There’s been a bit of controversy recently about assisted reproduction and the use of anonymous donors and previously created embryos. I’m quite familiar with the issues as it became a part of my own life.
I know of others who have gone down this path who I believe made foolish choices not to be truthful about what they did. There is a difference between not sharing private details publicly and not telling one’s own family members an important truth.
I have also been blessed by inexpensive DNA testing and the matching sites – Ancestry and 23 and Me – for revealing the truth that my parents were prevented from knowing due to closed adoptions and sealed records. It is hard to imagine being forced to live a false identity so that strangers can claim you as their own (changing birth names and certificates to fit a manufactured reality).
I am grateful we followed a path of our own making and have been honest about the details with our sons. We’ve not lied to them – ever. We’ve also not made a big deal about how their conception was different than the more common method. We are pioneers in a brave new world.
Missing Mom 