On today's episode, Gretchen Sisson, author of ​Relinquished, ​sits down with ​Cate & Ty​ to discuss​ about her research​ on the gap between the cultural perception of adoption and the lived experiences of birth parents.​ Gretchen talks about the coercion and ​lack of ​resources​ playing a significant ​part that often le​d women to choose adoption​, emphasizes that many would have chosen differently had ​t​hey had more financial stability​ and support. The conversation also delves into the adoption industry​ using marketing tactics, ​their financial aspects,​ and the ethical concerns ​surrounding the system's inherent inequalities​. ​Is every adoption a failure of society to provide adequate support for families​? Cate & Ty break it down with Gretchen as she provides a nuanced look at adoption, challenging common assumptions and highlighting the need for change to better support birth parents, adoptees, and families in need.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cate & Ty are joined by Teen Mom castmate Maci and her Expired podcast co-host Natalie Gard to talk all about how they decided to start their podcast, how Natalie has dealt with the Teen Mom audience, and how they've seen teen pregnancy numbers go down in this generation. Maci also shares how she's been dealing with Bentley getting older and filming, how she's trying to better herself with therapy and has gotten past feeling responsible for the other parent's issues.

(Previously recorded in 2024)

Thank you to our sponsors!

Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jordy Cray (@jordycray) comes in hot on Break It Down! In today's episode, Cate & Ty explain why they continue to talk about their adoption story despite the backlash with the public and the growing issues with the adoptive parents. While acknowledging a better understanding of the adoption community​ and learning of the adoptive parent's hypocrisy, Jordy still questions Cate and Ty's choice to vent publicly on social media​ but agrees that there is always more to the story than what everyone sees online.

(Previously recorded in 2024)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.