Even if you can’t have kids naturally, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be a parent, writes Sharyn Graham Davies. “If you can’t have kids naturally through heterosexual intercourse, then you’re not meant to have kids. We already live in an over-populated world. There are almost 8 billion of us.” “We shouldn’t waste time, … Read more
Secondary infertility is a hidden pain many families are facing. Gemma Bowker-Wright shares her story. “Will you have a second?” said the mother at Island Bay Park a few weeks back. She pushed a toddler on the swing while a baby slept in the front-pack on her chest. Her tone was casual, off-hand, the way someone … Read more
Today, the Sunday before Mother’s Day, is recognised by some as ‘Birth Mother’s Day’. Here a mother writes in celebration of the woman who gave birth to her son. Dear mother of our son, I am sorry that we forget you, that we overlook you in our rush. We prepare lunches, pack bags, get to … Read more
Charlotte Fielding talks to a mum whose partner left when she was pregnant after a six-year struggle to conceive. It’s a story of daring to hope, of struggle and resilience, and of how we can make it through the most unexpected and gut-wrenching events. The door is propped open and Anna* is breastfeeding her four-month-old … Read more
Our Forever Hopeful Club columnist Kat McKenzie is back with the final installment of her series on the hopes, fears and medical practicalities of trying to be a mother. Over three installments, Kat has shared her IVF journey – you can read part one here and part two here. It felt good to not be on … Read more
Our Forever Hopeful Club columnist Kat McKenzie is back with the second instalment of her series on the hopes, fears and medical practicalities of trying to be a mother. Over three instalments, Kat is sharing her IVF journey; you can read part one here. An embryo transfer is one of the easiest steps in the process. … Read more
Eighteen months ago, an anonymous couple posted on Reddit’s New Zealand forum with an unusual request: they wanted sperm, any sperm. Joel McManus tracked them down to ask them why. This article was originally published in Critic Te Arohi, the Otago University magazine. In February of 2016, a post on the Reddit forum r/newzealand entitled … Read more
Last year Leigh-ann Griffiths, mum to three school-aged children, decided to donate some of her eggs. Here she shares her diary of the process – the lessons learned and the big ups and downs of helping strangers become parents. I spent a long time trying to decide whether or not to write about my egg … Read more
Our Forever Hopeful Club columnist Kat McKenzie is back with a new update on the hopes, fears and medical practicalities of trying to be a mother. Over three instalments, Kat will share her IVF journey. A note from The Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes: For years I used to read anything I could about parenting. … Read more
Charlotte Fielding wants another child. In this, the first in a four-part series, she writes about why she turned to the dating app Tinder in an attempt to complete her family. What if I had a baby and it didn’t have a dad? I asked my six-year-old son this question, as if it was rhetorical, … Read more
An anonymous mother from New Zealand shares her story of marrying a man who has donated sperm multiple times in Australia – and the ongoing impact of decisions made more than a decade ago. Years before we met, my husband donated sperm. I can’t remember at what stage we were at in our relationship when … Read more
Kat McKenzie writes for The Spinoff Parents about trying to have a family the unconventional way. Here she shares a letter she wrote to her not-yet-conceived baby. Dear Baby, Sometimes it feels like my heart is fracturing and little pieces have broken off and wedged in my throat and burn my eyes, as an aching … Read more
In this, the third post in a special series for The Spinoff Parents, Alicia Young writes about her journey towards motherhood after having IVF and finding out she is pregnant. Read Alicia’s first and second posts in this series. Content warning: Alicia Young talks about her experience of miscarriage in this post. If you have recently suffered … Read more
The second post in a special series for The Spinoff Parents in which Alicia Young writes about her journey to motherhood after having IVF. Read Alicia’s first post in this series here. Shortly after the embryo is implanted deadly quakes rock the country and a degenerate billionaire is elected leader of the free world. Given the … Read more
What is it like to face infertility when you’re ambivalent about becoming a parent? From hoping to conceive ‘accidentally’ to starting IVF, Alicia Young writes about her long journey towards motherhood in a series for The Spinoff Parents. At age 28 you break up with the long-term boyfriend who never proposed to you, and who … Read more