Fertility Treatments: For Convenience?
Motherhood—achieving it and surviving it—is a perennially popular topic of blog discussions. But rarely does one comment continue to draw responses years after first being posted, like the following one has from a woman who wanted to undergo IVF fertility treatments as a matter of convenience.
“I don’t have fertility problems,” she wrote, “but I would like IVF because it would be better for my career and lifestyle if I could give birth to multiples rather than prolong my family planning.” The woman then posed this question: “Is it immoral to want fertility treatments to become pregnant with more than one baby?”
That was in 2003, and the responses have continued since, some barbed, all blunt.
“Do you realize how insane and ridiculous you sound?”
“You are better off with a goldfish that doesn’t require your time.”
“Not only are you talking about something immoral, but something that’s just wrong!”
Many women wrote to tell their own stories of the difficulty and danger involved in multiple births, aghast at what they saw as a selfish quest for a “designer” family. “Putting your babies’ lives at risk for the sake of convenience is incredibly irresponsible,” one stated. A mother of triplets answered the original question head-on: “It’s not immoral to try fertility treatments when they’re unnecessary, but it is unethical.”
Others were less judgmental, like this mother who was pregnant with twins as she responded. “You have to do what’s right for you. If you want more than one child, then it’s your decision, no one else’s.” And another woman attempted to create room for discussion. “There are more of us out there that have had that same thought,” she wrote, “although some may not admit it.”
Tell us what you think: Is having unnecessary fertility treatments for career and lifestyle reasons immoral…irresponsible…acceptable?
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What about those
What about those who aren’t fortunate enough to be able to get pregnant? I believe we do have the freedom of choice and therefore if a woman chooses to get pregnant by a fertility treatment because she isn’t one of the fortunate ones. I don’t think that makes her immoral. I think it would make her immoral to get pregnant with fertility treatment and then mistreat, neglect or hurt those babies.
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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14 children is outrageous
This woman is SELFISH!!! She obviously does not care about her children to put them at risk medically. These children will have all kinds of medical problems all their lives thanks to her greed. The children will be the ones who suffer.
Some say it’s none of our business; however, if my tax dollars pay for the medical care, hospitalization, tons of diaper trash, etc., then it becomes my business.
There is some talk that this woman has already hired a manager and trying to become famous by having a program on raising children. Being a ‘baby factory’ does not mean you know how to rear children. The first thing on raising children is not to have more than you can care for. If she is so busy with her career and fame, what happens to the bonding and love time with all those 14 children? She is already receiving donor breast milk.
Imagine being one of 14 children trying to get some attention from the mother. (((Good Luck)))
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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"14 children"
This article is about a woman who wants to use IVF to conceive twins so she can only have one pregnancy, one postpartum leave from her job. It has nothing to do with the woman who had those 8 babies recently. I assume this woman is a responsible person, who has insurance, and a spouse to help support her and her future children. Just to let you know.
As to the medical risks, she might not get more than one baby with IVF. I don’t agree with using it, but she may not necessarily have more than one child using this fertility method. I just pray that if she has more than one child using IVF, that the babies are all healthy.
celeste good | 1 year, 1 month ago
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I am a labor and delivery RN. I worry a whole lot less about the multiple births to a mother who is attempting to have it all then I do about the system abusing welfare mothers and the drug babies. I delivered a 6th baby for a “woman” who is not even old enough to buy a beer: 20 years and 9 months. So, I guess if someone wants to have it all by delivering more than one at a time, they should know the risks they are undertaking evaluate and pull ahead.
Labor and Delivery RN | 1 year, 1 month ago
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Oh Please!
I really think that anyone should have the right to have children however they want and whenever the want, as long as their children are well taken care of… Now if a person is having children just to have them, and to take more government money just to sit at home and do nothing, then it is unethical. there should be some kind of government regulation for this (I hope) because it gets me upset to know that part of our taxes goes to the lazy people.
Ariana | 1 year ago
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FYI
Just so you know a person can only receive “government money” for a maximum of 5 years. Just because a person receives “government money” does NOT mean they are lazy!
Stacy | 1 year ago
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Clomid causes you to produce more eggs
Clomid causes you to produce more eggs but they may not all mature at the same rate. You have to go to a Doctor to get them I believe. I would hope that’s not something you can get over the counter or online. It would be very dangerous and stupid to do something like that unmonitored.
Season | 1 year ago
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Ivf or adopt wow
I previewed this and some of the comments and I think the person that says adoption is the way look at the price and all the classes you have to take just to see if they will let you adopt. Some places say you have to be married for 10yrs and some say you need to travel to where ever it is and stay for a long time, even in the USA. It is hard; I have been threw 5 moms that did not want their babies and all turned out the same way a mom in Arizona has 48hrs after the child’s birth to change their mind and they did so I would go IVF no matter how many I ended up with. I cannot have kids. I have been hurt too many times and would never want to adopt again. I think if you can ivf it go for it. If you can support the babies – do it, if not step back and look at what a baby means it is not a toy or free cash.
Padair | 1 year ago
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Dont comment if you cant relate
If God gives you the desire He will lead you to that desire no matter what method has to be used to achieve it. So whether you have children or not, unless you have been in a situation to desire children and not be able to have them, then your opinion is not valid. Ever. And it is insensitive to judge others for doing and or wanting what you may have been blessed with and you think is so natural and meant to be. I don’t think you fully understand what meant to be is and teh next time you use God to justify your insensitivity read your bible first. Miracles and the teaching of Christ will dull your insensitivity and open your heart to the gift of understanding. I pray that nothing ever happens to your child, and that you never have to experience wanting a child and not being able to have one. In addition, adoption can be as expensive as IVF and it is that couples right to want to experience pregnancy. Going by your logic then I guess every unwanted child was MEANT TO BE unwanted. I sure do hope and pray that is not how God operates.
Speakingfrommyheart to meant to be | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Wife, mother, and concerned
This mentality is not a sane one, this is almost as bad as welfare mothers, before reform. If a woman is this driven to have children then the normal natural way of childbirth should not be an issue. The other issue in regard to this is how does a mother of none, expect to become a mother of many and not have to go through the learning stages of becoming a mother? I mean come on here. I helped raise siblings being the oldest and that still did not prepare me for all the things a new mother needed to know. If we were meant to have litters we would have been built that way. There are always exceptions to the rule, but to have children just for the want to do it once and get it over with is not a normal mode of thinking. Its warped. It’s not ethical for obvious reasons and it is detrimental to the normal growth and adaptability of the child. A child needs its parents total attention, not a misguided attempt at it because there are so many that they can not contribute to them, and their needs.
Kelly Keast | 11 months, 1 week ago
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