Fertile or infertile. These are the words often used to define a person’s baseline potential for parenthood. But in reality, having a baby isn’t binary. The majority of us sit somewhere on a broader spectrum, where overall health as well as a partner’s health, access to care, and a desire to have kids at all factor in just as prominently as the universal/historical marker of age. It’s time we see the road to parenthood as it really is—unique and different for everyone. Welcome to the Fertility Spectrum.
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Nowadays, with celebrities opening up about their experiences conceiving, and assisted reproductive technology advancements on the rise, people are more aware of the realities and possibilities surrounding fertility than ever before. But there are still gaps in our understanding of what "fertility" …
Three years after my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his body finally succumbed to the illness and it became clear that he was going to die very soon. I didn’t have children, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for children. But there was nothing sweeter than seeing him interact with kids, and …
Motherhood is a tough, beautiful, and nerve-wracking ride. Having a partner can help, but is not always an option. For reasons ranging from personal preference to divorce, widowhood, and beyond, many women in the U.S. are now choosing to raise children on their own — and they’re doing just fine. …
After Jordan Valley, 30, miscarried twice, she decided she wanted to get informed about her fertility status. After spending one year and $4,000 on testing and ultrasounds, she has a diagnosis — endometriosis, which caused ovarian cysts — but no clear path forward. She’s considering getting surgery …
Welcome to Refinery29’s Fertility Diaries, where people chronicle their joyous, painful, and sometimes complicated paths to parenthood. History: I just turned 31. My birthday marked two full years of trying to get pregnant; the first year we didn’t think to seek medical help and this year has been …
I don’t remember when I first realized that I didn’t want to have kids. But I do remember the first time I articulated that sentiment to my mother. I was 18 and we were in a grocery store parking lot. How we got on the topic I don’t know anymore; could have been the baby-food aisle or a toddler in …
