I personally am ready to have kids but I know plenty of people who are not necessarily in the same space. In my process of family planning, I am doing a ton of research and that includes podcasts (IYKYK)! When we started thinking about starting a family I noticed I was carrying some anxiety around getting pregnant. Is everything okay and functioning properly…guess we will see. Last month I listened to two podcasts and they both talked about options for women who are or may not be ready to have kids. This was something I never really looked into because I didn’t see a need but I learned so much I just had to share!
The first was The Oprah Rose Show – Episode 155: Eggs Over Easy Feat. Phylicia + Chiquita
I have listened to this show since the first episode like 4 years ago. So adding them to the family planning list was a very pleasant surprise. They discussed fertility and family planning as it pertains to Black women in a way that was fun and relatable but made you stop and take notes!
The second was the The Suga – Mini: Family Planning with Bresha Webb
I shared this as my obsession in June’s Newsletter so you already know how I feel about them! Bresha walks you through the process of freezing her eggs which is hilarious and informative at the same time.
Fertility/family planning learnings:
- When you are over 30 you should request that your doctor tests certain hormone levels
- FSH (Follicle-stimulating Hormone: Controls the menstrual cycle and stimulates the growth of eggs in the ovaries
- AMH Levels (Anti-Mullerian Hormone): Asses a women’s Ovarian reserve or egg count
- See what fertility treatments your insurance covers
- If they cover egg freezing, take advantage (even if you are on the fence)
- Have an honest conversation with yourself about what you really want (if kids are not something you want, that is okay)
Maybe you are single, in a relationship, or not even sure you want to have kids, at least know where you stand. Know your options and how much time you may have to figure things out. I was not even aware of tests like these existing. Why did my former OBGYN ask me every check-up when I was getting pregnant because of my age vs. suggesting we check these things out?
Black women are 3.5x more likely to die from complications related to childbirth or pregnancy. Thus we have to be educated in order to truly be our own advocates. It is sad but it’s a reality, and why I want to share what I am learning with you all. We have to do better about distributing this knowledge within our community so that our younger sisters and cousins know all their options. So that the pressure from older relatives and society doesn’t push anyone into something they are not ready for. If you do nothing else, at least share the learnings above with 1 person.
I want you all to know we have options! We don’t have to live in the land of the unknown. Get educated and share what you learn! We all we got!
XOXO, Laya
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