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Daddy Question

krisann17krisann17 Junior Member Junior Member
I am just starting the IUI process as a 31 year old single women. I have told my family my plans and they have all been very supportive. My question to the group --
When you tell people at work or acquaintances that you are expecting, how do you answer questions/comments like "I didn't know you were dating someone" "Who's the lucky guy" etc.

I don't want to tell people too much information, but don't want to make up a guy. Any thoughts?

Comments

  • sibemomsibemom Member Member
    I'd just say "A great guy, but we're not together."

    It's true - right? If you say it upbeat that's enough to make most ppl leave it at that.
  • moewhit25moewhit25 Senior Member Senior Member
    krisann17 wrote:
    I am just starting the IUI process as a 31 year old single women. I have told my family my plans and they have all been very supportive. My question to the group --
    When you tell people at work or acquaintances that you are expecting, how do you answer questions/comments like "I didn't know you were dating someone" "Who's the lucky guy" etc.

    I don't want to tell people too much information, but don't want to make up a guy. Any thoughts?
    I'm about 10 years older than you and I have thought about the nosey people at work. This is a very personal decision and it really is no ones business "HOW" you got pregnant. I agree that he's a "great guy" but my nosey coworkers would consider that an opening to ask more probing questions and that wouldn't be the end of it. Your friends and family will know the details. I won't lie to coworkers about my personal life because the fact that they don't know anything about it should give them a clue. It's private. So yes, they don't know about a "guy". I will tell certain friends (not coworkers) after my first trimester but the remainder of folks at work won't know until I'm showing. Only then if asked I will say something like. "I tried for a long time and this baby is really wanted and well planned" They don't really need to know that I'm tired of waiting for Mr. Right and needed to move forward bacause I'm running out of time.

    I've stopped wondering what people will think because in the end it's your life and you don't have to make excuses to anyone. I look at all the idiots that trip on the sidewalk and get pregnant and really have no skill at raising children. I know I can do it will the resources, my love, and my stable loving life that I can provide.

    I just want you to feel confident in your choice to be a single mom by choice.
    Congrats on taking this huge step!!

    Be well
    Moe
  • robinrobin Senior Member Senior Member
    I agree with moe... you don't have to tell them anything. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and people starting asking before my first trimester was over bc I was sick and smells really bothered me. I have a few people that I am close with at work and they knew I was using donor sperm the others did not. I just told them I was pregnant. When they asked further I would just sile and say that the baby was very planned andhad been anticipated for a while. When they continued I smiled again said the baby was very planned and I was very excited and I walked away. There were rumours and I know some talked about me behind my back but it did not bother me. Now into thethird trimester all anyone is asking about is the baby! I share my pregnancy milestones with them bc I am too excited not to and one woman has commented that she is so excited that I share the news and se feels like she is a part of this journey. She is also one of the nosey ones and this has gotten her to focus on the baby not his "father". I work with teenagers as part of myjob and they were the nosiest! I shared my news with them and continued to say the baby was very planned. When they asked more I said my private life was just that private but rest assurred this baby was very planned and desired. Around the same time I had to move a ring to my ring finger bc it no longer fir on my middle finger. Theyassumed it meant I was now engaged. My response was the baby was very planned I smiled and walked away. Sometimes youjust have to let their imaginations run wild. I have not lied bc I do not want to I have just not shared all the info. Even when sharing the name I was asked about it being unusual..... I said its russian to go with the baby's heritage. When asked if I was russian I said no. But did not give more info. This has seemed to work for me. Believe me sometimes I feel like I work with adults that have never left high school so they are very nosey. Decide what you feel comfortable saying and stick with it. Those I have shared my decision with have been very supportive.

    Hope this helps!

    Robin
  • moewhit25moewhit25 Senior Member Senior Member
    Robin you are awesome and are going to be a wonderful mom!!! I simply love how you handled all of the questions at work. It's very challenging to deal with adults in the workplace and cannot imagine having that compounded with the young adults :roll: I'm glad you kept your cool with all of the probing questions. Nosey people constantly overstep boundaries, if you allow them. I admire how you continued with your positive response despite the mounting inquries. It's none of their business!! There are some busy bodies that just don't get IT.

