JPost Article Of Special Interest to Jewish Parents via Egg Donation and Surrogacy.
..."Further, the ministry argued that Israeli law provides that in cases of egg donation, only the birth mother is considered the mother of a baby, not the egg donor."
http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/NYCAbout.aspx
Sara Axel
516-967-7430
Saxel95@aol.com
The NYC Gathering
Our Community
Showing posts with label Disclosure of Donor Conception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disclosure of Donor Conception. Show all posts
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Monday, December 12, 2011
Is It Really Possible to Love an Adopted Child as Much as a Biological Child? | Creating a Family
Actually, its Pat Irwin Johnston's comment that resonates with me the most because it speaks to all relationships, regardless of age,gender, biology, genetics and applies to any stage in our lives.
http://www.creatingafamily.org/blog/adoptive-parenting/love-adopted-child-biological-child/
http://www.creatingafamily.org/blog/adoptive-parenting/love-adopted-child-biological-child/
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
That very same year, on December 5, Trizila became little Kate's mother. From Parenting.com and CNN.com
Tue November 29, 2011
I have to thank the writer and interview participants of this article.
Single mom Jo Trizila didn't wait for the perfect man to start her family and encourages single women yearning for a child to 'go for it' like she did.
There was a time when gay parents and single adoptive mothers were unheard of, but the new norm is that almost anything works well as long as there's a dedicated adult and plenty of love.(SO GLAD TO HEAR THIS,AND READ ABOUT IT ON CNN!)
Christopher Fraley, 42, and Victor Self, 41, Parents of 20-month-old Coco.
Christopher Fraley and Victor Self became the first same-sex couple in Rye, New York, to legally wed. Coco, their daughter, was right by their side.
Fraley and Self met in 2003. "I saw kids in my life, and Chris did, too," Self remembers. Eventually, "we decided to get married," adds Fraley...
While their attitude toward fatherhood is traditional, the way they became dads isn't: Coco was born through a surrogate, using a donor egg. In expanding their family, Self and Fraley joined the growing number of same-sex parents in America today: somewhere between 1.5 million and 5 million, according to rough U.S. Census estimates, up from 300,000 to 500,000 in 1976.
The surrogacy process took two years: One egg donor became ill, then a first surrogate failed to get pregnant. But in February 2010, Kira, their second surrogate, gave birth to 8-pound-9-ounce Coco.
Strangers are mostly respectful, which doesn't surprise Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, headquartered in New York City. "As support for legal gay marriage has grown, along with the body of research that shows same-sex parents to be just as committed, so, too, has the acceptance of gay parenthood," he says. Still, Fraley admits, people can be insensitive. "Sometimes they ask, 'Where'd you get your baby?' like we bought her at Target," he says. "I say, 'She was born, just like you.' Another person recently asked, 'Whose sperm did you use?' "
(I LOVE THIS IS PART, THANK YOU ADAM PERTMAN-WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS WITH ALL THIRD PARTY REPRODUCTION, DONOR CONCEPTION, OLDER PARENTING FAMILIES)....
Coco may face a few awkward scenarios, too, as she grows. "Kids can sometimes look down on children from single-sex households, and tell them their family isn't real," Pertman says. "Coco may also start seeing news stories that upset her, like another state wanting to pass an amendment stigmatizing gay marriage. Chris and Victor will need to discuss these issues with her."
They've already steeled themselves for the questions she'll likely have. "Why don't I have a mommy?" may be answered with "Because you have two daddies." It helps that the definition of family is growing, just like Coco. "Is it such a big deal?" asks Fraley. "Look around. All families are different."
Single mom that didn't wait for the perfect man to start her family and encourages single women yearning for a child to 'go for it' like she did.
Jo Trizila, 40, Single Mom to Kate, 2 remembers the conversation with her mom that changed her life. It was her 35th birthday, and they were talking about how some of Trizila's friends had gotten married just to have kids, and were miserable now. "I said, 'I don't want to do that. If I haven't met the right guy by the time I'm 37, what would you and Dad think if I have a baby anyway?' Mom said, 'If you can afford a child, we'll support you 100 percent.' "
By the time her 37th birthday rolled around, Trizila still hadn't met the perfect man. By then she was running a public relations firm she'd founded -- the kind of success that's helping to fuel a rise in single-mom adoptions, notes Pertman, the adoption-institute executive director. "As women like Jo find good careers and their earnings grow, there's less need to find a partner to make having a family feasible."
