Men Having Babies 2021 Midwest Surrogacy Options
Conference & Expo
October 9, 2021
Full conference program
Saturday, October 9:
Registration: 8:30 - 9:00 AM
Planning your journey: 9:00 - 10:15 AM ()
We will open our session with introductions and a comparison of surrogacy with other parenting options. We will then provide the first part of our comprehensive surrogacy workshop that was developed based on the accumulated knowledge of hundreds of gay men who have already gone through the process.
Topics covered will include:
Topics covered will include:
- Basic terminology, types and components of typical surrogacy arrangements.
- Typical sequence and timeline for gestational surrogacy journeys.
- Legal considerations in the USA and Canada.
- Major decisions regarding IVF, egg donation and surrogacy options.
- Considering your family vision, financial constraints, risk tolerance and ethical preferences.
Coffee Break: 10:15 AM -10:30 AM
Expert Panel: Legal Considerations 10:30 - 11:15 AM ()
Legal considerations for surrogacy in the USA and abroad. In this session we will also review MHB’s Guidelines for Safe, Legal and Ethical Surrogacy Abroad
Moderator: Ron Poole-Dayan, MHB - Executive Director
Panelists:
- Steven Snyder, Esq., IARC Surrogacy
Moderator: Ron Poole-Dayan, MHB - Executive Director
Panelists:
- Steven Snyder, Esq., IARC Surrogacy
Getting started guide: picking providers, surrogacy resources and financial assistance - 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
An overview on online resources, support groups and other guidance MHB offers to prospective gay fathers, suggestions on how to effectively gather information and select surrogacy providers, and on how to make the process more affordable with discounts and financial assistance.
Lunch / Gay Parenting Expo / Book Fair: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Breakout sessions - come meet the sponsors: 1:00 - 2:25 PM (Various rooms - see table)
Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in up to 5 introductory group consultations with the various providers. Take advantage of this opportunity to get to know these agencies and clinics more closely. Most sessions will be 18 minutes long (plus 2-3 minutes switch time), and the last will be 8 minutes. They take place simultaneously in 3 meeting rooms. The Gay Parenting Expo will also continue to be available during this period.
Building A
Building B
Building C
1:00-1:15 PM
1:15-1:30 PM
1:30-1:45 PM
1:45-2:00 PM
2:00-2:15 PM
2:15-2:25 PM
Q&A session: The Gay Parenting Assistance Program (GPAP)- 2:25 - 2:45 PM
Panelists:
- Ron Poole-Dayan, MHB - Executive Director
- Lisa Schuster, MHB - GPAP Program Director
- Ron Poole-Dayan, MHB - Executive Director
- Lisa Schuster, MHB - GPAP Program Director
Gay Parenting Resource Fair / Coffee Break: 2:45 - 3:15 PM
Expert Panel: Budgeting and Insurance for U.S. and Canadian surrogacy 3:15 - 4:00 PM ()
Moderator: Lisa Schuster, GPAP Program Director
Panelists:
- Vicki Ferrara, Esq., Worldwide Surrogacy
- Virginia Hart, ART Risk
Expert Panel: Medical Aspects of Surrogacy 4:00 - 5:00 PM ()
The medical screening of future fathers, egg donors and surrogates, the creation of optimal embryos, and the IVF process.
Moderator: Angie Beltsos, MD, VIOS Fertility Institute
Panelists:
- Susanna Park, MD, San Diego Fertility Center
- Mohamad Irani, MD, Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
- F. Nicholas Shamma, MD, IVF Ohio
Moderator: Angie Beltsos, MD, VIOS Fertility Institute
Panelists:
- Susanna Park, MD, San Diego Fertility Center
- Mohamad Irani, MD, Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
- F. Nicholas Shamma, MD, IVF Ohio
Coffee Break: 5:00 - 5:15 PM
Personal stories and psychological aspects of surrogacy panel: 5:15 - 6:15 PM ()
To help you further understand what surrogacy entails from the personal standpoint, you will have an opportunity to hear personal testimonies from a diverse group of of gay surrogacy dads, the surrogates who helped them, and an egg donor.
In addition, we will examine how we feel about surrogacy: the meanings and significance people tend to attribute to surrogacy in their lives, with a special focus on surrogates’ perspective. We will look at questions such as:
◦ What are the dominant social perceptions of surrogacy in the U.S. and Canada?
◦ How do surrogates understand their experiences?
◦ What are the roots for concerns about exploitation and commodification in surrogacy?
◦ What are the experiences of children born via surrogacy?
Moderator: Ron Poole-Dayan, MHB executive director and board member
Panelists include:
IP1
Bio
IP2
Bio
IP3
Bio
ED
Bio
GC
Bio
In addition, we will examine how we feel about surrogacy: the meanings and significance people tend to attribute to surrogacy in their lives, with a special focus on surrogates’ perspective. We will look at questions such as:
◦ What are the dominant social perceptions of surrogacy in the U.S. and Canada?
◦ How do surrogates understand their experiences?
◦ What are the roots for concerns about exploitation and commodification in surrogacy?
◦ What are the experiences of children born via surrogacy?
Moderator: Ron Poole-Dayan, MHB executive director and board member
Panelists include:
IP1
Bio
IP2
Bio
IP3
Bio
ED
Bio
GC
Bio
Joey and Rob with their daughter, Camila Lumiere .
Alyssa and the parents she helped.
Aaron and Rick and their daughter.
Reno and Jay with their daughter, Aimee, and surrogate, Andee.
Ashley with her husband and the parents she helped.
Free admission - open to members of the LGBT community
6:15 PM - Happy Hour
- Refreshments will be served.
- Registered attendees receive a coupon for one free drink.