Fertility psychotherapist, Jana Rupnow, interviews parents, donor conceived individuals and professionals about the challenges and dilemmas of assisted reproductive technology baby-making and the expect-able tensions between positive and negative feelings that come along the way when, instead of baby makes three; three makes baby.
Episodes
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Eric is a father to two teenagers who were donor conceived and started a blog 15 years ago called "Life as Dad to Donor Insemination (DI) Kids." His experience is invaluable to younger parents just starting their journey.
Eric has a child-centered focus and shares his experience with dc feelings, including anger and ambivalence. He addresses the challenges that dc adults have faced with banks and consequences of dishonesty. Eric shares with host, Jana Rupnow, how parents can cope with feelings of guilt and how to have an ongoing conversation with your kids as they grow.
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Enhance your bonding and attachment to your baby by using this visualization before or during pregnancy.
Three Makes Baby Audiobook, Exercise #12, is narrated by the author, Jana Rupnow, and will help you to overcome any obstacles making it more challenging for you to bond with your baby.
Thursday Nov 05, 2020
Thursday Nov 05, 2020
Raised by a single mom, Kyle shares his experiences about knowing that he was sperm donor conceived at an early age. We do a deep dive into several important topics, like, telling your child about their conception and avoiding the learned shame that a stigma can cause in family life.
Parents commonly tell me they want to wait to tell their child until they are teenagers but Kyle has advice for parents. (You’ll have to listen to hear it.) 😉
Kyle also explains how uncovering previously unknown genetic information added value to life and explored the reasons that tracking half-siblings are important.
#spermdonation #podcast #singlemom #solomom #dcadult #donorconceived #dcperspective
Monday Oct 12, 2020
Monday Oct 12, 2020
Renee and Tom manage grief as a couple on their long road of fertility treatments.
Friday Sep 25, 2020
Friday Sep 25, 2020
Jana Rupnow collaborated with FIVE parents of donor conceived children from FOUR countries (🏴 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 🇺🇸) to bring you a thoughtful dialogue about difficult topics surrounding donor conception. PART 2
Five parents of dc children ranging in age from several months old to fifteen years old, discuss topics that donor conceived adults struggle with and explore how they might handle these issues with their children. They did this to help open the dialogue about donor conception, understand the donor conceived viewpoint and help educate others.
I asked each parent this question: What are your thoughts on anonymity? How do you feel about your story of infertility vs your child's story?
Some DC adults express fears over accidental dating of half-siblings in anonymous situations? How will you address this?
Tuesday Sep 22, 2020
Tuesday Sep 22, 2020
Male factor infertility contributes to approx 30-40% of all fertility related problems. Unfortunately, azoospermia (zero sperm) is a condition that is becoming more common. .
So guys, I advise you to test your fertility early. Yes, before you’re even thinking of a family.
This kit by @yospermtest is a simple screening test that can help you identify issues with your count. It works with your smart phone and even gives you a video you can send to your doctor. I’ll be doing a story about how the test works soon! .
#spermtest #malefactorinfertility #infertility #ttc #varicocele #azoospermia
Monday Sep 14, 2020
Monday Sep 14, 2020
Jana Rupnow collaborated with FIVE parents of donor conceived children from FOUR countries (🏴 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 🇺🇸) to bring you a thoughtful dialogue about difficult topics surrounding donor conception.
These “fantastic five” parents,
@sarahbethhumphreys, @definingmum, @pursuingfatherhood, @donorconceptionandbeyond and @vincelondini
discuss topics that donor conceived adults struggle with and explore how they might handle these issues with their children. They did this to help open the dialogue about donor conception, understand the donor conceived viewpoint and help educate others.
AND 🥁
I asked each parent this question:
Some donor conceived adults express a distaste for the business aspect of donor conception, feeling like a product or commodity. What are your thoughts? How might you respond if your child asks about the money exchange involved in their conception?
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Fifteen years ago, Vince received news from a doctor that he had “complete azoospermia” and he describes how confusing and shocking that moment was.
He openly speaks about infertility to help other men with issues that impacts men with male factor infertility like masculinity, passing on the family name, and how society impacts a man with infertility, especially the imposed shame.
He also leads a support group in Ontario, Canada and is involved with Donor Conception Canada. Vince (@vincelondini).
#spermdonation #mfi #malefactorinfertility #azoospermia #infertility #fertility
Monday Sep 07, 2020
Monday Sep 07, 2020
Brittany used an egg donor to conceive and bravely shared her feelings about letting go of the biological child she couldn’t have. She’s back to share an update and some frustrating information about the egg donation process that she learned during her pregnancy.
Donors are supposed to be limited to a certain number of donations both for health risks and long-term family management issues. In other words, to avoid the complications that come with having an unmanageable amount of half-siblings. Unfortunately, this limit is not enforceable and intended parents must rely on the ethics of agencies, clinics and banks.
#eggdonation #eggdonor #ethics #deivf #spermdonation #donorconception
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
Emma, a Donor Conceived Adult & Triplet of a Single, Gay Mom Shares Thoughts about Her "Biological Father"
Emma is donor conceived and knew about her conception "before she understood." Her "superhero" mom used a donor to conceive and had triplets. She shares how she wondered about her biological father and tried to put together the pieces of him by looking at traits of her 100+ half-siblings.