I have been anxiously awaiting the new NBC television series, The New Normal. I have been an infertility counselor for over twenty years, and I have counseled with hundreds of couples, including same sex couples, who are passionately pursuing their dream of becoming parents with the help of egg donors, sperm donors, embryo donors, and gestational carriers.
Many of these assisted reproductive technologies are not understood, and I applaud NBC for airing a television series which shows the road less traveled for many couples who are trying to build their families. In addition, it’s so cool that NBC got even edgier by casting a gay couple. It is time this topic of building families through donors and surrogates was out of the closet. We have over 7 million people in the US who are experiencing infertility, and the numbers are increasing at alarming rates.
In the introduction of my book, Managing The Stress Of Infertility: How To Balance Your Emotions, Get The Support You Need, And Deal With Painful Social Situations When You’re Trying To Become Pregnant, I write: “My dream is that one day infertility will no longer be a secret disease and people can openly talk about their treatment and family-building choices without fear of judgment, stigma, or negative consequences. Life is a gift to be celebrated. A child is a gift to a parent, no matter how conception occurs or how a parent and child come together.”
So I’m signing off the watch the season preview. The opening premiere is Tuesday, September 11, 9::30 EST. Stay tuned and I’ll blog about it tomorrow.