This article originally appeared in Everything Conceivable, the official newsletter of ConceiveAbilities.
Click here to view the original version.

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, the field of family building can feel like a cross-country marathon. Autumn is a time of whirlwind conferences, seminars and continuing education opportunities, as well as fundraisers around the nation. In October, ConceiveAbilities was once again an exhibitor at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual meeting in Orlando. The conference, which attracts professionals from around the globe, is a chance to reconnect with familiar colleagues while meeting new practitioners and building wonderful relationships.

Later that month, ConceiveAbilities was a proud sponsor for the National Foundation for Fertility Research’s (NFFR) first annual Mad Scientist Ball in Denver. NFFR is a publicly-funded, non profit organization determined to fight infertility and to research a cure. We were pleased to support the cause and a team that will not stop until every hopeful parent has a child.

ConceiveAbilities was also in attendance at the American Fertility Association’s annual Illuminations Gala in New York City in November, and in December hosted holiday parties for our surrogacy program in both Chicago and Denver.

On Sunday, December 4th, 7 of our Chicago area surrogates, their partners and intended parents gathered for brunch and bocce ball. It was a neat chance to see some of the surrogates with their intended parents – we don’t have many opportunities to gather at the same time. Plus, it gave the intended parents time to visit with others who are in different stages of the process. One of the surrogates, nearly 9 months pregnant with twins, was vibrant proof that a long, difficult journey can have a happy ending.

Our Denver group celebrated the season on Thursday, December 8th at an evening soiree downtown, complete with festive (virgin) cocktails. More than a dozen surrogates were able to attend, representing all parts of the process – one anxiously awaiting a match to another entering the second trimester of her second surrogacy journey with ConceiveAbilities. It was also a chance for intended parents to visit with their surrogates and other couples in similar situations. We were thrilled to see people speaking so honestly about their experiences and what brought them to this place – and their excitement about what 2012 will bring to their lives.

ConceiveAbilities wishes the best to our families, friends and colleagues during the holiday season!

This article originally appeared in Everything Conceivable, the official newsletter of ConceiveAbilities.
Click here to view the original version.

Our surrogate picnic events have been the perfect opportunity for surrogates and their families to share their experiences and learn more about the process in a laid-back, friendly environment. The sense of community amongst these amazing women truly sets ConceiveAbilities apart, and we are grateful to each one of them and their spouses and children for taking part in such a special journey. By sharing these events with our newsletter subscribers, it enables the intended parents we work with as well as our network of professionals to gain a deeper perspective on our program’s commitment to third party family building.

Denver Surrogate Picnic June 2011

On a sunny afternoon, our Denver-area surrogates and staff gathered for ConceiveAbilities’ second annual surrogacy picnic. Nearly 60 people attended for a day filled with sun, fun, and lots of ice cream!

“ Being a surrogate is such an amazing and special thing and it is so refreshing to be able to share it with people who have been through it as well, or are about to go through it. ” – Paula

“ It was great to get to know the other surrogates better. We see each other at monthly meetings but it was nice to be in a casual environment. ” – Rebecca

“ By the time I left I had all my questions and more answered. Everyone was so warm and friendly. It made me really excited to work with an agency that cares so much about making this an amazing experience for everyone involved. ” – Amanda

Chicago Surrogate Picnic July 2011

In spite of a rainy start, more than 30 people braved the elements for ConceiveAbilities’ first annual Chicago surrogacy picnic. Armed with umbrellas and good humor, staff, surrogates and their families gathered for cookie decorating.

The weather was just another example of how these ladies handle the unexpected with grace and a smile. In an often unpredictable journey, we were once again reminded of the dedication of our surrogates.

“ The picnic was a relaxed and casual setting, yet I felt comfortable asking all of the serious and important questions. I left with a lot of good information and very excited to start the whole process with ConceiveAbilities! ” – Amie

“ It was fun to meet family members and potential surrogates. And, of course, see the other pregnant ladies! ” – Sara

“ I loved getting to know the families of all the surrogates and seeing old and new faces. ” – Danielle

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and look forward to connecting with you!

This article originally appeared in Everything Conceivable, the official newsletter of ConceiveAbilities.
Click here to view the original version.

As ConceiveAbilities enters its 15th year helping to build families through collaborative reproduction, I am naturally retrospective on the many changes in the field of egg donation, gestational surrogacy and ART in general. Back when I first opened my humble doors, I was a biologist working in a fertility clinic and looking to advance the cause of egg donation. I saw it then as I do today: a win-win collaboration between a smart, young, healthy woman and intended parents hoping to build the family of their dreams with her assistance. In 1996 there were only a handful of us recruiters working tirelessly to find appropriate donors. Here in the Midwest, where finding ideal egg donors proved even more difficult than on the coasts, it often took 8 + months it took to find a good candidate. During that time we spoke in reassuring tones to prospective parents explaining that, yes, in the not-too-distant future, a donor would come along. Of course, in the current world of dense databases filled with wonderful, immediately available women, it’s hard to believe the lengths we had to go to find the proverbial “needle in the haystack.”

These days, we all know someone who has openly shared details on a journey through infertility and has perhaps gone on to build a family with the assistance of an egg donor, sperm donor or gestational surrogate. Any stigma attached to these technological advancements is quickly eroding. Celebrities, when they are honest, show us that using an egg donor to overcome infertility in your 40s or a gestational surrogate as a single or gay man is widely accepted and even celebrated. Movies tout the perspectives of both adults and children who navigate life with the knowledge that children created via third party efforts are a bit different than most, but, increasingly, are not as uncommon as we used to believe. As we’ve come to understand and embrace more than ever before: The Kids ARE Alright.

Taking cautious, careful steps has been a hallmark of my work within ConceiveAbilities. I started small, grew steadily – not hastily – networked with like-minded professionals and always took pride in a reputation built on conservative practices. As I’ve watched my cottage industry morph into a category in which publically traded companies take part and agencies spring up like weeds, I feel it is a responsibility as well as a challenge to protect intended parents from many of the unscrupulous practices (of some) currently marring our field. Whether well-intentioned or not, agencies are opening and closing every day and often taking with them the hopes, dreams and, incredibly, the never to be returned hard-earned financial resources of intended parents. I firmly believe the two biggest predictors of an agency’s soundness, when coupled together, are 1) the longevity of operation and 2) the level education and licensure of the staff. They go hand-in-hand.

Over these 15 years, I have watched trends and ‘big ideas’ come and go (cytoplasmic transfer, anyone?) and technological advancements like ICSI, Assisted Hatching, and PGD catapult success rates beyond anything we could have imagined. With egg freezing on the horizon, it’s still an exciting and provocative field to be a part of and helping build families proves to be a just reward for hard work put in every day. My entrepreneurial spirit has allowed me not only to come up with innovative approaches to the egg donation and surrogacy process, but also to experience something more than pride in a career. It provides a humble understanding of what it is to have a hand in another’s unique story of how their family came to be.

What a great privilege and equal responsibility.