Transracial Parenting Workshop in Bellingham, Sat. April 26th, 9am - 4pm

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Celebrate Adoption and Foster Care with WE ARE FAMILY Day with the Mariners!!! (Sunday, April 27th)

Sunday, April 27 - 1:10 p.m.
Rangers vs. Mariners
Buy Tickets
Promo Code: WeAreFamily

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Tickets start at $11 and include a Seattle Mariners We Are Family Day giveaway. Come celebrate the youth and families of foster care, kinship care, adoption, social workers, as well as agencies and community members that support them at Safeco Field.
*Redeem your giveaway at the game by bringing your ticket stub to the table on the concourse outside of Section 320 before the 4th inning.

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Pricing

• $11 View Level (normally $25)
• $25 Field Level (normally $40)

DEADLINE TO PURCHASE: Friday, April 25 - 5:00 p.m.

Please note: This special offer is online only and is not available at Team Stores or box office outlets.

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To order up to 19 tickets

Click on the button:  Buy Tickets
Select "Find Tickets" then enter WeAreFamily as your special offer code and click "Verify."

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To Order 20 or more tickets or if you require wheelchair seating

Please call Elizabeth McCloskey at (206) 346-4519.

• Groups of 20 or more will have their group name displayed on the scoreboard following the 4th inning.
• Groups of 20 or more will receive a voucher for 2 complimentary tickets to a future game (excluding Home Run games).

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Meet Dominica - Age 17

pril 2014 Domonica Age 17

Meet Domonica!   Domonica is ready to perform her latest ballet dance for you, and you will be amazed at her talent. She also enjoys family outings and swimming. Domonica appears shy at first and takes her time to warm up, but once she gains trust, she is extremely loyal and giving. Domonica works hard in school and benefits from extra support from the staff when needed.  Domonica will do best in a family where she can be the youngest or only child, where she can continue counseling, and where she is allowed and encouraged to continue to have life-long contact with all of her younger siblings as that is very important to her. She takes pride in being in charge of a family but needs help to remember that she is a child herself. Domonica verbalizes her desire to have a family, and she would be a dynamite addition to yours! Her forever family will have ongoing support from professional staff available to help with the transition and development of a lasting relationship. Click Here to Submit Your Home Study! Rochelle Lewis Recruitment Coordinator A Family For Every Child 1675 W 11th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97402 541-343-2856 Recruitment@afamilyforeverychild.org

WACAP is offering $100 off their application fee until 2/15/14

Click HERE to go to their webpage.

Adoption Movies Night in Bellingham, WA - Tues, 12/3 from 5:30-8 pm

Please join us for the first monthly Adoption in the Movies Night. 

 

As you all know, adoption is a common theme in many movies and is not always presented in a positive, or realistic light.  And sometimes our kids see these movies and may need help processing and talking about what they saw. These movie nights will give adults a chance to watch some of the more popular movies and to talk about ways to help our children deal with their reactions to these films.

 

The movie nights will be facilitated by Kate Haskell.  Kate is an adoptive mom and a Child and Family therapist.  We will have time after the movies for discussion.

 

The details...

 Who:  Any and all adults are welcome- adoptive parents, waiting parents, foster parents, extended family and anyone who has an interest in the topic of adoption.  Please forward this email to anyone you know who might be interested.

When:  Tues Dec. 3rd (and each of the following 5 first Tuesdays January through May 2014)

 

Where:  at Hope in Christ Church-  710 E. Sunset Bellingham

                the space is generously donated by Pastor Scott and Jen Roberts

 

Time:  5:30-8:00

 

Childcare:  is available with prior reservation to (Kristina Martin at: saypie@msn.com). Services are being offered by some wonderful, teenage members of our Ethiopian Potluck Group. Donations would be happily accepted! (Suggested $5.00 per child).

 

Food:   For this time, please plan to eat before the event or bring a brown bag dinner.  If there is interest, we can arrange to potluck or order in pizza for future events

 

What:  A viewing of a movie with strong story line involving adoption- for our first movie we will be watching Elf.

             

 Mostly we will be focusing on movies that our kids are likely to see but will add in a few grown up movies too.

$100 off application fee for WACAP until 11/30 to Celebrate National Adoption Month!

Visit: www.wacap.org

Free ALP Classes Online through November - Check it out!!

 

http://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/catalog/courses/tough-starts-matters-package.cfm

In my experience, these classes have been a wonderful opportunity for adoptive families to receive good education prior to bringing challenging children into their family.  I highly recommend them.

