Relationships Alternative Routes To Motherhood When conventional conception isn’t possible it no longer means the end of the road for aspiring parents. From adoption and foster care to egg donation and surrogacy, here’s a look at the alternative routes to parenthood around the globe. By Joanne Lillie Relationships When conventional conception isn’t possible it no longer means the end of the road for aspiring parents. From adoption and foster care to egg donation and surrogacy, here’s a look at the alternative routes to parenthood around the globe. By Joanne Lillie Previous article How Conscious Consumerism Is Changing Luxury Brands For The Better Next article By Women, For Women: The Startup Addressing Unconscious Bias The road to motherhood, like life, is often complex and divergent: women are opting to have children young and old, with partners and without, with their own eggs and with others’. As perception of the motherhood experience has grown increasingly diverse, so too have the options. While there are now alternative routes to parenthood, you’d be forgiven for thinking information outside of the traditional conception-pregnancy-birth framework is hard to find and hard to follow. Legislation and regulations around adoption, surrogacy, and egg donation are ever-changing, emotionally charged, and politically complicated. There are also conflicting points of views between those working in the field. And when you do, finally, find some information, it is often disheartening. For those who want babies but need to take alternative routes, the road ahead may be filled with obstacles, roadblocks, and even a wrong turn or two. Deciding to create a family is a deeply personal choice, and how you do it will depend on your determination, resources, capacity for endurance and whether a biological connection is a personal priority. Sometimes, it simply won’t happen due to infertility (unexplained or otherwise). Motherhood Best Of Future Women Culture “Invisible victims”: Why Conor was forced to live in an unsafe home By Sally Spicer Culture Miranda*’s mothers group helped her escape abuse. Then the stalking began By Sally Spicer Career Three things that could help solve Australia’s childcare crisis By Grace Jennings-Edquist Family New series shines a light on Australia’s childcare crisis By Future Women Family “My heart was breaking”: Families like Amy’s are suffering By Grace Jennings-Edquist Family “Wasn’t worth me working”: The national crisis trapping mums like Lizzy By Grace Jennings-Edquist Relationships Clare Bowditch, Tanya Hennessy, Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland front new series on financial abuse By FW Fertility ‘Full ecosystem’ of infertility impact underestimated at work By FW Your inbox just got smarter If you’re not a member, sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Future Women in your inbox.
