Three Makes Baby Podcast

Emma, a Donor Conceived Adult & Triplet of a Single, Gay Mom Shares Thoughts about Her "Biological Father"

Emma is donor conceived and knew about her conception "before she understood." Her "superhero" mom used a donor to conceive and had triplets. She shares how she wondered about her biological father and tried to put together the pieces of him by looking at traits of her 100+ half-siblings.

 

Gail, a mom through sperm donation, advocates for regulation and legislation in donor conception. Gail lives in Australia and was appalled to find out her daughter has over 100 half-siblings. She shares her daughter's feelings about donor conception as well as some unpleasant truths about the practices that occur in the field.

I speak with Sheri, the author of @youweremeantformebook.  She shares her story of embryo adoption and what inspired her to write a children’s book for her son. The children’s book about embryo adoption is also available through Amazon.
(Please excuse the sound quality. Sheri’s microphone was garbled at times.)
In this podcast episode, Sheri discusses anonymity and the importance of DNA to the child. Knowing the perspective of donor conceived adults, I thought it was important that Sheri could share her thoughts and feelings about the book’s title as well as the symbolic imagery on the book’s cover. She has a lot of wisdom!
Sheri posted on Instagram today that she changed the name of her book from, “You Were Made for Me” to “You Were Meant for Me” after listening to the voices of donor conceived adults. Head over to her account and blog to read more about this.
Listen to the @threemakesbaby podcast episode with Sheri on all podcast platforms and through the link in my bio.

Kerri and Chris independently pursue embryo adoption after failed fertility treatments with their biological embryos. Kerry explains the process of independent or self-directed adoption, which is adopting without the help of agency facilitation.

Kerrie is open with their child and has an open relationship with her donors, allowing her son to know his half-brothers from a young age. 

I am honored to share another episode with a thoughtful person, Alex. She shares how she discovered her parent's secret of using a sperm donor and how it has impacted her for the last two years.

Jen wonders if adoption is right for her after a high risk, traumatic pregnancy with triplets.
🚨 Trigger alert: 🚨This episode explores miscarriage, trauma and grief and some extremely difficult decisions about pregnancy. Adoption trauma is also explored.

🚨Spoiler alert🚨:I followed up with Jen on Friday and they have decided not to pursue adoption. Jen would like to remain anonymous but I applaud her decision to not pursue a choice that she recognized she was not up for.
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Becoming informed about adoption trauma and admitting it is NOT for you as a parent is 💯 OK.
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It’s ok to change your mind.
It’s ok to say this type of parenting is not in your plan.
I’d prefer parents be informed and up for the complexities of adoption than buried their head in the sand about the child’s need.

Also, we cover the BIG feelings that come up when our reproductive years are over.

 

Infertility affects people of all races but women of color have extra challenges in the US. 

Nikki shares the added challenges she has experienced with infertility as a person of color. From the social silence to the limited selection of donors, third party reproduction is even more difficult as a woman of color in the US.

Esther was raised by two moms and always knew they used an anonymous sperm donor to conceive. She grew up with other families like hers and always felt that being donor-conceived was normal. From a young age, she also wondered about her biological father and had a strong desire to search for him.
Esther talks about all of the emotions that come up before, during and after her search for her donor. She talks about the disillusionment of meeting her donor because of the fantasy she built in her mind.

 

Ryan chose to be a known egg donor through a freeze and share program in SF. She shares why it's important for her to be known to the recipient parents as well as her desire that at least one of the recipient parents also be black. Ryan's approach to egg donation will hopefully be the wave of the future. This episode is a discussion with Ryan both before and after COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter changed our social lives. Don't miss her update at the end of the episode as she shares how she connected with her intended parents and begins egg stimulation in California. 

 

Tia shares that, "After five incredibly taxing years, searching for the right combination of medication, lifestyle and luck, we are walking away from the path to become parents. It was always in our hearts to have a biological child, together, or not at all. We were never open to the idea of adoption or donor intervention, and while those alternatives are completely normal and logical next steps, we realized the bigger need is to create a live worth living together, as a family of two."

Don't miss this amazing new episode on life after fertility treatment and boldly living their plan B.