Chances are you’ve considered, however briefly, becoming a foster family as a way to help allieviate Georgia’s foster children crisis and improve the lives of children.

And chances are you’ve thought of all kinds of reasons not to do so. But what if becoming a foster family came with huge amounts of support, a whole churchload of support to be exact? Would that make you more likely to consider taking in a foster child?

If so, then check out a local network called Faith to Foster, a coalition of Chatham County churches that serve families and children in foster care. The goal of Faith to Foster is to make foster parenting less challenging and more appealing to local families.

You’re invited to a Faith to Foster informational meeting, 6-7:30 PM May 7 at Southside Baptist Church, 5502 Skidaway Road, Savannah 31406. Child care will be provided if you call ahead to ministry director, 912-355-9555.

For more info on Faith to Foster including how you can help volunteer to aid local foster families or bring the program to your church, click here or email Faith to Foster ministry director Jenn Menn at jennifermenn@hotmail.com or call 912.925.5074.

Read more about Faith to Foster and the foster mom behind it - who along with her husband have fostered a total of 17 children (not all at once) since 2007 -  in my Savannah Morning News column this week here.

A women’s support group for infertility and adoption support will meet on Thursday, Sept. 29. For more information contact Kelly Wiggins @ 912.596.0852 or emptycradle_savannah@hotmail.com

In my newspaper column this week entitled “How baby Mary met her parents”, I write about how the recession is impacting adoption.

Some couples who can’t afford private adoptions – like Ryan and Josh Lee of Savannah (pictured here with their adorable daughter Mary) – are opting for the less expensive option of independent adoptions.

Read about the Lee’s story of struggling with infertility and finding peace through adoption here.

Find out more about all types of adoption and get information from local resources and organizations who want to help place children in loving homes at an Adoption Forum at Savannah Christian Church
6:30-9 PM Thurs. Oct. 15. The forum will be at The Link at Savannah Christian Church’s Henderson Campus, 55 Al Henderson Blvd. For more info: 912-629-4721 or email jzauche@savannahchristian.com

Savannah Christian Church also has an infertility support group for couples struggling with infertility meets every second Saturday of the month at 6:15 PM in Room 250 at Savannah Christian Church.

A new infertility support group at Savannah Christian Church will have a Girls’ Night Out at 6:30 PM Thurs., Aug. 27. Meetings are held every month.

Shelby, 23, Cooper, 14, Hanna, 10

It’s among the most divisive questions in the realm of adoption: Should adoptees have access to their birth parents, and, as a result, be able to establish relationships with them and have questions answered about their backgrounds and medical histories?

Meet a Richmond Hill family who’s an example of the benefits of open adoption.  The Suddaths – parents Matt and Mary – their biological child, Shelby, 23, and two adopted children Hanna, 10, and Cooper, 14, (pictured here) believe open adoption is the most child-friendly option.  Read their story in my newspaper column this week. Click here to read.  

Hanna and Cooper, who are biracial, say being biracial children in a white family has challenges, but neither Hanna nor Cooper consider being racially different from their parents much of an issue.

You can find out more about open adoption at a “De-mystifying adoption” seminar, 2-4 pm Sun. Aug. 23 @ St. Anne Church, 10550 Ford Ave., Richmond Hill.  “Exploring the World of Adoption” is sponsored by St. Anne Church and the Parish Council of Catholic Women.

Free and open to the public. Featuring short talks by Birney Bull, adoption attorney; Mary Suddath, adoptive parent; a birth mother; and an adoption consultant as well as a Q&A session. Refreshments and a nursery are included. Participants can speak privately with speakers and adoptive parents representing various types of adoption. No reservations required.

Information: 912.756.3343.

Help is available for Savannah-area women struggling with infertility.

A new infertility support group is starting this month at Savannah Christian Church. The first meeting will be 6:30 PM Aug. 8. Meetings will be every month.

The goal is to provide support and resources for women in the Savannah area struggling with infertility or pursuing/or have been through adoption.

Mother’s Day is tough for women experiencing infertility.

Just ask Michell Laing of Savannah, who celebrated her first Mother’s Day this year after years of struggling with infertility. She, her husband David and their newly adopted daughter (all pictured here) were the focus of my Mother’s Day column this past Sunday. Read the column here.

Michell and David were generous enough to be extremely open about such an extremely personal and painful experience as infertility.

Michell is involved in a Savannah support group for couples dealing with infertility and adoption issues. The group meets regularly. Find out more by emailing emptycradle_savannah@hotmail.com. The group’s listed on Facebook as Savannah Support for Women.

Please share the Laings’ story with anyone you know dealing with questions about infertility and adoption.

An increasing number of couples long to become parents, but struggle with infertility.

It can be an extremely difficult and lonely time. And sometimes it’s nice to hear “Me, too.” An infertility and adoption support group meets the last Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM at Panera Bread on Abercorn Street. The next meeting is next week, March 26.

This support group is for infertility (primary and secondary), pursuing adoption & adoption after infertility.

