2010 Shows

Jan. 6: Donating Unused Frozen Embryos to Research

The vast majority of infertility patients that have left over frozen embryos prefer to donate them to research, but this option is difficult to accomplish. We will discuss how to donate to research, what research facilities are accepting, and what type of research benefits from human embryos. Our guests will be Dr. Jones is the Director of the Stem Cell Laboratory at the WiCell Research Institute, Professor of Ob/Gyn at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a board certified High-complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD). He derived the first five hES stem cell lines; and Dr. Renee Reijo Pera, director of human embryonic stem cell research and education for the Stanford University Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

How can white parents raise children of color in this race conscious world? Our guest to talk about this topic will be Marguerite Wright, psychologist for the Center for the Vulnerable Child at Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland, and author of I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World. Highlights from this show

Jan. 20: Adopting an Earthquake Orphan from Haiti

Today’s show was on Adoptions from Haiti After the Earthquake. We talked about current adoption cases as well as what the future holds for adopting children orphaned by the Haitian earthquake last week. Our guests were Whitney Reitz, Branch Chief, for the International Operations Division U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Nyda Budig, Adoption Division Office of Children's Issues at the US s Tate Dept.; Rebecca Hackworth, Director of the Haitian Adoption Program at Dillon International, and Susan Cox, Vice Pres Policy and External Affairs for Holt International Highlights from this show

Jan. 27: Fetal Reduction to Reduce Risk of Triplets and More

Pregnancies of triplets, quadruplets, and above carry risks for the mother and babies, so some couples choose to reduce their multiple pregnancy down to twins. What is involved with this procedure, who is eligible, and what issues should be considered before proceeding? Our guest will be Dr. Mark I. Evans, one of the leading authorities on fetal reduction in the US, and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Highlights from this show

Feb 3: Talking About Infertility: Who, What, and How to Tell

Should you tell others that you are struggling with trying to conceive? Should you disclose that you are using donor egg or sperm? How much information should you share with your child about his conception? Join our guest Carol Fulwiler Jones, infertility therapist and author of Hopeful Heart Peaceful Mind: Managing Infertility. Highlights from this show

Feb 10: Mega Adoptive Families

I’ve always been fascinated with large, very large, families. Join us as we talk with three moms of large (8+) families that have been formed in part by adoption. How in the world do they do it? Highlights from this show

Feb 17: How To Choose An Adoption Agency

One of the biggest decisions prospective adoptive parents have to make is choosing an adoption agency. We'll talk about how to choose an international adoption agency and a domestic agency or attorney. Our guests are Laura Christianson, author of The Adoption Decision among other books; and Elizabeth Falker, author of The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Adoption. Highlights from this show

Feb 24: How to Choose An Egg Donor

The world of egg donation is scary and confusing. How much information is available on potential donors, what factors are important, how do you decide? Our guests to discuss egg donation were Theresa M. Erickson, an attorney who practices exclusively in the areas of family formation, surrogacy, egg and sperm donation and embryo donation; Nancy Block, a co-founder of the Donor Network Alliance (DNA), an online service of compiling many different donor agencies with over 5,000 donors.  Highlights from this show

March 3: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Embryo Screening

PGD and PGS offer great hope to many couples trying to prevent passing on genetic abnormalities and to couples trying to conceive without success. Much confusion exists as to the promise and failure of these procedures. Our guest is one of the leading geneticists and researchers on PGD/PGS, Dr. Mark Hughes, Professor of Genetics, Medicine and Pathology, and Director, Applied Genomics Technology Center of Michigan.  Highlights from this show

March 10: Adopting Out of Birth Order, Artificial Twinning and Other Controversies in Adoption

General adoption wisdom is that it is best not to adopt out of birth order or to create artificial twins through adoption. What are the realities of these decisions? Is it always a bad idea? Our guests are Dr. Anne Brodzinsky, psychologist and co-author of Children's Adjustment to Adoption, and Dr. Martha Henry, Director of the Office for Foster Care and Adoption at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and co-author of Adoption in the United States: A Reference for Families, Professionals, and Students. Highlights from this show

March 17: Single Parenthood by Choice

More women and men are choosing to become parents without a partner either by donor sperm, donor egg and surrogate, or adoption. What should you know before you make this choice? What advice can help you if you have already made the choice? Join our guests Mikki Morrissette, single mom through donor sperm and author of Choosing Single Motherhood, and Ann-Marie Kennedy, single mom through adoption.  Highlights from this show

March 24: Endometriosis

Endometriosis affects at least 6 million women in the US and Canada and millions more throughout the world. It’s the number one cause of pelvic pain and can affect many aspects of a woman’s health and her fertility. Our guest will be Dr. Naveed Khan, a board certified reproductive endocrinologist with Shady Grove Fertility Centers in the Washington, DC metro area who writes and speaks frequently on the treatment of endometriosis.  Highlights from this show

March 31: Getting the Most Out of Each Visit to the Infertility Clinic

What should you expect when you go to an infertility clinic? How can you make the most of each visit? Listen to our panel of head nurses at three of the leading infertility clinics in the US. Infertility nurses are, in my not so humble opinion, the unsung heroes of infertility treatment.  Highlights from this show

April 7: Panel Discussion with Adult Transracial Adoptees

Join us for a frank discussion with the real experts—adults of color who were adopted by white parents as children. They can tell us much about what worked, what didn’t, what they would suggest to this generation of transracial adoptive parents. Our adoptees were adopted domestically, as well as from Korea, China, and Colombia.

