Creating a Family: Talk about Infertility and Adoption

Legilsation in various states could affect whether infertility treatment is available or whether you can afford infertility treatment.

A panel of adults who were adopted transracially as babies will answer questions about transracial adoption from the child's perspective. The panel will consist of Asian, black and Hispanic adoptees.

Are you ready for a child but haven't found Mr. or Ms. Right? What's it really like to be a single parent, and how do you juggle it all? I will interview Jane Mattes, psychotherapist and founder of Single Mothers by Choice to explore the issues involved with deciding to become a single parent by adoption, sperm donation, or egg donation and surrogacy.

Are we entering a brave new world of designer babies. We will discuss embryo screening: what it can and can’t do, who should consider it, and what advancements are on the horizon. I will interview Dr. Kathryn J. Go, Scientific & Laboratory Director, Reproductive Science Center of New England.

What is the risk of adopting a child with FAS. What countries have the highest risk. What are the signs. My guest will be Dr. Julian Davies, one of the world’s leading experts on FASD and adoption. He holds positions as a pediatrician at both the Center for Adoption Medicine at the University of Washington, and at the University of Washington FAS Clinic, the longest standing FAS center in the US.

What to do when you want to adopt, but your hubby doesn't. What if your extended family gives you grief about your adoption plans. My guest, Dr. Marlou Russell, a psychologist specializing in adoption and family communication, and author of Adoption Wisdom: A Guide to the Issues and Feelings of Adoption will help us wade through these common problems.

I will interview Dr. David Hoffman, Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist about the most common myths surrounding infertility and IVF.

I will interview Dr. Cappy Rothman, founder of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and the medical director of the California Cryobank, the world's largest sperm bank, about the causes and treatment for male infertility.

I will interview Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of The Connected Child and Director of the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University, about attachment in adoption, and how to build family connections.

I will interview Sue Gainor, Chairperson for the national parental support group, Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption; Carol Nelson, Director of Intake with Christian World Adoption; and Jamie Herlich, European Programs Manage for WACAP. We will discuss the current status of adoption from Russia Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria and other Eastern European and Central Asian countries.

We will discuss one cause of unexplained infertility—an immunological incompatibility. I will interview Dr. Edward Winger (Immunologist)and Jane Reed (coauthor of Is Your Body Baby-Friendly?: Unexplained Infertility, Miscarriage & IVF Failure).

I will interview Dr. Marcelle Cedars, director of the University of California at San Francisco Center for Reproductive Health about the symptoms, causes and treatments for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Cedars is a specialist in the fields of PCOS, in vitro fertilization, and perimenopause.

I will interview Dr. Tony Tan, a researcher with the China Adoption Research Program at the University of South Florida, and Joshua Zhong, cofounder of Chinese Children Adoption International.

I will interview Judy Stigger, author of Conspicuous Families, and Susan Cox, adoption worker and adult Korean adoptee about the pros and cons of transracial adopting and how it affects the family.

I will interview Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, author of Raising Your Spirited Child, on parenting tips for raising a child who doesn’t fit the mold or is a little higher maintenance.