Creating a Family: Talk about Infertility and Adoption

I will interview Karen Foli, author of The Post Adoption Blues about the signs and symptoms of post-adoption depression, who is at risk, and what works to help the parent and family.

I will interview Gregory Keck, author of Parenting the Hurt Child and renowned expert in attachment and bonding. We’ll talk about warning signs of attachment issues, RAD, and what parents can do.

I will interview Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, a developmental psychologist who specializes in families formed using assisted reproductive technology. We’ll talk about how to answer the big questions that may arise, how to explain their origins and if you even should. Dre Ehrensaft is the author of the book Mommies, Daddies, Donors, Surrogates.

I will interview Dr. Jane Aronson, international adoption doctor and founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation, about the common health issues found in internationally adopted kids. We’ll discuss fetal alcohol syndrome, parasites, AIDS, attachment issues and the typical affects of institutionalization.

I will interview Mary Hopkins-Best, author of Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft, about the unique rewards and challenges of adopting a toddler. We will discuss the differences between toddler and infant adoption, how toddlers grieve, and transition tips.

I will interview Dr. Alice Domar on the connection between our minds and our health and how that impacts fertility. Dr. Domar is the author of Conquering Infertility and Healing Mind, Healthy Woman. Dr. Domar has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Dateline NBC, CNN and the CBS and NBC Evening News discussing this topic.

I will interview Linda Harvey, founder and editor of PCOS Today Magazine, on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. We’ll talk about diagnosis, finding a doctor, working with the medical community, infertility, and other ways PCOS can affect your life.

I will interview Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, a family therapist specializing in adoptive families and author of the book The Family of Adoption. We will discuss how to talk with kids about adoption, how to help our kids feel good about themselves, and how does parenting an adopted child differ from parenting a birth child. Dr. Pavao has over 30 years experience working with families formed through adoption and was adopted herself.

I will interview Ellen Glazer , author of Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation, about the ethical, legal, economic, and emotional considerations of choosing to have a baby through egg donation. We will discuss how to find and select an egg donor, who should you tell, and how it affects the marriage and parenting relationships.

I will interview Dr. Randine Lewis, author of The Infertility Cure, about using traditional Chinese medicine on its own or in combination with the latest Western-based reproductive technology to increase your odds of having a healthy baby.

I will interview Sherrie Eldridge, author of the books Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew and Forever Fingerprints, about the 20 key issues that can potentially damage relationships between adoptees and their families and what parents can do to help.

I will interview Dr. Linda D. Applegarth, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Psychological Services at the Center for Reproductive Medicine & Infertility Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Applegarth has over 20 years experience in infertility counseling. We will talk about how to survive and even thrive while in treatment, how to decide whether and when to use donor eggs and sperm, and should you tell the kids?

I will interview , adoption and infertility educator and advocate and author of the new book Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families. We will talk about how infertility affects parenting and how to transition from infertility to adoption. Pat is also the author of Understanding Infertility, Taking Charge of Infertility, Launching a Baby’s Adoption, and Adoption is a Family Affair.

I will interview Deborah Gray, a clinical social worker specializing in attachment issues and author of the book "Attaching in Adoption". Ms. Gray has worked for over 20 years in counseling adoptive and foster families as well as adoptees and foster kids. We will talk about what to expect when you are first home, what is normal, what is worrisome behavior, what parents can do to help with attachment, and how to tell if your child is at risk.

I will interview Susan Caughman, editor of Adoptive Families Magazine, about the questions families often ask at the beginning. Should you choose domestic or international, what if you are ready but your spouse is not, how to choose a country if you decide on international?