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Solo parents + partners

This is a DCN chat for solo mums (or solo dads) who started the road to parenthood on their own and are now at ...

4 Nov 20:30-21:45

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

This is a DCN chat for solo mums (or solo dads) who started the road to parenthood on their own and are now at a stage where they are thinking of letting potential partners into their life or already have a partner. This can be in many ways. It is a chance to get together to think about how this plays out for the children and those around them. We share different living concepts which is very enriching.

This chat will be facilitated by Stefanie, whose situation mirrors the topic of this DCN Chat. 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 more professional support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org

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

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Couples with babies born or expected 2025/6

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Single women - Double or embryo donation - Prospective parent

This is a DCN chat for single women considering or in treatment to become solo mums, considering or using double or embryo donation. This chat offers a space for discussion and peer support. This chat will be facilitated by Kerry, solo mum through double donation. All our facilitators are solo mums in the Network. This is not a professionally led or educational event with set objectives, rather this is a space for sharing and meeting others at the same or a similar stage of the journey. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further more professional support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org

Member event

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Nov

6

London meetup - Lambeth north

Join us for an evening meetup at the Hercules pub. Members at all stages in all circumstances are very welcome and new members are particularly invited! This is a chance for adults to discuss any aspects of donor conception and is a great opportunity to meet others in the Network and get some support from our community. Yael will be facilitating this event. The pub is located just opposite Lambeth North Tube station and a few minutes walk from Waterloo station. We have secured a private room upstairs.

Member event

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6

Women in same-sex couples

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Members and non-members

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Nov

8

Workshop: Continuing the Conversation

NEW workshop for parents of donor conceived children aged 10-20. Do you find the idea of your child connecting with their donor or half-siblings a daunting prospect? Perhaps you’re unsure how to raise the topic with them, or you’d value a safe space to explore what it might mean if – or when – they choose to make contact? Our new Continuing the Conversation workshop offers just that: a supportive space to think about the future, consider the possible implications, and build confidence in navigating these conversations with your child. It is suitable regardless of whether you used an anonymous, ID release or known donor, although the conversations might be different, of course. **At this event, you will:** * Think about the future and what might unfold for you and your child if and when they want to make contact with genetic connections * Build confidence in having conversations about the donor and genetic relatives. **The workshop will enable you to:** * Consider the options available to you and your child – gain an understanding of the options available for accessing information about your donor and your child’s half siblings, whether you had treatment in the UK or overseas * Share common hopes and fears that parents experience when their child talks about the donor * Learn about how and when you might raise the topic with your child * Think through what questions your child might have and what support they might need * Connect with other parents of donor conceived children * Be ready for the wide range of feelings your child might have, how they might differ from your own, and how they might change over time. * Gain knowledge and confidence to support you and your child in decision making. **Who is it for?** This workshop is specially designed for parents of donor conceived children aged 10-20 years who have already told their child about being donor conceived. It is suitable for all family types and is equally appropriate whether your treatment took place in the UK or abroad. **Highlights include:** * Small group discussions with others in a similar family type (e.g. solo mums together) to you to discuss feelings and experiences * Hear donor conceived people talking about feelings towards genetic connections * Session with practical tips on starting and continuing the conversation with your child * Hosted by three extremely experienced facilitators who are parents of donor conceived people * Session on research findings on donor conceived people connecting with genetic relatives * Brief overview of ways to find information for future self-investigation. **What the workshop won’t do:** * Help you tell for the first time: This workshop is designed for parents who have already told their child about their origins and we therefore do not cover telling your child for the first time. If you have not yet begun that initial conversation, our Telling & Talking pages have information you may find helpful to get started. * Provide detailed information on ways to find genetic relatives: we will tell you the essentials of what is possible but this workshop is not a how-to guide on connecting with genetic relatives. * Tell you *why* you should look for genetic connections: We are not offering this programme to encourage you to connect with the donor – that is always a decision for you and your family. Rather, we want to help you think about the implications for your child and for yourself if and when they seek to make contact. **Made possible with the support of the European Sperm Bank, the Young Adults Study, and our annual members’ Appeal** This workshop has been made possible by funding from the European Sperm Bank and the Young Adults Study and we are enormously grateful for their support. We also allocated the money we raised from our 2025 Appeal towards this project, including the match funding from the London Sperm Bank. Thanks go to all our donors and members for contributing and enabling us to support our community in continuing important family conversations.