Trizila considered getting pregnant, "but part of me was saying 'Is it worth finding a sperm donor and doing in vitro? What about adoption?' .....
... By the summer of 2009, she was cleared to adopt. "I was told to expect a couple of years' wait," Trizila recalls. But that September, a woman due to give birth shortly selected her to raise her child.
(I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS STATEMENT):
That very same year, on December 5, Trizila became little Kate's mother.
(ISNT THAT PERFECT!? WHY DON'T WE JUST TALK ABOUT DONOR CONCEPTION AND SURROGACY THAT WAY?)
I'd never understood how you could love someone you'd never met. But I got it the moment I held Kate," she says. Rocking her daughter in the maternity ward, she thought back to her own hospital stay as a teen, for a life-threatening brain abscess and aplastic anemia. "I'd always wondered why I had survived.That night with Kate, a voice in my head said, 'You survived to be Kate's mom.' "
While she's a single mother, there are plenty of people in Kate's orbit....Still, solo parenting has drawbacks. "There's no one to ask 'Am I doing the right thing?' " Trizila says. It's also annoying when she gets asked "Are you dating anyone?" She still hopes to meet a great guy, but is happy being single for the time being. "Are Kate and I that unusual?" she muses. "Look at the divorce statistics. There are a lot of single moms -- they just didn't adopt." (In fact, about one quarter of all kids are raised by solo parents.)
Yet she'd recommend her own path to parenthood to anyone. "If I convince just one single woman out there who's yearning for a child to go for it, this interview will have been worthwhile."
(PS-I KNOW HOW SHE FEELS!)
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/29/living/the-new-normal-p/index.html
I have to thank the writer and interview participants of this article.
Single mom Jo Trizila didn't wait for the perfect man to start her family and encourages single women yearning for a child to 'go for it' like she did.
There was a time when gay parents and single adoptive mothers were unheard of, but the new norm is that almost anything works well as long as there's a dedicated adult and plenty of love.(SO GLAD TO HEAR THIS,AND READ ABOUT IT ON CNN!)
Christopher Fraley, 42, and Victor Self, 41, Parents of 20-month-old Coco.
Christopher Fraley and Victor Self became the first same-sex couple in Rye, New York, to legally wed. Coco, their daughter, was right by their side.
Fraley and Self met in 2003. "I saw kids in my life, and Chris did, too," Self remembers. Eventually, "we decided to get married," adds Fraley...
While their attitude toward fatherhood is traditional, the way they became dads isn't: Coco was born through a surrogate, using a donor egg. In expanding their family, Self and Fraley joined the growing number of same-sex parents in America today: somewhere between 1.5 million and 5 million, according to rough U.S. Census estimates, up from 300,000 to 500,000 in 1976.
The surrogacy process took two years: One egg donor became ill, then a first surrogate failed to get pregnant. But in February 2010, Kira, their second surrogate, gave birth to 8-pound-9-ounce Coco.
Strangers are mostly respectful, which doesn't surprise Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, headquartered in New York City. "As support for legal gay marriage has grown, along with the body of research that shows same-sex parents to be just as committed, so, too, has the acceptance of gay parenthood," he says. Still, Fraley admits, people can be insensitive. "Sometimes they ask, 'Where'd you get your baby?' like we bought her at Target," he says. "I say, 'She was born, just like you.' Another person recently asked, 'Whose sperm did you use?' "
(I LOVE THIS IS PART, THANK YOU ADAM PERTMAN-WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS WITH ALL THIRD PARTY REPRODUCTION, DONOR CONCEPTION, OLDER PARENTING FAMILIES)....
Coco may face a few awkward scenarios, too, as she grows. "Kids can sometimes look down on children from single-sex households, and tell them their family isn't real," Pertman says. "Coco may also start seeing news stories that upset her, like another state wanting to pass an amendment stigmatizing gay marriage. Chris and Victor will need to discuss these issues with her."
They've already steeled themselves for the questions she'll likely have. "Why don't I have a mommy?" may be answered with "Because you have two daddies." It helps that the definition of family is growing, just like Coco. "Is it such a big deal?" asks Fraley. "Look around. All families are different."
Single mom that didn't wait for the perfect man to start her family and encourages single women yearning for a child to 'go for it' like she did.
