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The Big Question: Shared Donor, Shared Family? Research into half-sibling relationships

We’re delighted to announce our next Big Question webinar, a series where we explore a topical question with experts in the field. This time, ...

2 Dec 18:00-19:00

This event is for DCN members only. Please login or join now.

We’re delighted to announce our next Big Question webinar, a series where we explore a topical question with experts in the field. This time, we’re looking at half-sibling connections.

For our next Big Question we wanted to tackle the issue of half-sibling connections. We know this is a topic that many parents are grappling with. They are looking to understand more about the experiences of families and donor conceived people who are making these connections. They want to hear more about how and when these connections are being made and understand how DCPs view these relationships.

To help us explore the topic, we’ve invited Astrid Indekeu to present a summary of the research we have so far and what her experience of supporting families has shown.

Astrid has been working for nearly 20 years in the field of donor conception as a researcher, clinical psychologist and policy advisor. She is, amongst other things, founder of and practitioner in DONAE, a support and expertise center for families after donor conception.

As a clinical psychologist and researcher, she puts a strong emphasis on transferring research results on families by donor conception to daily practice and policy. Her work spans the experiences of intended parents, parents, donor conceived people and donors on covering topics such as parenthood after donor conception, contact between donor conceived people, donors and half-siblings, the number of offspring per donor, age limits to access donor information, and insemination fraud. She has been working and co-operating with various international colleagues including in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, Canada and New Zealand.

More recently, she has been leading our teen group at the DCN London conference.

This Big Question conversation will explore themes such as:
* DCP’s motivations for seeking half sibling connections
* What meaning do they assign to these relationships?
* How attitudes towards half-siblings have changed over time
* What are the experiences as these connections develop and what are the challenges that they hold

You can join in the conversation too. We’ll be open to written comments, reflections and questions from members, either when you register or live during the event.
We’ll be recording the conversation and will put the video in the members’ area on the website shortly after the webinar. Anyone registered will get notified when the recording is available and all members will be able to watch the webinar on the website once it’s live.

This will be a webinar-style event, delivered through Zoom, so you won’t be visible to others.

It is exclusive to DCN members.

This event is for DCN members only. Please login or join now.

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24

Heterosexual couples -Chat for those undergoing treatment with egg donation

A space for members who are in the process of undertaking treatment with egg donation, to come together to talk about shared issues. DCN Chat is a peer support online get-together. This DCN Chat will be hosted by Anna. All our DCN Chat facilitators are members themselves, and hosting the chat as individuals. This is not a professionally led or educational event. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further support, please dont hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org
Book now

Member event

Online

Feb

25

Heterosexual couples -Chat for those considering egg donation - Prospective parent

A space for members considering egg donation, to come together to talk about shared issues. DCN Chat is a peer support online get-together. This DCN Chat will be hosted by Alex. *There is a separate group running for those undertaking treatment already – this group is predominently for thinking through this route to parenthood. All our DCN Chat facilitators are members themselves, and hosting the chat as individuals. This is not a professionally led or educational event. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further support, please dont hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org
Book now

Members and non-members

Online

Feb

27

Workshop: Telling & Talking (mum-and-dad families)

This workshop is for parents of donor-conceived children aged 0-7 years. Not sure how to begin a conversation with your child about their donor conception story? Maybe you’re unsure about whether telling is the right thing to do? Or perhaps you’re concerned about who to tell and not tell in your life? Our Telling & Talking workshop is designed specifically with your needs and questions in mind. It provides a safe and confidential space for you to explore the benefits of telling and how to get started. This workshop is equally appropriate whether you had treatment in the UK or abroad, with a known, identifiable or anonymous donor or if your treatment involved surrogacy. You may be wondering how to start talking to your child about their donor-conceived origins, or you may have already begun this process and would like to explore what may come up in the future.
Book now

Members and non-members

Online

Mar

6

Workshop: Telling & Talking (solo mum and two-mum families)

This workshop is for parents of donor-conceived children aged 0-7 years. Not sure how to begin a conversation with your child about their donor conception story? Maybe you’re unsure about whether telling is the right thing to do? Or perhaps you’re concerned about who to tell and not tell in your life? Our Telling & Talking workshop is designed specifically with your needs and questions in mind. It provides a safe and confidential space for you to explore the benefits of telling and how to get started. This workshop is equally appropriate whether you had treatment in the UK or abroad, with a known, identifiable or anonymous donor or if your treatment involved surrogacy. You may be wondering how to start talking to your child about their donor-conceived origins, or you may have already begun this process and would like to explore what may come up in the future. As a single or lesbian woman, we recognise that your experiences are different from the time your pregnancy becomes public knowledge, and that attending our workshop even before your baby is born might be helpful for you. All of our single women and lesbian couples’ workshops have a small number of places for pregnant women.
Book now

Member event

Online

Mar

10

Mixed families

You are invited to join us for a conversation for members who are either intending or have ‘mixed’ families – our term for those with a naturally conceived child (or adopted) and a donor conceived child, to talk about shared issues. DCN Chat is a peer support online get-together. This DCN Chat will be hosted by Laura, mum to two – the oldest naturally conceived and the youngest conceive through egg donation. All our DCN Chat facilitators are members themselves, volunteers, and hosting the chat as individuals. This is not a professionally led or educational event. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org
Book now

Start your journey today

We’ve been helping donor conception families for 30 years. Join us to get specialist support and information, and to find a community of families in a similar situation.

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Donor Conception Network
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