. • Jeremy entering the picture when he began dating Ian and Alan in a polyamorous relationship in 2012, the same year he officially came out to his parents. • Coming out and coming to terms with the idea that they may never have children. • Being approached by friends offering for them to adopt their remaining embryos to start a family, sparking the conversation about children! • When the embryo donation journey did not end as hoped, pivoting in a new direction with a friend offering to be their egg donor. • Pleading their case in court to each be legally recognized as parents of their child. • Successfully being granted an order that all three of their names be included on their child's birth certificate! • A few years later, having their second child through a much smoother process. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: [phone]. Check out their book Three Dads and a Baby: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Three-Dads-and-a-Baby/Ian-Jenkins-MD/9781627783101 Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/