Choice Moms

Jennifer Aniston is promoting her new film The Switch - about a single woman who chooses to conceive via IVF. Recently she said, “Women are realizing more and more that you don’t have to settle, they don’t have to fiddle with a man to have that child. Of course, the ideal scenario for parenting is obviously two parents of a mature age. Parenting is one of the hardest jobs on earth.

We'd like to tell you about a website called ChoiceMoms.org, which focuses on what women need to know when they conceive with the help of donated sperm. The site highlights the options available for sperm donation [including open identity and known]; it offers advice about selecting a sperm bank; and highlights the importance of knowing sperm motility numbers and refund policies.

Huffington Post's Peggy Drexler underscores the good news related to state governments which support lesbian and gay parenting. Eleven states and DC explicitly state that sexual orientation cannot be the basis for adoption denial. Ohio was the only state - in 2006 - to introduce a ban. The proposed ban failed when backers couldn't generate enough support.

Drexler writes: "It was an admission, political observers say, that orientation-based divisiveness just isn't what it used to be."

Mikki Morrissette is a Choice Mother of two, and a freelance journalist, editor and writer. She knows at least 200 single women who are thinking about this decision or who are active Choice Moms.

On her web site Choosing Single Motherhood Morrissette offers articles written about her views on Choice Motherhood, as well as related articles she wrote. She also lists links to several relevant web sites.

Image: Book cover of "Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman's Guide"