RESOLVE of New England
Fertility Treatment, Donor Choices,
and Adoption Conference

Conference 2011 Workshops





Click here to read about Question and Answer Sessions
4:20 - 5:00 pm

SESSION A 9:15 - 10:30 AM A-1 Infertility 101 - 9:15 AM–10:45 AM (Note this is 15 minutes longer than other workshops.) Learn about the infertility workup and how to interpret results, fertility medications, when to move on to IVF, success rates, new treatments on the horizon, and how to assess whether to pursue these options. – Richard H. Reindollar, MD, New Hampshire Fertility Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and Christine C. Skiadas, MD, Fertility and Reproductive Health, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates A-2 Low Ovarian Reserve and Treatment of Poor Responders This session covers ovarian reserve, the tests (FSH levels, etc.) available to evaluate it, and implications for treatment outcome. Also learn about treatment options and lab findings in the “poor responder.” – Samuel Pang, MD, Medical Director, Reproductive Science Center A-3 Tools and Techniques for Regaining Control and Enhancing Fertility Learn concrete and specific tools to reduce stress during infertility. These will include both relaxation and stress management skills. – Alice D. Domar, PhD, Executive Director, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF A-4 Egg Donation and Adoption: What is Your Next Step?    Examine the issues people face when nearing the end of treatment to enable you to make decisions about pursuing egg donation, adoption, or both. Costs, emotional, social and ethical issues will be covered. – Ellen S. Glazer, LICSW, Private Practice and author of “Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation”, and a panel of parents through adoption and egg donation A-5 Every Day Certainty Learn how to create certainty and a clear vision while dealing with the emotional, physical and spiritual journey to create your family. – Kristen Magnacca, coach, motivational speaker, and author of “Love & Infertility”, RESOLVE, Best Book 2009 award   A-6 DONOR EGG SEMINAR* Preparing the Way for Egg Donation A medical overview of the egg donor process, as well as information about donor screening, coordinating the donor with the recipient, and known and anonymous donors. – Rachel Ashby, MD, and Holly Hughes, RN, Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital A-7   Adoption: Getting Started This session provides an overview and comparison of all types of adoption: domestic, international, and foster care adoption, including strategies for starting the adoption process as well as an overview of resources. – Joan Lefler Clark, MEd, Adoptions Explained, LLC and Michelle Gordon, MSW, Department of Children & Families   A-8 Will This Child Be Mine? Family Bonding and Attachment in Adoption Gain an understanding of how bonding happens in adoptive families, the similarities and differences in parenting by birth and parenting in adoption, and the common fears about loving a child not related by blood. – Carol Sheingold, LICSW, Adoption Simplified, and Deborah Silverstein, LICSW, Focus Counseling, and panel of adoptive parents A-9 ADOPTION SEMINAR* Moving from Infertility to Adoption This discussion will explore the stages of moving into adoption, from stopping medical treatment through facing the emotional obstacles to considering adoption. – Anne Coleman, PhD, Adoption & Beyond Counseling Services *These workshop tracks are identical to our stand-alone, in-depth Adoption or Donor Egg Decision Making Seminars. SESSION B 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM  B-1 Why Infertility Shouldn’t Be Unexplained Learn the importance of an early and thorough evaluation to enable diagnosis and treatment, and review the shortcomings of proceeding with treatments that are unlikely to be successful when the cause of infertility is unknown. – R. Ian Hardy, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Fertility Centers of New England B-2 Journey Through the IVF Lab Embryologists explain how they make critical decisions during the care and development of your embryos, explaining techniques critical to the success of a cycle including development and selection of embryos, assisted hatching, ICSI, day 2, 3, 5 transfers, and more. – Lynette Scott, Ph.D., HCLD, Fertility Centers of New England, and Donna Cunningham, TS,(ABB), Reproductive Science Center of New England B-3 Pregnancy Loss: Medical and Emotional Issues A review of the clinical causes and treatments associated with miscarriage, followed by a discussion of the emotional issues and coping strategies. – Anne Devi Wold, MD, Founder, Fertility Solutions and Jennifer Burbridge, PhD Massachusetts General Hospital and private practice B-4 Embryo Donation: Is This an Option for Me? The discussion will speak to both donors and recipients about the many issues involved in embryo donation, including finding or donating embryos, social, ethical, and legal considerations. – Ellen R. Feldman, LICSW, Private Practice, and Amy Demma, JD., Law Offices of Amy Demma, a New York law practice offering services related to collaborative reproduction B-5 Navigating a Cycle: What to Expect and How to Manage Walk through an IVF cycle from the nurse’s and the patient’s perspectives, learning how to plan your life around a cycle, including both the typical process and how to manage the unexpected. – Rachel Preiss, RN, WHNP-BC, Reproductive Science Center of New England and a panel of patients   B-6 DONOR EGG SEMINAR* Finding a Donor and the Legal Issues Finding a donor using an egg donation agency, how the process works, and the costs involved. Legal issues and contracts will be covered. – Robert Nichols, Esq., President, Center for Surrogacy & Egg Donation, Inc., and Kathleen DeLisle, Esq., Nichols & DeLisle, P.C.   