My First Counselling Session
I have completed my blood tests and ultrasounds and started the process to access my superannuation for IVF treatment. The next step is to attend my first counselling session, online, with a counsellor who’s been with IVF Australia for over 20 years. Honestly, I was a bit nervous about it. It felt like a test. Was she going to pepper me with questions and then decide I’m not fit to be a mum? Being in my mind is exhausting sometimes! But it was nothing like that.
The counsellor was very friendly and asked about me and my support system. We discussed the pros and cons of using donors, both local and international. I spoke to the counsellor about my choice to go with an international donor and the personal preferences behind that. As briefly touched on in a previous post, Initial Appointment: IVF and Donor Process, there are certain personal preferences I have, and unfortunately, the local (national) database doesn’t currently offer what I’m looking for.
Next, the counsellor walked me through the IVF process. I had a ton of questions, which she answered for me. It was a really open and informative chat in a supportive space. I won’t go through everything that we discussed; however, if you would like information on the donor process, click here, and you will be taken to the IVF Australia using donor sperm page. There is lots of great information there.
We talked about when I would like to discuss with my future child the fact that they were conceived with a donor. I said that I wanted to have that chat as soon as possible because I think it’s important to normalise those discussions. I’ve listened to many podcasts that suggest starting these conversations early is a good idea. We agreed that how we talk about it and the language used should change over time and adapt to the child’s age. The counselor mentioned that there are some really good children’s books out there that help to introduce this topic.
The counsellor also mentioned a Single Women’s group that meets up every month. It’s made up of people who have gone through or are currently going through the IVF process. I’ll definitely check this group out at some point. I don’t know anyone who has conceived a child through IVF, especially as a single person. I think the more support I can get, the better.
All in all, I found the session really helpful, and I’m looking forward to chatting with her again.
Check out my post: Should I consider IVF as a single person? – where I share some background on myself.
Recommended podcast: Single Mother Survival Guide
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