Podcast Episode
How Petri Dish Princess Came to Life—with Elizabeth Carr, the OG IVF Baby in the U.S.
Infertile AF: Infertility and Modern Family Building through ART·Alison Prato·15 September 2026·24 min

About this episode
Today’s episode is a really special one because we’re taking you behind the scenes of Petri Dish Princess—the newest book in Ali's Work of ART children’s book series—and Ali is joined by the actual Petri Dish Princess herself, Elizabeth Carr.Elizabeth was the first baby born through IVF in the United States, and for more than four decades, her story has been told in headlines, history books and news clips. But we wanted to tell it in a completely different way: for kids.In this episode, Elizabeth and Ali talk about how this book came to be, what it was like turning her very real—and very historic—story into a children’s book, some of the behind-the-scenes moments that made them laugh, and why they both believe so strongly that IVF kids deserve to see stories like theirs celebrated on the page.They also talk about what we hope Petri Dish Princess can do beyond the bookshelf—start conversations, educate families, celebrate science, and remind kids everywhere that there are so many incredible ways to make a family.And before we get into it, we want to thank the amazing sponsors who believed in this project and helped us bring Petri Dish Princess into the world: Brownstone Surrogacy, Donor Solution, 3 Sisters Surrogacy, IVF Babble, Generations CryoVault, Paladien, Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions, Fertile Feet, Rooted Fertility Co., and A Perfect Match.We are so grateful to every one of you for believing in this book and in our mission.To get your personalized, signed (by Ali and Elizabeth) and numbered copy of Petri Dish Princess, go to www.infertileafgroup.com EPISODE SPONSORS: THE WORK OF ART BOOK SERIESAli's Children's Book Series about IVF, IUI and Family Building Through Assisted Reproductive Technology https://www.infertileafgroup.com/booksThe latest book in the Work of ART series, “You Are a Work of ART," is for every kiddo born through ART -- and the people who love them.Stay tuned for Petri Dish Princess, book #4, coming this fall!EXTEND FERTILITYExtend Fertility is a leading fertility clinic helping people take control of their reproductive futures through egg freezing, embryo freezing, IVF, and more. With a focus on making fertility care more accessible, empowering, and personalized, Extend combines cutting-edge science with compassionate care to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about if, when, and how they want to build a family.For more, go to extendfertility.comPHERDALIG: @pherdal_sciencePherDal is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit designed to help people build their families in the comfort of home. Created by parents who’ve been there, PherDal is safe, simple, and affordable—putting more options in your hands as you grow your family. Explore at PherDal.com.Go to PherDal.com today and use code INFERTILEAF for $10 off.
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