In this exciting age where families look different and are being built by all types of people, the ways to parenthood are many. For LGBTQ+ folx, there are options for fertility preservation, adoption, foster care, Big Brother/Big Sister, co-parenting…
Mother’s Day. Father’s Day. Halloween. Christmas. Then add all those little holidays and milestones you didn’t even know about like Olivia’s 6 month birthday. You can’t escape it: the bottomless pit of children’s pictures on social media. Many people secretly moan and groan but for me and my wife – two years in to infertility treatments – it’s feels like a digital snowball to the face.
By guest blogger Fertility Within Reach (Helen Denise). Reproduced with permission.
My life has been filled with both good and really bad surprises. Having an ectopic pregnancy completely changed my life and career. I will never forget the unbearable pain, sleepless nights and complications from surgery. It set me on a journey to help and educate other women on fertility and ovulation.
Bringing a new baby into the family is an exciting time. We celebrate the newness of life and have hope for the future. People are curious about the delivery and the birth story. Parents are excited and siblings are cautious (at best).
Trying to have a baby through third party reproduction is a challenging and emotional process. What makes it even more complicated is that you have to learn a whole new language before you can really make sense of the journey you are about to undertake. Whether you are going through assisted reproduction to create a baby yourselves or need the assistance of others to grow your family, you will need to have some basic knowledge.
As small children we role play as adults. We are explorers, teachers, doctors, police officers, presidents. Most often we are mommies and daddies. Children are socialized from the earliest moments to aspire to be like their parents and have children of their own. Occasionally, as children grow up to adults, they decide that they don’t want children, and that is a fine decision. However, for those that want children and have difficulty having them, it is a devastating reality.