Jo Trizila, 40, Single Mom to Kate, 2 remembers the conversation with her mom that changed her life. It was her 35th birthday, and they were talking about how some of Trizila's friends had gotten married just to have kids, and were miserable now. "I said, 'I don't want to do that. If I haven't met the right guy by the time I'm 37, what would you and Dad think if I have a baby anyway?' Mom said, 'If you can afford a child, we'll support you 100 percent.' "
By the time her 37th birthday rolled around, Trizila still hadn't met the perfect man. By then she was running a public relations firm she'd founded -- the kind of success that's helping to fuel a rise in single-mom adoptions, notes Pertman, the adoption-institute executive director. "As women like Jo find good careers and their earnings grow, there's less need to find a partner to make having a family feasible."
Trizila considered getting pregnant, "but part of me was saying 'Is it worth finding a sperm donor and doing in vitro? What about adoption?' .....
... By the summer of 2009, she was cleared to adopt. "I was told to expect a couple of years' wait," Trizila recalls. But that September, a woman due to give birth shortly selected her to raise her child.
(I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS STATEMENT):
That very same year, on December 5, Trizila became little Kate's mother.
(ISNT THAT PERFECT!? WHY DON'T WE JUST TALK ABOUT DONOR CONCEPTION AND SURROGACY THAT WAY?)
I'd never understood how you could love someone you'd never met. But I got it the moment I held Kate," she says. Rocking her daughter in the maternity ward, she thought back to her own hospital stay as a teen, for a life-threatening brain abscess and aplastic anemia. "I'd always wondered why I had survived.That night with Kate, a voice in my head said, 'You survived to be Kate's mom.' "
While she's a single mother, there are plenty of people in Kate's orbit....Still, solo parenting has drawbacks. "There's no one to ask 'Am I doing the right thing?' " Trizila says. It's also annoying when she gets asked "Are you dating anyone?" She still hopes to meet a great guy, but is happy being single for the time being. "Are Kate and I that unusual?" she muses. "Look at the divorce statistics. There are a lot of single moms -- they just didn't adopt." (In fact, about one quarter of all kids are raised by solo parents.)
Yet she'd recommend her own path to parenthood to anyone. "If I convince just one single woman out there who's yearning for a child to go for it, this interview will have been worthwhile."
(PS-I KNOW HOW SHE FEELS!)
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/29/living/the-new-normal-p/index.html
Monday, November 21, 2011
Resolve Teams Up With Redbook-The Invisible Pain of Infertility - MSN Health
This is a great article about the new campaign called "The Truth About Trying". Kudos to all who came out of the closet to talk about infertility and do some myth-busting, especially one who openly discusses donor egg.
http://health.msn.com/pregnancy/the-invisible-pain-of-infertility
http://health.msn.com/pregnancy/the-invisible-pain-of-infertility
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Language: Why ‘splitting’ motherhood is against the rights of the child
Save the date-DEC 8th, THE NYC GATHERING will host Lisa Schuman. Our Guest Speaker will take on LANGUAGE.
Top of my list-the Donor is the Donor and the Mother is the Mother. An example here:
Why 'splitting' motherhood is against the rights of the child.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/9920
Top of my list-the Donor is the Donor and the Mother is the Mother. An example here:
Why 'splitting' motherhood is against the rights of the child.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/9920
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
New Studies on Family and Parenthood in ART
Linda Layne is an accomplished researcher on Family and Parenthood in the context of Cultural Anthropology and has begun research on a new study.
Published today: Studies in "Choice Moms" – Single Mothers (and Mums) by Choice.
Rensselaer Professor Compares Single Mothers by Choice in U.S. Versus U.K.
Here is a little about the study and Linda Layne's background.
While at Cambridge, Layne is researching the differences between American and British single mothers by choice, studying the religious, political, racial, and class contexts in which alternative families have emerged, and the social and cultural resources upon which they draw.
In her book, Motherhood Lost: A Feminist Account of Pregnancy Loss in America, Layne used the lens of anthropology to explain why American women are so ill-prepared for miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death and why the feminist movement has not fully embraced this important women's health issue. She further developed a women's health approach to childbearing loss through an 11-part, award-winning television series, "Motherhood Lost: Conversations" produced by George Mason University Television.
She has edited or co-edited two books on motherhood and consumption, a collection on Feminist Technology, and is currently working with British colleagues on a book on reproductive loss and a volume on new trends in parenting.