Lifestory Book Class in Bellingham on Friday, October 25th 6-9pm

 

Lifestory Books:  Every Child Has a History --

Telling the Story 

 

Date:  Friday, Oct. 25^th 2013  

Time:  6:00pm - 9:00pm 

Cost:  $45 per person/$30 for second family member if pre-registered by Oct. 10

After Oct 10: $55/$35

Location:  315 Westerly Rd, Bellingham, WA 98226 (Community Food Coop, Cordata)

Lifestory Books provide an important connection for adopted children to their unique history and way they joined their family. Regardless of the type or amount of background information you have about your child before he or she came to you, it is essential to create an appropriate record. This training offers assistance to families who want to begin creating a Lifestory Book or who want to more fully develop an existing one.

ü  The importance of a Lifestory Book                

ü  Where to start                

ü  How to make the information age appropriate   

ü  "Dos” and “Don'ts"

ü  Examples of Lifestory Books

ü  Much more . . .
                            

Presenter: Astrid Dabbeni has worked in adoptions for over 18 years.  She travels the country to lead youth groups and present workshops focusing on adoption.  Her life-long interest in adoption is rooted in her own adoption at the age of four with her older sister from Colombia. Astrid is the Executive Director and co-founder of Adoption Mosaic.

Pre-registration is required.  Contact Tina Martin at 360-734-3134 for details.  

All proceeds from this workshop will be donated to Weema International

Adoption Mosaic is a non-profit 501c3 organization founded by those touched by adoption to offer support, education and resources for the adoption community.  Adoption Mosaic is not associated with any adoption agency, nor does it make recommendations about agencies or specific types of adoption.  We value diversity, openness and honesty in adoption.

Why Mosaic?   Like adoption, a mosaic is a picture created of bits and pieces.  The spaces between remind us that each piece has a history of its own.

AFFEC 6th Annual Rotary Family Festival

6th Annual Rotary Family Festival

This event brings families waiting to adopt children ages 4 - 17 together with those children waiting for adoptive families in a fun and creative way!  This has been a highly successful child and family matching event for older kids and teens that need permanent families!  Please see the attached FF Flyer for details!  The form to register your families is attached as is the announcement (FF Flyer) and a Q & A to provide a little more info about the event!  This is TONS of fun for the families, kids and teens that attend!  To be 'eligible' the family must have a current and approved home study and a desire to grow their family with a permanent addition(s)!   Event Details   Date: Saturday, October 5th, 2013 Time: 11:00AM-1:00PM Location: Woodridge Elementary School 12619 SE 20th Place, Bellevue, WA   Questions? Contact Laurie Mayer at laurie.mayer@dshs.wa.gov or (425) 590.3081   Please see the attached flyers for more information and to register!   Family Registration Form    Event Flyer    Event Q&A

AFFEC Matching Event - Wed., Sept. 18th, 1pm PST (an online event)

Don't  miss out on this great AFFEC online event!

How it Works!
 

A Family For Every Child Hosts Child Matching Events in hopes to match as many children with their forever family as possible. This event is a great opportunity for families to get to know children who are searching for a forever home from across the nation without leaving their home. These events are hosted over an online webinar. During the event caseworkers will present on children from their caseload in a visually pleasing way. Throughout the presentation families can type in any questions they have abut any of the children presented on. At the end of the event families will get the opportunity to then submit a home study on any child. Don't miss out on this event to find the perfect match for your family.

REGISTER HERE!!

Bridge to Adoption 5K - Sat. August 3rd at 8:30am - Hosted by Andrew and Janetta

We're excited to announce that registration for the 2nd annual Bridge to Adoption 5K run/walk is officially open!  Thank you for your enthusiasm surrounding this year's event!

Saturday, August 3rd at 8:30 am

Blyth Park
6950 W Riverside Dr, Bothell, WA 98011

Check out our site for full event detail by clicking {HERE}

New this year:
-- Free Kids' Dash

-- Lower registration fees

Last year we had 86 fantastic participants, this year our goal is to break 100.  Tell family, runners, adoptive families, coworkers and friends and come have a great time getting the word out about adoption and helping us raise funds for our second adoption journey.

Hope to see you out again this year!

With love,
Andrew, Janetta and Miles

bridgetoadoption.blogspot.com

Have you heard of BraveLove?

I just stumbled upon this website today.  And I am loving it already.  Visit their site at: http://bravelove.org

"BraveLove's goal is to help change the way people think about adoption."

