Creating A Family: Talk About Infertility, Adoption & Foster Care

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you considering adopting or fostering a baby who was exposed to opioids prenatally? We talk with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a faculty member in the Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health. Her research focuses on improving the outcomes and increasing resilience in children who have experienced trauma, including prenatal exposure.In this episode, we cover:What drugs are included in the category of opioids? Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. Methadone and suboxone?How does prenatal exposure to opioids affect a fetus?How can you tell if the baby is born dependent on opioids?What are the symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)?How common is testing of the newborn or m

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Is your child "more"...more intense, more defiant, more everything and in general, just harder to parent? We talk with Dr. Chuck Geddes, the founder of Complex Trauma Resources where he developed the Complex Care and Intervention (CCI) program to support foster and adoptive children. He is the author of Children and Complex Trauma: A Roadmap for Healing and Recovery.In this episode, we cover:What makes a child harder to parent? The importance of recognizing what we parents bring to the relationship.Difference between trauma and complex trauma.Tantrums, meltdowns, or hissy fits are a common part of child development, but some kids have them more than others and they are more intense. What factors contribute to some children being more susceptible to tantrums? At what age in normal child development are tantrums most common?How does trauma change the dynamic with tantrums?Techniques for preventing tantrums.Techniques for handling tantru

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you experienced a miscarriage? What type of genetic tests should you consider to prevent another miscarriage? We will talk about Genetics, Genetic Testing, and Miscarriage with Kim Skellington, a laboratory genetic counselor with CooperGenomics providing pre-test and post-test counseling to patients regarding genetic testing, and Dr. Rachel Gerber, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist with RMA NY.In this episode, we cover:What causes a woman to miscarry a pregnancy? How common is miscarriage? What is considered Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL)? How common is recurrent pregnancy loss? Basic introduction to DNA, genes, and chromosomes. Genetic Testing of Products of ConceptionWhat can go wrong with the genes of a fetus that would likely result in a miscarriage? What genetic tests on the products of conception are available after a miscarriage to determine the cause? At what point does a doctor consider gene

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What are the microaggressions or stigmas in the world of adoption and how do they impact adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents?  We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor and the Doctoral Program Director at Montclair State University in the graduate counseling program and a licensed psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. She is an adult adoptee from Hong Kong and an adoptive parent of a daughter from China.In this episode, we cover:What are microaggessions in general and how do they apply to adoption? These microaggressions apply to all members of the adoption kinship network (adoptees; adoptive parents, grandparents, siblings; first/birth parents/grandparents).Where do some of the unconscious attitudes and stigmas toward adoption come from? Common microaggression themes for adoptees:biology is best/normative is based upon the belief that biological ties are superior, more permanent, and more authentic than ties formed through

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How can we raise joyful resilient kids? We talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids.In this episode, we cover:“Too often we are focused on the child’s behavior instead of the child. We are concerned about solving problems rather than cultivating the relationship.”A child’s behavior is a clue for us parents to understand what is going on inside the child.No one-size fits all approach to child rearing. What’s most important isn’t the rules, but the child. We must understand how our parenting is landing on our child. Personalize our parenting.Three pathways to the mind-body platform.Body budgeting.The distinction between behaviors that seems to be defensive but are actually protective.How do you approach tantrums in a preschooler?How to co-regulate with our child and why?How to build resiliency in our children?This podc

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.The impact of prenatal exposures to alcohol and drugs is not something that kids outgrow and the transition into adolescence and adulthood can be particularly tricky. We talk about this transition with Kathy Hotelling, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and is the co-founder of NCFASDInformed.org. She is also the mother to a 27 year old with FASD.In this episode, we cover:Tell us a bit about your story as the mother of a child with FASD.Does the impact and symptoms of prenatal exposure to alcohol change as the child ages?Are the impacts different depending on whether the child has been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs, such as opiates, methamphetamines, marijuana, etc?We talk about the primary impacts of FASD and prenatal drug exposure and the secondary impacts? Give us some examples?How can parents help prevent some of the secondary impacts?How does puberty impact children with pren

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you suspect (or know) that your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? We discuss tips for how to best work with these children with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a professor at Duke University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health.In this episode, we cover:How does prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs affect children at different ages? Oftentimes adoptive, foster, and kinship families may not know specifically if their child was exposed in pregnancy to alcohol or drugs? How can a parent determine if their child was prenatally exposed?What are some of the more common signs, symptoms, and behaviors a parent might see at different ages? Birth to age fiveElementary ageTweens and adolescenceYoung adultsParents, teachers, and other adults working with these children often don’t think about prenatal exposure because of the lag in time between the exposure and when the more disrup