The Cambridge Centre for Family Research, based in Cambridge University, specializes in research that increases understanding of children, parents, and family relationships with a focus on topics central to public policy, health care, and people's lives. Current research projects on "new families" include a study of adolescents conceived by donor insemination, young adults raised from infancy in lesbian mother families, parent-child relationships and the psychological development of children, bioethics in assisted reproduction and emerging family forms, and parenting and psychological development of adoptive children raised in gay father families.
Read further about the study at
http://www.rpi.edu/index.html
Published today: Studies in "Choice Moms" – Single Mothers (and Mums) by Choice.
Rensselaer Professor Compares Single Mothers by Choice in U.S. Versus U.K.
Here is a little about the study and Linda Layne's background.
While at Cambridge, Layne is researching the differences between American and British single mothers by choice, studying the religious, political, racial, and class contexts in which alternative families have emerged, and the social and cultural resources upon which they draw.
In her book, Motherhood Lost: A Feminist Account of Pregnancy Loss in America, Layne used the lens of anthropology to explain why American women are so ill-prepared for miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death and why the feminist movement has not fully embraced this important women's health issue. She further developed a women's health approach to childbearing loss through an 11-part, award-winning television series, "Motherhood Lost: Conversations" produced by George Mason University Television.
She has edited or co-edited two books on motherhood and consumption, a collection on Feminist Technology, and is currently working with British colleagues on a book on reproductive loss and a volume on new trends in parenting.
The Cambridge Centre for Family Research, based in Cambridge University, specializes in research that increases understanding of children, parents, and family relationships with a focus on topics central to public policy, health care, and people's lives. Current research projects on "new families" include a study of adolescents conceived by donor insemination, young adults raised from infancy in lesbian mother families, parent-child relationships and the psychological development of children, bioethics in assisted reproduction and emerging family forms, and parenting and psychological development of adoptive children raised in gay father families.
Read further about the study at
http://www.rpi.edu/index.html
Friday, October 21, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Donor Sibling Registry TV Show is available online.
The Donor Sibling Registry tv show is now available to view online.
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh0XTWQnc2EkQI49zg
Wendy Kramer
www.donorsiblingregistry.com
303-258-0902
"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh0XTWQnc2EkQI49zg
Wendy Kramer
www.donorsiblingregistry.com
303-258-0902
"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter
Monday, October 3, 2011
MAYBE I'LL JOIN THE DSR WHEN WE MEET WENDY IN PERSON AT THE NYC GATHERING DINNER ON OCTOBER 17, 2011
PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR RESERVATION FOR THE NYC GATHERING DINNER ON OCTOBER 17,2011 BY DIRECT EMAIL TO SAXEL95@AOL.COM.
WENDY KRAMER AND HER SON RYAN WILL GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE DONOR SIBLING REGISTRY AND TELL US MORE ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE AS A DONOR-CONCEIVED FAMILY. WE WILL HAVE AN OPEN FORMAT DISCUSSION AND ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND WITH A CONFIRMED REGISTRATION.
THANKS AND BEST TO ALL!
WENDY KRAMER AND HER SON RYAN WILL GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE DONOR SIBLING REGISTRY AND TELL US MORE ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE AS A DONOR-CONCEIVED FAMILY. WE WILL HAVE AN OPEN FORMAT DISCUSSION AND ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND WITH A CONFIRMED REGISTRATION.
THANKS AND BEST TO ALL!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Egg Donation: One of Hollywood’s Dirty Little Secrets? -- Blogger -- FertilityAuthority.com
Thanks to Marna Gatlin of PVED.ORG, we might someday have a celebrity spokesperson.
http://www.fertilityauthority.com/blogger/marnad1963/2011/07/18/egg-donation-one-hollywood%e2%80%99s-dirty-little-secrets
http://www.fertilityauthority.com/blogger/marnad1963/2011/07/18/egg-donation-one-hollywood%e2%80%99s-dirty-little-secrets
Monday, May 30, 2011
From Wendy Kramer of The Donor Sibling Registry: Nature Magazine. May 27, 2011. Canadian court bans anonymous sperm and egg donation
Nature Magazine. May 27, 2011. Canadian court bans anonymous sperm and egg
donation
This quote from the ASRM really caught my attention:
But the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), an advisory and
advocacy group for the American fertility industry, says it will strongly oppose
any move to ban anonymous donations. "We think that people ought to be able to
build their families the way they see fit," says Sean Tipton, a spokesperson for
the ASRM. "And you don't change the rules in the middle of the game."
