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I have two children via donor insemination. I'm on boards where people express their anguish over being conceived this way and not being able to know their biological fathers. It seems to me that open adoption is the very definition of good parenting. It's very hard for the parents but ultimately in the best interests of the child.
As for "blood" being so important, I can tell you that my children have no inkling of any difference between their parents, the one who is biologically related and the one who had a donor stand-in are loved equally and their cousins on both sides are as well.
And all this nonsense about women needing to have their kids earlier. Great. That works fine if you're ready. But if you're not, if you haven't found the person you want to be with or even discovered your own desires to be a parent, it's a disaster.
This was a beautifully written essay -- and I dare say that Madison is a very, very lucky little girl to have two mothers in her life willing to make sacrifices to benefit her. But make no mistake -- Jessica is not her mother now. She is a beloved relative. And her mother is right to not deny her a relationship with that beloved relative who made an enormous sacrifice for Madison's happiness.
