August 3: Parenthood through Surrogacy: An Open Discussion

Aug 10: Infertility From the Male Perspective: With Heidi Siebert LMFT, LLC a licensed marriage and family therapist

August 17: Over the Counter Tests: Do They Really Work?

August 24: Keeping It Simple: Low Tech Options

Dec 9: Fertility Medications:
An overview of the different medications used to improve the quality or quantity of eggs, induce ovulation, and to assist implantation.

Dec 16 Navigating a Natural Cycle, What to Expect:
the abc's of a natural cycle. What happens when fertility drugs are not needed. How the ovaries function and the other elements involved.

Dec 23: Surviving the Holidays/Reducing Stress:
The hustle and bustle of the child centered Holidays with their focus on family for the over 7 million individuals experiencing infertility in the United States can be extremely painful. Coping skills, as well as practical and holistic strategies, will be reviewed

Dec 23 : Survival Strategies: Balancing Fertility Treatments, Marriage and Life:
Coping skills provided by Lenore Pranzo, MA, MFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist, to help maintain balance and reduce stress while in treatment.

Jan 6: Egg Donation and Surrogacy:
A discussion of when egg donation and surrogacy make sense. Topics also include how to choose a donor/surrogate. Discussion will also include IVF with Gestational Surrogacy and Donor Egg with Gestational Surrogacy.

Jan 13: Laser Laparoscopy and Uterine Surgery:
descriptions of the different types of surgery, when is surgery recommended, what can be found, and recovery times.

Jan 20: Unexplained Infertility:
Approximately one in five couples will experience unexplained infertility despite completing a full infertility work-up. How is unexplained infertility diagnosed and what are the treatment steps.

Jan 27: Insurance Benefits and Coverage, Navigating the Maze:
landmark legislation in Connecticut requires most insurance companies to provide coverage of infertility diagnosis and treatment. An insurance benefits expert will be on hand to answer questions to optimize coverage.

Feb 3: Options for Singles and Alternative Families:
A review of the options including egg/sperm donation and surrogacy.

Feb 10: Inside the IVF Lab:
Choosing the Best Embryo: What happens once the egg and sperm are retrieved, what assessment options and tools the embryologist utilizes to assist with conception.

Feb 17: Options for Singles and Alternative Familes:
A review of the options inluding egg/sperm donation and surrogacy.Ron Poole-Dayan, a father of twins achieved through egg donation and surrogacy, will answer questions about the process.

Feb 24: Disclosure, Privacy and Secrecy Issues:
A discussion of openness in fertility treatments and the prevailing thoughts on disclosure regarding egg/sperm donation and surrogacy.

Feb 26 @ 7:00pm: Free Workshop: The Myths and Realities of Fertility Treatment
Michael Doyle and Shaun Williams, MD
Location: Fairfield Public Library
Pre-registration is required to attend this event.
Details

March 2: Second Infertility:
The causes, diagnosis, and treatment options for the over three million Americans that are unable to become pregnant, or carry a pregnancy to term, following the birth of one or more biological children.

March 9: Myths and Realities:
Common myths are discussed and dispelled with CFA's reproductive nurse Sara O'Callaghan .

March 16: The Uterine Environment:
A discussion of the ideal conditions to achieve a pregnancy. Fibroids, endometriosis and surgery will be discussed.

March 23: Preserving Fertility/Egg Banking
What you can do to maximize your chances to achieve a pregnancy naturally once you are ready to start to build your family. The new technology of egg banking and the options it affords will also be discussed.

March 30: The Fertility Diet: How to Maximize Conception:
with Christina Shannon, ND. Dr. Shannon will provide an overview of how diet affects fertility. Discussion of foods that may hinder fertility, as well as those that can improve conception will be discussed.

April 6: Egg Donation from the Donor's Perspective:
An inside view provided by an egg donor. The discussion will include the screening process, the medical procedures, and what motivates a donor to give the gift of life.

April 13: Acupuncture and Holistic Treatments
with Cindy Lawrence, LAc, MAOM. An overview of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupressure, Chinese pharmacology, moxibustion, healing diet, and Qigong exercise will be discussed. The principles of qi, balance, and the meridian system will also be included.

April 20: How To Be A Good Patient:
A frank discussion with the Shaun Williams, MD. How to create a treatment plan, how to best communicate with the physician, nurses, and administrative staff, as well as what makes a "good patient" will be included.

April 27: Boxers or Briefs/The Male Perspective:
With guest Stan Honig, MD. Dr. Honig is an urologist that specializes in male fertility disorders, in addition to general urology. Topics include what male conditions impact fertility, the importance of an accurate semen analysis and what is measured, and different treatment options.

May 4: Reproductive Law:
With Victoria Ferrara, Esq., an expert in assisted reproduction technology law. Ms. Ferrara will provide an overview of the legal rights and standing of intended parents, surrogates, egg and sperm donors. Contracts, pre-birth orders and birth certificates will also be discussed.

May 11: How to Cope with Mother's Day
with Lenore Pranzo, licensed marriage and family therapist. Ms. Pranzo will discuss strategies to deal with what can be an extremely difficult time for those dealing with infertility. Where to find support, with organizations such as RESOLVE (The National Infertility Association), will also be included.

May 18: Egg Donation from the Donor's Perspective:
An inside view provided by an egg donor. The discussion will include the screening process, the medical procedures, and what motivates a donor to give the gift of life.

May 25: New Fertility Breakthroughs:
A discussion of the latest developments in Reproductive Medicine. Topics include diagnosis, medications, treatments, and research that are improving family building options.

June 1: Early Pregnancy After Infertility:
What happens once that much longed for pregnancy occurs. An overview of what patients can expect, when are patients referred back to their ob/gyn, and if precautions need to be taken.

June 22: Multiples and Fertility Treatments: The Realities and Risks

June 29: What to Consider when Choosing a Fertility Clinic

July 6: Preconceptions Tips: What You Can Do Before You See the Specialist

July 13: Parenthood through Egg Donation: An Open Discussion

July 20: Over the Counter Tests: Do They Really Work?