When will the ASRM begin to address the needs and the rights of those created
from gamete donation?
When will it address the rights of both the recipients and the gamete donors to
be adequately counseled and educated at the front door, so that they can make
fully educated decisions about open vs. anonymous donation?
When will it address the dire need for accurate record keeping and
sharing/updating of medical information for families created via gamete
donation? How many groups of 50, 70 and more than a hundred half siblings
will be formed before there is some sort of oversight installed?
The full article:
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110527/full/news.2011.329.html
Wendy Kramer
www.donorsiblingregistry.com
303-258-0902
"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is
roots; the other wings."- Hodding Carter
donation
This quote from the ASRM really caught my attention:
But the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), an advisory and
advocacy group for the American fertility industry, says it will strongly oppose
any move to ban anonymous donations. "We think that people ought to be able to
build their families the way they see fit," says Sean Tipton, a spokesperson for
the ASRM. "And you don't change the rules in the middle of the game."
When will the ASRM begin to address the needs and the rights of those created
from gamete donation?
When will it address the rights of both the recipients and the gamete donors to
be adequately counseled and educated at the front door, so that they can make
fully educated decisions about open vs. anonymous donation?
When will it address the dire need for accurate record keeping and
sharing/updating of medical information for families created via gamete
donation? How many groups of 50, 70 and more than a hundred half siblings
will be formed before there is some sort of oversight installed?
The full article:
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110527/full/news.2011.329.html
Wendy Kramer
www.donorsiblingregistry.com
303-258-0902
"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is
roots; the other wings."- Hodding Carter
Sunday, May 15, 2011
DONOR DISCLOSURE 0N VOICE AMERICA 5.12.11
THERESA ERICKSON AND PATRICIA MENDELL ON DONOR DISCLOSURE ON VOICE AMERICA 5.12.11
Thought you might be interested in sharing the link to yesterday's radio show with your group members. Patricia Mendell provided lots of great information about the challenges of donor disclosure. As you probably know, she and Jean Benward wrote some excellent fact sheets on the subject for The AFA.
Here is the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/53763/the-surrogacy-lawyer-radio-program-discusses-to-disclose-or-not-to-disclose-the-challenges-of-gamete
Thought you might be interested in sharing the link to yesterday's radio show with your group members. Patricia Mendell provided lots of great information about the challenges of donor disclosure. As you probably know, she and Jean Benward wrote some excellent fact sheets on the subject for The AFA.
Here is the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/53763/the-surrogacy-lawyer-radio-program-discusses-to-disclose-or-not-to-disclose-the-challenges-of-gamete
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
From Mikki Morrissette: Special Resources for Single Women Building Families
As we develop more (largely free) e-books and other special guides for the Choice Mom community, I thought it would be helpful to list everything so far available. This list will grow in 2011, as we emphasize e-guides, including the upcoming Choice Mom E-Guide to Embryo Donation.
Please feel free to post this compilation on your website or otherwise share with your community. We'd love to collaborate on e-guides on other topics in 2011. Send me your thoughts.
If it's easier, this is a direct link to the ChoiceMoms.org post that provides direct links to the guides:
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/383/special_choice_mom_resource_compilation
Special Resources for the Choice Mom/SMC community
"http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/379/new_guide_to_sperm_banks_and_donor_conception/">Choice Mom Guide to Donor Sperm
The 28-page guidebook offers Q&A about key sperm bank policies... suggestions on how to make contact with donor families... resources for talking to your child... explanations about washed v. unwashed and more... expert insight on genetic testing... and a checklist of questions to ask your sperm bank.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/56/do_i_have_a_dad/ Do I Have a Dad? CD
This special 50-minute audio compilation features interviews with four experts (including two therapists from the Bay Area) about talking to our children about "daddies" and donors. It includes conversations with six Choice Moms about the kinds of questions and concerns they face as their children start using the daddy term or connect with their known donors. And it includes the insight of an anonymous donor who has had contact with grown offspring.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/231/choice_mom_guide_to_fertility/Choice Moms Guide to Fertility
Excerpt, from Choice Mom Cathi: "I never knew what a dolt I was about female fertility until I tried to understand my own. I wish it was as easy as coping with a bad golf game or quitting smoking. Practice doesn't help, and there are no tasty spearmint Bun-in-the-Oven gums to chew. No, there are long uncomfortable minutes with your toes in the air (I seem to recall that some don't conceive this way, but I'm having trouble remembering the concept). I tried ovulation test strips. These are great because I never get tired of peeing on things, especially my own hands."
