Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

October 29, 2008 | By: Liz | Filed under: Uncategorized

As I am trying to move people over from our old blog to our new blog home, I discovered someone had posted a comment on donor compensation this week on the old site (I’ll move the post over soon, I promise).  She was troubled at how expensive this all is.  I hear you sister!  It is all too expensive.

My office is trying to help (and I blogged about it somewhere) that we’re offering free legal services to people who are strapped and we’re offering discounts to people who get a postcard from our office from their doctor, clinic, psychologist or just from a huge mailing we’re doing . . . I’m trying to help.  I’m trying to get people to give me a list of creative financing too.  I want to hear how people are coming up with the money.  Sharing information is the best way to help isn’t it?  Angie Best Boss and Evelina Wideman are about to publish a book on Budgeting for Infertility.  It’s a great resource.  But there needs to be more.

And so I also am going to start a discussion about the Federal Adoption Tax Credit.  I still don’t get how people don’t know about this huge resource for helping you afford adoption expenses.  And I am going to keep a running list of tips and ideas that people share here.

But I do need everyone’s help. Whether it’s venting about your own financial situation or giving me a tip I can share with people who visit the site, I want to know how everyone is swinging this stuff.  Cuz I know we’re all not trying to have babies to fill our new VW minivan. 

Liz

Tags: adoption, financing, tax credit

October 7, 2008 | By: Liz | Filed under: Uncategorized

So hopefully after my rant about that VW ad, most of you don’t completely hate me.  But then again, even if you do hate me for voicing my opinion that it is inappropriate in an economy that is falling apart around us, to suggest procreating in order to buy a fancy car . . . I think you get my point that IVF and adoption are expensive and it’s only getting harder to pay for all of this.  How do people pay for it anyway?  There’s a great new book coming out called Budgeting for Infertility which has some great ideas about planning for infertility treatment and making smart choices (I was asked to write a review for the book cover and I missed the deadline, so I am hoping to make it up to the authors by telling everyone in this blog that I think the book is a tremendous resource!) .  And of course, I devoted some pages in each of my own books (The Infertility Survival Handbook and The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Adoption) . . . but seriously I am going to devote an entire section of my blog to getting ideas and suggestions from everyone, and posting some of my own, that we can all use and share.

I remember the scene from Mr. Mom (yeah okay, I am that old) where Terri Gar (sp?) is pitching an advertising campaign for canned tuna and talks about the economy and how the company should offer to reduce the price of its tuna to help the American people with their food bills.  Brilliant!! (and like VW is going to do that anytime soon . . . and when am I going to let that go??)!  So it gave me an idea . . . my office is offering free legal services every fiscal quarter.  You show me and my financial advisors that you’re really tapped out and we’ll draft your egg donation agreement or your surrogacy agreement for FREE!  I am also sending out a huge mailing to clinics and agencies with tons of postcards that give everyone 10% off any of our services.  see http://storklawyer.com/free-stuff/

But I want more ideas.  I am compiling a list of resources for people that will be available on my website for ways to pay for treatment or adoption and I need input.  My first thing to put on the Financially Friendly Family Building Fact Sheet is:

Budgeting for Infertility:  How to Bring Home a Baby Without Breaking the Bank by Angie Best-Boss and Evelina Weidman Sterling (Fireside Books).

Angie and Evelina, job well done!

so let me hear those ideas!!!

April 9, 2006 | By: Liz | Filed under: Uncategorized

Okay, freaking out here. No support from DH either. But I made the appointment with Dr. Chung. I swear it is all this research I am doing on embryo donation for an upcoming AFA conference in NYC that I am speaking at. The more I read about embryo donation, the more I want to try it. And that is NOT to say that I am not considering every available means (except traditional IVF — and how weird is it that there is such a term as traditional IVF? LOL!) of family building that would utilize my uterus. And that is NOT to say that this is a decision that will be made right around the corner, in fact any future babies coming to this family are a couple of years down the road (maybe sooner?) . . . but it was a HUGE step for me to actually make the appointment. Now to see what he says!

And the best thing about it . . . they’ve moved offices so no more of that big bad ugly mean old waiting room (formerly known as the “big room”). Maybe there will be better family building karma for me in Cornell’s knew offices?????

AM I CRAZY TO BE DOING THIS?