When people are having trouble having a baby, they often want support from their friends and family, but sometimes this support backfires, and arrives as unwanted advice. There are few pieces of advice more unwanted by those trying to conceive than the suggestion to “just adopt” a baby. This idea is a double-edged sword, as it minimizes both the experience of going through fertility treatments and the experience of adoption. Choosing one does not mean you are giving up on the other, and both can be incredibly difficult in their own ways.
In this episode, we hear from Becky Fawcett, who, along with her husband, spent years trying to have a baby through fertility treatments, before deciding to pursue adoption instead. After enduring multiple rounds of IVF and devastating miscarriages while trying for baby number two, Becky realized that adoption was now her preferred path to parenthood.
The complex nature of adoption, along with the prohibitive costs led Becky to create HelpUsAdopt.org, an organization that helps bridge the financial gap for those looking to build their families through adoption. Becky shares her own experience of adopting her two children, as well as the discriminatory adoption practices she discovered along the way, and how that motivated her to help other families navigate the costly adoption process.
Guest: Becky Fawcett, founder at HelpUsAdopt.org
Host: Dan Bulger, Producer at Progyny
For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and HelpUsAdopt.org.
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Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.