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Are you looking for examples in other people’s stories about egg donation? Do you need ideas on how to approach the subject of egg donation with your children? Perhaps you just need to watch a comedy about assisted reproduction and put some taboos to rest. At Ovobank we have put together some film and book ideas that you may find interesting, whether you are going through an assisted reproduction process or are considering starting out on this adventure.
Illustrated stories to read as a family
By general consensus among professionals and the donor-conceived community, children conceived through egg donation should be told about their origins at an early age, ideally before the age of 5. The idea is that the child grows up knowing how they came into the world, accepting it as a natural part of life. With this in mind, many authors, who have themselves turned to gamete donation, have written books for parents to read with their children. These books can be used to introduce the terminology and ideas of egg donation and sperm donation, and to start conversations in an age-appropriate way.
In this article you will find more information on how to approach this subject with your children, how to talk to your children about the origins of donor conception, and some books designed to be read together with younger children, such as:
Happy Together: an egg donation story, by Julie Marie.
Happy Together is a collection of 8 books in English, which also includes an egg donation and surrogacy story about two dads and a sperm donation story about two mums, among others. In the book about egg donation, the story is told with cheerful illustrations and clear language, about how mummy and daddy bear wanted to have a child and their wish came true with the help of a doctor, an egg from a special lady called a donor, and daddy’s seed.
The Pea That Was Me: an egg donation story, by Kimberly Kluger-Bell.
A very popular book among the egg donation community, written by a well-known psychotherapist, with simple, age-appropriate language, which introduces the figure of the egg donor, the sperm, the eggs and the tummy where the baby grows.
A tiny itsy bitsy Gift of Life: an egg donor story, by Carmen Martínez Jover.
With beautiful, carefully made illustrations to capture the child’s attention, this story follows a happy pair of rabbits who want a baby bunny, but the mother has no eggs. When a kind rabbit brings her a little gift of life, their dreams begin to come true.
I Dreamed of You: the story of an egg donor baby, by Lori Metz.
This book tells the love story of how father and son came to be together, and all the love, affection and longing they experience along the way. A story to help families accept, understand and celebrate their special journey towards fulfilling their dream of being together.
Real experiences of egg donation
Parents-to-be who want to know other people’s stories, about donor-conceived families and their experiences, have some interesting reading available to them:
Why I’m Glad My Eggs Didn’t Work: An IVF Mother’s Story, by Victoria Nino.
This ebook, which can be downloaded from the writer’s blog https://www.expectinganything.com/, is about a personal story of how to come to terms with not being able to be a mother with your own eggs and how to find purpose and joy. A text that goes beyond clinical trials, data and research, and that aims to offer hope and comfort to those facing the idea of having a child using a donor’s eggs.
Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor-Conceived People and Their Families, by Wendy Kramer and Naomi Cahn.
Written by the founder and director of the Donor Sibling Registry and a professor of Family and Reproduction Law, this book serves as a guide for the growing community of families with children conceived through egg donation. Inside the book you can find advice on how to foster healthy relationships within immediate families and their wider donor family networks, based on openness and acceptance.
Let’s Talk About Egg Donation: Real Stories, by Marna Gatlin and Carole Lieber Wilkins.
This book is written by authors who have created their own families through egg (and embryo) donation and tells real stories of real families who have become parents thanks to egg (and embryo) donation. The authors also help you with some age-by-age advice that will make it easier for you to talk to your children about the very special way in which they were conceived.
Films about egg donation or in vitro fertilization
If you feel like watching a film about In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), here are some titles you can find on most of the main streaming platforms:
Private Life (2018, United States)
A drama about a couple in their 40s who are struggling to have a family and have almost run out of options. While they try to keep their marriage afloat, they navigate the worlds of assisted reproduction, egg donation and adoption.
Maybe Baby (2000, United Kingdom)
A British comedy about a married couple who have done everything possible to have a baby. Finding inspiration in his partner’s private diary, the father-to-be decides to write a comedy about a couple trying to have a baby, putting their love for each other and their marriage to the test.
One More Shot (2018, United States)
A documentary about hope, loss and humour after trying to start a family when it does not happen naturally. A documentary filmed in the first person and narrated by the characters themselves.
Good Egg (2022, United States)
In this comedy-drama, a high school teacher, after many failed IVF attempts, is forced to consider an unconventional egg donation scenario that plunges her into a dangerous and exciting adventure with her husband.
Good Newwz (2019, India)
A romantic comedy in Hindi about a mix-up during the In Vitro Fertilization process involving two couples with the same surname who have turned to IVF to start their families. Good Newwz was one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2019.
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