12 Months of Compassion: A Jewish Journey Through Fertility & Healing
A Year of Hope, Connection, and Expert Guidance.
At I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, we know that the journey through fertility challenges and loss can feel isolating, overwhelming, and deeply personal. To ensure no one in our community walks this path alone, we are launching a new, comprehensive virtual workshop series for 2026: Twelve Months of Compassion.
This year-long program is designed to provide accessible education and emotional support through monthly webinars. Each 60–90 minute session will feature expert speakers followed by a live Q&A, all rooted in Jewish values.
Our 2026 roadmap is structured around four seasonal themes of growth and healing:
Quarter 1: Foundations & New Beginnings: Focus on emotional readiness, strengthening relationships, and surrogacy.
Quarter 2: Healing & Holiness: Focus on identity, body image, secondary infertility, and LGBTQ+ family building.
Quarter 3: Advocacy & Awareness: Focus on Jewish law (Halacha), belonging, isolation, and the High Holidays.
Quarter 4: Paths & Purpose: Focus on grief and loss, male grief, fostering, adoption, and finding light.
Beginning the Journey Understanding Fertility & Emotional Readiness
Featuring
Alex Peyser, MD is a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist at Northwell Health. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where she served as administrative chief resident followed by a fellowship in REI at Northwell Health. Dr. Peyser currently serves as the Associate Program Director of the REI fellowship. She has published and presented at numerous national meetings on topics including genetic carrier screening, third-party reproduction, the genetics of diminished ovarian reserve, and fertility insurance coverage. Dr. Peyser is also a founding board member of the Stardust Fertility Foundation which provides fertility grants to Jewish couples and individuals. Having gone through infertility herself (she has 3 children born via surrogacy), she is deeply committed to supporting patients through their journey to build their families.
Amanda Warsavsky is mom of Scarlett (7), Violet (5), and Olive (8 months) on the Upper East Side. After experiencing 9 pregnancy losses spanning nearly a decade, infertility has played such a big role in shaping Amanda as a person. She is a passionate infertility advocate and loves using her network and platform to support others. Amanda has run a lifestyle Instagram and blog for 10 years focusing on fashion, food, and her experiences with infertility. She always loved entrepreneurship and while she is not busy at home with her (now) three girls, she is usually brewing up new business ideas and has most recently been working on a food company.Rachel Tuchman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with over 15 years of experience. She has worked with many diverse populations including incarcerated women at Riker's Island Correctional Facility, kids and adults with developmental delays, kids with behavior issues, overwhelmed parents looking for skills and support, teens struggling with the pressures of adolescence and life in general, adults going through difficult life circumstances (divorce, infidelity, phase of life challenges) and women experiencing infertility.
Rachel Tuchman, LMHC is a HAES (pronounced like Hay-z) (Health At Every Size)- aligned clinician and dedicates much of her time out of the office to educating parents and kids on the importance of body respect and the behaviors that truly honor our health. Currently, she offers services in her Cedarhurst, NY office
Compassion is a Community Effort
At I Was Supposed To Have A Baby, we fundamentally believe that no one should walk the path of fertility challenges or loss alone. We also believe that life-changing support, expert guidance, and a sense of belonging should be accessible to everyone in the Jewish community, regardless of their financial situation.
That is why we have made the Twelve Months of Compassion series entirely free to join.
But while this program is free to attend, it is not free to produce. Our work is made possible by supporters like you. If you find these sessions helpful, healing, or hopeful, we invite you to consider making a gift to support the production of this event and other resources like it.