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/230/choice_mom_guide_to_adoption/Choice Mom Guide to Adoption
A 100-page compilation of expert insights and personal Choice Mom stories about the myths and realities of: building transracial families, negotiating open relationships with birth parents, the cost and accessibility of adoption to single women, bonding with your adopted child, parenting over 40, foster care options, and much more.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/226/what_choice_moms_are_listening_to/Choice Chat podcasts
With more than 34,000 downloads, these popular conversations cover everything from negotiating with a known donor, to everything you might want to know about at-home insemination, to profiles of women on the Choice Mom journey.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/327/happy_new_year_choice_moms/Choice of Choice Moms: 2010
Our top tips featured on ChoiceMoms.org in 2010, featuring everything from Organization to Building a Support Network, Q&A to Commentary.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/326/new_our_top_10_choice_mom_profiles/Top 10 Choice Mom Profiles: 2010
A compilation of some of the best personal stories shared on ChoiceMoms.org in 2010.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/233/voices_of_donor_conception/Voices of Donor Conception
Whether you are married or single, understanding the ramifications of using donor gametes can be scary. Here are unique perspectives shared from donor-conceived offspring, an anonymous donor, and the co-founder of Donor Sibling Registry.
Mikki Morrissette
Founder, Choice Moms
http://www.choicemoms.org
fax: (612) 225-1809
Please feel free to post this compilation on your website or otherwise share with your community. We'd love to collaborate on e-guides on other topics in 2011. Send me your thoughts.
If it's easier, this is a direct link to the ChoiceMoms.org post that provides direct links to the guides:
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/383/special_choice_mom_resource_compilation
Special Resources for the Choice Mom/SMC community
"http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/379/new_guide_to_sperm_banks_and_donor_conception/">Choice Mom Guide to Donor Sperm
The 28-page guidebook offers Q&A about key sperm bank policies... suggestions on how to make contact with donor families... resources for talking to your child... explanations about washed v. unwashed and more... expert insight on genetic testing... and a checklist of questions to ask your sperm bank.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/56/do_i_have_a_dad/ Do I Have a Dad? CD
This special 50-minute audio compilation features interviews with four experts (including two therapists from the Bay Area) about talking to our children about "daddies" and donors. It includes conversations with six Choice Moms about the kinds of questions and concerns they face as their children start using the daddy term or connect with their known donors. And it includes the insight of an anonymous donor who has had contact with grown offspring.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/231/choice_mom_guide_to_fertility/Choice Moms Guide to Fertility
Excerpt, from Choice Mom Cathi: "I never knew what a dolt I was about female fertility until I tried to understand my own. I wish it was as easy as coping with a bad golf game or quitting smoking. Practice doesn't help, and there are no tasty spearmint Bun-in-the-Oven gums to chew. No, there are long uncomfortable minutes with your toes in the air (I seem to recall that some don't conceive this way, but I'm having trouble remembering the concept). I tried ovulation test strips. These are great because I never get tired of peeing on things, especially my own hands."
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/230/choice_mom_guide_to_adoption/Choice Mom Guide to Adoption
A 100-page compilation of expert insights and personal Choice Mom stories about the myths and realities of: building transracial families, negotiating open relationships with birth parents, the cost and accessibility of adoption to single women, bonding with your adopted child, parenting over 40, foster care options, and much more.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/226/what_choice_moms_are_listening_to/Choice Chat podcasts
With more than 34,000 downloads, these popular conversations cover everything from negotiating with a known donor, to everything you might want to know about at-home insemination, to profiles of women on the Choice Mom journey.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/327/happy_new_year_choice_moms/Choice of Choice Moms: 2010
Our top tips featured on ChoiceMoms.org in 2010, featuring everything from Organization to Building a Support Network, Q&A to Commentary.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/326/new_our_top_10_choice_mom_profiles/Top 10 Choice Mom Profiles: 2010
A compilation of some of the best personal stories shared on ChoiceMoms.org in 2010.
http://www.choicemoms.org/blog/233/voices_of_donor_conception/Voices of Donor Conception
Whether you are married or single, understanding the ramifications of using donor gametes can be scary. Here are unique perspectives shared from donor-conceived offspring, an anonymous donor, and the co-founder of Donor Sibling Registry.
