fertility-conversations

Picture this: You’re trying to have The Talk. No, not that Talk (we all suffered through that one in sixth grade, thanks, health class). This is the other Talk—the "how and why of making a baby in the 2020s" chat. If the mere thought already has your palms sweating, you’re in excellent company.

Let’s face it: There’s a weird stigma around talking openly about how we build our families. You can debate pineapple on pizza ‘til you’re blue in the face, but mention the phrase "insemination kit" at brunch and suddenly Aunt Linda is intensely focused on her mimosa. Why does something so universal — planning for the future — carry such a thick cloak of silence?

Inspired by Estate Planners (Yes, Really!)

Here's the twist you didn't see coming: I was recently inspired by a Business Insider article where Casey Cohen, the CMO of The Estate Registry, describes how he started talking to his daughter early about… well, dying (read the original here). Now, stay with me—this isn’t a detour, it’s a shortcut to understanding.

Cohen’s approach? Make those “taboo” conversations totally normal, even empowering. Turns out, we can steal a page from his playbook and apply it to something a lot less morbid but equally life-altering: talking about fertility, conception, and all the hopes (and anxiety spirals) that come with it.

So, how do you actually open up a conversation about making babies—especially if your method involves a little help from science and brands like MakeAMom?

The Elephant in the Bedroom: Why We Struggle to Talk About Conception

First, let’s acknowledge the obvious: conception isn’t always dim lighting and Marvin Gaye. For a growing number of hopeful parents, it looks more like tracking cycles, researching at-home insemination kits, and awkwardly whispering about sperm motility at the dinner table.

It’s hardly surprising we clam up. There’s baggage, there’s pressure, there’s Aunt Linda again pretending she’s never heard the word ‘ovulation.’

But if we can talk to kids about wills and estate plans, why can’t we just… talk about how we’re planning to grow our families?

5 Actually-Not-Awkward Ways to Talk About Your Fertility Plans

Ready for the secret sauce? Here are five ways to make the conversation as painless as possible—whether you’re talking with your partner, your folks, or your BFF who keeps suggesting you “just relax and it’ll happen” (bless their clueless heart):

• 1. Start with Curiosity, Not Announcements

  • Instead of, “We’re using an insemination kit,” try, “Have you ever wondered how many different ways people can create families these days?” Bring them into the conversation gently.

• 2. Ditch the Medical Jargon

  • Nobody needs a TED Talk on sperm morphology at Sunday lunch. Use clear, simple language and focus on what matters: your hopes, your values, your excitement.

• 3. Borrow the Estate Plan Approach

  • Just like talking about estate planning, make it about choices and preparation, not emergencies. “We want to plan for what works best for us, and there’s some amazing science out there making it possible!”

• 4. Share Cool Facts (And Maybe a Statistic or Two)

  • Did you know companies like MakeAMom’s home insemination kits have a reported 67% success rate and come in discreet, reusable packages? Dropping a fact or two makes it sound less scary and more, “Oooh, tell me more!”

• 5. Let Humor Be Your Wingman

  • Laughter breaks tension. Consider, “Turns out, making a baby at home can be easier than assembling Ikea furniture — and you’re way less likely to lose a tiny screw.”

But What If…?

Still worried someone will get awkward, judgey, or ask uncomfortably personal questions? Flip the open loop: What if your candor helps someone else? By opening up, you’re not just advocating for yourself—you’re showing others they can have these conversations, too.

Why This Matters So Much (For Everyone)

Normalizing these talks does more than reduce personal anxiety. It:

• Builds a community of support (hello, sanity!)
• Reduces stigma for people with fertility struggles, LGBTQ+ families, single parents-by-choice, and anyone else who doesn’t fit the 1957 nuclear family mold
• Educates your circle about new, empowering fertility technologies
• Helps you feel less alone, which—trust us—makes all the difference when you’re riding the emotional rollercoaster of conception

The Age of Empowered Conception

The bottom line? Whether you’re assembling a will or assembling a home insemination kit, you deserve open, judgment-free conversations. Companies like MakeAMom are making it easier than ever for people to take their fertility into their own hands—literally. (If you’re curious, their site has stories, resources, and all the info you never knew you needed. Worth a peek!)

Your Turn: Let’s Make Fertility Chats the New Brunch Trend

So, next time conception comes up, skip the side-eye and go for clarity, compassion, and maybe a funny story about fertility apps autocorrecting your texts. After all, the journey to parenthood is wild enough—you shouldn’t have to navigate it solo or in silence.

What’s been your most awkward (or surprisingly awesome) fertility conversation? Drop your story in the comments—let’s make talking about building families as normal as… pineapple on pizza debates. 🍍