Around three quarters of people who turn to adoption do so because of infertility and those working in this field need information, guidance and support to assist them in the process of adoption to support the adopters and to deal with any issues that may result from infertility. Adopting after Infertility is an accessible and informative interdisciplinary book that addresses the issues that professionals working with adopters and the adopters themselves face when going through the adoption process and the impact of infertility on their experiences. The book includes chapters on the effects of infertility, why people may choose adoption and the assessment and preparation process. It also covers what an Adoption Panel needs to know about the prospective parents, the experiences of those coming to adoption from minority communities or when living with health conditions and post-adoption support needs. Personal accounts by people who have experienced adopting after infertility are included throughout the book. This book will be essential reading for professionals and academics from a range of disciplines including social work, psychology, health, mental health and counselling. It will also be invaluable to students studying for post-qualifying awards.
Introduction. Marilyn Crawshaw, University of York, UK and Rachel Balen, University of Huddersfield, UK.; 1. The impact of infertility and treatment on individuals and couples. Lone Schmidt, Institute of Public Health, Denmark.; 2. When treatment ends; a sociological consideration of the experiences of women and couples. Gayle Letherby, University of Plymouth, UK.; 3. The shift from infertility treatment to adoption: Exploring family building options. Petra Thorn, Practice for Couple and Family Therapy, Germany.; 4. Choosing adoption when infertility results from a health condition or impairment. Rachel Balen and Marilyn Crawshaw.; 5. Assessment and preparation of prospective adopters - Just what does 'coming to terms with infertility' mean? Marilyn Crawshaw.; 6. Adoption and infertility: The role of the Adoption Panel. Jenny Gwilt, independent adoption consultant, UK.; 7. 'For him, it's got to be your own son': Adoption and infertility in British South Asian communities. Lorraine Culley and Nicky Hudson, De Montfort University, UK.; 8. 'A sense of belonging': The experience of a Black adopter. Sally Baffour, ThankU Charity, UK.; 9. Infertility and intercountry adoption. Gill Haworth, Intercountry Adoption Centre, UK, Peter Selman, Newcastle University, UK and Jan Way, Intercountry Adoption Centre, UK.; 10. A child at last: Adoption after infertility. Anthea Hendry, Art Psychotherapist, UK and Penny Netherwood, Leeds Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, UK.; 11. Nature and nurture: What do theory and research tell us? Olga van den Akker, Middlesex University, UK.; 12. Infertility and adoption: the search for birth parents and the impact on adult family relationships. Julia Feast, British Association for Adoption and Fostering, UK.
The premise of this interesting and much needed text is to understand and begin to fill the gap, identified by the editors, in the research into the ""influence of fertility experiences on adoptive family life""...This book is well thought out, well written and up to date, pertinent and accessible. Every Assisted Reproductive Unit should have a copy, and every independent counsellor should read it.