    I thought about the fact that the first trimester can be a doozy as far as being sick and sensitive to smells. Perhaps I'll just have to prepare my response sooner. You're right, when you limit the info that's shared, peoples imaginations run wild! And honestly people are going to talk regardless. And I'm glad that you are getting the support from those who know the details and how much you've been through to get to 29 weeks!!

    Thank you for sharing your experience because it's been a while since I've even had that thought process. I've been so focused on starting AF and getting the FET process started.

    Enjoy your me day!!

    Moe
  • mary313mary313 Member Member
    Hi Krisann -

    I think you have received some great responses here. You have to tell people what you feel comfortable telling them... that is for sure! For me, I have felt very comfortable telling people I used a donor... I'm a 45 year old single mom of a 2 year old boy. I work in a small office where we are family essentially and they were all aware of my journey to motherhood... and very supportive. We have some clients which are large organizations... but we've done business with them for years and years, so it's almost like we are staff there as well. I did not tell many there about the process - however, when I got pregnant, everyone knew. Unfortunately, I lost my first pregnancy at 8 weeks... and was partly sorry everyone knew. But I was so wrong. A woman there who's had 4 miscarriages (the last one at 6 months...) was so supportive and comforting to me. Everyone at my office and our client offices was wonderful.

    When I got pregnant again, everyone knew I was in the process and how I was going about it. If anyone was judgmental about it, they didn't say it to me. I just felt like everyone was really pulling for this to work for me. My boss was especially supportive and encouraging. And as I got bigger everyone just smiled and was so happy for me, and kept touching my belly! hehe. When he was born people were just so thrilled... it really really touched my heart that that many people - work acquaintances and work friends- cared so much about me and my boy.

    My grandmother died while i was pregnant with my son... and I was at a nursing home in rural Alabama for her memorial service and there were 3 women there (counting me) who used Fairfax and the other 2 had sons! I realized then that if a nursing home in rural Alabama can have 3 single mothers who used sperm donors from Fairfax there at one time, then this is more common and accepted than I thought.

    And that's been my experience... when I put my son in daycare, it was important to me that they know the situation because I need them on board helping him not to feel different. They've been incredibly supportive. I Christened my son and the lady at the church was a bit flummoxed because she'd never put "NA" on the certificate in relation to a father... I said, there's not one, it's a donor... and she probably was internally judging, but she just said, "well that's a new one for us"...

    I don't tell everyone, but if someone asks me, I say it was a sperm donor. Acquaintances and strangers alike... I just preferred to tell them than make up a vacation fling or something... though i thought about that... but then would have to remember who i told what to... Usually they are like 'that's very neat'.. and if they have a problem with it, no one has told me. And I don't really care if they have issues with it even if they did tell me. Most acquaintance responses have been very positive and they don't really ask any questions further..

    I have a book I read to my boy about donor families (it's a baby lion and his mommy and they notice all the different kinds of animal families)... he's too young yet to realize, but when we talk about it in a few years, it will be as if he's always known because he will know the story of the lion cub and the wonderful donor who gave a gift to his mommy lion so that he could be born. For me, I don't want it to be a dark secret for my boy... and so the more people in our circle - and his life - teachers, friends' parents etc., who know and treat him like any other kid, well, hopefully he will not feel so different when he fully understands.

    Not knowing half of his genetics, the person who is his father, even if not his dad... well, that is my son's cross to bear. But I am hoping that since I view donation as a blessing which enabled his life and our family, and since i'm not hiding it from him or the people in his life... that he will be better able to accept and deal with the issue and feelings... Only time will tell on that one.

