Victoria Hopewell

Being An Egg Donor

March 26, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

This week on In Search of Fertility, I interviewed an egg donor named Colby. Colby donated four times previously. She wanted to help other women have a much desired baby. Colby felt that she was giving her eggs but the resulting babies were not hers. When I used an egg donor, I too had to feel that the baby would be truly mine. I greatly appreciated hearing about egg donation from the perspective of the donor. Colby enjoyed donating so much that she plans to donate two more times and to reach the six time recommended donation limit.

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Being A Surrogate

March 14, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

Being A Surrogate Photo

A two time surrogate shares her experiences on the In Search of Fertility radio show. Sandrine Levy tells of the joy of carrying a baby, giving birth and handing the miracle infant to an ecstatic family. Her own husband and children were supportive of her being a surrogate and her best cheer leaders during the process. Now Sandrine Levy helps others to become surrogates at the Family Forward Surrogacy agency. Surrogacy is as win-win for the surrogate and the lucky parents to be.

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Finding A Surrogate

March 3, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

Surrogacy Photo

My recent guest on the radio show In Search of Fertility was Sandra Lippard of Family Forward Surrogacy. For those who need a surrogate, it is not always easy to find one. Family Forward Surrogacy can help make that happen for Americans and for women from other countries. The agency recently appeared on French TV. The French TV crew arrived to spotlight the arrival of French women who are coming to America for a surrogate. In France it is illegal to use a surrogate. Once their babies are brought home they are not even recognized as French citizens. In the United States not all states allow surrogacy, but at least the baby is recognized as a US citizen.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Family Forward Surrogacy, France surrogacy illegal, In Search of Fertility, Surrogates

Far From The Tree Features Surrogacy

February 19, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

Far From The Tree Photo

The book Far From The Tree by Andrew Solomon spotlights families with special needs children including those with dwarfism, schizophrenia and autism. The author writes about his own son at the end of the book. His son does not have a particular condition, but he was conceived with an egg donor and a surrogate. Andrew and his husband John created their son with Andrew’s sperm. They went on a donor egg hunt to find the egg donor. The surrogate came courtesy of gratitude. She was the mother of two child that her and her wife conceived from sperm donations by Andrew’s husband. She wanted to give back to her sperm donor and his husband by carrying their child. In the world of infertility there are less then six degrees of separation!

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Infertility and the Mind-Body Connection

February 13, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell 1 Comment

Psychotherapist Helen Adrienne was the radio show guest on In Search of Fertility. She wrote the book On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility. The mind-body connection can be used to lower stress. Helen writes about “letting go” techniques like hypnosis and imagery. Positive thinking is a plus, and Helen quotes one of her clients whose Irish grandmother used to say “think a good, get a good.” Helen concludes that out of the adversity of infertility can come life change and unseen benefits. I know that for myself after five IVF trials with my own eggs and two more with donor eggs, I now am able to handle most things that come my way.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: In Search of Fertility, IVF, On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility

Getting Your Money Back If You Don’t Get Pregnant!

February 1, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

Attain Fertility Centers Photo

Now if you don’t get pregnant you can get your money back! I interviewed representatives of Attain Fertility Centers on the Radio show In Search of Infertility. If you don’t get pregnant from IVF, you can get your money back from Attain! When I was trying IVF five times with my own eggs, I was going broke. I met other women in the waiting room who had maxed out their credit cards and obtained second mortgages on their homes in order to try one more IVF attempt. In the end, I did not get my baby after my five attempts with my own eggs. I would have loved a refund! Next I went on to spend even more money by using donor eggs.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Attain Fertility Centers, In Search of Fertility, IVF

Finding An Egg Donor

January 24, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

If you finally decide to use an egg donor, it can be hard to find one. I was placed on a hospital wait list for a year and a half before I was given an egg donor. Instead you can find a donor from an agency. On my radio show In Search of Fertility, I interviewed Nazca Fontes from the egg donor and surrogacy agency Conceive Abilities at conceiveabilites.com She provides important information about how to find a donor. When I was waiting for my egg donor, I was thrilled to discover that I could use an agency to find one right away. After 5 IVF attempts with my own eggs, I wasn’t going to wait years because there was a long line at the hospital donor egg bank.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Conceive Abilities, donor eggs, In Search of Fertility

Infertility and Prematurity

January 13, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

Infertility and Prematurity Photo

Kelly Damron appeared on In Search of Fertility to talk about infertility and prematurity. When there are twins or triplets from IVF there is an increased risk of prematurity. Kelly had premature twin daughters from IVF and one of them had NEC (necrotizing enterocolitus) that caused digestive issues. In the end, both girls developed normally, and they are happy, healthy miracle babies. Kelly now gives back by running support groups for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and by advocating for the rights of the infertile. She also wrote Tiny Toes: A Couple’s Journey Through Infertility, Prematurity and Depression.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: In Search of Fertility, IVF, Kelly Damron, NEC, prematurity, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association

Donor Egg Legal Contracts

January 3, 2013 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

Donor Egg Legal Contract Photo

When you use an egg donor, you don’t want the mother to come claim the baby afterwards. Also when you are a donor, you don’t want to have to pay for the college education of the egg that you donated. A donor egg legal contract protects both the donor and the recipient. New York attorney Amy Demma was a guest on the In Search of Fertility radio show. Amy specializes in donor egg contracts for both the donor and the recipient. Make sure that you are protected legally!

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Russia Halts U.S. Adoptions

December 29, 2012 by Victoria Hopewell Leave a Comment

New York Times Russian Adoption Photo

Russia officially halts all U.S. adoptions. Putin just signed it into law. All those hopeful Russian children and waiting American parents are heartbroken. Some of those Americans will have gone through failed infertility treatments as well, and now they will lose their Russian child who would have been their miracle baby. 46 nearly finalized adoptions are halted and one almost mother, Kim Summers, is left with only a photo of herself holding her baby that will remain behind in Russia. It is unfortunate that political differences have made pawns of the children.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: infertility, New York Times Russian adoption photo, Putin, Russia halts adoption