Fertility Show London 3-4 Nov 2012 - Alternative Parenting Seminars

Thinking of having a baby? Finding it difficult to get pregnant? Want to know how fertile you are? Considering IVF? Looking for a sperm or egg donor? Looking for some answers? Whether you’re just thinking about starting a family or have been trying for ages, find out what you need to know at The Fertility Show this weekend. Seminars for single women, lesbian couples and gay couples considering surrogacy Sunday 12.30-13.15 Legal update for single women and lesbian couples starting a family What happens to the children when lesbian parents split up, what impact does inclusion on the birth certificate for non biological parents make, what rights do known donors have to get involved in their children's lives? Natalie Gamble, prominent lesbian mother of two and campaigner for legal rights for lesbian and single fertility patients, and colleague Sarah Wood-Heath, both of leading fertility law firm Natalie Gamble Associates, address some of the emerging legal issues for alternative parents in this fast developing area of family law. Sunday 14.30-15.15 Single women and lesbian couples - options for conceiving. What are the routes open to women who want to conceive without having sex with a man? Dr Carole Gilling-Smith, Medical Director of the Agora Fertility Clinic, explains the practical issues around getting pregnant with donor sperm, including IUI and IVF, whilst Natalie Woods, a lesbian patient of Carole’s who became a mother after treatment and is also a fertility counsellor, goes into some of the issues discussed in counselling as well as providing a patient’s perspective. Sunday 15.30-16.15 Single women and lesbian couples – what to tell the kids. For single mums and lesbian couples using donated sperm or embryos to start a family, questions about whether or not there is a dad in the family precipitate earlier and faster enquiries about their child's genetic origin, and not just from their children. Single mum and fertility coach, Caroline Spencer, talks through how she dealt with questions arising from donor conception whilst Kim Watson, MD of Diva Magazine and a lesbian parent, tackles the issues for children with “two mums”. Surrogacy Sunday 10.45-11.30 Overseas surrogacy Surrogacy offers hope to couples for whom treatment doesn't work, to women who cannot carry a pregnancy, and to gay couples seeking a family of their own. But UK laws on recruiting surrogates are quite restrictive leading many to search overseas, with India the world's number one destination for surrogacy. Dr Rina Agrawal, a Consultant in Reproductive Medicine in the NHS and private sector who has individually managed over 5000 cycles of IVF and has dual medical accreditation in both the UK and India has worked with British patients who have found surrogates in India. She explains how to go about it, what's involved and some of the risks. Sunday 13.30-14.15 Surrogacy arrangements UK law says a surrogate mother is the child's legal mother and if she's married, her husband is the child's legal father, regardless of biology. This creates a range of complex legal issues and a lack of legal status for prospective intended parents in this fast evolving area of law and practice. As more people go abroad for surrogacy without any certainty they will be able to navigate a safe path home with their surrogate born child after the birth, cases of stateless and parentless children stuck in legal limbo hit the headlines. What is the legal pathway through domestic and international surrogacy? Louisa Ghevaert, a leading expert in fertility and parenting law and partner at UK solicitors Porter Dodson, goes through the issues. Pride Angel are exhibiting at stand 61, so why not come and have a chat with us about your parenting options.