    That has been my experience... for what it's worth. I sure wish you well on your journey. I wish I had been brave enough to start this at 31 instead of hoping for Mr. Right to come along. I would love to have had 2 kids... but am really too old now. And was extremely blessed and lucky to have had no problem conceiving at 42...so good for you - I hope you get pregnant easily and have a healthy baby!
  • k&bk&b Senior Member Senior Member
    What is the book called, and can I get it on Amazon?
    Though I am married, we are planning on being honest with our child about his/her conception from an early age to make it as easy as possible.
  • mary313mary313 Member Member
    I got it on Amazon so hopefully it's still there... it is called "why don't i have a daddy?" by George Ann Clay... obviously it is geared toward a single parent, but still explains about families being all different shapes and sizes very well. Also Amazon would probably recommend similar books, so there may be some geared toward 2 parents with a donor...
  • robinrobin Senior Member Senior Member
    If you look on the forum sharing your story there are a few books there. http://www.xyandme.com/XYMe-Books.htm this is a website that has many books about different families. Some you can only get as e books but they explain donor sperm and ivf and things like that. You might want to check it out. I plan on getting the book about single mothers and donor sperm and reading it to my son once he gets here in July! There is also a past forum I think on single mothers that talks about books. You would have to go back a few pages for that one but there is a lot listed that may be helpful.

    Robin
  • PamPam Junior Member
    I really struggled with this and finally decided to tell people he is not in the picture. This is also what I have told my family. When she is ready I want to make sure she hears it from me and does not over hear somehthing from someone else. For the pushy people that ask uncalled for questions, I simply tell them it's personnel and I prefer to keep it that way. That usually shuts them up. However I have found that most people do not even ask, at least not me directly and since no one else knows they can not accidentally spill the beans. I have gathered the appropriate information and put it with my will in case something should happen to me, so she is not totally in the dark.

    I did this several years ago and I am very happy I did. Good luck and remember you owe no one any explanations. However be prepared for how to fill out the birth certificate, it caught me off gaurd, luckily the nurse was very helpful and no one else was in the room.
  • PamPam Junior Member
    I really struggled with this and finally decided to tell people he is not in the picture. This is also what I have told my family. When she is ready I want to make sure she hears it from me and does not over hear somehthing from someone else. For the pushy people that ask uncalled for questions, I simply tell them it's personnel and I prefer to keep it that way. That usually shuts them up. However I have found that most people do not even ask, at least not me directly and since no one else knows they can not accidentally spill the beans. I have gathered the appropriate information and put it with my will in case something should happen to me, so she is not totally in the dark.

    I did this several years ago and I am very happy I did. Good luck and remember you owe no one any explanations. However be prepared for how to fill out the birth certificate, it caught me off gaurd, luckily the nurse was very helpful and no one else was in the room.
  • tcrodg30tcrodg30 Junior Member Junior Member
    I went through this a few years ago (my daughter is 28 months). I didn't have to worry about the questions while I was pregnant as I had a boyfriend. However, there were lots of weird looks when they saw her or pictures of her as my boyfriend (now ex boyfriend) is black and the donor is white. I only told very close friends and never said a word to others. If the word spread, that's fine. If not, let them keep wondering. lol My biggest fear is that my daughter will find out by someone else before I have the talk with her. So, I guess, the less people that know, the better. :)
  • krisann17krisann17 Junior Member Junior Member
    Thank you all for the great advice!! I think I am going with "I have chosen to do this on my own" and leave it at that, and be more open with those that I am close to. Right now I am on my second attempt, and in my 2ww period -- which is very difficult!
  • JennaJenna Junior Member Junior Member
    Pam, what did the nurse put on the birth certificate?

    Thank you all above for sharing..although I did not start the thread I am glad to have happen to have read it. I was wondering what to say myself. I live in a small town and everyone knows me either by work or church. I am totally unsure still what to say. I am 39, single, not waiting for Mr. Right anymore.
  • Anne72Anne72 Senior Member Senior Member
    Jenna wrote: »
    Pam, what did the nurse put on the birth certificate?

    Thank you all above for sharing..although I did not start the thread I am glad to have happen to have read it. I was wondering what to say myself. I live in a small town and everyone knows me either by work or church. I am totally unsure still what to say. I am 39, single, not waiting for Mr. Right anymore.

    My daughter's birth certificate is simply blank for the father.
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