PATHWAY TO PARENTHOOD: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STARTING A FAMILY AND GENETICS
Following on from a successful ‘Fertility during a Pandemic’ online webinar earlier this month, the Australian Jewish Fertility Network (AJFN) will be hosting a two-part online series for couples who are considering starting a family soon or trying to get pregnant.
These sessions include a line up of expert speakers from Genea, IVF Australia and Prince of Wales Hospital covering preconception genetics, fertility tips (for both males and females), and options if things don’t quite go according to plan.
Creating a baby can take more than a honeymoon. This is an opportunity for couples to get up to the minute information about the optimum timing for conception, which supplements to take, lifestyle factors that influence healthy conception, genetic testing and when to seek help. Genetics experts will also be explaining more about why specific pre-conception and BRCA testing for faulty genes is an essential part of family planning, with a higher prevalence of certain genetic diseases within the Jewish community.
This series is proudly presented by the Australian Jewish Fertility Network and the Friends of Wolper.
Sunday 14 June: Part 1 – Healthy Parents, Healthy Offspring
Dr Debra Kennedy, Clinical Geneticist, IVF Australia :Health for Fertility
Dr Lesley Andrews Head of Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Prince of Wales Hospital: Unzipping your genes – the essentials of preconception genetic planning for Jewish couples.
Sunday 21 June – Part 2: It might not happen quickly, what then?
Dr Jeffrey Persson, Fertility Specialist, IVF Australia:Guys: giving it your best shot
Dr Rachael Rodgers, Fertility Specialist,Genea: IVF and beyond
Each session will run from 7:30PM – 9:00PM (participants can remain anonymous).
To register click here
“We have spoken to many people in our community who wished they had the proper knowledge about conception before they started trying,” said Kerry Gonski, AJFN Chairperson. “We have gathered together some of the best experts to give young and/or newly married couples the low down on how to increase their chances of having a healthy baby.”
“We will be talking about all the things that weren’t neccessarily covered by Sex Ed in school,” explains Mrs Gonski. “Think about it as the cheat notes for the Masters Course in ‘How Babies are Made’. This is up to the minute info for 2020.” Mrs Gonski said that it was also a unique opportunity to have access to all these experts in one place, at the same time.
Dr Lesley Andrews, Head of Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Prince of Wales Hospital and AJFN and Wolper Jewish Hospital Board member explains “We are extremely lucky that we are now able to test for a large number of genetic diseases, before conception, through the Wolper Jewish Hospital. Cutting edge technology to test embryos is now available, to prevent known gene mutations being passed on to the next generation”.
The AJFN is grateful to have been a recent recipient of financial support from the Wolper Jewish Hospital Foundation. Friends of Wolper Chair Josephine Holland said “The work of the AJFN is incredibly important in educating and assisting Jewish couples on their path to parenthood. The Wolper Jewish Hospital is proud to co-host this important webinar series.”
