Building your family

Nutrition and Acupuncture: how to support a pregnancy

If you have been up and down the fertility roller-coaster, you have spent a great deal of time, effort and money trying to have a baby, but have likely had little time to think about the pregnancy.
Or, if you are like me, you may feel too nervous to think about the pregnancy for fear of jinxing it or setting yourself up for possible disappointment. 
However, at some point, you need to turn your thoughts to the pregnancy. Whether you are getting pregnant, or working with someone who will be carrying the pregnancy for you, there is much to learn.
In this episode, Aimee Raupp will tell us what we need to know about supporting the pregnancy and the baby. She is a nutritionist and an acupuncturist and has taught hundreds of people how make changes, big and small, to support the pregnancy and have a better delivery.
She talks about helpful foods, how to remove toxins from your environment, the benefits of acupuncture, and how to decipher what is most important from the issues that are not as important. Her advice is invaluable. 
Aimee will teach us not to be so hard on ourselves and provide us with simple and easy to implement tips that can be beneficial for everyone.
 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
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Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
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Camille Guaty’s fertility journey part 2

I hope you were able to watch or listen to Camille Guaty's interview last week.  She is an American film and television actress, and can currently be seen on the HBO Max series, Duster.
In this first part of the interview, we learned about her infertility discovery, the struggle to keep it secret, juggling life and work on the set, suffering inside, and ultimately coming to terms with the idea of donor conception and more. In the second episode you will learn how Camille navigated treatment and the donor conception process, which was not simple.  You will also hear how she and her husband came to a better understanding of each other, and how she feels about her donor and parenthood now...with a new lens. Camille gives us a window into her world, and her transformation to parenthood. She is the first celebrity to be fully open about her donor conception story, and hopefully not the last.  Camille is a trailblazer, and we are so appreciative she has shared her story with us.
Enjoy!
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
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Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
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Camille Guaty’s fertility journey

Camille Guaty-Kaye is an American film and television actress, and can currently be seen on the HBO Max series, Duster. By far, Camille’s favorite role is being a Mom.  Unfortunately, this was the most difficult part for her to get.  
In this two-part interview, we explore Camille’s fertility journey, preconceived thoughts about her cultural background, her fears about donor conception, the rollercoaster of treatment, and her determination to get pregnant.  
This is such an inspiring and heartfelt episode. Camille generously shares her life struggles, and reveals experiences that many have, but rarely discuss.
She is the first celebrity to be fully open about her donor conception story and we are so grateful she shared it with us.  Her generosity and warm heart are truly extraordinary.
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
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Cultural and racial obstacles

Dr. Loree Johnson is a mental health professional, a former fertility patient, and an advocate for visibility, representation and for helping people who want to have a child have an easier journey.
After her own experience of fertility treatments, losses, and nearly  deciding to live child free, Loree decided to help others for whom getting and staying pregnant is not easy.
As a black woman, she understands the cultural pressure to be fertile, the reality of struggling to have a child when your career or lack of a partner has left you with "old eggs", the maternal health risks for black women and the importance for representation at your doctor's office. 
In this episode, she digs into these issues and more.  I found her perspective to be illuminating. I am sure you will agree.
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
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Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

She loves being an open donor

Megan was a fertility nurse who works for an egg donor agency, and...is a donor!  
On this podcast, Megan shares her experience as a fertility nurse. She understands, first hand, how painful the process of moving to donor conception can be, and talks about how she doesn't want her recipients to feel any pressure.
At the same time, she is keenly aware of the importance of openness and is glad to be in touch with future offspring if they desire.
Megan may sound too good to believe, but through my experience creating an open donor program, I have found that many donors have big hearts and rational minds like Megan.
Megan doesn't know if she will ever have children of her own, but she is glad to help others build the families they desire.
So many people worry about what donors are thinking.  Tune in this week to hear from a lovely one!
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
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Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

The Guide to Donor Conception

My book is finally here! After decades of personal and professional experience, I have created a book to help you have an easier journey to parenthood. My hope is that the book will make the path to parenthood easier, provide you with easy to digest medical and genetic information and provide you with helpful tools to talk to your children about their origins and reduce your stress. I wish I had a book like this when I was trying to build my family. My hope is it serves you well and feel free to reach out to me anytime.
xo Lisa
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
Order the book today at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Stress reduction techniques for family building

