Inconceivable: Unregulated Sperm Donation, Crowd-Sourced Fertility, and My Unconventional Search to Become a Mother

Newsweek reporter Bauman’s bemusing debut memoir doubles as an investigation into the world of alternative fertility treatments. After deciding she wanted a child in 2020, a single, 38-year-old Bauman researched her options with a journalist’s tenacity. Focusing first on traditional sperm banks, Bauman found that, while some donor profiles included medical histories, DNA analyses, and successful fertility rates, most were far skimpier. Dissatisfied, she turned to Google for other options, stumbling into a Wild West of Facebook sperm donor groups and Tinder-like apps that catered to people who, for financial, personal, or bureaucratic reasons, sought help beyond traditional fertility clinics. Interweaving the details of her own path to motherhood and interviews with doctors, donors, and expectant parents, Bauman builds a captivating and often humorous portrait of DIY pregnancy. Unregulated donors arrive to donation sessions equipped with their own kits, including menstrual cups to deposit their samples; some insist to clients that the “natural” method of sexual intercourse is their preference. Many operate under self-imposed guidelines, wishing only to impregnate a limited number of women, while others compete for the most conceptions. Through it all, Bauman’s rigorous curiosity keeps the pages turning. It’s a wide-ranging portrait of contemporary motherhood that entertains and informs in equal measure. (Apr.)