B-7 Paths to Successful Adoption: Adoptive Parents Speak Adoptive parents share their stories about their domestic and international adoptions, including how they made decisions along the way and advice they feel is important to share with others. – Dale Eldridge, LICSW, BCD, Coordinator of Parent Services, Adoption Choices   B-8 Transracial Adoption: Taking Steps Toward Becoming a Multicultural Family Race and culture are often used interchangeably, but are clearly different. Gain insight into issues that occur when adopting a child of a different race from your own. Included will be the impact on the extended family, what it means to be a multiracial family, and how to support your child’s racial identity. – Deb Shrier, LICSW, Director, Post Adoption Services/JF&CS Adoption Resources, and a panel of adoptive parents   B-9 ADOPTION SEMINAR* Domestic Adoption: A “How-To” Overview Learn about the options for domestic adoption and the process involved with each. The discussion will specifically address issues of costs, risks, and openness. – Marla Allisan, LICSW, JD, Director, A Full Circle Adoptions, and Betsy Hochberg, LICSW, Director, Adoption Resources *These workshop tracks are identical to our stand-alone, in-depth Adoption or Donor Egg Decision Making Seminars. SESSION C 1:30 - 2:45 PM C-1 Environmental Factors & Infertility Learn about new research that shows how chemical/environment exposures and lifestyle choices can affect fertility, and find out what changes you can make that may affect treatment outcomes. –John C. Petrozza, M.D.,Chief, Vincent Reproductive Medicine & IVF; Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, and Kristen Smith, PhD, MPH, Harvard School of Public Health   C-2 My IVF Cycle Didn’t Work: What’s Next? After a failed IVF cycle, an examination of questions to ask your doctor, changes to make in your next cycle, reasons why cycles may not work, and ideal cycle parameters. –Rita Sneeringer, MD, Boston IVF, and Lawrence Engmann, MD, Center for Advance Reproductive Services, University of Connecticut Health Center   C-3 Understanding Your Infertility Diagnosis Do you have a diagnosis for your infertility (endometriosis, PCOS, High FSH, POF, Male Factor), and want to know more about what you can do to improve your chances? This Q&A session will provide RE feedback. This session will NOT cover unexplained infertility (see session B1). – Sandra A. Carson, MD, Medical Director, Center for Reproduction and Infertility, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Robert D. Oates, MD, FACS, Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, Boston University School of Medicine C-4 Intimacy and Sex During Infertility This session addresses how the different reactions of men and women to infertility affect a couple’s relationship, how to manage conflict and rebuild trust and connection, and how to nurture emotional and sexual intimacy. – Jeffrey R. LaCure, PsyD, MSW, LICSW, Marriage and Family Therapist, Nationally Recognized Author and Clinician   C-5 Improving Wellness During Infertility Individuals and couples will learn, practice, and discuss feeling better and in control, both physically and emotionally, through research-based techniques such as the relaxation response, positive psychology, and cognitive restructuring. – Janet Fronk, CNS, President, Mind Body Medical Associates   C-6 DONOR EGG SEMINAR* Psychosocial Issues in Donor Egg Therapists will discuss the emotional and ethical issues for men and women, secrecy vs. privacy, and also deciding how/when to talk with your child and others about donor egg. – Nancy Docktor, RNCS, Private Practice, and Lynn Nichols, LICSW, Boston IVF   C-7 Financing Adoption and Egg Donation Compare adoption and egg donation from a financial perspective and learn about the costs and finances of each family building option. – Jennifer Adams, Financial Advisor, Certified Financial Planner Practitioner of Ameriprise Financial Services, Julie Richardson Tiny Treasures, LLC, and Donna Martin, Coordinator, Donor Egg/Gestational Carrier Program, Reproductive Science Center of New England   C-8 Working with Birthparents Learn how to work with birthparents, from the initial contact through the wait time, to ongoing contact after the adoption is finalized. Myths and realities related to openness will be discussed. – Paula A. Wisnewski, MSW, LICSW, Manager of Expectant Parent Services, Wide Horizons for Children, and Raquel Woodard, MSW, LICSW, BCD, Adoption Choices, and a panel of adoptive parents and birth parents   C-9 ADOPTION SEMINAR** International Adoption: A “How-To” Overview Learn the tools for making the decision to adopt internationally, selecting both the country and the agency. This session covers the home study, the new Hague requirements, health, emotional, and legal risks, costs, time frames, age restrictions, and more. – Ava Sarafan, LICSW, Wide Horizons for Children *These workshop tracks are identical to our stand-alone, in-depth Adoption or Donor Egg Decision Making Seminars. SESSION D 3:00 - 4:15 PM D-1 Infertility and Age: Medical and Emotional Issues Learn how the aging process affects fertility and which diagnostic and treatment options are appropriate, and gain