Camille Guaty: 5 Things We Learned From Her Egg Donor Journey
When actress Camille Guaty recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, she did something unusual for a celebrity: she talked openly about her donor egg ivf and pregnancy journey. We are so glad that she is spreading awareness about egg donation and advocating for parents to empower themselves no matter their fertility story. We tuned in to Camille’s recent Instagram Live with IVF Phoenix and loved what she had to say.
Here are our top five learnings from Camille's journey:
Motherhood Is Not Just Genetic
The modern fertility methods in society today -- not to mention adoption, fostering, nontraditional parenting, and more – have challenged traditional definitions of motherhood. In the past, a “mother” was considered a woman who conceives, carries, and births a biological child. Today, we know that it just isn’t that simple!
We love the point Camille made on this topic, saying, “We’re so attached to genetics, and a genetic baby being ‘my’ baby. And that’s just not the case. If you are one part of the equation... you are the mother.” It takes a village to raise a child, and sometimes it takes a village to have children in the first place! In a day and age when surrogacy, egg and sperm donation, and fertility treatments are still rarely discussed openly, it is so important to embrace all the ways people become mothers.
Expect the Unexpected
No one can predict the beautiful, individual personality and traits of the child that they will welcome into their family. Whether your child is biologically yours or not, he or she will be completely unique. Camille touched on this, describing growing up and thinking she would have “a little girl who looks just like me.” As she started looking for an egg donor, she hoped to find a donor who resembled her… and ended up having a baby boy who looks just like her husband. Surprise!
Don’t Stress About Connecting
In the fertility field, a very common concern from parents is connecting with their child. In many circumstances of “nontraditional” fertility, surrogacy, and adoption (and even “traditional” family formation!) parents have a common worry: Will it be difficult to connect with my baby? Despite all the love that parents hold for their child, it’s easy to fear that they will somehow “mess up” this crucial part of parenting.
Camille experienced the same worry as she carried her son, but quickly realized the connection came naturally. “There is not a second that goes by that this isn’t my baby. He has my personality, he smiles all the time like me. I think it’s okay to have those thoughts, and it’s totally natural.” It’s very normal to have this fear, and it simply shows that parents care deeply about their child. But don’t stress about connecting!
Planning Ahead Always Helps…
At Donor Concierge, we encourage all intended parents to do their research and choose the best fertility options for their family. And we are so glad that modern fertility and family planning resources are becoming more talked about. When looking back, Camille shares that “freezing my eggs or creating embryos” could have been a good option for her younger self. As these options become more widely available, more and more women are planning ahead for their fertility.
But Don’t Beat Yourself Up Over Hindsight!
Planning for your future family is a great idea – but sometimes life gets in the way! As much as we encourage intended parents to know their options, it is very important not to negatively dwell on the past. Sometimes life deals us an unexpected hand of cards, and we just can’t predict the medical, relationship, career or life circumstances that we find ourselves in. And that’s okay!
Camille was quick to point this out. Despite acknowledging that freezing her eggs or embryos could have been a great option, she has no regrets. “If I did anything different, I wouldn’t have my son.” Yes, hindsight is 2020, but looking to the future and being optimistic about the present are key in every fertility journey.
Interested in building your family with Donor Concierge? Schedule your free consultation today.