Email Kelly Wiggins at emptycradle_savannah@hotmail.com or 912.596.0852 to find out more.

Kelly and her husband Tony Wiggins decided to adopt a child after years of trying to have a biological child. Now they are wonderful parents to a sweet 2-year-old. Read their story here.

Please share the info about this support group with anyone you know who desires a child but are having difficulty.

Imagine planning to adopt a healthy child, only to find out after the adoption that child has serious health problems.

That’s what happened to a Savannah family I write about in my column today “You don’t give back your imperfect child” in the Savannah Morning News Accent section. Read it here.

I am so thankful to the Peraltas, pictured here with their 20-month-old son Jack, for sharing their painful story with the public. Their journey shows the true definition of love and that all parenthood, adoptive and biological, involves risk.

As Savannah adoption attorney Birney Bull writes on his Web site “Remember that ALL parenthood involves unexpected risks. All we can do is prepare for them. Plan for the best, prepare for the worst and expect the unexpected. ” Bull says the Peraltas would certainly have to be Exhibit A on that one.

Another moving article is a firsthand account of adopting a special needs child, “My first lesson in motherhood,” written by a mother and reporter. Read it here.

Please share these stories with any parents of special needs children you know. Or just any parents. Thanks.

Happy Mother’s Day, SouthernMamas!

Let’s hope you are really busy today being celebrated and honored! But if you get a minute, please check out my Sunday column in the Accent section of the Savannah Morning News. You can read it by clicking here.

I write about women who long to become mothers, but struggle with infertility. The amazing couple spotlighted in my column, Kelly and Tony Wiggins, decided to adopt a child after years of trying to have a biological child. They are such wonderful parents to Canon, now 19 months. This is a picture of the whole family.

Please share the Wiggins’ story with any couples you know who desire a child but are having difficulty.

Kelly Wiggins has an infertility and adoption support group that meets the fourth Thursday of the month. Email her at emptycradle_savannah@hotmail.com to find out more.

Interested in international adoption or know someone who is?

Make plans to attend a “lunch and learn” to find out more about international adoption. Alliance for Children Inc. and Families First are hosting the lunch 11:30-1:30 pm Fri. April 18 @ Candler Hospital’s Marsh Auditorium, 5353 Reynolds St. Savannah.

Alliance for Children has placed thousands of children from around the world in permanent adoptive homes. The non-profit international adoption agency assists needy children both through the location of adoptive families, and through financial contributions and donations of new clothing, supplies and medicines.

To RSVP and get directions, call Christina Bennett, Families First, at 912.441.9346.

As the auntie to 4-year-old triplet boys, I truly don’t understand how parents of multiples handle all the different stresses. Emotional. Financial. Physical.

It’s so important that support groups like Coastal Parents of Multiples are around. The group offers a social network of support to moms of multiples from pregnancy on through each stage of development of their children.

Coastal Parents of Multiples is hosting a 2008 reunion, 7 pm Tues. May 6 @ the Mercer Auditorium @ the Hoskins Center, Memorial Health University Medical Center. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. A Mother’s Day basket will be raffled off. Parents are asked to bring an old and new picture of their family for a multiples families picture display. Click here for more info. RSVP to coastalparentsofmultiples@yahoo.com.

Moms interested in attending the group’s regular meetings can do so for free. Meetings are the first Tuesday of each month, 7 pm @ Memorial Health University Hospital’s Conference Rm 1323. Even moms expecting multiples are encouraged to attend.

The group offers guest speakers who provide professional expertise in areas of particular interest to members; many events and activities for moms, children and families; various fund-raisers throughout the year which support the organization.

We know some of you smartypants guffawed at a post on SouthernMamas last year about a local restaurant that serves a labor-inducing entrée.

You thought “How ridiculous!” to say that the Thai shrimp (or chicken)and eggplant at The Toucan Cafe, a SouthernMamas favorite, would make an expectant mom go into labor.

Well, laugh no more, ladies. An expectant SouthernMama took our advice and ordered the magic meal (remember, it’s not on the regular menu so you have to call ahead and order it before coming to the restaurant @ 531 Stephenson Ave. 912.352.2233)

Anita H. reports she dined on the special dish Wednesday night March 19. Braxton Hicks contractions started that night and lasted throughout the night. She and hubby went to the hospital Saturday afternoon and, after three hours of pushing, Anita had a 9-pound baby boy Easter Morning.

So tell all your about-to-burst expectant friends to check out the Toucan Method of Induction.
Thank you Toucan Café and congrats Anita!

Happy Easter.

Of course, it’s a busy day. But when you get a chance, please check out my column today in the Savannah Morning News about a remarkable Savannah couple’s story “When a miscarriage is prevented.”

Anyone who has suffered a miscarriage knows you’re usually told that, chances are, the loss was your body’s way of ending an unhealthy pregnancy. But not all miscarriages are the result of fetal chromosome abnormalities.

The story of Sean and Stefanie Reeder and their very healthy 22-month old son, Grant (pictured here) is proof that some miscarriages can and should be prevented. Thank you Sean and Stefanie for sharing such a personal, emotional story.

