Talking about how you created your family begins before your child is born and never ends. It is part of the glue that bonds a family. These are origin stories that are yours alone and ones that your child will hear from earliest memory and then be able to ask questions and initiate discussions on their own. We will discuss some language and scripts that can be helpful to begin and sustain stories about how and to whom our children are connected to us and others.
Carole LieberWilkins is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, licensed in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Vermont, providing individual and couples counseling, as well as educational consultations for those moving into alternative paths to parenthood. A specialist in the field of reproductive medicine, adoption, and family building options since 1986, she is well known for her work helping patients feel comfortable talking with their kids about how they built their families. She is a frequent lecturer locally, nationally, and internationally on many subjects related to infertility. She has been the keynote speaker at several Resolve symposia, a presenter at the professional meetings of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, the American Psychological Association, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Organon Nurses Symposia, the Jefferson and Jones Foundation Infertility Conference, the National Perinatal Association, and the SEEDS Annual Ethics Conferences. You can also hear her as a frequent contributor to podcasts such as Creating a Family and I Want to Put a Baby in You.
Carole serves on the Advisory Board of the US Donor Conceived Council, a non-profit organization committed to changing the practice of donor conception to respect the rights of all people to know their identity. She is also a member and supporter of the Donor Conceived Community and the Donor Conceived Professional Community. She is an active member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Mental Health Professional Group.
Carole LieberWilkins is the co-author of Let’s Talk About Egg Donation: Real stories from real people. This is the first book of its kind written by two moms via egg donation which guides the reader through the process of egg and embryo donation, from diagnosis to parenthood. Let’s Talk About Egg Donation provides scripts for talking to kids about donor conception at different ages and stages.
Her own experience creating a family through adoption and egg donation deepens her understanding of the challenges others face when exploring these complex family building options.
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MORE ABOUT PREGNANTTOGETHER:
Hi! I am Marea Goodman, LM, CPM (they/them), a licensed midwife, published author, and parent. I have over fifteen years of experience working with folks who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, and am also the founder of PregnantTogether— because I’m deeply passionate about supporting queer folks and solo parents through the whole process of growing their families, and building community in the process.
Note: your first two weeks of membership to our PregnantTogether community is FREE and only $20/mo thereafter with no commitment. This and all future events are always free for community members. In the community you can connect with other pregnant people or folks trying to conceive, receive advice for your virtual midwife (me!) and attend all PregnantTogether events and workshops like this one for free! You’ll also get access to TONS of recorded resources that will make this journey less overwhelming. The community is a nurturing, resourceful, and safe place for queer folks, solo parents, and anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong in the dominant narrative of what “family” should be.
If you'd like to join the community and receive FREE access to this and all future events, head to community.pregnanttogether.com and sign up. Don't purchase a ticket here! Joining the community gets you free access.