Testimonials

The Topic of Disclosure: To Tell Or Not To Tell When Conceiving A Child Through Egg Donation

The decision to have a child with donor eggs is an emotional journey. The path up to making the decision is one that has been rocky and laden with obstacles and hurdles. Fortunately most couples that decide to use an egg donor to build their family eventually feel relief and hope that they have an alternative way to build their family. Unfortunately, along with that relief and hope usually comes fear and uncertainty about answering the questions, “Do we tell our child?” and “How do we tell our child?”

Most mental health professionals support disclosing to children the origins of their conception. The belief is based in part on the notion that people have a right to know their genetic origins. Deciding to disclose or not is a personal choice, and one that can only be made by mom and dad. It is an extremely important and impactful decision that will have lifelong implications. It is important to be well informed of consequences of disclosing or not. One excellent article that offers such information can be found here on the Resolve website at www.resolve.org. You can find the article “Disclosure Issues Fact Sheet” on the downloads/factsheets page of their website.

For information on using egg donation to build your family, contact us today!

Epigenetics and Donor Egg Conception in Kansas City

The theory of epigenetics, which has been supported by research findings, gives mothers who conceive utilizing an egg donor assurance they are uniquely influencing the development of their baby.  This fascinating field offers much needed reassurance to intended mothers who utilize an egg donor to conceive, that they are the biological mother to their child.

The field of epigenetics states that the “activation” of genes is greatly influenced by many different factors that are outside of the gene itself.  These factors are termed epigenetic factors.  What we know about epigenetic factors inform us that the expression of genes begins in the womb.  The woman carrying the child, and her internal environment, greatly influence how a baby’s genes are expressed.

Those considering utilizing an egg donor to have a baby can now know that the birth mother influences what her child will be like at a genetic level.  Your child will be biologically and uniquely influenced by you before he/she is even born!  To learn more about using an egg donor in to have a baby, contact us today.

The Emotional Aspects of Having a Child Through Donor Egg in Kansas City

There are many practical considerations involved in building your family when using donor eggs.  Decisions such as which fertility clinic you will work with, how to  find a donor egg agency you can trust, learning about treatment costs and how to pay for treatment.  These are all very important and necessary points to consider and decisions to make.

Sometimes intended parents begin the process of answering these questions and trying to make decisions prematurely.  There is an emotional process and stages that intended parents must go through to be fully prepared to embrace a child conceived through egg donation.  Some people move through the stages quickly, others take a longer period of time.  The process is very similar to the grieving process one goes through when there is a death of a loved one.  Grieving is part of the emotional process for those that are considering using donor eggs to build their family too.

The important point is to not push yourself and accept that if the idea of using donor egg to build your family makes you angry or sad, you likely are not fully ready to consider the option.  If you would like help in getting through the emotional process involved with considering donor egg to build your family, contact us today and we can help!

Finding A Gestational Surrogate On Your Own In Kansas City: Is it worth it?

Building your family through gestational surrogacy is expensive, and the idea of eliminating the expense of using an agency seems like a good idea.  But is it?  Of course the answer to that question is not an easy one, and you may not know until you actually give it a try.  Sometimes it does work out, but many times it does not.  I have heard countless stories of couples that have not only wasted their money on gestational surrogate candidates that did not work out, but more importantly, they wasted TIME!  If you are relying on an advertisement that a candidate posts on a site that is written to entice you to contact them, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!  Many women who post advertisements offering their services to be a gestational surrogate are not good candidates in general, or they may not be the right candidate for you.  A reputable agency like Pathways To Parenthood offers intended parents and gestational surrogates a layer of protection and expertise that greatly increases the chances of a successful outcome for all parties.  Contact us today to learn how we can help you find your gestational surrogate.