Member event

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Nov

10

‘Reflections’ - Parents of DC Adults

You are invited to join the group for parents of DC adults. This group will be facilitated by Jane, one of our longterm members who also works with DCN. We are inviting parents of those with children who are adults. We hope this chat can offer an attuned space to the discussions that may be more relevant to the context in which children were conceived 20+ years ago, in a different climate to that which is now prevalent, with regards to openness in particular. Join us for discussion and support from peers.

Member event

Online

Nov

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Anonymous donation - for those who don't have ID release or known donors

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Member event

Online

Nov

12

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

Member event

Online

Nov

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Ethnicity in donor conception

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Member event

Online

Nov

13

DCN Kent - Adults only online meeting

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Member event

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South Coast: Meetup for all families

Members on the South Coast of England are warmly invited to join a meetup for all! Members at any stage or family circumstances are welcome to join, we’d love to see you there! Location and time to be confirmed!

Members and non-members

In person

Nov

15

Getting Started

Event for prospective parents thinking about using egg, sperm or embryo donation. If you’re thinking about using donor conception, you probably have lots of questions. This event is the perfect place to start getting answers. Join us and hear from: * __An embryologist__ from a UK clinic giving a really informative overview of the medical side of things. We always get fantastic feedback about this session, which provides an essential foundation with lots of time for questions. * __Donor conceived people__ talking about their experiences. How do the children feel? We know this is something lots of prospective parents wonder about. This event provides a rare opportunity to hear from them in person and ask questions. Not to be missed! * __Parents__ talking through their decision-making and describing family life once children arrive. Nothing beats hearing from people with real life experience. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿? This event is suitable for everyone at the start of their donor conception journey, for same-sex and heterosexual couples and for those planning to become single parents. It’s a friendly, inclusive chance to meet others at a similar stage in a relaxed environment at this in-person event. 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: The full day costs just £75 per person or £130 per couple when booked before 25 October (£90 and £160 after that date) and the 11am start time makes it easy to get to Waterloo and home in a day. This event is a Donor Conception Network event so you can rest assured that all information will be impartial and based on our experience as a charity working with donor conception families for the past 30+ years. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲? You can find the full programme with timings below. 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 The ticket price includes tea, coffee and cake but not lunch; this helps us keep costs down and means you can choose and order whatever you’d like separately. You can find the pub’s menu here: https://www.thehercules.co.uk/food/menus. You are also free to have lunch elsewhere (or bring your own) of course but we hope you’ll stay with us during the break as it will be a great opportunity to chat with other attendees and our DCN team.

Member event

Online

Nov

17

Miscarriage and other challenges during treatment in the donor conception journey

This DCN chat specifically for members who have experienced miscarriage following donor conception or have come up against other significant challenges which have resulted in multiple failed DC attempts. In recognition of the particularly sensitive nature of this topic, the chat/group will be facilitated by Julie, one of our DCN Professional Members, who is a counsellor experienced in working with fertility issues and donor conception. However, like other DCN chats, it is intended to offer an opportunity to share experiences, feelings and challenges with a view to creating a mutually supportive space.

Member event

Online

Nov

17

Considerations for donating embryos after treatment

Join us for a conversation about donating embryos post IVF, and what this might mean to you and to your family. This will be a discussion and a space to share with others what might be worth thinking about and what feelings might arise in this process. DCN Chat is a peer support online get-together. This DCN Chat will be hosted by Fran, mum to two, conceived with 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

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