 

"Our mission is to change the perception of adoption through honest, informative, and hopeful communication that conveys the heroism and bravery a birth mother displays when she places her child with a loving family through adoption."

 

Check out BRAVELOVE and please let us know if you know of any other positive adoption websites.  We would love to share them and hope to support and promote a positive view of adoption. 

 

Another Finding Option - AFFEC's Free Matching Assistance Program

Another way AFFEC may assist families interested in adoption, is to suggest they join our Matching Assistance Program. Below is a little about that program, geared towards home-study-ready families and their Adoption Workers.

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MATCHING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (by A Family For Every Child)

Matching Assistance is a password protected site and child listings, that is helping support qualified, current home studied families during their journey to adoption.

With our free membership program, families have the opportunity to be more engaged during this difficult "searching/waiting" part of the adoption process. We all know how hard this can be on families. We are constantly maintaining our website and strive to give families the best support, service and resources we can.

Our Goal
Our goal is to come alongside families who have been in the process for a longer period of time, providing them with one-on-one communication, assurance and assistance in learning how to best represent themselves in their family profile and home study. The Matching Assistance Program is free but requires a current home study to participate.

The Children
Most waiting children are OVER the age of 6, male, are school aged, or are part of a racial, ethnic, or cultural minority. Many of the sibling groups need to be placed together, and/or have physical, mental, developmental or emotional disabilities. All are waiting for the love and security that only a permanent family can offer.

For more information, please visit http://www.northwestheartgallery.org/Family/MatchingAssistanceProgram3.php


Matching Assistance Team
1675 West 11th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97402
1-877-343-2856

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OTHER EFFORTS FOR YOUR FAMILY:

OUR MATCHING EVENTS

CHILD
FAMILY

More info on these events can be found at:
http://www.afamilyforeverychild.org/Adoption/MatchingEvent/General2.php

Your family can also be featured on our website, in our newsletters and in targeted outreach via email with the help of our data base.

Please let us know how we may further help your families and or you in your role with them.

All our best,
AFFEC Team
A Family For Every Child
1675 West 11th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97402
541.343.2856 - Office
541.343.2866 - Fax
info@afamilyforeverychild.org
www.afamilyforeverychild.org

Thank You! Thank you! Thank you!!

We want to shout out a very special THANK YOU to everyone who helped with and attended the Avenues to Adoption Education Event which was held on Saturday, June 22nd.  It was a great learning opportunity and I know everyone who attended gained additional information regarding adoption options and the overall adoption experience.  

The first presenter, Mary Moo from WACAP gave a great overview of the services WACAP provides both in their International Program as well as their domestic US Kids Program.  It was exciting to learn that if a couple is interested in working with another agency they can have their home study completed at WACAP and shared with another agency.  This is definitely something to ask more about!!  She explained the role WACAP has as an advocate for the adoptive parent in navigating the foster to adopt system.  For those who were not able to hear Mary's presentation, I highly recommend attending one of their Information Meetings which are typically held on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7-9pm at the WACAP office in Renton, WA.

Our second presenters, Corey and Julie Pogue, were a delight.  They shared their story of inspiration and love and how their family was blessed by adopting 4 children from the State.  They are more than happy to share more of their story to those who are looking for an insiders view of adopting through the state system. Email us at families.supporting.adoption@gmail.com if you are interested in the contact information for Corey and Julie.

Our final presenter,  Susan Lawrence from Kids2Families is an amazing local resource for adoption advocacy.  It was informative to hear about their advocacy program and vision of having all children in loving homes. She was informative and can be a resource to anyone trying to navigate building their family through adoption.  It was exciting to hear about the orphanage that Kids2Families is running in Ecuador and their goal of having these children adopted locally by Ecuadorians.  She can be a resource to families who want to adopt, but have financial concerns.  She would love to have more volunteers and she hopes to see all of us at the Kids2Families Annual Family Adoption Walk in November.

A special thanks to Chriss Butt who did a ton of work to make this event (and many other things) possible.  She is currently serving as the Chair for the FSA board and many people benefit from the time she spends advocating for adoption.  THANKS CHRISS!  

We hope to host another similar education event soon.  (Maybe November)???  Be sure to join our Facebook Group to learn about more about any upcoming events and for an opportunity to share information regarding adoption.