Mikki Morrissette
Founder, Choice Moms
http://www.choicemoms.org
fax: (612) 225-1809
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Voice America Radio,March 31,2011
I'll be talking with Marna Gatlin, Theresa Erickson, and hopefully an RE, next Thursday March 31st on Theresa's Voice America Radio Show about the film Eggsploitation.
Let me know what you think of this definition posted on the eggsploitation website for the trailer: "Eggsploitation can be defined: to plunder, pillage, rob, despoil, fleece, and strip ruthlessly a young woman of her eggs, by means of fraud, coercion or deception, to be used selfishly for another's gain, with a total lack of regard for the well-being of the donor."
I consider it an honor to speak publicly about this and would like to hear from anyone who has something they'd like to share with me regarding their feelings about this film, the issues it is raising, how its presented,anything at all,and as always,it will remain confidential as we talk about it more via phone or email before next Thursday.
A very timely article was posted yesterday that I wrote about on my below. Long story short, a few months ago I was quite taken aback by a donor-conceived blogger that wrote about Elizabeth Edwards-asking who will her kids mourn more, EE or their real mother the egg donor? It got me thinking, I got mad and then I did some more thinking. How WILL my kids feel about all this?
I will not try to predict what my kids will feel about our donor, their donor origins, but I feel more equipped each day to deal with whatever comes up for them. I hope that they will feel good enough about themselves to draw upon all that's available to them, especially from within.
The article linked in the previous post below is by a sperm donor-conceived adult in Australia...The blog post is dedicated to my Dad, Al Levine, of blessed memory.
Let me know what you think of this definition posted on the eggsploitation website for the trailer: "Eggsploitation can be defined: to plunder, pillage, rob, despoil, fleece, and strip ruthlessly a young woman of her eggs, by means of fraud, coercion or deception, to be used selfishly for another's gain, with a total lack of regard for the well-being of the donor."
I consider it an honor to speak publicly about this and would like to hear from anyone who has something they'd like to share with me regarding their feelings about this film, the issues it is raising, how its presented,anything at all,and as always,it will remain confidential as we talk about it more via phone or email before next Thursday.
A very timely article was posted yesterday that I wrote about on my below. Long story short, a few months ago I was quite taken aback by a donor-conceived blogger that wrote about Elizabeth Edwards-asking who will her kids mourn more, EE or their real mother the egg donor? It got me thinking, I got mad and then I did some more thinking. How WILL my kids feel about all this?
I will not try to predict what my kids will feel about our donor, their donor origins, but I feel more equipped each day to deal with whatever comes up for them. I hope that they will feel good enough about themselves to draw upon all that's available to them, especially from within.
The article linked in the previous post below is by a sperm donor-conceived adult in Australia...The blog post is dedicated to my Dad, Al Levine, of blessed memory.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
From Australia:True fatherhood is not about biology | smh.com.au
I miss my dad a lot lately, and not the genetic one,but my real father. He would have been completely in love with his beautiful granddaughters that he never got to meet-and they him- as much as he loved the beautiful granddaughters that he did get to meet.
Its almost 11 years that he is gone.
This blog post is dedicated to the one and only, Al Levine. I love you Dad.
Very interesting perspective from Australia in the article attached below..
http://m.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/true-fatherhood-is-not-about-biology-20110321-1c3px.html
Its almost 11 years that he is gone.
This blog post is dedicated to the one and only, Al Levine. I love you Dad.
Very interesting perspective from Australia in the article attached below..
http://m.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/true-fatherhood-is-not-about-biology-20110321-1c3px.html
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Family StoriesWorkshop Talking to Children about Donor Origins Date Saturday April 2, 2011
THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR PARENTS,
parents-to-be and professionals who
would like to learn how to talk to
children about their family origins.
Please return registration form and check to: Judith Kottick, LCSW, 110 Christopher Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
Seating is limited. Pre-registration strongly recommended. Payment must be received in order to confirm your registration. Cancellations must be
received at least three days prior to the event for a refund. For additional information call (973) 746-7370 or email judykottick@comcast.net.
