How I did it: I didn't know how to answer the "how long did it take" question.  From actively trying to conceive to conception, 9 months, so that's what I put.  From TTC to birth, 18 months.  From first doing the research on how to conceive (I'm in a same-sex relationship) to birth, 2-3 years.  From first hitting a barrier (a former partner who resisted becoming parents) to birth, over 10 years.

And of course, it will never be finished, but that's good.

How:  The hardest part was facing that I needed to leave my first marriage.  Compared to that, TTC was emotionally easy--which is saying something, because TTC is a killer rollercoaster.  Knowing that I would survive if I never bore a child--that I could be deeply happy with adoption--helped, but only to an extent, because I really did want to experience parenthood from conception and pregnancy on if I possibly could.

Lessons & tips: If anyone wants to hear my experiences on TTC via donated sperm and IUI, drop me a line.

Resources: A good fertility clinic.  A good sperm bank.  The book Considering Parenthood.

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Feb 25, 2009, 09:31PM PST | 2 comments | 1 cheer