Wanting A Child

Nina Paley is a wonderfully gifted cartoonist.  I came across this very humorous masterpiece recently and it got me to thinking.  How many reasons I’ve heard for someone wanting to be a parent? 

I’m sure you’ve heard one or two of them yourself:  my biological clock is ticking, we have a girl and want a boy, would like someone to carry on our family name, my parents want grandchildren, a child will make our marriage stronger or, I might regret it later when it’s too late.

And then, you have the other end of the spectrum.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, infertility affects 10% of couples of childbearing age in the United States.  It’s staggering the number of loving couples who so desperately want to be parents and can’t.  They leave no stone unturned in their efforts to give birth to a child whether it be through egg freeze, finding a surrogate mother to carry a fetus, IVF (invitro fertilization), embryo transfer, surgery and acupuncture to name a few.  

For decades the stigma associated with infertility was extremely devastating and shamefully embarrassing.  Not any more. Thankfully, that “hushed” and uncomfortable topic is no longer a grave offense one has to carry because continued global research and development is changing that hopeless option to a reality.  Comforting, nurturing, reassuring experiences and high success rates are making dreams of parentage come true where once there were none.