LGBT History Month – Featured Families: We Forgot The Sperm.

Since starting this project and featuring all my favourite bloggers and families, I’ve quickly come to realise how lucky we are that we’ve found several friends through our TTC process.
Like most of the other families we’ve featured, we’ve followed (their blog, not physically) Laura and Amy for a long time. Their journey hasn’t been the easiest (far from it!) and it’s been heart-breaking to read what they’ve been through, but they’ve come through it nonetheless and have a beautiful daughter to show for it. They’re an inspiration.
We now call Amy and Laura our friends. Genuine friends that we can chat to late at night on Facebook about leggings and Disney princesses. Friends we didn’t know existed until we both reached the bottom of the TTC pit.
Here’s their story…
Who are you?
I’m Laura and my wife is Amy. We’re a two mum family from London, UK
How long have you been together with your partner?
Nearly ten years, in a civil partnership for five years and we converted it to marriage last October
Where did you meet?
We met through an online forum for a west end show. We then both attended a meet up to see the show and became friends. I moved to London from Yorkshire and we were flat mates for a while before ending up in a relationship
How many children do you have? How old are they?
Just one. Our little girl, Eden, is 8 weeks old.
What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Having a little person that you made! Watching her grow and watching the new things that she learns every day. It’s like seeing the world through different eyes.
What challenges, if any, have you faced as a same-sex family?
Constant “daddy” questions! Especially when we were admitted to hospital when she was four days old. It wasn’t the hospital she was born in and they were obsessed with “daddy”. It’s disconcerting.
Has it been easy to teach your children about diversity? Have they encountered any problems?
We haven’t really got there yet. Our intention is to teach her that families come in all shapes and sizes and we are all as fab as eachother no matter what the family make up.
What would be your message to a young person “coming out” today?
Just do it. There’s never been a better time. Apparently (so I’ve heard) it’s “cool” to not be straight at the moment. But no, seriously, be your best self and be proud of that self. Own it, because there’s only one you.
What would be your message to a couple starting out on the TTC journey?
Don’t believe all the crap you read online. Don’t take medical advice from Internet forums. If you’re using a known donor, be careful and follow your gut. Also, know your cycle. This stuff isn’t about how long you keep your legs in the air, whether you use a softcup or how often you inseminate – it’s about timing!
Also, don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen right away. We get a crappy 20% chance per cycle and that’s if everyone is perfectly healthy and with perfect timing.
How about those especially worried about persecution?
Remember families come in all shapes and sizes and you’re part of that fantastic spectrum. Love makes a family, and anyone who tells you otherwise isn’t worth listening to.
What does LGBT History mean to you?
It’s amazing how much of a struggle people who don’t identify as straight have been through to get where we are now. I can be in a loving relationship with my wife and have a beautiful daughter and we are protected by law, and that’s thanks to those who have made history before us.
Where can we find you (Twitter, blog, etc.)?
The Twitter @forgotthesperm and our blog is http://weforgotthesperm.wordpress.com
Thank you!