We Cordially Invite You to Our

Avenues to Adoption

Education Event

Saturday, June 22^nd

12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

34815 Weyerhaeuser Way South, Federal Way, WA 98001  

Come hear from World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), The Pogue Family, Kids 2 Families and learn more regarding a variety of adoption agencies and options for building families through adoption. The presenters all have experience primarily with adopting non-infant children.   

Please R.S.V.P. if possible - but feel free to show up spontaneously too.

Contact Chriss Butt at:
families.supporting.adoption@gmail.com or
call her at (801) 259-3959 with questions.

 

Note: Current adoptive applicants, please consult with your caseworker regarding the option of earning adoption education credit for attending this event.

Interested in Learning More about Lutheran Community Services??

Chriss had a chat with Lutheran Community Services and they had this to say regarding ways to learn more about their services:

 

I hope you will extend our invitation to an Info Session to your families. We offer an Info Night on the second Monday of every month from 6:00 - 8:00 PM here in Northgate. We also offer individually scheduled info sessions at our Northgate office if that would be easier. At these info sessions, families have the opportunity to meet with one of the social workers, hear an overview of our program, and ask any questions that they have. Those interested can RSVP by emailing me at kpickard@lcsnw.org, or giving me a call at (206) 694-5713.

If you haven't already, you can visit the Permanency Planning page of the Lutheran Community Services website (click here), where we have a short video that introduces the program, too.

 

Let me know if you have any additional questions! And thank you again for reaching out to Permanency Planning!

 

-Katie

FOX 12 Investigators: Local woman gave birth to baby she adopted - KPTV - FOX 12

Check this out!  Have you heard of embryo adoption?  Just another option to consider. http://www.kptv.com/story/22184521/fox12-investigators-local-woman-gave-birth-to-baby-she-adopted  (click the link for the full story).



One local family has a baby girl who was once the frozen embryo of an Arizona couple. Ten-month-old Ashley is a giggling, curious baby. Her mom said she's a miracle, a child she carried in her womb, who isn't genetically related to her or her husband. After discovering they couldn't have their own biological children, Samantha and Jordan Fife used traditional, costly adoptions for their two older girls, Michaela, 6, and Heidi, 3.

When the Brush Prairie, WA couple decided they wanted a third child, Samantha searched on Google for "adoption" and stumbled onto an unusual option.
"I clicked on this thing that said embryo adoption and I was like, well, what is that?" Samantha Fife said. "As long as you could carry a pregnancy, you had this option of giving birth to an adopted child."

As more and more families opt for in vitro fertilization, there's a surplus of hundreds of thousands of leftover frozen embryos. They're either stored, destroyed, used for medical research or donated to adoptive families. . . .

Samantha Fife has now started her own embryo matching web site, where people seeking to adopt embryos can find people looking to donate.  She's already seen a few babies born thanks to connections made on her site.

If you'd like more information, go to blessedwithinfertility.com.

Thinking about using WACAP - Check This Out - $100.00 OFF!!

If you want to learn more about what WACAP has to offer, WACAP can be reached directly by phone at (206) 575-4550.  The short of it is that they have International Adoption Programs and a program they call US Kids which strives to find homes for children in the foster care system in the US.  You can check out their fee schedule here. 

 

Online Matching Event - Sponsered by A Family for Every Child

Last chance! 

 

A Family for Every Child is hosting an online child matching event on Wednesday, June 5th. Their online matching events allow home study approved families the ability to ask social workers questions straight through our online webinar! You will not want to miss this opportunity to find the right child for your forever family!    The online child matching with AFFEC event takes place on Wednesday June 5th, at 1PM PST, 2PM MST, 3PM CST, 4PM EST. Register Here!   Social workers will be on hand to answer questions and give feedback and information about the type of families that would be the best match for these children. Once the event has concluded families will be given the opportunity to submit their homestudy on children that they feel would be a good fit for their families. Register before it's too late!

Have you heard of this FREE Matching Program?

This program seems awesome.  Anyone want to try it and tell us about your experience?  We'd love to know what you learn.  Seems like a great way to be productive while in the "Finding" Phase. ;-)

AFFEC - Matching Assistance Program

 

Our Matching Assistance Program is FREE! By changing our program to a free program, we hope to better fulfill our mission of finding loving, permanent families for waiting foster children. Our program is designed to assist current approved home studied families looking to adopt waiting foster children. Our goal is to work alongside families, providing them with one-on-one communication, assurance, and support during the submission and waiting process.   As a member of Matching Assistance you will have the ability to submit your home study and family profile for over 2000 waiting children and sibling groups listed on our site, with the assurance that your submission is going directly to a child's caseworker. Your adoption worker will be cc'd on all submissions so they remain in the loop at all times.   In addition, you will be assigned a Family Adoption Specialist volunteer to provide support, resources and guidance; you will have the opportunity to partake in our very successful recruitment options; you will receive weekly how to emails containing valuable information and resources about foster care adoption; have access to knowledgeable and helpful staff, and more! Those are just a few of our great benefits!   Sign up today to take full advantage of our free program!