In this episode, you will get a sneak peek into a part of my book that is helpful for everyone, stress reduction. At the end of my upcoming book, Building Your Family, The Complete Guide to Donor Conception, I share helpful ways to think about stress reduction.  You can pre-order the book here, https://a.co/d/eAWe35c,
Family building is often difficult, especially when you need assistance.  Reducing your stress is the best way to reach clarity on the decisions you'll need to make, manage the rollercoaster of the process, and the accompanying emotions, and to maintain strong connections with the people who matter most to you.  In this week’s podcast, I will give you an abbreviated version of how to plan out your stress reduction strategies based on your current situation. We often try strategies that are popular, seem easy or appealing in some way, or we take guidance from friends and family. While this may sometimes lead to good outcomes, finding the best way to manage stress may necessitate using a variety of techniques, or trying things in a different way. This video is pretty short so it wont take long to check it out. It may help you manage your stress so that you can achieve any goal that is important to you.
And, as always, feel free to reach out to me. I am here for you.
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
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Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

I was a single mom by choice

Kat Curtin is the incoming President for Single Mother's By Choice.  She has big shoes to fill, but she will fill those shoes perfectly because Kat understands the journey personally and professionally. She runs a coaching practice, and has been a member of Single Mother's by Choice for years.  In her own life, she has undergone every kind of treatment you can imagine, including surrogacy and donor conception.  She has suffered through loss and has had to work multiple jobs to pay for her treatment. Now she is the happy mom of a beautiful little girl.
Why do I say Kat "was" a single mom? Because she is now happy in a committed relationship. She can dispel lots of myths about men not being interested in women who have children who were created with donor sperm, or that it's impossible to date when one has a toddler.
Kat has been thorough a lot, but she will tell you why it is all worth it.  So, if you are considering single parenthood, know someone who is considering single parenthood, or just need some inspiration for your journey, this will be a great episode for you.
Xo 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
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Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

Genetic counselor helps you be your own advocate

Amber Gamma is the lead genetic counselor for IVI RMA and the incoming Chair for the Genetics Professional Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. She is the perfect person to tell us how to understand genetics when using donor conception to have a child.
There is so much to know, and so much you can do to increase the odds of having a healthy child.  Amber walks us through many issues to consider when using donor conception to build your family.  Here are a few:
• What to do when your clinic does not have an in-house genetic counselor• How to understand dominant and recessive carrier screening• The importance of weighing genetic risk with a known donor• Information to consider when you are matching your genetics with your donors’ genetics• Why it is helpful to continue to attempt to get medical information from your donor or related relatives over time
To learn about these subjects, and more, tune into this episode. Whether you are choosing a donor, or have already used donor conception to build your family, you will be glad you did.
Xo
 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
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Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM
 

A close look into donor screening before testing

I have known Dee Svedberg for decades, so I can tell you that she's smart, thoughtful, and truly cares about the well-being of each patient and donor.  She attends industry meetings, even when she doesn't need to go, and always tries to make the donor conception experience better for the donor and recipient while also maintaining FDA and ASRM guidelines and requirements.  Not an easy feat. That is why I thought she'd be a perfect guest for the show.
If you are considering donor conception, it's important to go to a reliable source. The process necessitates that the basic rules are followed but there is so much that is also left up to each professional’s discretion. 
Our doctors should be kind, thoughtful, ethical, forward thinking, skilled and experienced, right?  Yet, a doctor who is only thoughtful about his work, and skilled enough to become licensed, can become a doctor. In previous episodes, I have stressed that you should look for all of these qualities in your therapist and lawyer as well.  In this episode, you will hear from an excellent professional who possesses all of these qualities.
Dee will take you through her process, from the moment a donor first contacts the clinic through the egg retrieval. She will share the issues she considers when donors want to be candidates, but may not be the best donors. She will talk about the FDA requirements and why we have them, and how she shepherds the donor through the process, with multiple appointments, procedures and professionals, and holds her hand every step of the way.
For any of you who are not familiar with this process, you will find it fascinating.  If you happen to be choosing a donor, having greater knowledge about the screening process will give you reassurance that more than you may know goes into screening.  Hearing Dee share her experiences may also help you feel more connected to the process your donor will undergo.   
I hope you find this episode helpful and, of course, feel free to reach out any time.  I am here to make your journey easier. Xo
 
 
If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this episode...
Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecenterforfamilybuilding
You can also find me and lots of great resources at https://familybuilding.net/
Join our community, We would love to have you. https://familybuilding.net/newsletter-sign-up/
Author: Building Your Family; The Complete Guide to Donor Conception https://read.macmillan.com/lp/building-your-family/
Follow me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecenterforfamilybuilding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyBuild
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@familybuildingcenter
Looking for My Lifebook? https://a.co/d/deSACrM