Resources on pregnancy & queer parenting

• Pride and Joy: a resource for prospective lesbian parents in Victoria. The Pride and Joy booklet, published by the Royal Women’s Hospital, is a resource for prospective lesbian parents in Victoria. The booklet and its online version aims to bring together some essential facts from the confusing and often hard-to-find mass of information about creating lesbian families. Access the content online at
  http://www.rwh.org.au/wellwomens/whic.cfm?doc_id=4612
• We're here - a resource for childcare workers. Booklet written by members of the lesbian parents playgroups in the City of Darebin, Victoria, 2001. Available from Darabin Community Health Centre (ph. 03 9478-5711) or download from http://www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/LED/CEIEC/resources.html
• Research on lesbian families - papers from a recent conference held by the Australian Institute of Family Studies. www.aifs.org.au - see conference papers 2003 including:
  - Paternity and lesbian-parented families Deb Dempsey, La Trobe University
  - Formation of lesbian-parented families Ruth McNair, University of Melbourne
  - Challenges and strengths for lesbian families in Australia Amaryll Perlesz, La Trobe University
• Gay parenting - Australian website http://groups.msn.com/gayparenting
• See also A guide to pregnancy planning for lesbians in Victoria - by Dr Ruth McNair
• NSW guide 'Talking Turkey - a legal self-help guide to self-insemination'
• Pink Parents (UK) - http://www.pinkparents.org.uk
• Lesbian Mothers Support (Canada) - http://www.lesbian.org/lesbian-moms
• Proud Parenting (USA) http://www.proudparenting.com

Adverts for sperm donors:

• Pinkboard Classifieds (Australian website)
  http://www.pinkboard.com.au/cgi/Classifieds/ (check out the classified section under parenting/sperm donors)
• Gay Family Options
  www.gayfamilyoptions.org/(Provides ads, and also useful info & FAQ's)
• Queer Parents
  www.queerparents.org/ads_australia.shtml

Donor insemination and IVF clinics:

• Reproductive Medicine Albury (NSW)
  IVF and reproductive services, including donor insemination. Download their client info brochure for more detailed info.http://www.reproductivemedicine.com.au/repro_home2.html
• Sydney IVF
  http://www.sivf.com.au. Download their patient info leaflets.
• Canberra Fertility Clinic - http://www.canberrafertilitycenter.com.au
• Infertility Treatment Authority - the Victorian state regulatory authority on infertility treatment http://www.ita.org.au
• Melbourne IVF - http://www.mivf.com.au
• Monash IVF - http://www.monashivf.edu.au

Legal information

• Over the Rainbow: a guide to the law for lesbians and gay men in Victoria. Produced by the Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby & the Law Institute of Victoria, 2002 (2nd ed). This booklet is available hard copy free from Victoria Legal Aid (ph. 9269-0223), or see the website www.over-the-rainbow.org. For the pages on parenting and children, see http://www.over-the-rainbow.org/main/topic9_1.htm.
• Family Court of Australia - has information on Family Law in Australia, including information about family law cases and past judgements http://www.familycourt.gov.au

Books on lesbian parenting:

For books, visit Hares & Hyenas, 135 Commercial Road, Prahran (ph. 9824 0110). The bookshop stocks great children's books, parenting and health books for lesbians and gay men and has a comprehensive booklist of relevant books available to order.

• The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy For Lesbians Rachel Pepper, 1999. (USA)
• It's a Family Affair Ð Complete Lesbian Parenting Book. Lisa Saffron, Diva Books, London 2001. (UK)

General resources on pregnancy and birthing options in Victoria:

• Having a Baby in Victoria - pregnancy and birth options, models of care explained, find a Victorian hospital etc see http://www.serviceforip.webcentral.com.au/maternity/search.asp or http://maternity.vic.gov.au
• Guide to tests and Investigations for uncomplicated pregnancies booklet - http://www.southernhealth.org.au/forpatients_page_sh.htm

Foster parenting:

• Children's Welfare Association of Victoria Inc. Peak body for children's welfare, provides a list of foster care agencies www.cwav.asn.au

See also - other groups in Victoria