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What causes miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss? What is the best treatment and what are the controversies in the diagnosing and treating of miscarriage? In this episode, we talked with Dr. Lora Shahine, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Program at Pacific NW Fertility and clinical faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle, and author of the book Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.In this episode, we cover:What is miscarriage? What other names do medical professionals use?Does the name change depending upon when in the pregnancy it occurs? What is a biochemical pregnancy and is it a “miscarriage”?When does miscarriage become “recurrent pregnancy loss”?How common are miscarriages? How common is recurrent pregnancy loss?Who should you see?What is the role of the male in miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss?Common causes and treatment What are the commo

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you or your child faced adoption related struggles? Do you think therapy might be helpful? We discuss how to find and choose an adoption competent therapist with Kelly Raudenbush, a child and family therapist and the director of Sparrow Counseling, providing specialized therapeutic services for foster and adopted children and their families. In this episode, we cover:What type of professional can provide therapy?What’s the difference between being adoption competent and adoption informed?Why is competency in adoption issues important?What do we mean be an “adoption competent therapist”? What makes a therapist adoption informed? Is adoption competence the same as trauma competence?How can you tell if a therapist is competent to handle adoption issues? Are there specific trainings that provide adoption competency?Creating a Family provides a list of ways to find an adoption competent therapist on our Adoption Therapy section. How to find a t

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How is adoption and fostering changing? We talk with April Dinwoodie, a transracial adoptee and thought leader in the field of adoption. She is host of two podcasts: Navigating Adoption and Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World!In this episode, we cover:What are some of the shifting realities that you see in adoption?Decline in international adoptions.What do you see happening with domestic infant adoptions?Increase importance on openness.What can adoption teach the world?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport t

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you thinking about adopting? Today we will talk about Adoption Options in 2022. This is the first of a two-part series on What is Happening in Adoptions. We will talk with Jackie Zerbe, Domestic Adoption Supervisor with Vista Del Mar Adoption Agency, Debora Phillips, founding CEO of Children’s Connections, Inc., and Viviane Martini, Family Coordinator with Hopscotch Adoptions, an international adoption agency.In this episode, we cover:What is happening with domestic infant adoption in the US?What is happening with adoptions from foster care?What is happening with international adoptions?How has the pandemic impacted adopting in the US?What are some of the shifts in adoption in the last 5 or so years?What are some of the changes you anticipate for 2022 and beyond?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professi

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought about using acupuncture or herbal medicine to improve your fertility or treat your infertility? We talk with Dr. Mike Berkley, a New York State licensed acupuncturist and board-certified acupuncturist and practitioner of herbal medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is also a member of The American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine.In this episode, we cover:What are the principles of acupuncture? How does it work?How does acupuncture differ from Herbal Medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine?Do they have to be used together?Can acupuncture and/or Chinese Medicine be used in conjunction with Western infertility medicine and IVF?Is there western research that supports the benefits of acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for the treatment of infertility or is western style research not relevant to the discussion of acupuncture and Eastern Medicine?Can acupuncture increase

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you serve kinship families and are wondering how to best to meet their needs? We talk about kinship navigator programs with Stephanie Perkowski is a Social Worker and Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; Julia Donovan, the Program Director of Ohio’s statewide Kinship and Adoption Navigator program, OhioKAN; and Tia-Maria Smith, the Program Director for Pennsylvania KinConnector which helps informal and formal kinship families find the information, resources, and emotional support they need. In this episode, we cover:What are navigator programs?Who usually sets up either kinship or adoption navigator programs?How are kinship navigator programs funded?How to get these programs evidenced-based and why is that important?How do kinship or adoptive families find out about them?What type of advertising is effective?What works in making the site user-friendly?What type of resources should be included in navigator programs?How

