Egg Donors

I was recently asked an interesting question - something that I had not really pondered before then. A family member asked me if we thought we would ever tell our children that they were conceived through IVF. My initial reaction was that no, I probably wouldn't tell them since if they had been conceived in the back of the Chevy or on a white sand beach they wouldn't have that information either. But, as I began to think about it I revised my opinion. our children know from the time that they can remember that they are adopted, and special, and chosen. My husband was adopted and he was adamant that it was one of the best… [more]

Another great thing that I learned from this article from iVillage was first off, how the level of information shared must be age appropriate to your own child. If you do decide to disclose your child's beginnings to them, then needing to be prepared for each stage and also the level of questions that it may bring will be beneficial to all involved. The ranges of questions that they put up for example included the questions below which begin at the preschool level and conclude in adolescence. Which I suppose could also continue into adulthood. "Where did I come from?" "How did I get inside you?" How was I made?" "What's an ovum donor?" "What's a genetic parent?" "What made you pick this donor?" "Will I ever meet my donor?" "If… [more]

Talking with Children about Ovum Donation I am in the process of reading the above article in order to learn more about ovum donation and to also learn if there are any good ideas about sharing adoption with children as well. You never know where a great idea will pop up for your own use. And from the initial reading of this article by Gloria Demby, C.S.W. and Patricia Mendell, C.S.W. there are a lot of things that have brought to mind that I hadn't considered. From the beginning, I am already learning new things. First of all there are people that believe that secrecy is the best option in this case. I wasn't aware of this arm of fertiilty. I know that this used to… [more]

Here's an ad that appeared in the campus newspaper at the Ivy League university where I teach (I've done them a favor of correcting some of the punctuation): EGG DONORS NEEDED $20,000 (PLUS ALL EXPENSES). We are seeking women who are attractive, under the age of 29, non-smoker, SAT 1300+, physically fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you have a desire to help an infertile family and would like more information, please contact us...." $20K? SAT 1300+. The ad preceding that one requested a donor who is "slim" and "over 5'3"" They should both have read, Do you want to help out a rich and picky picky infertile couple? I was aghast at many items in these ads, but the… [more]