The Pressure of Timing
Women today face the difficult task of deciding what “having it all” means to them, in what order, and what happens when things don’t happen quite according to plan. There are education, career and relationship options to choose before “is it time to have a family?” comes up. Yet the biological clock is not simply an abstract timeline. When, and how, to have children is very often the most stressful challenge women can face when education/career/partner don’t simply fall into place by their mid-30s.
Choice Moms
In light of the coordinated effort needed to get to “the perfect situation,” many women have decided that their desire to start a family in their 30s might require becoming a single mother by choice. Choice Moms are women who have done the math, recalculated the plan, and decided to move forward with their dream of parenthood on their own. Mikki Morrissette, author of “Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman’s Guide” and founder of ChoiceMoms.org, has communicated with thousands of these women around the world, and has hosted dozens of Choice Mom networking events since 2007.
“Some of us divorced in our early 30s, or simply haven’t been fortunate enough to find the right partner before we understand from our doctors that, hey, if you want to have a family, you need a new plan,” said Morrissette, who had two children on her own, now 9 and 13. “We tend to be goal-oriented women who are accustomed to getting things done. But in building a family, we can’t do it alone. And ultimately, we often find that so much is not within our control, whether we are trying to conceive or adopt. It’s a stressful situation.”
In the News: Dr. Eric Levens discusses Mothers by Choice with WAMU, American University Radio
Finding Support
Choice Moms is a worldwide organization that gives women the resources and connections they need to decide whether single parenthood is the right path and, if so, what method to motherhood to choose, how to find support in their choice and how to stay balanced in the lifestyle.
At Choice Mom networking events, women hear from experts, including other women who have been there. “Sometimes one of the hardest things for a woman who might choose this path is to ask for help,” says Morrissette. “We tend to be self-sufficient, independent thinkers who assume we have to do everything alone. But, it always takes a village to parent well, whether we are single or not.”
Choice Moms Event
April 6th in Rockville, MD
If you are trying to decide if Choice Motherhood is the journey for you, if you feel daunted by the process of trying to conceive — or if you simply want to share stories and learn from fellow Choice Moms on the path — come to a special Choice Moms networking seminar at Shady Grove Fertility in Rockville, Maryland, on April 6. Details and registration information can be found at Choicemoms.org.
If you are interested in building a family through fertility treatment, please schedule an appointment, or speak with one of our New Patient Liaisons at 877-971-7755.