A Great Sucess Story (re-posted from AFFEC's newsletter)

Success Story from AFFEC

After providing foster care for several years, we had some concerns that adopting through foster care may be challenging. We saw first-hand what children go through in regards to the system and it was heartbreaking. We were nervous, but were certain we wanted to provide a home to children waiting for a forever family.    We were thrilled to start working with the AFFEC. Immediately we knew the genuine concern they all had for children, and they were so positive! It was refreshing - we knew right away that something good was going to happen.    The moment we met the girls, we knew we were going to love them forever. Miley, the oldest, shared with us her dream to have a mom and a dad and to be safe. Our hearts melted. The twins were giggly and funny, but a little behind physically. They were out of breath going down a few stairs during our first visit to the children's museum. We knew with time, living our busy lifestyle things would change.    Nine months later, the twins run, ride bikes, dance, take swim lessons and jump on the trampoline. Our days are complete with talking, dance parties (in our living room), camping trips, backyard adventures, walks and lots of singing and laughter. We have discovered that providing security and sharing new experiences is the most rewarding feeling imaginable.     One of our most unexpected discoveries is realizing that adopting an older child could be so rewarding! Miley believes she is the luckiest girl in the world. She shares with us daily her appreciation for her new life.   What we truly believe, is WE are the luckiest people in the world. We have received the opportunity to change the lives of these children forever and, in the process, our life has been truly blessed.

"We Are Family" day at Safeco Field - Sunday, May 12th

In partnership with the Seattle Mariners, Children’s Administration will hold its fifth annual “We Are Family” day event at Safeco Field on Sunday, May 12. May features National Foster Care Month and Kinship Caregiver Day.  Spend a day at the ballpark celebrating the youth and families of foster care, kinship care and adoption, and the many social workers, agencies and community members that support them. Receive a FREE Seattle Mariners We Are Family Day T-shirt when purchasing tickets through this special online offer!

Thousands of caregivers, kids, and others involved with child welfare have attended this event in past years. This year’s event is on Mother’s Day, which presents a great opportunity to take mom and the whole family to the ballpark.

The game between the Mariners and the Oakland A's will begin at 1:10 p.m. and will be preceded by a pre-game ceremony from 10-11 a.m. at the Ellis Pavilion. The pavilion entrance is on First Avenue, the south side of Safeco Field. Everyone who attends the pre-game ceremony will receive a raffle ticket and an opportunity to win numerous items.

Discounted tickets for the game are available at two different prices: $11 per ticket for a seat in the 300-level, and $25 per ticket at the 100-level. Don’t miss the information tables on the 100 level behind the bull pen – you will find numerous organizations providing foster care recruitment materials and support information for caregivers.

Tickets for “We Are Family” can be purchased through this link: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/sea/ticketing/special_group.jsp?group=wearefamily                      

Looking for a good adoption related read?

Check out this suggested reading list by Adoptive Families.  They offer a large variety of information regarding adoption but I especially liked these pre-adoption suggested reads.

If you are interested in learning more about "taking about adoption" they have some great ideas here.  Overall, Adoptive Families has some helpful information and resources that are totally worth checking out!

The Dark Matter of Love - A Documentary about Adoption and Attachement -- Check out the film website and watch for this film to appear in your area or maybe even on Netflix

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING

The Center for Adoption Support and Education, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and the National Council for Adoption are jointly sponsoring this screening to increase the community's awareness of the complexity of moving children into adoptive families with histories of trauma, severed attachments and profound loss.

In this film, Masha, an eleven year old Russian girl, learns to love her adoptive American family through a scientific intervention. Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Marvin, an expert in attachment, has spent a lifetime developing a program to help children learn to love. Rare footage of his extraordinary experiment is woven through the story of Masha learning to love for the very first time. 

Please join Dr. Robert Marvin in the discussion about our community's continued investment in accessible and effective post adoption  services for families faced with these challenges.

