Planning Parenthood: Strategies for Success in Fertility Assistance, Adoption, and Surrogacy

In this informative guide, five authors—two physicians, a psychologist, an epidemiologist and a lawyer—combine their expertise to explore and explain the various pathways to parenthood. Noting that each year in America hundreds of thousands of couples seek fertility advice after being unable to conceive, the authors set out to help readers decide on a strategy. Part one describes the options available: early fertility assistance, including hormone stimulation and intrauterine insemination; assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization using a couple's own eggs or sperm or donor sperm, eggs or embryos; using a surrogate; and domestic or international adoption. The authors assure that in most cases couples are able to reach their goal of birthing or adopting a child within two years, and although challenges for single, gay, lesbian or other nontraditional families may be greater, they are not insurmountable. The key, the authors argue, is knowing when to call a halt to a particular pathway that isn't working and move on to another: remaining flexible and open to various options is crucial to success. In part two, emotional, financial and legal issues are covered. First-person accounts, often quite fascinating, conclude each chapter. This panoramic view of the many routes to parenthood is both practical and encouraging. (June)