Tuesday, March 19, 2013

IVF Sensitivity

When I was about six months pregnant with Benjamin I started having some pretty major anxiety about what my baby would look like.  I understand that nearly every expectant mother goes through it but for me it was intensified by the fact that my baby started life in a petri dish.  I kept worrying that the clinic might have mixed up our stuff with another couple's.  It would be bad enough if he didn't look like us but what would we do if he were a different race?  Needless to say I was a bit of a wreck over it all for a few days until Dave, with his ever calm and positive attitude, talked me down.

Gratefully, our beautiful baby was born and though he is his own person he definitely has many traits and characteristics of his parents.

Then yesterday we had a play date with one of my neighbors and she said, "I just can't figure out who Benjamin looks like."  And that quickly some of my anxieties returned.

Moral of the story:  If you have family, friends, acquaintances who have children through IVF, please avoid such comments.

Thank you!



From his dad he inherited an insatiable love of ice cream.

5 comments:

Jillums said...

It is sad how people are so insensitive toward infertility and IVF, especially if they don't know anyone who has gone through it. I was telling mom the other day how my neighbor said something about it and how I about lost my cool. People just don't understand.

Jillums said...

And Ben totally looks like both of you. :)

Jennie said...

We sure love Ben! So glad he is part of our extended family!!!

Pamela said...

I think he has a mixture of both of you. He's growing so fast and super cute!

Saleha Fatima said...

he does resemble you both :)