Visit the film website

Watch the two and a half minute trailer

You are invited to a FREE documentary film screening of THE DARK MATTER OF LOVE on Monday, April 22 at 6:00pm in Washington, DC at the US State Capital -- If you happen to be headed to "the other Washington" in April. ;-)

Register HERE to register to view the film at the US State Capital in DC on April 22nd.

Want to See the doccumentary Stuck with us on Thursday, April 5th at 7pm???

Stuck is playing in Seattle on Thursday, April 4th at 7pm in the Landmark Varsity Theater.  Some if us will be meeting in Renton at 5:30pm in the Family Service Building (220 S. 3rd Place, Renton, 98057) and carpooling over together.  Or, you can meet us there.  We'd love to grab a snack and chat for a few minutes after the show.

Here's a bit about the tour:

Our most powerful tool is the feature length documentary film, STUCK. The purpose of the film is to help the average person understand the issues and create a movement that will ultimately put pressure on U.S. officials to force a more supportive attitude toward International Adoption.

The film will premiere in sequence as we roll across the country on the tour bus, visiting 60 cities in 80 days. While the highlight of each city visit will be the premiere of the film, our goal is to make the visit to each city much more than a film premiere, but an all day event, with media appearances, speeches and discussions in multiple gatherings. The framework for the tour gives us the possibility to make STUCK a phenomenon.

 You can get your tickets here:  https://bothendsburning.org/initiatives/stuck-tour/itinerary/

 

Check out this blog - United for Adoption

http://unitedforadoption.blogspot.com/

Here are some  links to the articles that I found interesting:

The Tummy Mummy -

Mom -

They also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedForAdoption?ref=ts&fref=ts

 

PCOS - A Patient's Guide (A Book Review by Sherilan )

Walter Futterweit, M.D., author of the book "A Patient's Guide to PCOS: Understanding and Reversing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome", has extensive experience helping OB/GYN patients with PCOS.  

My "take home" points that I got from the book were about diet, exercise and weight all with an underlying issue regarding insulin. PCOS patients are insulin resistant.  Insulin is produced by the body to deal with glucose in the blood.  Insulin resistant individuals produce more insulin than usual. Increased insulin levels affect hormone levels such as producing more testosterone that may cause increased facial/body hair, increased hair loss, and infertility among other things.  It is NOT diabetes but PCOS patients have an increased risk of developing diabetes.

 

Increased blood-glucose levels lead to increased insulin levels. To control insulin levels and keep them from being too high, diet is crucial. Glucose is sugar from carbohydrates.  Blood-glucose levels increase most rapidly when someone has eaten sugary foods or refined grain products such as white flour or white rice.  Thus a PCOS needs to remove these items from their diet.  Dr. Futterweit suggests few carbohydrates in the diet, all of which should come from whole grains which turn to glucose much slower in the digestive system.  A focus is placed on low-fat protein and vegetables.  Smaller and more frequent meals are also encouraged.  Carbohydrate snacks are discouraged, but if you eat carbohydrates make them whole grain and always include protein with your snack or meal.  The protein further helps blood-glucose levels from increasing too quickly.  Examples; eat an apple with peanut butter, eat whole grain crackers with tuna fish.  Fruit is full of sugar and should be eaten sparingly for a PCOS patient.  The book includes menu ideas for meals as well as snacks which are very helpful.

 

When insulin levels are high, such as in a PCOS, patient a period of time after having eaten a high carb snack, then blood-glucose levels are low after having been high and the individual then craves more carbs.  Protein rich snacks with whole grains are the best option to prevent this cycle.  This cycle creates increased average weights in PCOS individuals and Dr. Futterweit explains that to get hormone levels at more normal levels the individual should get the extra weight off.  Exercise daily is strongly pushed.  Exercise helps with healthy hormone levels and in getting the weight off which also helps with healthy hormone levels.  Eating healthy and decreased portions are also encouraged for decreasing weight.

 

Dr. Futterweit encourages Metformin strongly (over 1000 mg per day) to help with insulin levels. If this cocktail of diet, decreased weight, exercise and metformin still leaves you without a baby, Clomid can possibly help.  If Clomid hasn't worked for you in the past the combination may be what you need.

 

This helpful book also has sections on hair loss, facial hair and other troublesome symptoms of the PCOS patient and how to deal with them.  It also covers diagnosis.

 

This is a great read full of valuable information for the PCOS patient.  Other's have said it's the best PCOS book out there about infertility.  I would agree. I strongly recommend it!! A little over a year after embracing the concepts within this book we welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our family!  Good luck! 

 

Sherilan Shurtleff