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Join us as Dr. Bruce Perry answers your questions about how trauma impacts adoptive, foster, and kinship kids and families. Dr. Bruce Perry, is a child psychiatrist and neuroscientist, the principal of the Neurosequential Network, Senior Fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy, and adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago. He is the author the numerous books including co-author along with Oprah Winfrey of What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, and co-author of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog.In this episode, we cover:The shift in perspective from what’s wrong with you to what happened to you--the ability to understand seemingly senseless behavior by looking at what’s behind it.What do you include as “trauma”? How severe does it have to be to impact us later in life?We hear foster, adoptive, and kinship parents say, “she was only neglected.” Is neglect less harmful than abuse?When sib

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you planning on claiming the Adoption Tax Credit this year? We talk with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill's Tax Service and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at the North American Council on Adoptable Children.In this episode, we cover:What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2021 federal taxes? $14,440 per childIt is a non-refundable tax credit. How to advocate for refundability?What is a “credit” and how does it differ from a deduction or some other form of tax savings?If you get a tax refund every year, how would you use the Adoption Tax Credit?If you don’t have any federal tax liability, should you still apply the credit to your federal income taxes?What type of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second parent adoption? Unmarried heterosexual second parent adoption? Surrogacy?Can you g

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.If you have unexplained infertility, what are your chances of ultimately having a baby—either through infertility treatment or natural conception? We talk with Dr. Denis Vaughan, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Boston IVF and a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He was the principal investigator on the study "Long-term reproductive outcomes in patients with unexplained infertility". In this episode, we cover:What year was the original FASTT trial and what were the findings?What is unexplained infertility and how common is it?Did most of the women try to conceive after the original FASTT trial?How did the women who agree to participate in this follow-up study compare to the original FASTT participants? Was there a difference between those who participated in the follow-up and those who did not?What percentage of the women were successful at conception with IUI? IVF? Natural conception?What percentage tried

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.The next step in understanding attachment and Trust-Based Relational Intervention is the new book, The Connected Parent, by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls, with great assistance from Emmelie Pickett. On this episode, we interview Lisa and Emmelie about connected parenting.In this episode, we cover:Understanding the foundations of attachment.What do parents bring to the situation that influences how their children attach.Using “scripts” to help you implement Trust-Based Relational Intervention.Coping with chronic fear in our kids.Coping with parental fear that things will never improve or that our children will never be able to heal.How to discipline the TBRI® way.How to teach respect.Understanding how sensory issues can be confused with attachment issues.This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Does adoption positively or negatively affect children already in the family and what can parents do to lessen the negative impacts. We discuss this topic with Dr. Jana Hunsley, an experimental psychologist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and TBRI® Practitioner, specializing in understanding and meeting the needs of siblings is foster and adoptive families.In this episode, we cover:Much of the focus of adoption literature and research is on the adopted child and the adoptive parents with little attention on the children already in the family.Tell us your story as the sibling of 7 adopted siblings.Research on adopted siblings.What are some of the challenges that siblings of the adopted child might face?Feeling invisibleCoping with overwhelmed distracted parentsParentificationBecoming another parent to your siblingsBecoming the emotional support for their parentsTrying to keep the peace in the home by acting as a peacemakerFeeling the ne

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk about LGBTQ+ adoption with Dr. Abbie Goldberg, a Professor of Psychology and Director of Women’s & Gender Studies at Clark University. Her research and writing focus on diverse families, including LGBTQ parent and adoptive families, and she has authored and edited 8 books and over 130 peer-reviewed articles in this area.In this episode, we cover:Legality of LGBTQ+ parents adopting in the US. Statistics on LGBTQ+ adoptions. Percentage, transracial, foster care adoptionDo you see any residual prejudice against LGBTQ+ parents when wanting to adopt or foster? Foster care? Domestic infant? International? Embryo?Hesitancy with placing with someone who is transgender?Does open adoption look different in LGBTQ+ adoptive families.Do LGBTQ+ parents parent in ways that are different than cisgender heterosexual parents?How are children in LGBTQ+ faring?Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents’ experiences with pediatricians: A mixed-meth

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What's it like for a gay couple to create their family through egg donation and surrogacy. We talk with Armando Correa, People Magazine En Español's Editor In Chief and author of In Search of Emma: How We Created Our Family.In this episode, we cover:Did you always want to be a parent?Did you think that you would get to realize that dream?What options for becoming a parent did you consider?Why did you decide on surrogacy?Did you also use a separate egg donor?What was your process to finding an egg donor and surrogate?Was cost a consideration?How much did it cost you in total to become Emma’s dad?What has happened to your family since Emma arrived?What would you recommend to other gay guys who want to become a father? This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family