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Loving Your Donor‑Conceived Child When Your Feelings Are Complicated
Many intended parents secretly ask themselves: “How can I have such negative feelings about donor conception and still love my child?”
In this episode, Lisa talks directly to that fear. She explains why you don’t have to “feel good” about donor conception to be a deeply loving, attuned parent – and how the part of you that’s grieving and the part of you that loves your child are not the same part.
We explore:
• How guilt, grief, and ambivalence can show up during and after treatment
• The “two parts of you” that get intertwined during fertility treatment – and how to start gently separating them
• What Lisa has seen in younger donor‑conceived people who are doing well emotionally
• Why the extent to which parents are comfortable with their family story shapes how safely their children can talk about it
• Small, practical steps you can take if you can’t imagine feeling fully “okay” about donor conception, but you still want to move forward
If you’re building your family with donor eggs, sperm, or embryos and carrying a lot of complicated feelings, this conversation is for you.
For more support and education around donor conception, visit Building Your Family:
familybuilding.net/building-your-family-community/
#donorconception #donoreggs
#donorsperm #donorconceived
#intendedparents #fertilitysupport
#ivfjourney #ivfcommunity
#infertilitysupport #familybuilding
#reproductivemedicine #mentalhealth
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By Lisa Schuman
5
1313 ratings
Many intended parents secretly ask themselves: “How can I have such negative feelings about donor conception and still love my child?”
In this episode, Lisa talks directly to that fear. She explains why you don’t have to “feel good” about donor conception to be a deeply loving, attuned parent – and how the part of you that’s grieving and the part of you that loves your child are not the same part.
We explore:
• How guilt, grief, and ambivalence can show up during and after treatment
• The “two parts of you” that get intertwined during fertility treatment – and how to start gently separating them
• What Lisa has seen in younger donor‑conceived people who are doing well emotionally
• Why the extent to which parents are comfortable with their family story shapes how safely their children can talk about it
• Small, practical steps you can take if you can’t imagine feeling fully “okay” about donor conception, but you still want to move forward
If you’re building your family with donor eggs, sperm, or embryos and carrying a lot of complicated feelings, this conversation is for you.
For more support and education around donor conception, visit Building Your Family:
familybuilding.net/building-your-family-community/
#donorconception #donoreggs
#donorsperm #donorconceived
#intendedparents #fertilitysupport
#ivfjourney #ivfcommunity
#infertilitysupport #familybuilding
#reproductivemedicine #mentalhealth
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