pregnancy

Growing your family, one baby bump at a time. All about the ups and downs of nature's 9 month miracle.

As A Teacher, I Was Drawn to Become A Surrogate: An Interview with Anne-Marie
As told by Anne-Marie, ConceiveAbilities surrogate Anne-Marie is a wife, a mother of three boys, a kindergarten teacher, the keeper of various farm animals, and a surrogate. Anne-Marie has been teaching with Springfield Public Schools in Massachusetts for the last 7 years. Prior to that, she worked in early education centers for 10 years while starting a family of her own and getting her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies.
By ConceiveAbilities Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agency16 days ago in Families
Family, Faith, and Health: My Journey to Becoming a Surrogate
As told by Jocelyn Winnett, ConceiveAbilities surrogate After becoming an egg donor to help another family grow, Jocelyn Winnett knew she wasn’t finished giving back. Her experiences in healthcare, strong family values, and faith ultimately inspired her to become a surrogate — giving her another opportunity to help intended parents achieve their dream of becoming parents.
By ConceiveAbilities Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agency16 days ago in Families
Advanced Surrogacy Definitions: A Complete Glossary
Surrogacy is a rewarding journey, but it also comes with its own unique language. From medical terminology and legal concepts, to agency processes and fertility treatment terms, understanding the vocabulary of surrogacy can help both intended parents and surrogates feel more confident every step of the way.
By ConceiveAbilities Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agency21 days ago in Families
Blindfolded
I should have had my baby in the back of a car on a highway in the middle of rush hour, as it poured down rain and ice. My experience with the hospital when I gave birth to my only son was far less pleasant and fraught with mishaps. I hear about the wonderful, dreamlike experiences other women have had, and that was not mine. It was one mistake after another, and I was cut open for the birth of my angel. It was hell. Angels should never be delivered in such a place.
By Alexandra Grant21 days ago in Families
I Was a Failure As a New Mom
At thirty-eight, I finally carried a baby to term. After three miscarriages, my dream came true. I owe it to some incredible physicians and to prayerful women. I held my baby in my arms the day I delivered via C-section, and I was in awe. It’s an amazing thing to hold a human being in your arms who grew inside you. I still can’t wrap my head around the concept. New Mom.
By Alexandra Grant2 months ago in Families
Seven Minutes to Tie a Shoe, Six Days to Die: The Gene Therapy Trial That Took Everything
On the seventh morning, the numbers on the pulse oximeter were dropping. Six years old. Base editing. Adeno-associated viral vector. Her immune system did not recognize the shell of that vector, took it for an enemy, and attacked itself along with it. On the seventh day, she died of an immune response.
By Jin2 months ago in Families
My Brain Tumor
I had been getting these mind-splitting headaches for a few days already. The thoughts ran through my mind because, of course, I am a worrier. Maybe there was something wrong with my eyes. I was having sensitivity issues. It could have been severe tension, though I was not feeling tense.
By Alexandra Grant2 months ago in Families
Delayed Response
When do babies say their first word: at one year or at one and a half years? How about at two? Well, my son had not uttered a word, and he was two and a half. My husband and I had no point of reference.
By Alexandra Grant2 months ago in Families
Baby Clothes
I have always believed I would have a family one day. I always wanted a child, even as a young woman. What I wanted was a son. Don’t ask me why—a son and not a daughter. I have no clue. The idea of having a daughter never entered my head. It was always so.
By Alexandra Grant2 months ago in Families
Am I nesting yet?
I'm officially in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and the heartburn serves as a great reminder that the day I get to hold my daughter in my arms is creeping ever closer. I find myself trying to prepare for something that's somewhat impossible to prepare for. After all, you can't really understand what childbirth is going to be like until you go through it. You won't know what it's like to raise a child until you try to raise one.
By Jessica Freeborn2 months ago in Families
Father's Day 2026
My husband is the charm. He is husband number three and has four children. Husband number two had one son. Husband number one and I had two children. This is for a total of seven children for me. And then there are thirty grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.
By Denise E Lindquist3 months ago in Families
Holding Water in Open Palms
There is a strange kind of motherhood that has no name. It looks like love, sounds like responsibility, feels like devotion — but it carries no authority. I pour myself into children who are not mine, love them as though they were born from my own breath, yet I remain a guest in their lives. I am close enough to love them fiercely, close enough to worry, to nurture, to care, but never close enough to truly belong. There is always a line, however invisible, that reminds me where my place begins and ends.
By Gladys Kay Sidorenko3 months ago in Families