Dr. Blum has been counseling couples on managing the psychological fertility journey since 1982. She is up to date on fertility treatments and ethical issues; her clients are free to “go beyond the basics” and explore their feelings and options. She has worked with clinics and physicians to provide their patients with a safe environment to deal with the intense and complex issues of infertility. She has been on the board of Georgia Resolve and has presented at many meetings and symposia over the past 20 years.
Assisted Reproduction, IVF, and Recipiency Consults
Within Dr. Blum’s clinical practice, she is often asked to provide consultations to women and couples who are considering fertility treatment through IVF or gamete donation.
These consults are just that – a consult. It is not an evaluation or psychological test. The purpose of this conversation is to collaboratively consult, with an informed therapist, regarding several important aspects of oocyte recipiency.
The first, most important concern, is that this decision is being made collaboratively within the couple. It is also important to know how the marriage/partnership “works” – both historically and in the present. It is important that this is a decision that is comfortable for everyone involved. When working with individual fertility patients, Dr. Blum reviews support relationships and systems on which the person can rely.
Second, it is important to understand how this decision was reached – your fertility history, what this means to you, and how you will handle sharing or boundarying this information now and in the future. We will talk about your relationships with family and friends. This consult is also an opportunity to discuss any medical, psychological or social concerns regarding this decision. Again, the focus of our discussion is not only the present but also the future.
Third, the more the clinic staff know about you, the more able they are to support you through the process. It is important to them to know more about you – and more about your preferences in these decisions. This is an opportunity to review these decisions and re-establish your style, strengths, and values with the donor program staff.
Please feel free to discuss any concerns or questions about this consult with Dr. Blum at the outset of the consult.
Oocyte Donor/Sperm Donor Consults
These consults serve the best interests of the donor, the intended parents and the professional agencies involved in the donation. While it is an evaluation, it is not an effort for clinical analysis. The intent is for the donor to be comfortable to share their decision making as well as any questions or concerns during the consult. The recommendations that emerge from the consult regard the candidates suitability for donation at this time.
Additional Resources:
- New York Times article on Egg Donation
- American Society of Reproductive Medicine Fact Sheets
- Surviving the holidays with infertility; Authored by Dr. Blum
- Resolve: The national infertility association
- Reproductive Facts: From the American Society of Reproductive Medicine
- http://www.infertilitynetwork.org/miscarriage