Terms of Participation & Liability Waiver
Welcome to The Waiting Room, a community operated by The Waiting Room Community LLC, doing business as The Waiting Room (“The Waiting Room,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
This community was created to provide connection and peer support for people navigating infertility, fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, pregnancy after infertility, and the many experiences that come with these journeys.
By joining The Waiting Room, participating in a local chapter, attending a meetup or event, or participating in other Waiting Room programming, you acknowledge and agree to the following.1. A Peer Community, Not Professional Care
The Waiting Room is a peer-support community. We are not a medical provider, mental health provider, fertility clinic, or professional counseling service.
Information, conversations, resources, events, and experiences shared through The Waiting Room are intended for community and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, mental health, legal, or other professional advice.
Members should consult their own qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances.
2. Community Participation
Our members are at many different stages of their fertility journeys, and individual experiences, outcomes, opinions, and comfort levels will vary.
The Waiting Room strives to create a thoughtful, supportive, and respectful environment. However, we cannot anticipate or eliminate every potentially sensitive or triggering topic, conversation, announcement, or interaction.
Members may become pregnant, experience loss, receive difficult diagnoses, have successful treatments, discontinue treatment, pursue alternative paths to parenthood, or experience other significant changes while participating in the community.
We ask members to extend grace to one another and themselves. If something feels emotionally difficult, members are always welcome to step away, take a break, mute a conversation, leave an event, or contact The Waiting Room team with concerns.
Participation is always voluntary.
3. Community Guidelines
Members are expected to follow The Waiting Room Community Guidelines and treat fellow members, hosts, volunteers, partners, and guests with respect.
The Waiting Room reserves the right, in its discretion, to limit, suspend, or discontinue an individual's participation in the community, chapter activities, online spaces, events, or programming when necessary to protect the community or address conduct inconsistent with our guidelines.
4. Privacy Within the Community
Members may share deeply personal experiences with one another.
We ask everyone to respect the privacy of fellow members and not share another person's story, medical information, pregnancy status, photographs, personal information, or other private details outside the community without permission.
However, The Waiting Room cannot guarantee that another participant will maintain confidentiality. Members should use their own discretion when deciding what information they feel comfortable sharing in group chats, at events, on social media, or in other community spaces.
5. Voluntary Participation & Assumption of Risk
Participation in The Waiting Room meetups, events, activities, and programming is voluntary.
Activities may take place at private residences, restaurants, parks, fitness or wellness facilities, event venues, businesses, or other locations and may include activities such as walking, exercise, wellness programming, food and beverage service, crafts, games, educational programming, and social gatherings.
By choosing to participate, you acknowledge that activities and events may involve ordinary and unforeseen risks, including but not limited to slips, falls, accidents, physical injury, illness, food-related reactions, property damage, transportation-related incidents, or other risks associated with the particular location or activity.
You voluntarily choose to participate and assume the risks reasonably associated with your participation.
6. Personal Health & Safety
You are responsible for determining whether an activity is appropriate for you and for taking reasonable precautions regarding your own health, allergies, physical limitations, medical conditions, pregnancy, medications, dietary restrictions, and other individual circumstances.
If you are uncertain whether you should participate in an activity, you should consult an appropriate healthcare professional before participating.
You are also responsible for following applicable venue rules and safety instructions.
7. Release of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, by voluntarily participating in The Waiting Room activities or events, you agree to release and hold harmless The Waiting Room and its owners, directors, officers, employees, chapter hosts, volunteers, representatives, and agents from claims arising from ordinary risks associated with your voluntary participation, except to the extent such liability cannot legally be waived.
This may include claims relating to personal injury, illness, property loss or damage, or other harm arising from participation in an event or activity.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to waive rights or exclude liability that cannot lawfully be waived or excluded.
8. Third-Party Venues, Providers & Partners
The Waiting Room may organize events involving independent venues, restaurants, wellness providers, speakers, fertility professionals, brands, sponsors, vendors, or other third parties.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, these third parties are independent from The Waiting Room.
The Waiting Room does not control and cannot guarantee the acts, omissions, services, products, advice, facilities, safety practices, or conduct of independent third parties.
Members should use their own judgment when choosing whether to purchase, use, or participate in a third party's products or services.
9. Hosts & Volunteers
Local chapter hosts and volunteers help facilitate community connection and events but generally do not act as medical professionals, counselors, therapists, or other healthcare providers on behalf of The Waiting Room.
Hosts and volunteers should not be relied upon for professional medical or mental health guidance.
10. Emergency Situations
The Waiting Room is not an emergency, crisis, or medical service.
If you are experiencing a medical or other emergency, seek appropriate emergency assistance rather than relying on a chapter host, community member, or The Waiting Room.
11. Alternative Dispute Resolution
Any controversy between the parties regarding the construction or application of this Agreement, and all claims for damages or other relief based upon or pertaining to this Agreement or its breach, including without limitation disputes concerning services, fees, costs, professional misconduct, or any combination thereof, shall be submitted initially to nonbinding mediation, and if the controversy remains unresolved, then after three months to binding arbitration without right of appeal (except as specifically provided by law) upon the written request of either party, with all proceedings conducted pursuant to the California Arbitration Act, California Code of Civil Procedure sections 1280 et. seq., before one neutral mediator and / or arbitrator. The mediator and / or arbitrator must be either an attorney licensed in the State of California with at least fifteen (15) years of litigation experience or a retired judge and in either event affiliated with the JUDICATE WEST facility located in Orange County, California. In the event the parties for whatever reason fail to reach an agreement on a designated mediator and / or arbitrator within the five-day period immediately following mutual acknowledgment to mediate or arbitrate or the entry of a Court order compelling mediation or arbitration, whichever first occurs, the selection may be made immediately thereafter by the JUDICATE WEST administrative office which shall unilaterally select a panel member with a minimum of 15 years litigation experience or shall be a retired judge. Discovery under the Mediator’s or Arbitrator’s own rules shall not apply unless both parties so agree in writing. In any such arbitration, the arbitrator must award the prevailing party his mediation and / or arbitration fees. The mediator and / or arbitrator is without discretion and must award these fees. Should the mediator and /or arbitrator fail to do so, the Orange County Superior Court is empowered to review both the facts and the law as to the arbitrator's denial of mediation or arbitration fees to the prevailing party. For the purposes of this section, prevailing party is the party, which makes positive net recovery in any amount.
12. Governing Law, Jurisdiction & Venue
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the
State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Notwithstanding the alternative dispute resolution provisions set forth above, to the extent any matter is properly brought before a court of law, including without limitation any petition to compel or stay arbitration, any application for provisional or injunctive relief in aid of arbitration pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1281.8, and any petition to confirm, correct, vacate, or enter judgment upon an arbitration award pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure sections 1285 et seq., such matter shall be brought exclusively in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Orange. Each party irrevocably consents to the personal jurisdiction of that court, and waives any objection to venue therein, and waives any defense of forum non conveniens.
12. Changes to These Terms
As The Waiting Room grows, we may periodically update these Terms of Participation & Liability Waiver.
The current version will be made available through our website or membership materials, and the “Last Updated” date will reflect the most recent revision.
13. Questions
Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to:
The Waiting Room Community LLC dba The Waiting Room
info@jointhewaitingroom.com
Last updated: August 24, 2026