Workshop Schedule
8:30-9:00 Registration and Coffee
9:00-10:15 Creating the Family Story:
Conversations for parents about
donor and surrogacy
10:15-10:45 Identity Formation: How children
develop a stable sense of self
10:45-11:30 Refreshments and round table
discussions with professionals
and peers
11:30-12:00 Children’s book review: Using
picture books to tell your child’s story
12:00-1:00 Panel discussion: Parents and
donor-conceived children bring to
life the disclosure process
PROFESSIONALLY LED WORKSHOP DEVELOPED BY
JUDITH KOTTICK, LCSW
Judith Kottick, LCSW (www.jkfertilitycounseling.com)
Director of Fertility Counseling and Consulting Services, a psychotherapist
and recognized expert in the field of reproductive counseling, consultant to
fertility programs in the tri-state area with a specialty in egg donation and
gestational surrogacy.
AD D I T IONA L SP E A K E R S
Nancy Freeman-Carroll, Psy.D, Psychologist and Psychoanalyst,
adjunct faculty at Pace University, Yeshiva University, Rutgers University.
Mindy R. Schiffman, Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist and Sex Therapist,
NYU Fertility Center, Clinical Instructor, NYU School of Medicine.
Allegra Heart Epstein, High school student, donor egg child.
N A M E
A D D R E S S
P H O N E
E M A I L
W H E R E D I D Y O U L E A R N O F T H I S W O R K S H O P ?
Family StoriesWorkshop
Talking to Children
about Donor Origins
Date Saturday April 2, 2011
Time 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m
Place Unitarian Church
67 Church Street
Montclair, NJ 07042
REFRESHMENTS AND HANDOUTS
INCLUDED
Workshop Registration Form: Upon receipt of this form you will be sent registration details.
Individual $ 75.00
Couple $110.00
R E G I S T R A T I O N F E E
F E R T I L I T Y C O U N S E L I N G A N D C O N S U L T I N G S E R V I C E S
Babysitting: $10/child for the morning;
children must be registered in advance.
parents-to-be and professionals who
would like to learn how to talk to
children about their family origins.
Please return registration form and check to: Judith Kottick, LCSW, 110 Christopher Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
Seating is limited. Pre-registration strongly recommended. Payment must be received in order to confirm your registration. Cancellations must be
received at least three days prior to the event for a refund. For additional information call (973) 746-7370 or email judykottick@comcast.net.
Workshop Schedule
8:30-9:00 Registration and Coffee
9:00-10:15 Creating the Family Story:
Conversations for parents about
donor and surrogacy
10:15-10:45 Identity Formation: How children
develop a stable sense of self
10:45-11:30 Refreshments and round table
discussions with professionals
and peers
11:30-12:00 Children’s book review: Using
picture books to tell your child’s story
12:00-1:00 Panel discussion: Parents and
donor-conceived children bring to
life the disclosure process
PROFESSIONALLY LED WORKSHOP DEVELOPED BY
JUDITH KOTTICK, LCSW
Judith Kottick, LCSW (www.jkfertilitycounseling.com)
Director of Fertility Counseling and Consulting Services, a psychotherapist
and recognized expert in the field of reproductive counseling, consultant to
fertility programs in the tri-state area with a specialty in egg donation and
gestational surrogacy.
AD D I T IONA L SP E A K E R S
Nancy Freeman-Carroll, Psy.D, Psychologist and Psychoanalyst,
adjunct faculty at Pace University, Yeshiva University, Rutgers University.
Mindy R. Schiffman, Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist and Sex Therapist,
NYU Fertility Center, Clinical Instructor, NYU School of Medicine.
Allegra Heart Epstein, High school student, donor egg child.
N A M E
A D D R E S S
P H O N E
E M A I L
W H E R E D I D Y O U L E A R N O F T H I S W O R K S H O P ?
Family StoriesWorkshop
Talking to Children
about Donor Origins
Date Saturday April 2, 2011
Time 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m
Place Unitarian Church
67 Church Street
Montclair, NJ 07042
REFRESHMENTS AND HANDOUTS
INCLUDED
Workshop Registration Form: Upon receipt of this form you will be sent registration details.
Individual $ 75.00
Couple $110.00
R E G I S T R A T I O N F E E
F E R T I L I T Y C O U N S E L I N G A N D C O N S U L T I N G S E R V I C E S
Babysitting: $10/child for the morning;
children must be registered in advance.
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