To see the Lori Grice photo of Sean and Stefanie – the one which captures their “I’m pregnant!” moment and is mentioned in the column – click here.

Here’s an issue we should all learn more about: adopting and fostering children. Have you ever considering possibly adopting a child? Next week you can get your questions answered by talking with other adoptive parents, parents like Savannah couple Tony and Kelly Wiggins who adopted adorable Canon. The lucky threesome is pictured here.

Our area has a critical shortage of adoptive parents and foster parents who will welcome a child into their family. All the more reason to check out the “Adoption and Foster Parenting Information Night” 7-8:30 pm Thurs. Feb. 28 @ Saint James Church on Whitfield Avenue and Montgomery Cross Roads. The Wiggins will share their story at the event and be available for questions.

The goal of the event is to inform the public about the adoption option and the crucial need for adults to fulfill parenting roles.

The FREE info session is sponsored by the St. James Council of Catholic Women. No reservations required. For more info, call 912.355.1523.

You’ve probably already heard about study results released today that found consuming more than 200 mg of caffeine a day can double a pregnant woman’s chances of miscarriage. That means cut it back to only one Starbucks grande (16 oz) latte a day, moms-to-be, because the drink has 150 mg of caffeine.
How much caffeine is in your other favorite drinks and eats? Here’s a look:
Coffee & Energy Drinks
Starbucks Latte, 16 oz.: 150 mg
Coffee, brewed, 8 oz.: 95 mg
Red Bull, 8.3 oz.: 76 mg
Espresso, 1 oz.: 64 mg
Instant coffee, 8 oz.: 64 mg
Coffee, decaf, brewed, 8 oz.: 2 mg

Tea
Black tea, 8 oz.: 47 mg
Green tea, 8 oz.: 30-50 mg
Herbal tea, 8 oz.: 0 mg

Soft Drinks
Mountain Dew, 12 oz.: 54 mg
Diet Coke, 12 oz.: 47 mg
Dr Pepper, 12 oz.: 41 mg
Coca-Cola Classic, 12 oz.: 35 mg
Barq’s Root Beer, 12 oz.: 23
7Up/Sprite, 12 oz.: 0 mg

Other
Excedrin, Extra Strength, 2 tablets: 130 mg
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, 1.55 oz.: 9 mg
Hot cocoa, 8 oz.: 8 mg
Chocolate milk, 8 oz.: 6 mg

Source: NPR.org

What if you could alter your diet to boost your fertility? Maybe start popping folic acid, drinking whole fat milk and banning trans fats from the house, all in order to get pregnant? The Harvard hot-shots behind the new book “The Fertility Diet” are hoping you will.

The book provides dietary suggestions to increase your fertility including:
• Avoiding trans fats
• Eating more beans, nuts, and other fertility-boosting plant protein
• Embracing whole grains such as oatmeal and barley
• Ordering that latte with whole milk or having another full-fat dairy product every day (Hello Ben & Jerry’s!))
• Staying away from sugared sodas

But critics say the Fertility Diet is risky because the book’s findings don’t apply to a vast majority of people with infertility problems. Instead, they are based on women with ovulatory infertility, a condition caused by irregular ovulation that affects fewer than a third of infertile women.

In other words, not every infertility problem can benefit from diet improvements.

So women might waste precious years focusing on the fertility diet and postpone seeing a doctor to find out the real infertility cause. Eating better – and weeding out all those sneaky trans fats – certainly can’t hurt. But be sure to see an infertility specialist before putting all your hope on a big bowl of Haagen Dazs.

Read more about the science behind fertility foods in this New York Times article and this Boston Globe article. Buy The Fertility Diet by clicking here.

“Baby videos delay language” (Washington Post)

“Skipping baby steps: the case for going straight to IVF” (Slate)

“Babies can tell friend from foe” (U.S. News & World Report)

“Losing baby weight linked to sleep” (Reuters)

“Bakers rush to fill need for allergy-free foods” (Boston Globe)

“Beware of Dr. Google” (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Autism: Finding Amanda” (CNN)

“Bumbo baby seats recalled because of head injuries” (Reuters)

“Five Ways To Cope With Your Child’s Food Allergies” (MSNBC)

“Freezing Eggs: A Delicate Way to Turn Back the Clock” (Star Tribune)

“Umbilical Cord Donation Helps Stem Cell Research” (Atlanta Journal & Constitution)

“Jacket Lets Parents Keep Track of Kids” (Associated Press)

“‘Choice’ explores reproductive decisions and their ramifications” (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Why some expectant moms are worried about tattoos” (WSJ)

“FDA warns about pediatric sanitizer ad claims” (Reuters)

“McCarthy suspects MMR shot caused autism” (Chicago Tribune)

“Sperm ban means some in short supply” (Associated Press)

“U.S. sex offender laws do more harm than good” (Reuters)

“FDA OKs nasal spray flu vaccine for toddlers (WebMD)