Choosing a donor can feel like a huge and momentous decision, with lots of emotions involved, information to consider, and steps to take as you move towards becoming a parent through donor conception. Hayley and Becky talk about their own personal experiences of selecting their donors, the smaller decisions that led them to go ahead with their decisions, and how they feel as they reflect on their choices now. They chat about what they wished they'd have known, and consider the different types of donor options and matching processes, as well as the transparency and support they'd like to see more widely as an industry.

Links mentioned in the episode are:

Paths to Parenthub LIVE Summit 2024 - Tickets available here: https://pathstoparenthub.com/virtual-summit/

Paths to Parenthub Membership details: https://pathstoparenthub.com

Paths to Parenthub LGBTQ+ Membership details: https://pathstoparenthub.com/lgbtq-paths-to-parenthub/

Paths to Parenthub Instagram page: www.instagram.com/paths_to_parenthub

Hayley’s Instagram page: www.instagram.com/dcp_journey_2_rp

Becky’s Instagram pages: www.instagram.com/definingmum

Early disclosure within donor-conceived families is thankfully now considered best practice, however, that doesn’t mean that the process of ‘telling’ is as easy as child’s play. In this episode, Becky and Hayley take a closer look into the practicalities of discussing conception stories with our donor-conceived children, whilst also exploring some of the complex emotions that may arise for parents when attempting this process. Becky and Hayley provide some helpful examples of how they have tackled these discussions and share some of their favourites children’s story books, tips, and resources that have helped their families along the way.

Links of note that are mentioned during the episode:

Paths to Parenthub LIVE Summit 2024 - Tickets available here: https://pathstoparenthub.com/virtual-summit/

Paths to Parenthub Membership details: https://members.definingmum.com

Paths to Parenthub LGBTQ+ Membership details: https://members.definingmum.com/lgbtq-paths-to-parenthub/

Hayley’s Instagram page: www.instagram.com/dcp_journey_2_rp

Becky’s Instagram pages: www.instagram.com/definingmum www.instagram.com/paths_to_parenthub

Book Titles mentioned within the episode:

What Makes A Baby https://wwwcorysilverberg.com/

Happy Together https://www.happytogetherchildrensbook.com/

We Are Family https://www.wearefamilybooks.co.uk/

My Donor Story https://www.mydonorstory.com/

Our Story https://www.dcnetwork.org/our-bookshop/

Robo Babies https://www.owletpress.com/product-page/robo-babies

Secret Code Inside of Me https://www.rajanilarocca.com/picture-books/the-secret-code-inside-you/

Research article mentioned in episode Telling donor-conceived children about their conception: Evaluation of the use of the Donor Conception Network children’s books. Harper, J et al (2022) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405661821000150

Managing feelings and emotions around ‘Genetic Loss’ can be a challenge for many parents who have used a donor to build their family. In this episode, Becky and Hayley take a deep dive into the complexities of the emotions surrounding genetic loss, how they can present themselves, and why it’s so important for us to validate and speak up about this often unspoken topic.

During this episode Becky and Hayley discuss how Genetic Loss has personally impacted them, both as parents who do not share DNA with their children, and in Hayley’s case as a donor conceived person too. Both hosts offer reassurance, validation and practical advice about how to best tackle this nuanced topic - and also explore how an initial ‘loss’ has also brought about a significant ‘gain’ within their families.

As always, we love to hear from you so do feel free to reach out to Hayley or Becky through Instagram, your comments and questions can help us shape future episodes, all designed to open up conversations that previously haven't been openly discussed.

Links of note that are mentioned during the episode:

Paths to Parenthub Membership details:

https://members.definingmum.com

Paths to Parenthub LGBTQ+ Membership details:

https://members.definingmum.com/lgbtq-paths-to-parenthub/

Hayley’s Instagram page:

www.instagram.com/dcp_journey_2_rp

Becky’s Instagram pages:

www.instagram.com/definingmum

www.instagram.com/paths_to_parenthub

Family by Co Article

Handling Resemblance Talk

https://www.cofertility.com/family-learn/navigating-comments-about-your-donor-conceived-childs-resemblance-a-guide-to-responding