understanding of the emotional issues and challenges of trying to conceive. – Cynthia Sites, MD, Division Director, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Baystate Medical Center & Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, and Emily Spurrell, PhD, Women and Infants Center for Reproduction and Infertility D-2 Knowing When to Stop Treatment: A Medical and Psychological Perspective A consideration of the medical and emotional factors that help in deciding when to end infertility treatment and move on to other options. – David Ryley, MD, Boston IVF, and Merle Bombardieri, LICSW, Private Practice/Author   D-3 Adding Complementary Therapies to Your Treatment Learn about complementary treatment modalities such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutrition and yoga that can play a role in fertility. – Jose Ruiz Lic Ac, MAOM, Dipl. OM, Family Acupuncture & Herbs of Reading, Hillary Wright, MEd, RD, Director of Nutritional Counseling, and Nancy Samotis, LICSW, RYT, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF   D-4 Dealing with the Outside World: Family, Friends, and Work Gain ideas, support, and resources for coping with the insensitive or awkward interactions with friends, family, and co-workers during the struggle and isolation of infertility. – Deborah Issokson, PsyD, Counseling for Reproductive Health and Healing   D-5 Donor Sperm and Donor Egg: Answering the Tough Questions Explore the ethical and emotional challenges of using a donor to conceive, including who, what, and when to tell, and discuss the complex feelings and issues surrounding donor conception. – Nancy Docktor, RNCS, Private Practice, and Laura Lubetsky, LICSW, Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital   D-6 DONOR EGG SEMINAR* Donor Egg Parents Speak A panel of parents through donor egg will talk about their experiences and answer questions. Included will be a discussion of how parents talk with children about their origins. – Lynn Nichols, LICSW, Boston IVF   D-7 Domestic Adoption: A “How-To” Overview Learn about the options for domestic adoption and the process involved with each. The discussion will specifically address issues of costs, risks, and openness. – Dale Eldridge, LICSW, BCD, Coordinator of Parent Services, Adoption Choices   D-8 Effects of Drug and Alcohol Exposure on Development Learn about health and developmental issues that could be a factor in adoption, including the newest data on the impact of prenatal conditions (drug use, alcohol use, smoking), and the quality and verification of information, and area resources to help you assess each situation before and after the adoption. – Linda Grey Tirella, OTD, OTRL, MHA, Co-Director, Center for Adoptive Families, Tufts Medical Center   D-9 ADOPTION SEMINAR* Paths to Successful Adoption: Adoptive Parents Speak Adoptive parents share their stories about their domestic and international adoptions, including how they made decisions along the way and advice they feel is important to share with others. – Betsy Hochberg , LICSW, Director, Adoption Resources *These workshop tracks are identical to our stand-alone, in-depth Adoption or Donor Egg Decision Making Seminars. Question and Answer Sessions 4:20 - 5:00 PM Q&A Sessions Question and Answer Sessions Attend an informal, open format question-and-answer session to gather additional information on a topic of interest. Or if you want to unwind after a long day, participate in the yoga workshops to learn basic relaxation/stress reduction techniques. Room schedules provided at the conference. Pre-registration is not needed for these sessions only. Questions for the Reproductive Endocrinologist David Ryley, MD, Boston IVF, and Sandra A. Carson, MD, Medical Director, Women and Infants Hospital, RI – Your infertility medical questions answered. Questions about Acupuncture Jose Ruiz, Lic. Ac., MAOM, Dipl. O.M., Family Acupuncture & Herbs of Reading – Questions on herbs and acupuncture, and a chance to experience acupuncture. Questions about Male Infertility Robert D. Oates, M.D., F.A.C.S. Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, Boston University School of Medicine. Questions about Egg Donation Julie Richardson, Tiny Treasures, LLC, and Robert Nichols, Esq., President, Center for Surrogacy & Egg Donation, Inc., Amy Demma, JD., Law Offices of Amy Demma, a New York law practice offering services related to collaborative reproduction Questions about Adoption Marla Allisan, LICSW, JD, Director, A Full Circle Adoptions, Betsy Hochberg , LICSW, Director, Adoption Resources, Dale Eldridge, LICSW, BCD, Coordinator of Parent Services, Adoption Choices, Anne Coleman, PhD, LMHC, Adoptions and Beyond Counseling Services. Questions about Nutrition and Diet Hillary Wright, MEd, RD, Director of Nutritional Counseling, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF and author of The PCOS Diet Plan Questions about Insurance Marymichele Delaney, Associate Director & Benefits Manager at Wellesley College, Donna Martin, Coordinator, Donor Egg/Gestational Carrier Program, Reproductive Science Center of New England. – Questions on infertility coverage, appeals process, advocating for yourself, MA insurance mandate. Participatory Yoga Workshop Nancy Samotis, LICSW, RYT, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF. Relax at the end of a long day and learn some yoga techniques. Organizing your IVF Cycle Stephanie Fry, Author The IVF Companion Get ideas on how to be organized during your infertility journey to help reduce stress