My wife and I knew that we always wanted to have a family. We also knew that our journey to parenthood would be unique and likely challenging. We both wanted to have the experience of pregnancy and decided that my wife would be the one to carry and deliver our first child. The process was much longer and more challenging than we had first thought - there was so much to learn and so many "steps" in the process. After all the testing was complete to make sure my wife was in good health to get pregnant and carry a child, we were tasked with finding a sperm donor to create our family. We underwent two cycles of IUI (intrauterine insemination) and the second one was successful! We were so happy to welcome our first child, a daughter in August of 2023! Our story is ongoing as I will go through the same process as my wife when we are ready to add another child to our family.

My personal experience with the fertility journey really adds value to my work as a counselor. When we were going through the process, we didn't have anyone who understood fully or had been through the process, which can be isolating and lonely. I get it. I've been there and I'm so happy and excited to support others, especially LGBTQIA+ individuals in their own unique journeys to parenthood!