Today also happens to be National Embryo Adoption Awareness Day! :)
I actually had a friend reach out recently, asking questions about our Embryo Adoption journey. In part of our conversation, we were talking about children's books on the subject, and I realized I hadn't updated my list. I provided a
list of books back in 2019, but there have been several additions since then, so I thought I would review a few. I honestly don't think there has been much improvement by way of explanations {no groundbreaking, "you have to get
this one" books}, but hopefully this could at least help you decide which ones might be helpful for your own family.
1. Will & Hope Have a Baby: The Gift of Embryo Donation by Irene Celcer // There are a series of these books, tailored to specific reproduction origins {sperm/egg donation, IVF, surrogacy, etc}. This book is told as the child's "special story" and uses direct language. It is pretty wordy, so definitely not for younger children. But overall, it's a good way to introduce some of the bigger terms and concepts surrounding embryo donation/adoption.
2. You Began as a Wish by Kim Bergman // This book tries to be sweet/rhyming while briefly encompassing all variations of conception. Not how I personally would like to share my kids' story with them, but a quick read if you want to start a general high-level conversation about conception and different ways to build a family.
3. Happy Together: An Embryo Donation Story by Julie Marie // A cute book about how a mommy and daddy fell in love, wanted a baby, needed help, and used donors to have a baby. Specific words are used {egg, sperm}, and it's a straightforward way of talking about embryo adoption. Overall, a cute book.
4. I Became Your Mama by Mollie Huyck // A sweet book about becoming a mother. It touches on different ways to have a baby, but it's told in a general way, in a sweet rhyme. A nice book to have in our collection, even if it's not overtly embryo adoption-specific. It's probably better to reinforce a mother's love for her child.
5. You Were Worth the Wait by Stephanie & Alex Booe // This story talks about how a mommy and daddy wanted to have a baby but had to wait. During that waiting, they had to learn a few things about how to be parents before they could meet their baby. So it didn't directly address infertility or embryo adoption, and is just a book to let the child know they were worth the wait. I put this one on the list, only because it shows up other places for infertility/embryo adoption. It's not bad, but if I had read a similar review beforehand, I might not have purchased it for us. It just doesn't start any conversations related to this specific need.
6. A Blessing From Above: An Adoption Story by Patti Henderson // This is an overall adoption story about a kangaroo who had an empty pouch. While sitting under a tree resting, a baby bird falls from its nest into the kangaroo's pouch and becomes her baby. So if you can look past the practical strangeness of the story, it could be a cute story for kids haha. You could use it as a springboard for conversation {not all families look the same, why kids may not look like parents, how birth mothers make decisions to place their children for adoption, etc}, though the book itself isn't directly bringing those things up.
