In conversation with Lauren Cross

Rocking the Journey speaks with Lauren Cross, a reproductive warrior, about her own very personal journey of creating a family through egg donation after being diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder and how today with a family of three, she is creating brave and safe spaces for others to talk about pregnancy issues, infertility and parenting after reproductive trauma. 

Lauren shares the sensitive decisions she went through around selecting an egg donor, the need to feel that there is some control over the process and the more often than not, prohibitive costs associated with going down this avenue. And of course, one of the most important aspects of this journey is when and how to speak with your children when they have been conceived by an egg donor. She shares that “being open and honest about how they were conceived is not as scary as it seems and there is a wealth of information out there to help you” A great book she recommends is Let’s Talk About Egg Donation and an invaluable resource is www.pved.org.

One worry she says people have is the aspect of genetics and what it means if these aren’t passed on. “I have asked myself does it matter that I don't see my father genetically reflected in my children, but when think about my dad I don't think about his brown hair and the colour of his eyes, I think about the love he gave me, the times we laughed, how he made me feel. These are the things that are important and can and have been passed onto my children” Lauren is currently writing her memoir about her journey. 

For other conversations on creating and adding to your family check out our conversation with Natalie Sutherland a specialist lawyer on surrogacy. 

More information can be found on Lauren’s website: http://thisislaurencross.com