In this unique, detailed show, we hear directly from a formerly anonymous sperm donor (now running this service for donor families), who contributed for 15 years, about the contact he has now had with a few of his offspring. We talk about how the industry has changed since he provided fresh sperm to infertile couples. He honestly discusses his motivations at the time, the responsibility he now feels for the 200-plus offspring he estimates he now has, and what his experience tells him about the interest donor-conceived offspring have about their donor. After he made contact with offspring via the Donor Sibling Registry, he admits to confusion about the best way to proceed and talks openly about the issues it has brought to his own family life. He also talks about the value he believes donated gametes have in enabling people to build their own family, despite the complications it can bring.

This show was sponsored by California Cryobank.

A majority of families using donor conception do not report births after the fact. This has a tremendous impact on the industry -- for example, the numbers of offspring born to a sperm donor, and even to egg donors, are generally vastly underreported, and if there is a genetic abnormality that surfaces in later years, families cannot be notified.

In this show, American Fertility Association board member Patricia Mendell, who is also a New York-based fertility counselor, talks about regulations in the fertility industry today. What do we need to do differently? Why are changes coming so slowly? What can Choice Moms do, as a sizeable share of the fertility industry market, to make a difference? In light of the aftermath of the octuplets birth in California to a woman who already had six children, how should regulations, ethics and counseling play a role?
She also shares resources to help women become more educated consumers.

This show was sponsored by Fertility Cryobank.

Estate planner and Choice Mom Racheal Isan explains the basic options for anyone who is creating an estate plan for her child, including the difference between a will and a trust, the benefits of having a trust, and how to pick a guardian. She discusses what happens if we don't have an estate plan in place, the cost of setting up a plan, and how state regulations have an impact.

This show was sponsored by financial planners Rebecca Hall (D.C.) and Rene Tidwell (NYC), and estate planner Daniela Lungu (S.F.).