http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-689000.mp3
Albany, NY – Creating a family is one of the landmark goals of many couples' relationships. And often, trouble conceiving accompanies a sense of shame, disappointment and anxiety. Modern medicine has made incredible strides in aiding women who want to have a baby.
Drugs like Clomid and artificial insemination procedures have surprisingly high success rates. But in vitro payments can rise to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and aren't always successful. When Julia Indichova tried to have a second child at the age of 42, many specialists told her that she wouldn't be able to conceive. But she came up with her own holistic regimen and became pregnant within the next year.
Indichova told her story in the book Inconceivable. Since, she's developed a client base of women seeking an alternative to traditional fertility methods. I spent some time with Indichova and her clients. We first met in a conference call that Indichova has dubbed her phone fertility circle.
Lesbian couples face unique challenges when they decide to have kids - and their childbearing options tend to be expensive. Blogger Nina Smith writes about her conception challenges on Queercents.com - and she wrote an essay expressing some of her frustrations with the babymaking experience.
Many couples choose adoption if they have trouble getting pregnant. Adopting a child from another country can involve years of waiting and high costs, as well. Independent Producer Elizabeth Chur decided to talk with three Maine families about life after adoption. They describe the joys and challenges of trans-racial adoption in a predominantly white state.
Sometimes, medical treatments can lead to multiple births. For a variety of reasons, twin-birth is up 70 percent nationwide over the last 25 years. Behind all those babies are mothers who know first-hand what it means to get more than what you bargained for. Radio producer Elizabeth Wynne Johnson recently spent time with a group of women who share the singular experience of raising multiples.