April 14: Raising a Child With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Drug Exposure

What are the risk factors for adopting a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. What’s the prognosis for children who have been exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. Our guest will be Dr. Julian Davies, a pediatrician that specializes in both adoption medicine and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

April 21: What is Happening with Russian Adoptions/Raising a Child with Attachment Issues

We’ve heard of the Tennessee mother that “returned” her son to Russia because he was acting out. Is this the norm? Are children who struggle with attachment doomed to a life of violence and lack of relationships? What can parents do to help their children attach and thrive in family life. Join our guests Sue Gainor, Chair of the parent support groups Friends of Russia and Ukrainian adoption, and a psychologist that specializes in attachment therapy. 

April 28: The Immunological Connection in Infertility and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Does the immune system play a role in infertility and miscarriages? What are the signs that your immune system is causing your problems and what can you do about it. Our guest is Dr. Danny Schust, a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, Chief of the Infertility Division at Columbia Regional Hospital, and researcher in the area of the immunological connections in infertility and miscarriages and their treatment.

May 5: Family Building Options for the LGBT Community 

What options does the LGBT community have for building their families as either singles or couples? Join our guests Attorney Will Hahn of the National Fertility Law Center and Barbara Casey, Director of Adoption Associates, LLC.  Highlights from this show

May 12: Happily Ever After: Unexpected Bumps in Adoptive Parenting

You’ve filled out forms, you were interviewed and inspected, you waited, you hoped, you prayed. Now you finally have your long awaited child, but life is not exactly what you thought it would be.  Join our guests to talk about some of the unexpected bumps of adoptive parenting.  We will talk with adoption therapists, Mari Itzkowitz, with the Center for Adoption Support and Education in Virginia and Rita Taddonio, the Director of the Adoption Resource Center at Spence Chapin Services to Families and Children in New York City.  

May 19: Open Adoption

Most domestic adoptions are “open”, but what does that mean? How does it work in real life? Is it best for adoptive families, birth families, and most important—the kids. Our guests will include Dawn Friedman ,an adoptive mom, and Jenna Hatfield, a birth mom, both in open adoptions and both blogging on the ups and downs of open adoption. We will also have Kris Faasse, Bethany's national Director of Adoption Services with more than 15 years of experience with open adoptions.  Highlights from this show

May 26: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Recurrent pregnancy loss, or miscarriage, is a little understood occurrence and is devastating to parents and doctors. Join our guest Dr. William Kutteh, Director of Fertility Associates of Memphis and researcher in the field of recurrent pregnancy loss, and Dr. Jeff McKeeby, with Shady Grove Fertility to talk about diagnosis and treatment. Highlights from this show

June 2: How to Choose a Surrogate

What factors should you consider when choosing a surrogate? How does this decision differ from decisions with other forms of assisted reproductive technology? Our guests will be Jamie Williams, Surrogacy Case Manager for The Surrogacy Source, a full service surrogacy agency. Jamie brings first hand experience having been a gestational surrogate. Stephanie Caballero, founder of Extraordinary Conceptions, a California based egg donation and surrogacy center. She is an attorney specializing in Surrogacy, Egg Donation and Adoption law, and a mom through surrogacy.  Highlights from this show

June 16: How to Prepare an Adoptive Parent Profile for Domestic Adoption

Prospective adoptive parents must prepare a profile of themselves to be submitted to expectant mothers who are considering making an adoption plan for their child. What should you include, what should you leave out, how to present? Our guests to discuss adoptive parents life books are Guylaine Hubbard-Brosmer, an adoption consultant with Independent Adoption Center (IAC), and Vickye Schultz, Vice President of Domestic Adoption for the Gladney Center for Adoption.  Highlights from this show

June 23: Male Infertility / Male Fertility

Infertility affects both males and females. Our guests to talk about male fertility for those trying to conceive will be Dr. Ash Kshirsagar , a urologist with fellowship training in Male Infertility & Andrology. He practices in Fairfax Virginia where he is the head of male infertility for Potomac Urology and also sees patients at The Genetics & IVF Institute; Dr. Kris Bevilacqua, an infertility therapist that practices with Genesis Fertility & Reproductive Medicine in Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York; and Dr. Stephen Lincoln, a board certified reproductive endocrinologist who practices with Genetics & IVF Institute and was featured in Northern Virginia magazine’s February 2010 list of "Top-Rated Doctors." Highlights from this show

July 7: Avoiding Domestic Adoption Scams

Adoption scams can happen with Domestic Infant Adoption. Today we will talk about How to recognize and avoid an adoption scam in domestic adoptions. Our guests will be Brenda Horrocks, an adoptive mom and adoption scam victim, and Suzanne B. Nichols, an adoption attorney.  Highlights from this show

July 14: Haitian Orphans Six Months After the Quake

What has happened to the children of Haiti in the six months since the earthquake. Are Haitian adoptions being processed? Will Haiti allow international adoptions? What can we do to help the children and orphans of Haiti? Highlights from this show

July 21: Psychology of Donor Conceived Children

Children conceived from artificial insemination are growing up. How are they doing and what can parents do to help. Join our guests Anne Catherine Hundhausen, director of the documentary Single Choice: Many Lives; and Dr. Joanna Scheib, assistant adjunct professor in the Psychology Department at the University of California, Davis, and Research Director at the Sperm Bank of California, the only non-profit sperm bank in the United States. Her specializes in research on psychosocial issues related to donor insemination and reproduction.